Renewable Energy
About 90 percent of Minnesota’s electricity comes from coal, natural gas, petroleum, and nuclear: nonrenewable energy sources that have serious environmental and socioeconomic costs. Fortunately, the state of Minnesota has enormous potential for renewable energy production from wind, solar, biomass, geothermal, and hydropower. Expansion of these renewable energy sources can benefit both the environment and our regional economy.
What Minneapolis is Doing
Opportunities to use renewable energy sources exist for homes, businesses, and institutions alike. The City of Minneapolis strives to be a leader in implementing renewable energy projects. Examples of renewable energy initiatives undertaken in Minneapolis include:
- Solar panels are going up at City maintenance facilities, fire stations, and the Convention Center.
- A 10 megawatt hydroelectric project at the Lower St. Anthony Falls will create 75 green jobs during construction and enough energy to power 7,500 homes annually when it goes online in 2011.
- Xcel Energy runs a 12 megawatt hydroelectric plant at Hennepin Island in downtown Minneapolis.
- The City awarded 2010 Climate Change Grants to organizations undertaking solar site assessments, solar thermal bulk purchasing, and energy efficiency initiatives.
- Minneapolis tracks renewable energy projects as part of its sustainability indicators program.
Last updated Aug. 9, 2012