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Please take a look at this to see if it could benefit you or someone
you know.<br>
Thank you.<br>
Karen.<br>
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<td>Free assistance available to your members- energy
efficiency, renewable energy</td>
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<th align="RIGHT" nowrap="nowrap" valign="BASELINE">Date: </th>
<td>Wed, 10 Jun 2015 11:09:47 -0500</td>
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<th align="RIGHT" nowrap="nowrap" valign="BASELINE">From: </th>
<td>Joel Haskard <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:haska004@umn.edu"><haska004@umn.edu></a></td>
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<th align="RIGHT" nowrap="nowrap" valign="BASELINE">To: </th>
<td>Joel Haskard <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:haska004@umn.edu"><haska004@umn.edu></a></td>
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<div>I'm emailing because the Minnesota
Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs) are
working with farms and small businesses
near you to help them install renewable
energy projects and make energy efficiency
improvements. The program is called <i><a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://mncerts.org/greatrenewables"
target="_blank">Renewable Energy for
Greater Minnesota</a></i>.</div>
<div><br>
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<div>With support from the USDA we're
offering free assistance to help farms and
small businesses explore projects that
could work for them, identify potential
funding and financing options, and get
one-on-one assistance on their project.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Below is the press release. If you can
share this with your chamber members, that
would be great. <br>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Thanks so much,<br>
</div>
<div>Joel<br>
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<div><br>
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<div>-----------------------<br>
<b>Joel Haskard</b><br>
Clean Energy Resource Teams Co-Director<br>
U of M Extension's Regional Sustainable
Development Partnerships<br>
411 Borlaug Hall , 1991 Upper Buford
Circle, St. Paul, MN 55108<br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:haska004@umn.edu"
target="_blank">haska004@umn.edu</a>
| Office: 612-625-8759 | Fax: 612-625-1268<br>
<div><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.cleanenergyresourceteams.org/"
target="_blank"><img
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src="http://www.cleanenergyresourceteams.org/sites/default/files/certs-logo-email.gif"
height="96" width="96"></a></div>
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<div>________________________________<br>
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<div><br>
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<div>
<div><font size="4">New Program Helps
Farms & Businesses in Minnesota
Reduce Costs with Renewable Energy
& Efficiency</font></div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div><i>Renewable Energy for Greater
Minnesota program offers free custom
project assistance</i></div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div><b>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</b></div>
<div><b><br>
</b></div>
<div>
<div><b>Media Contact:</b></div>
<div>Fritz Ebinger</div>
<div>CERTs Rural Energy Development
Manager</div>
<div>University of Minnesota Extension
RSDP</div>
<div><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="tel:612-626-1028"
value="+16126261028" target="_blank">612-626-1028</a>
or <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:ebing007@umn.edu"
target="_blank">ebing007@umn.edu</a></div>
</div>
<div><br>
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<div><img moz-do-not-send="true"
src="http://www.cleanenergyresourceteams.org/sites/default/files/renewable-energy-greater-mn-logo-small.png"
style="margin-right: 0px;"
height="335" width="435"><br>
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<div><br>
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<div><br>
</div>
<div><b>Statewide MN, Tuesday, June 9,
2015</b> – Farmers and rural small
businesses are essential to the fabric
of Minnesota—its economy, environment
and communities. Helping them reduce
costs with energy efficiency and take
control of their energy expenses with
renewable energy is the focus of a new
program, Renewable Energy for Greater
Minnesota, launching this week with
support from USDA Rural Development.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>“We’re seeing increased demand for
information about renewable energy and
energy efficiency improvements, and are
excited to offer free project assistance
to Minnesotans,” shared Fritz Ebinger,
Rural Energy Development Program Manager
with the Clean Energy Resource Teams
(CERTs) and University of Minnesota
Extension.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>For more than ten years, CERTs has
been connecting Minnesotans with the
resources they need to plan and
implement energy efficiency and
renewable energy systems. Through this
new program, Renewable Energy for
Greater Minnesota, CERTs will help
Minnesota farmers and rural small
businesses explore projects that could
work for them, identify potential
funding and financing options, and get
one-on-one assistance on their project.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>In particular, CERTs will be helping
farms and businesses apply for USDA’s
Rural Energy for America Program (REAP),
which offers grants for 25% of renewable
energy and energy efficiency projects. </div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>The Rural Energy for America Program
(REAP) from USDA Rural Development is a
great opportunity for Minnesota farmers
and rural businesses to save energy with
efficiency work and add renewable energy
systems. Applications for renewable
energy or energy efficiency grants are
due June 30, 2015. Projects requesting
grants of $20,000 ($80,000 total project
cost) can fill out a shorter application
and can also turn in applications for an
October 31, 2015 deadline. After that
the next deadline for all projects is
April 30, 2016. So now is the time to
apply! As part of Renewable Energy for
Greater Minnesota CERTs has created
sample applications with helpful notes
to help people apply for REAP funding.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>CERTs will also help farms and rural
small businesses explore the possibility
of PACE financing. Property Assessed
Clean Energy (PACE) is a new way to
finance energy efficiency and renewable
energy upgrades to the buildings of
commercial property owners and can be a
perfect companion to REAP funding in
Minnesota. With PACE, energy-saving
measures pursued by the owners receive
project financing and are repaid as a
separate item on their property tax
assessment for a set period. PACE
eliminates the burden of upfront costs
by providing low-cost, long-term
financing. In combination, USDA REAP can
cover 25% of project costs, and PACE can
finance them without the requirement of
upfront capital.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Part of the program is helping people
understand what their peers have done so
that they can learn from the experiences
of others. Examples of successful
projects in other parts of the state
include Angvall Hardware in Lester
Prairie who installed solar PV with
funding from USDA REAP and utility
rebates; Blue Line Travel Center in
Worthington who installed new LED canopy
lighting with funding from USDA REAP and
PACE; Colonial Cleaners in Worthington
who added efficient dryers with USDA
REAP and utility rebates; and the Popp
Family Farm in Royalton who installed
solar PV and wind using USDA REAP and
utility rebates.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div><b>Interested farmers and small
businesses can learn more and get
project assistance by visiting the
Renewable Energy for Greater Minnesota
website at <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://mncerts.org/GreatRenewables" target="_blank">http://mncerts.org/GreatRenewables</a>
or by calling Fritz Ebinger at <a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="tel:612-626-1028"
value="+16126261028" target="_blank">612-626-1028</a>.</b></div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>“This program helps increase American
energy independence by increasing the
private sector supply of renewable
energy and decreasing the demand for
energy through energy efficiency
improvements,” said USDA Rural
Development State Director Colleen
Landkamer. “Over time, investments like
these can also help lower annual energy
costs for small businesses and
agricultural producers—freeing capital
for the bottom line.”</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div><b>About CERTs: </b>The Clean Energy
Resource Teams—or CERTs—are a statewide
partnership with a shared mission to
connect individuals and their
communities to the resources they need
to identify and implement
community-based clean energy projects.
We empower communities and their members
to adopt energy conservation, energy
efficiency, and renewable energy
technologies and practices for their
homes, businesses, and local
institutions. CERTs partners include the
University of Minnesota Extension
Regional Sustainable Development
Partnerships, Great Plains Institute,
Southwest Regional Development
Commission, and the Minnesota Department
of Commerce, Division of Energy
Resources.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div><b>About Extension:</b> University of
Minnesota Extension is creating a
stronger Minnesota through education and
research. Extension provides practical
education and research you can trust, to
help people, businesses and communities
solve problems, develop skills and build
a better future. Over 65% of Extension's
800 researchers, educators and staff
live and work in greater Minnesota,
located at Regional Extension offices,
Extension county offices, University
research and outreach centers, and
University campuses.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div><b>About USDA:</b> Renewable Energy
for Greater Minnesota is made possible
by USDA’s Energy Audits – Renewable
Energy Development Assistance grant
program (EA-REDA). Since 2009, USDA has
invested more than $36.4 million in
renewable energy and energy efficiency
projects in rural communities throughout
Minnesota. USDA Rural Development
achieves its mission by helping rural
individuals, communities and businesses
obtain the financial and technical
assistance needed to address their
diverse and unique needs. EA-REDA grants
support programs to help agricultural
producers and rural small businesses
evaluate energy efficiency systems and
determine the feasibility of
incorporating renewable energy
technologies into their operations. USDA
Rural Development also provides
guaranteed loan financing and grant
funding to agricultural producers and
rural small businesses to purchase or
install renewable energy systems or make
energy efficiency improvements through
its Rural Energy for America Program
(REAP).</div>
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