U of M, Minnesota State may get funding to help transition to renewable energy

If you walk around the University of Minnesota’s Twin Cities campus, it’s not unusual to come upon a solar array. The shiny panels sit atop and alongside several buildings. And the Minnesota State system of colleges and universities is moving in a similar direction on its 54 campuses around the state.

The House Energy and Climate Finance and Policy Division said Tuesday, in effect, let’s have more of that.

The division laid over two bills sponsored by Rep. Patty Acomb (DFL-Minnetonka) for possible inclusion in an omnibus energy and climate finance bill. Neither has a Senate companion.

HF1787, as amended, would appropriate $6 million to the University of Minnesota to establish goals and benchmarks for a rapid transition to renewable energy sources in campus buildings by 2030; HF1788, as amended, would appropriate $6 million to Minnesota State for the same purpose. Each bill would require annual reports to the Legislature on progress toward those goals.

“The University of Minnesota has an energy budget of over $50 million annually,” Acomb said. “And generating more of its own electricity will save them future dollars that can be used for other educational needs.”

Mike Berthelsen, vice president for university services, reported on its progress thus far.

“In 2011, we adopted a plan for the Twin Cities campus to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent by 2020, with a long-term commitment to get to zero emissions for all campus buildings by 2050,” Berthelson said. “… We just finished a combined heat and power plant in 2017 that reduces our annual emissions by 10 to 12 percent. … Twenty percent of our electricity is now powered by solar.”

What will the university do with an additional $6 million?

“We don’t have a specific plan, as this bill is fairly new to us,” Berthelson said. “But we have a series of options that we are evaluating, including new renewable installations on campus, additional renewable energy purchases, or creating a carbon-neutral district within the campus.”

As for the Minnesota State system, Greg Ewig, its senior system director of capital development, said: “We think the bill represents a timely opportunity to accelerate the planning and deployment of renewable energy on our campuses. … As of 2017, the system has reduced annual energy consumption by 14 percent overall and has achieved a 13 percent reduction in CO2 emissions over our 2009 baseline. … We spend about $31 million to $33 million a year as a system on energy, although we’re starting to curve downward with the efficiencies.”

Rep. Greg Boe (R-Chaska) sought more specifics while encouraging dollars be spent on projects, not planning. Acomb said that is the intent.

Rep. Dave Baker (R-Willmar) believes both bills should be referred to the House Higher Education Finance and Policy Division. The chair of the House Energy and Climate Finance and Policy Division, Rep. Jean Wagenius (DFL-Mpls), said that she would agree if the bill promoted a change in policy, but that this was merely an additional appropriation for an existing program.