Photo: CERTs staff in the office

Once upon a time — 2003, to be exact — in Minnesota, the Clean Energy Resource Teams were born. Guiding CERTs into existence was a recent University of Minnesota Humphrey School graduate named Lissa Pawlisch, who saw the need for reliable resources for communities interested in exploring their clean energy options.

Since 2003, Lissa has guided the development of a statewide partnership, from CERTs’ incorporation into state statute by the Legislature to the expansion of staff capacity to better serve communities throughout Minnesota.

Photo: Iron Range event 2009

Lissa’s vision has always put Minnesota’s communities at the center of CERTs’ work – finding opportunities to both share and listen, then shaping CERTs’ work accordingly. To aid in this process, CERTs has steering committees in each region of the state, with members from many different communities and organizations. These steering committees date back to the early years of CERTs and play a crucial role in our community-based approach.

Photo: Lissa and Joel at the 2006 MN Environmental Initiative award ceremony when CERTs won partnership of the year.

CERTs strives to listen to community needs and aspirations, share tools and replicable models, and connect people to resources — and each other. As statewide director, Lissa has embodied this approach, nurturing a profound respect for staff and community partners alike.

Photo: Lissa, Diana, Alexis (front), Joel and Fritz (back)

When CERTs first got started in 2003, wind power was just getting rolling in southwestern Minnesota, solar cost $12 per watt, and hydrogen was right around the corner. At one of CERTs’ early events, in Sunburg, we had a crowd check out our weird Toyota from fleet services, something called a "Prius.” 

Now, in 2023, wind is our cheapest source of new electric generation, solar costs $3 per watt, and hydrogen is, well, still right around the corner. (But it’s getting there — have you seen our super-nerdy ammonia report?) On the transportation side, there are major auto manufacturers planning to go all-electric.

While CERTs doesn’t work on policy, that landscape has changed dramatically too, opening up new opportunities for individuals and organizations of all sorts to implement clean energy projects (check out our Inflation Reduction Act Guide, for example). At the same time, in order to access these opportunities, Minnesotans will need reliable information, tools for implementation, and a voice in shaping what clean energy looks like in their communities.

Photo: Melissa, Lissa, Maggie, Joel at an event in Hermantown.

On March 8, Lissa Pawlisch will be starting at the Minnesota Department of Commerce as the Director of the Energy Development Section, which exists, according to Commerce's description of this role, to accelerate equitable, affordable, resilient, and reliable clean energy deployment in Minnesota.

Photo: Peter Berger, Peter Lindstrom, Lissa, Diana, Alexis, and Joel in the CERTs office 2022.

We always joke that CERTs is like Hotel California: you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave. We stay connected to each other after people move on, which is one of the things that make CERTs such a special thing. We will miss Lissa’s daily presence, her infectious laugh, and the passion – and compassion – that she brings to work every day. At the same time, we know that she will bring much to her new role at the Department of Commerce, helping communities across Minnesota seize this moment in which so many clean energy opportunities are opening up. We look forward to partnering with our “original CERTsy” in her new role.

As Lissa moves into her next chapter, and as CERTs moves into its own new chapter, we, the CERTs staff, would like to say…

Thank you, Lissa Pawlisch, for 20 fabulous years!

Photo: CERTs Staff 2022

Looking forward, the CERTs team and all of our great partners will be building on our past experience to deepen engagement around the major energy opportunities we see in community-based clean energy: efficiency, beneficial electrification, and renewable energy.

CERTs has always emphasized the importance of energy efficiency, and we will continue to work to intensify efficiency across sectors and end-uses. We will provide resources to assist in identifying and implementing beneficial electrification projects for heating (heat pumps!) and transportation (electric vehicles!). Finally, as Minnesotans increasingly seek to incorporate renewables into their energy mix, CERTs will support communities in advancing projects to meet their needs and aspirations.

In the course of our work, we will continue to share models and stories that help Minnesotans imagine what clean energy could mean for them, we will bring people together to build community around clean energy, and we will help communities – especially those who currently confront barriers to participating in the clean energy transition – take advantage of the upcoming opportunities in ways that make sense for them. 

It’s an exciting time for clean energy, and we are looking forward to our next 20 years!