clean energy

What’s up with heat pumps?

Heat pumps have been having a “moment” lately—and rightfully so. Avoiding the worst impacts of climate change means transitioning our entire economy, starting here in Minnesota, to be carbon-neutral by 2050. That requires a dramatic change in the energy that powers our homes, businesses, and workplaces, shifting away from burning fossil fuels towards using zero- and low-carbon alternatives. Heat pumps can help us make that transition.

Welcoming Mike and Joe to Fresh Energy!

As we round out the first half of summer, Fresh Energy is celebrating two new additions to our team. Our bold new strategic framework has continued to serve as a powerful guide as Fresh Energy leadership have filled the roles of staff who have moved on to new opportunities and created entirely new positions that will aid us as we continue pursuing our mission to achieve equitable carbon-neutral economies. We’re thrilled to have Mike and Joe on the team!

What’s next for fossil gas in Minnesota? New report outlines decarbonization pathways and recommendations

For nearly two years, a broad mix of stakeholders—from natural gas and electric utilities to natural gas consumers to workforce advocates to clean energy advocates and implementers—has been convening to discuss methods for decarbonizing Minnesota’s natural gas end uses, with final recommendations published in the report “Decarbonizing Minnesota’s Natural Gas End Uses.”

Energy News Network launches 2021 Detroit Energy and Environment Reporting Fellowship

With co-leadership from partners Planet Detroit and the Detroit Equity Action Lab, ENN has established a joint imperative to recruit, uplift, and mentor BIPOC journalists through the Detroit Energy and Environment Reporting Fellowship program. This year’s selected Energy and Environment Reporting Fellow is Rukiya Colvin, a lifelong resident of east Detroit.

Case Study: 907 acres of pollinator-friendly solar

Enel Green Power’s Aurora Solar project is one of the state’s first large-scale solar developments, having beat out gas on price when the project was approved in 2014. Completed in 2017, the project consists of 16 pollinator-friendly sites spread across central and southern Minnesota. The locations utilize a variety of stewardship practices, including flowering ground cover for bees and birds, low-growing grass meadows, sheep grazing, and adjacent honey bee hives.