Via KARE 11 (Solar power gets boost from stimulus and new laws) and Star Tribune (Incentives giving solar projects a bright boost)
State lawmakers, mayors, and industry executives gathered yesterday to announce legislation and federal recovery money coming out of this session targeted to renewable energy, especially solar power. They also highlighted several pilot projects and partnerships that are leading the way for a solar revolution.
From the steps of the Capitol in St. Paul, standing in front of a large mobile solar array, State Senator Ellen Anderson, DFL-St. Paul and chair of the environment, energy and natural resources budget committee, exclaimed, “If you want to be a leader in solar, you’ve got to grab that market now, and that’s exactly what we have done in the 2009 session…Today we’d like to announce we’re kicking off the solar energy revolution in Minnesota!” She continued, “If you’re a homeowner and you want to install solar you can get rebates of up to $10,000 to put solar on your home. Pair that up with a federal tax credit and you are good part of the way toward paying for your solar installation.”
At least $25 million in stimulus money has also been set aside for grants to businesses, schools, government and economic development agencies seeking to create projects that incorporate solar or other renewable technology. Specifically, $3 million for solar rebates for homeowners and businesses, $3 million for solar development along University Avenue between Minneapolis and St. Paul, and $6.5 million in grants to school districts and local government to purchase and to install solar and other renewable energy systems.
Judy Poferl, a regional vice president for Xcel Energy, pointed out that the company is now the single largest producer of wind energy and welcomes the opportunity to harness homegrown sun power.
“The great thing about solar is it’s going to make renewables very visible to most of our customers,” Poferl told reporters noting that most consumers don’t get to drive past the wind generator farms in rural parts of the state. Here people will be going down the street and, if our vision comes to life, the Central Corridor is going to have solar panels up and down and customers will actually see this is where we get our energy.” That was a reference to a plan to turn University Avenue in Saint Paul into a “solar showcase” which, among other things, will help power the new light rail line planned there.
“It is ground breaking,” Saint Paul Mayor Chris Coleman said, “It is remarkable. And it will be a national model. Years from now we will look back on this legislative session and say there was something very fundamental that happened.”
Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, who is planning a huge solar installation on the roof of the Minneapolis Convention Center, called this a milestone for the state. “This is our moment right now,” Rybak asserted, “We’re talking about the sun, but we’re also talking about jobs!”
Both Minneapolis and Saint Paul have been recognized as Solar America Cities by the Department of Energy, and have launched an initiative to increase the solar capacity of the Twin Cities by 500 percent in the next two years.
The solar effort features partnerships with a wide spectrum of interest groups and utilities. The list includes Xcel, the Minnesota Department of Commerce, the Minnesota Renewable Energy Society, the Green Institute, Fresh Energy, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, League of Minnesota Cities, freEner-g, District Energy, Center for Energy and Environment and the Neighborhood Energy Connection.
