The Hastings Environmental Protectors received a grant to help Hastings homeowners.
It’s one of seven metro area projects to receive Minnesota Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERT) Seed Grants for community-based clean energy efforts
Overall, the seed grands are being awarded to 45 energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. The projects range from educational outreach on clean energy incentives, to energy efficiency for manufactured homes, to innovative community uses for solar.
The Hastings Environmental Protectors plan to use their $5,000 grant for a project that will help Hastings residents understand home energy use and energy efficient upgrades by offering home energy audits and information on clean energy incentives available through the Inflation Reduction Act.
CERTs Seed Grants strive to support historically underserved communities. Underserved communities include Minnesota populations with high energy burdens, where households spend more than 5% of their annual income on energy costs (compared to 2% for the average Minnesota household). For example, Vessyll is installing solar and battery storage at a rental property in the Hawthorne neighborhood of Minneapolis to collect data and report how solar plus storage can save residents money.
Financial and programmatic support comes from CERTs’ partner the Minnesota Department of Commerce, with additional support from the Morgan Family Foundation. Minnesota’s seven regions are each receiving $43,000. The support will be distributed among the projects which were selected by a review panel made up of local individuals with diverse clean energy and community expertise.
“This round of CERTs Seed Grants includes several metro region projects focused on outreach and engagement about new clean energy incentives to reduce energy burden for underserved households,” says Diana McKeown, CERTs co-director.
CERTs Seed Grants encourage projects that help people see clean energy working in their own communities. With over $1.98 million awarded to 509 projects since 2006, the newly funded 2024 projects will provide more opportunities for Minnesota communities to tangibly learn about and experience the benefits of clean energy.