PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release Contact
CERTs Coordinators

Melissa Pawlisch and Joel
Haskard,

411 Borlaug Hall

1991 Upper
Buford Circle

Saint
Paul, MN 55108

(612) 624-2293 and (612)
625-8759

pawl0048@umn.edu and
haska004@umn.edu

Funds Now Available for
Clean Energy Project

Technical Assistance in
Your Community

The Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs) are excited to announce the 2007
Request for Proposals (RFP) to fund technical assistance for community clean
energy projects throughout greater Minnesota. CERTs grants are awarded by regional
CERT steering committees, made up of community members and energy stakeholders
around the state. CERT regions with
funding available include Central, Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, Southwest
and West Central Minnesota (for a map, please see http://www.cleanenergyresourceteams.org/map.html).

To view and print the CERT RFP, please visit: http://www.cleanenergyresourceteams.org/pdf/CERT_2007RFP.pdf

“By
providing seed grants to support these projects, the teams hope to help get
citizen-led projects on the ground and provide a forum for community education
about the benefits of energy efficiency and renewable energy,” says Melissa
Pawlisch, CERTs Coordinator.

CERTs now have over $150,000 to distribute across greater
Minnesota for
clean energy or energy efficiency projects, typically in the amount of $5,000
per grant. Projects funded in the past include technical assistance for a school
wind turbine, energy efficiency audits and design, and design of a solar system
for a commercial kitchen, among others.

Funding for these projects is provided through the
Minnesota Department of Commerce, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, and the
Blandin Foundation. The deadline for proposals is 4:30 pm November
16th, 2007; each CERT will meet before January 4th, 2008,
to decide which projects to fund.
Projects approved for funding must be completed by December
31st, 2008, with an additional round of funding occurring in
2008.

The Clean Energy Resource
Teams are a joint program of the
University of
Minnesota Regional Sustainable Development
Partnerships, the Southwest Regional Development
Commission, the Minnesota Project, Minnesota Department of Commerce, and the
Green Institute. The CERTs program brings together team members from diverse
backgrounds including farmers, utility representatives, state and federal
government staff, educators and academics, small business owners, members of
non-profit and environmental groups as well as individuals interested in energy
issues. Together they work to identify and implement community-scale energy
efficiency and renewable energy projects across the state.