Minneapolis Climate Action

*COMMUNITY SOLAR GARDENS AND ENERGY DEMOCRACY* MINNEAPOLIS CLIMATE ACTION (MCA) DID DIRECT OUTREACH, ENGAGEMENT, EDUCATION AND COLLABORATION IN PARTNERSHIP WITH BIPOC-LED, LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS AND ORGANIZERS, WITH 500 COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND RECRUITED 130 PRIMARILY BIPOC AND LOW AND MODERATE INCOME (LMI) COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO SUBSCRIBE TO TWO BARRIER-FREE EQUITABLE COMMUNITY SOLAR GARDENS, TOTALING 55KW OF RENEWABLE ENERGY, ENABLING COMMUNITY MEMBERS COMMONLY LEFT OUT OF RENEWABLE ENERGY PROJECTS TO PARTICIPATE AND BENEFIT. MCA HELD SIX COMMUNITY EVENTS THAT ENGAGED AND INFORMED COMMUNITY MEMBERS ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, GREEN JOB OPPORTUNITIES AND COMMUNITY SOLAR. OUR FIRST COMMUNITY SOLAR GARDEN, SERVING 41 FAMILIES, WAS INSTALLED IN 2019 AND CONNECTED TO THE GRID IN DECEMBER 2022. SUBSCRIBERS STARTED RECEIVING ELECTRIC BILL CREDITS IN JANUARY 2023 TOTALING $8877. OUR SECOND COMMUNITY SOLAR GARDEN AT NORTH HIGH SCHOOL, SERVING 50 FAMILIES, IS INSTALLED AND WILL BE CONNECTED TO THE GRID IN FEBRUARY 2023. COMMUNITY MEMBERS WILL START RECEIVING ELECTRIC BILL CREDITS THE NEXT MONTH, ALLEVIATING ENERGY BURDEN, WHILE PROMOTING RENEWABLE ENERGY. NEW COMMUNITY SOLAR SITE ACQUISITION IS ACTIVE, WITH A NEW COMMUNITY SOLAR GARDEN PROJECT STARTING IN JANUARY 2024, WITH A TARGET OF 75% LMI PARTICIPANTS.* COMMUNITY SOLAR ADVOCACY* MCA DID EXTENSIVE ADVOCACY AT THE CITY, COUNTY AND STATE LEVEL FOR ENERGY POLICY THAT SUPPORTS COMMUNITY RESILIENCE AND EQUITABLE ENERGY POLICY. WE ATTENDED OVER 40 ADVOCACY EVENTS AND MEETINGS, RESULTING IN COMMUNITY SOLAR GARDEN REFORM AT THE STATE LEVEL AND OTHER LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT THAT WILL BENEFIT LMI COMMUNITY MEMBERS.* COMMUNITY SOLAR AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE TOOLKIT* MCA WORKED WITH PARTNERS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO CREATE CONTENT FOR A SHAREABLE COMMUNITY SOLAR AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE TOOLKIT, AN ACCESSIBLE, APPROACHABLE AND CULTURALLY RELEVANT ONLINE AND PRINT RESOURCE FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, NONPROFITS, AND MINNEAPOLIS NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATIONS. WORK INCLUDED COMMUNITY EVENTS AND SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION, ENGAGEMENT WITH LEGISLATORS, CITY OFFICIALS AND GOVERNMENT ENTITIES, RESEARCH OF SUCCESSFUL CLIMATE RELATED COMMUNITY OUTREACH, AND WORKING WITH ARTISTS, GRAPHIC DESIGNERS, AND YOUTH, ALL IN SERVICE OF AN EFFECTIVE TOOLKIT TO ADDRESS OUR CLIMATE CRISIS. THE TOOLKIT WILL BE COMPLETED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH BLACKBIRD REVOLT AND PROVIDE MUCH NEEDED INFORMATION AND MOTIVATION TO CREATE COMMUNITY SOLAR GARDENS, A POWERFUL ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE TOOL TO REDUCE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS AND ENERGY BILL BURDENS, PROVIDE LOCAL GREEN JOBS, RAISE AWARENESS OF DISPARATE CLIMATE IMPACTS AND CREATE A POWERFUL STRUCTURE TO BRING RENEWABLE ENERGY BENEFITS DOWN TO THE COMMUNITY LEVEL.