重新构想明尼苏达州中部的能源可及性

The second installment of our clean energy virtual roadshow series took place on Sept. 28, featuring bet36365体育app member-businesses Renewable Energy Alliance (RREAL), PACE Loan Group and Juhl Clean Energy Assets and all of their unique clean energy projects in Central Minnesota. In addition to these three panelists, Virginia Rutter of bet36365体育app gave a brief overview of both our MN清洁能源情况介绍 和我们的 中西部清洁就业报告.

流行后就业增长

In 2020, clean energy saw a decline in jobs for the first time in five years, 然而 the industry has bounced back twice as fast as the overall Minnesota workforce, 超过55个,300名清洁能源工人. 为了应对日益增长的行业, RREAL has been educating and training individuals to enter the clean energy workforce, 特别是在土著社区, 希望增加太阳能的可及性.

“我们的最终目标是创造一个训练有素的, 有能力, 土著劳动力进入这些新的工作岗位, while they also work towards creating energy sovereignty for their reservations,约翰·沃恩说, RREAL执行董事.

与白色地球国家合作, RREAL has implemented a series of solar installations and education programs. 自2012年以来，RREAL的安装已经生产了631台.白色地球国家的45千瓦时电力, 和71美元,671 in energy savings; RREAL intends to increase these savings to over $1 million in the next thirty years.

今年, RREAL has increased their number of interns from the White Earth Nation from 8 to 12, further incorporating solar education into the local community college. Along with increasing the presence of solar education in higher education, RREAL has also recently released a solar-based curriculum for K-8th grade audiences. This curriculum is free to the public, and can be found on RREAL’s 网站.

如何为清洁能源融资

Central Minnesota is a junction between rural and urban communities, and PACE Loan Group works with businesses across the region. PACE provides long-term real estate financing to commercial real estate owners, helping them to secure loans that allow them to install various clean energy upgrades to their properties, 以及增加他们在水电费上的储蓄. (bet36365体育app helped to pass the law in 2019 that made commercial PACE financing accessible to building owners across Minnesota.)

Examples of the benefits behind PACE’s financing can be seen in manufacturing facilities in Hutchinson, MN和萨特尔, MN. 两家机构都为太阳能装置提供了资金, 哈钦森基金会提供了520美元,收到27美元,每年节约能源500英镑, 而萨特尔基金会提供了1美元,675,收到100美元,每年节约能源000.

以社区为基础的能量分布

The final presenter in our Central MN roadshow was Clay Norrbom with Juhl Clean Energy Assets. Juhl Energy is a clean energy business that is firmly rooted in the Midwest, and these community values can be found in all of their projects. Juhl Energy specializes in small to mid-scale projects, focusing on installations under 20MW. 通过缩小他们的项目规模, Juhl Energy is able to utilize local workforces and deliver the energy and its savings right back to the community.

“We try to bring mobility to design, develop, own and operate our projects,” said Clay Norrbom. “We’ve always been interested in how we can be closely tied with the community. We’re known for our work with community-based energy development and that continues to this day.”

鹈鹕急流附近, MN, Juhl Energy has built the Lake Region Community Hybrid project, 这在明尼苏达州是第一次. This project has a 2MW capacity, but features a combination of wind and solar installations. 这种组合使系统能够灵活地运行, allowing energy production to continue even if wind and solar are at their respective peak capacities.

明尼苏达州中部的清洁能源前景如何?

Central Minnesota has the benefits of both rural and municipal utilities. Rural communities have the space to install some of the latest clean energy developments, while urban areas provide commercial access to larger industries such as biofuels and food processors.

“These are the jobs of the future,” said Bali Kumar of PACE. “There are so many different types of jobs in the clean energy economy. 每个人都有一个家.”

The flexibility within the clean energy industry was highlighted during 2020, as the hesitancy of banks and frailty of supply chains caused national hold ups. 清洁能源行业是有弹性的, 然而, and is looking to expand with the support of the Build Back Better plan. 根据这个计划, 就业增长将继续增加, 以及清洁能源基础设施, 反过来, 清洁能源的可访问性.

“总是有早期的适应者, but they don’t necessarily move the market as fast as a piece of legislation like the Build Back Better plan,Kumar说:“. “If something like that goes through, it pushes the rest of the economy.”