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Colton Koch is an installer/apprentice at TruNorth Solar. He graduated from the ETS (Energy Technical Specialist) program at Century College where he earned a NABCEP certification at the associate level. Every day, Colton works in the field gaining the experience needed to fulfill his goals of helping our planet. We talked with Colton about his interest in the field and what his job entails. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

In 2019, Cristo Rey Jesuit High School decided to take advantage of several programs that gave them a path to installing solar on its school building, that didn’t require any upfront capital. The team at iDEAL Energies introduced them to Minnesota’s Solar*Rewards program, combined with the city of Minneapolis’ green cost share program which made solar a viable option for the school, with full ownership transferred to the school after 18 years. 

The recently released 2021 Minnesota Energy Factsheet, shows that clean energy made huge strides in 2020, despite the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic. What’s exciting about this report is the visualization of how rapidly Minnesota’s clean energy sector is changing. It’s not very often we get to live through transformations, but there is one taking place in Minnesota, and it’s happening in real time.

The 2021 Minnesota Energy Factsheet Rollout Webinar event on Thursday, April 15, 2021 was to amplify the new report, provide an overview of the data points and hear how the report impacts Minnesotans from a panel of clean energy business and industry experts.

Months into the COVID-19 lockdown last year, positive headlines were few and far between. Among the limited uplifting topics to catch public attention, however, was sustainability. In December 2020, news outlets across the country wrote about data published in the journal “Earth System Science Data” that showed a 7 percent drop from fossil emission levels compared to 2019. That equates to an estimated 2.4 billion tonnes’ difference in CO2 emissions.

Q: Tell us about yourself and what you do at Juhl?

A: Clay D. Norrbom, Managing Director, Juhl Clean Energy Assets, Inc. I joined Juhl about five years ago, but have known and worked with the Juhl team for about 10 years. I’m based in Wisconsin - I’m the small town farm person from Northern Wisconsin who worked on Wall Street for about 10 years and came back to renewable energy to clean my slate from my sins on Wall Street. I’m the third leg of the leadership/ownership team of the company. I run the part of our business that deals with projects we own ourselves. I work with our corporate partners to develop and maintain relationships as we tend to do a lot of repeat business with them.

Most Minnesotans stayed warm and their lights stayed on in February while thousands of Texans endured days without electricity. As Texas temperatures dipped as low as -4 degrees on February 16, much of Minnesota was experiencing much colder temperatures. While outages in Minnesota were not widespread, in Moorhead, the Moorhead Public Service said blackouts were possible over multiple days.

The 2021 Virtual Clean Energy Business Day at the Capitol was March 10, 2021 and was a day dedicated to sharing with legislators how Minnesota’s clean energy businesses are leading technology innovation and helping shape the future of Minnesota’s clean energy economy. The event was put on in partnership with the Center for Energy and the Environment (CEE), Clean Grid Alliance, MnSEIA and the U.S. Green Building Council. The event was sponsored by All Energy Solar and Apex Clean Energy.

The electrical grid that serves most Minnesotans’ homes and businesses has been evolving since the early 1900’s. Our rapidly changing clean energy transition changed a whole lot more than just how we power our homes and businesses. But all that change required plans. It’s going to take a transformation in how we plan for the clean energy future.

Each year, the Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE) along with BloombergNEF releases a factbook containing the impacts and statistics about renewable energy’s performance in America over the past year. This year, the COVID-19 pandemic had huge effects on the industry including decreasing energy demand overall and the furlough of hundreds of thousands of clean energy workers. Though some numbers from this year’s factbook might look different next year as the country rebounds from the pandemic, it also might have shifted how the country looks at clean energy and its role in the American mix.  

There are many ways one can “live the good life,” but for many, it starts with a comfortable home. Leadership of the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians were looking not only for comfort when commissioning the Mino-bimaadiziwin apartment complex, but also for housing that encompasses the tribe’s heritage of sustainability and togetherness. In partnership with Loeffler Construction and Consulting, Landon Group, and Cunningham Group, CEE joined this project to bring comfort and sustainability through energy efficiency and to ensure that this building marks the beginning of a long-lasting and sustainable home for members of the Tribe.

Minnesota’s family farmers are already experiencing the climate crisis. There is more extreme weather, unpredictable growing seasons, and increased pressure of plant and animal diseases. Farmers understand the risks of climate change and are coming up with new ways to remain resilient, such as putting carbon back in the soil. 

Clean Energy Economy MN (CEEM) develops and supports public policy that promotes the growth of clean energy jobs and the economic opportunities provided by clean, affordable and reliable energy. Working with state lawmakers between the aisle (not across it), and alongside government policy and regulatory agencies, CEEM provides the business voice of clean energy to help shape policy decisions and grow clean energy market opportunities.

Hello! I’m Virginia, the new Manager of Community Relations. I am excited to begin 2021 working with Clean Energy Economy Minnesota to strengthen our relationships with our members and the broader community. I’m hoping that we will be able to bring back in-person events this year, too!

Transmission policy is a complicated business, and 2021 will involve a number of important policy debates. Transmission policy revolves around markets that ensure power reaches our homes and businesses, often crossing wide regions and crossing state lines. We refer to the regional power delivery system as the transmission or bulk electric grid. Coordinating energy supply and demand across wide regions involves complex policies for building out new transmission, ensuring reliable operation of the system, and regulating market activities on that system.

The following webinar recap is based on “The 2020 election & what clean energy businesses need to know” event held by Clean Energy Economy MN (CEEM) on December 10, 2020 at 1 PM CST. The slides are available for review but there are no recordings of the event. 45 attendees joined the webinar to hear from Benjamin Stafford, CEEM’s Director of Government Affairs, Representative Patty Acomb (DFL - Minnetonka) and Senator David Senjem (R - Rochester). 

Clean energy can be a confusing topic. What is clean energy? How does it work in cold climates? Is it going to raise my bills? These are all questions people working in the industry get every day, and they’re good questions! In this blog, we will take you through the top ten most frequently asked questions about clean energy and give you the facts behind each. 

Each month, we ask our member-businesses to submit new projects that they are working on or have completed to be featured in our newsletter. There are a huge variety of amazing clean energy projects in Minnesota and here we archive these great stories. If you are a CEEM member and would like to submit a story, please email tconnelly@cleanenergyeconomymn.org.

The 2020 election season is over. No matter which side of the aisle you lean, it’s most likely safe to say we’re all glad it’s over. The results of this year’s election at both the state and federal level will impact the potential for clean energy policy progress in 2021. We continue to be engaged. For example, our CEEM members met with candidates for State Senate to provide education on our industry and policy opportunities. We continue to look for opportunities to inform policymakers about how and why clean energy policy matters.