Politics & Government
City Energy Program Wins Sustainability Award
Edina's Emerald Energy Program was honored on May 24.
Editor's Note: The following is a press release from the City of Edina.
Environmental Initiative, a nonprofit dedicated to the facilitation of sustainability initiatives in Minnesota, recently recognized the City of Edina for its trailblazing role in encouraging local businesses to embrace clean energy. The new Edina Emerald Energy Program (EEEP) is the 2012 recipient of the organization’s annual Environmental Initiative Award in the Energy and Climate Protection category.
The announcement came Thursday, May 24 during the organization’s annual banquet in Minneapolis.
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EEEP has its origins in a piece of state legislation approved in 2010 that allows municipal governments to assist property owners with the costs of energy-related building improvements through what are called Property-Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) partnerships. In essence, the City acts as an intermediary in the financing of these improvements and allows the property owner to repay the loan through a series of yearly “special assessments” paid alongside regular property taxes.
Edina’s City Council formally adopted the Edina Emerald Energy Program in November 2011, making Edina the first city in the state to take advantage of PACE legislation. The Grandview Tire & Auto location on 70th Street has the distinction of being the City’s first Emerald Energy Program partner. A newly installed 27-kilowatt solar panel system made possible only by EEEP funding makes Grandview one of the most energy-efficient auto repair facilities in the Midwest.
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“This partnership is significant because it demonstrates the power of a committed partnership to achieve a groundbreaking result, and it demonstrates the positive economic impact of the PACE model for commercial projects,” said Andrea Robbins, Manager of Environmental Projects at Environmental Initiatives.
Environmental Initiative Award category finalists and winners are selected by a judging panel of subject matter experts from diverse fields. Edina’s Emerald Energy Program stood out over other contenders in the Energy and Climate Protection category due in large part to the pioneering nature of the project.
