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9.2. SR 01-22-2019 Request for Action To Item Number Mayor and City Council 9.2 Agenda Section Meeting Date Prepared by Work Session January 22, 2019 Cal Portner, City Administrator Item Description Reviewed by Hometown Solar Grant Program Tom Sagstetter, ERMU Conservation & Key Accounts Manager Reviewed by Action Requested Receive information and provide direction. Background/Discussion The city is eligible for a Minnesota Municipal Power Association (MMPA) grant that would be used to install a solar array on city property. MMPA is the wholesale power provider for Elk River Municipal Utilities and offers this grant to all the communities they provide power to. The grant would cover the project costs including; system design, procurement, construction, and commissioning. Upon installation, the city would own and receive all electricity generated by the facility. The city would also be responsible for operating and maintaining the facility through its lifetime and decommissioning when appropriate. The council stated a desire to maintain our Minnesota Energy City designation and to seek opportunities to grow our educational and outreach program. The facility would provide an outstanding Energy City education and demonstration project and save on annual public electrical costs. Financial Impact Unknown at this time, but deemed insignificant. Attachments  MMPA Informational Brochure The Elk River Vision A welcoming community with revolutionary and spirited resourcefulness, exceptional service, and community engagement that encourages and inspires prosperity Minnesota Municipal Power Agency | Energy Education Hometown Solar Grant Program MMPA’s Hometown Solar Grant Program is an extension of the Agency’s Energy Education Program. The purpose of the Program is to provide MMPA member is converted into electricity, and the unique characteristics of solar power. Schedule The following outlines the expected schedule for the 2019 Hometown Solar Grant Program. • January 15, 2019: Grant Applications DUE • March 15, 2019: Grants Awarded • Spring/Summer 2019: Construct Solar Installations Hometown Solar Installation, Eagle Creek Elementary - Shakopee, MN The Hometown Solar Program provides the following The Hometown Solar Grant Program provides schools and other MMPA educational facilities (i.e. community • Educational asset for students and community centers or libraries) with the opportunity to apply for • On-site and locally produced renewable energy a ~5 kW solar installation. Project costs associated • Offset electrical load with the design, procurement, construction and commissioning of the solar installation will be Energy Education in the Classroom covered under this Program. To support learning opportunities in the classroom, data from the Hometown Solar installation will be T o qualify, the facility must meet the following available online. In addition to lesson plan concepts requirements: prepared by MMPA, the following information is • Facility must be located within a MMPA member expected to be available to educators and students: community’s service territory • Current Power Value (kW) • Daily Energy Values (kWh) • Proposed property has land availability to install a • Historical Energy Values (Day/Week/Month/Year/ 5kW solar installation (ground mounted) Lifetime) - Ideal sites are south facing, no/minimal • Weather (Temp, Cloud Cover, Wind, Humidity, shading, reasonable distance from roadway Sunrise/Sunset) • Charting and Analysis Reporting • Property owner (i.e. school district, county, city, • Individual Panel Review/Assessment etc.) supports and approves the solar installation and agrees to maintain Contact Information: Lauren Blank • Facility is committed to utilizing the solar Energy Education Program Manager installation to serve an educational purpose (Lauren.Blank@AvantEnergy.com), 612-349-6868 2018 Energy Education Hometown Solar Anoka High SchoolSibley East Middle/High School ANOKAARLINGTONBROWNTON Clover Ridge Elementary SchoolSouth Point Elementary SchoolNorth High/District Education Center CHASKAEAST GRAND FORKSNORTH ST. PAUL BOLD High SchoolEagle Creek Elementary SchoolGFW High School OLIVIASHAKOPEEWINTHROP Hometown Solar Anoka, Anoka High School “… I would also like to thank you and AVANT (MMPA) for your generosity and help in bringing solar arrays to Anoka High School. I am excited to see this information gathered by the solar panels and turned into a teaching tool better informing students about alternative power sources.” – Steven Anderson, Director of Buildings & Grounds, Anoka-Hennepin Schools EGF, South Point Elementary School “We are proud to host the Hometown Solar installation at our school. This will be a great best incorporate it into our curriculum.” – Dr. Jim Torkelson, Principal of South Point Elementary School (East Grand Forks) North St. Paul, North High School / District Education Center “Students and teachers will be able to access a technology platform that provides real-world data from the solar panels. Teachers at North and Tartan attended workshops and developed units this summer that apply to Grade 9 Environmental Science and AP Earth Science.” - Penny Baker, ISD. No. 622 Curriculum and Pathway Coordinator (North St. Paul) 15 2017 MMPA Annual Report 3. POWERING YOUR HOMETOWN Your local municipal utility delivers and sells that electricity to the residential and business customers in your community. HOMEBUSINESS MMPA AND YOUR LOCAL UTILITY Elk RiverLe SueurNorth St. PaulOliviaShakopeeWinthrop 7.8.9.10.11.12. MUNICIPALUTILITIES AnokaArlingtonBrowntonChaskaEast Grand Forks 2.OUR MEMBER MUNICIPAL UTILITIES MMPA provides wholesale electricity to its 12 member municipal utilities.* Elk River Municipal Utilities on October 1, 2018. * MMPA will begin providing wholesale power to 1.2.34.5.6. Hometown BioEnergy 8 MW, BioEnergy Minnesota River Station 49 MW, Natural Gas PowerPurchases HOW POWER GETS TO YOUR HOME Oak Glen Wind Farm 44 MW, Wind Black Oak Getty Wind Farm 78 MW, Wind Hometown WindPower 1.9 MW, Wind Faribault Energy Park 300 MW, Natural Gas Shakopee Energy Park 46 MW, Natural Gas Solar 7 MW, Solar MMPA’S POWER SUPPLY 1. 2017 MMPA Annual Report 14 27 2017 MMPA Annual Report educational stations to teach students how electricity is generated from multiple sources, including natural gas, wind and solar, as well as how it is transmitted and used. Among the many interactive activities, student volunteers serve as “student-fueled power plants” and use a bike-generator to better understand electricity generation and the importance of energy conservation.For schools not easily accessible to FEP, assembly, developed and presented by MMPA in partnership with the Science Museum of Minnesota. These educational events help bring interactive energy learning opportunities to more students throughout our member communities.Based on the program’s success, the Agency is expanding Energy Education to include a high with an interest in the energy industry. This program extension encourages students to explore in-depth energy topics such as project development, power generation, and energy-focused careers. The program also includes a tour of an MMPA power generation facility. Young Minds Energy Education Empowering Through Learning about energy at an early age gives children the knowledge to make informed decisions about their energy use. In addition, it provides future generations with a better understanding of the impact of energy use both at home and in the world around them.MMPA understands the importance of educating the next generation of utility customers. To support our member communities, we developed the Energy Education Program to offer a local learning opportunity that educates and familiarizes students about energy. Through MMPA’s Energy Education Workbook, interactive tours, and in-area residents, and local utility representatives with an opportunity to learn together about the power of their hometown. A key component of the Energy Education Program is the Faribault Energy Park (FEP) Tour Event. While visiting the 300 MW natural gas facility, students are able to view the control room, steam turbine, on-site wind to integrate into Minnesota’s 4th grade science standards, the tours use interactive Fourth-graders from MMPA’s member communities engage in an interactive learning experience through MMPA’s Energy Education programming at Faribault Energy Park and in-school assemblies. 2017 MMPA Annual Report 26 29 2017 MMPA Annual Report Partnering with local hardware businesses customers and promote residential LED lighting rebates Partnering with low-income multi-family rental properties by purchasing energy installed in residential units and common areas - - Encouraging local partnerships them and their customers to identify and develop conservation programs that best meet their energy efficiency goals. This individualized attention adds value to each member’s conservation program and helps them achieve their annual CIP goals. • appliances and LED lighting that customers might not otherwise consider purchasing Awarding rebates to school districts that Encouraging commercial and industrial customers to upgrade to LED lighting rebates - - - Educating residential customers about businesses In 2017, our members saved energy, put money back into their communities, and encouraged local economic development by:•• Helping Our Members Reach MMPA’s Conservation Improvement Program (CIP) is another example of how we support our members by providing supplemental services that make them more competitive. back into their communities, and encouraging local economic development.MMPA manages CIP activities for seven of our member communities. MMPA’s Conservation Improvement Program offers a variety of rebate programs to both residential and business customers. In addition, MMPA understands that each utility has a unique customer base and we work directly with ” NORTH ST. PAUL Penny BakerNorth St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale, ISD 622Curriculum and Pathway Coordinator Students and teachers will be able to access a technology platform that provides real-world data from the solar panels. Teachers at North and Tartan developed units this summer that apply to several courses in which alternative energy content will be embedded. designed to integrate the data from the solar arrays into the school’s curriculum. Data from the arrays provides learning opportunities for all grade levels and can be applied to multiple state education standards. “ BOLD High School (Olivia, 2016)GFW High School (Winthrop, 2016) Sibley East Middle/High School (Arlington, 2016) Anoka High School (Anoka, 2017)South Point Elementary School (East Grand Forks, 2017)North High/District Education Center (North St. Paul, 2017) ••••••• EAST GRAND FORKS MMPA’s Hometown Solar Grant Program HOMETOWN SOLAR GRANT RECIPIENTS Since the Program’s launch in 2015, the Agency has awarded seven Hometown Solar Grants, in addition to its pilot installation at MMPA’s Faribault Energy Park. The following educational facilities have been awarded Hometown Solar Grant Awards: In addition to MMPA’s Energy Education events, in 2015 our program expanded to include the Hometown Solar Grant Program. Hometown Solar brings energy education and local power to our member communities. The purpose of the grant program is to provide our members with a unique, local learning opportunity to educate and familiarize students and members’ customers with solar power. The solar installations serve as a tool to help teach sunlight is converted into electricity, as well as To support “real-world” energy education learning opportunities in the classroom, we developed lesson plan concepts and tools ANOKA 2017 MMPA Annual Report 28 H"U �- 9 a a o-o oJ= y-� a atiti I � Site ®ption�3 3 5 lines Site Option 2 Site Option,l 0 132 Feet ®Bolton&Menk,lnc-Web GIS 1117/20192:52PM city of Elk River Legend 1.1 City Limits QUrban Service Area Parcels (1-24-2017) Park Areas e 5 kW Solar Array Site Options This drawing is neither a legally recorded map nor a rveyana is not intended to be used azone.Thiz dowmglz itarnmtmn of record; mmrmaeon, and data located in serious cry, o nmy, and state offices, and other youncess affecting the area shown, and is to be used for referencepurpozes only. The City of Elk Riverknot responsible for any inaccuracies herein contained,