Minnesota's solar accessibility has skyrocketed since the passing of the Minnesota Solar Energy Jobs Act in 2013, creating clean energy opportunities for communities across the state. One such opportunity, community solar gardens, have exploded in the past ten years, adding up to 900 megawatts of solar arrays for community benefit.

Learn more about community solar gardens in this episode of the Rise Up Podcast featuring Peter Lindstrom, CERTs manager of public sector & community engagement at the University of Minnesota’s Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships and Extension.

Get Connected:

Rise Up Podcast: https://www.riseupmidwest.org

The Energy Fair: https://www.theenergyfair.org

The MREA: https://www.midwestrenew.org

Email: Info@midwestrenew.org

0:00 Peter Lindstrom Introduction

1:47 MREA Training endorsement

3:07 Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs)

6:06 Metropolitan Mayors Caucus

10:13 Changes in Minnesota energy markets

13:55 Community solar subscribers

18:33 Solar garden enabling legislation

23:04 Energy storage and solar gardens

24:03 Solar on Schools program

30:03 What's still needed/magic wand solutions

34:26 Challenges and opportunities in new funding

ABOUT OUR GUEST: PETER LINDSTROM

Peter Lindstrom is the Manager of Public Sector & Community Engagement at the Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs) within the University of Minnesota’s Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships and Extension. With a focus on outreach and education, he leads efforts to engage local units of government, including cities, counties, townships, and school districts, in exploring approaches for financing energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements.

Peter brings a wealth of experience to his role, having previously served as the mayor of Falcon Heights, MN for 10 years and represented District 10 on the Metropolitan Council. Additionally, his career includes significant leadership positions such as Assistant Director of the Center for Science, Technology & Public Policy at the University of Minnesota Humphrey School, Executive Director of SciMathMN, and Vice President of Public Affairs at the Minnesota High Tech Association.

Big Changes for Minnesota’s Community Solar Gardens