District Energy St Paul Inc

TO DEVELOP, CONSTRUCT, & OPERATE A DISTRICT HEATING SYSTEM FOR ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA THAT BENEFITS ITS CUSTOMERS, COMMUNITY AND THE ENVIRONMENT.

DISTRICT ENERGY ST. PAUL IS A NON-PROFIT UTILITY PROVIDING ENERGY SERVICES TO DOWNTOWN SAINT PAUL, MN. THE CORE HEATING NETWORK SERVES OVER 200 BUILDINGS IN THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT AND ACROSS THE RIVER TO A SECONDARY AREA OF COMMERCIAL, LIGHT INDUSTRIAL, AND RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT. THE COOLING NETWORK SERVES MORE THAN 120 BUILDINGS IN THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT. THE CUSTOMER BASE INCLUDES THE STATE OF MINNESOTA CAPITOL COMPLEX, CITY AND COUNTY OWNED BUILDINGS, HIGHER EDUCATION, HOSPITALS, FORTUNE 500 COMPANIES, RESIDENTIAL APARTMENTS, CONDOS, AND TOWNHOMES, AS WELL AS HOTELS, ENTERTAINMENT, AND SPORTS VENUES. DISTRICT ENERGY ST. PAUL IS THE LARGEST HOT WATER DISTRICT ENERGY SYSTEM IN THE UNITED STATES AND IS RECOGNIZED GLOBALLY AS A LEADER IN INTEGRATED AND DYNAMIC ENERGY SERVICES. TO INCREASE EFFICIENCY, RELIABILITY, AND IMPROVE THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROFILE OF THE SYSTEM, THE UTILITY HAS INCORPORATED THERMAL STORAGE, SOLAR THERMAL, AND BIOMASS-FIRED COMBINED HEAT AND POWER. THIS YEAR DISTRICT ENERGY CELEBRATED ITS 40TH YEAR OF SERVICE TO THE SAINT PAUL COMMUNITY. AN ANNIVERSARY EVENT, EARNED MEDIA, AND COMPANY COMMUNICATIONS PROVIDED OPPORTUNITIES TO REINFORCE THE VALUE THAT THE COMPANY'S HEATING AND COOLING SERVICES PROVIDE TO THE CUSTOMERS WHILE HIGHLIGHTING ONE OF THE ORIGINAL AIMS FOR THE SYSTEM TO BE A MODEL FOR THE NATION. THE WORK ON THE SYSTEM THIS YEAR INCLUDED SEVERAL DISTRIBUTION PROJECTS THAT SUPPORTED THE RELOCATION OF PIPES TO ACCOMMODATE THE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL'S NEW BUS RAPID TRANSIT STOPS AS WELL AS REPLACEMENT AND REPAIR OF HOT WATER AND CHILLED WATER PIPES TO MAINTAIN HIGH RELIABLY OF SERVICES. WORK PROGRESSED ON THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY HYDROGEN GENERATOR RESEARCH PROJECT IN COLLABORATION WITH CATERPILLAR AND THE NATIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY LAB. CONSTRUCTION OF THE GENERATOR SET WILL BEGIN IN 2024. RESEARCH CONTINUED ON THE POTENTIAL OF INTEGRATING WASTE HEAT FROM THE SAINT PAUL WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITY AS A LOW-CARBON SOLUTION FOR THE SYSTEM. AS THE BROADER TRANSFORMATION OF THE ENERGY SYSTEM CONTINUES, DISTRICT ENERGY REMAINS COMMITTED TO ADAPTING AND DEVISING CREATIVE SOLUTIONS THAT EFFECTIVELY SERVE CUSTOMERS, PARTNERSHIPS, AND THE SAINT PAUL COMMUNITY. DISTRICT ENERGY MAINTAINS THE VALUE OF IN-PERSON CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT AND THIS YEAR THE COMPANY HOSTED ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES, SEMINARS, AND TRAININGS TO ENCOURAGE CUSTOMERS TO PLAY AN ACTIVE ROLE IN THEIR USE OF DISTRICT ENERGY. IN ADDITION, DISTRICT ENERGY CONTINUED TO HELP CUSTOMERS WITH THEIR ENERGY MONITORING VIA THE CUSTOMER PORTAL. TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES WERE OFFERED TO EXISTING CUSTOMERS WITH THE GOAL OF GETTING THEM DIRECTLY INVOLVED WITH THEIR ENERGY USAGE AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVED EFFICIENCIES. AS THE COMPANY CONTINUES TO GROW, IT REMAINS DEDICATED TO PRIORITIZING THE CUSTOMERS' NEEDS FOR RELIABILITY, EFFICIENCY, AND COST-EFFECTIVENESS. AT ENERGY PARK UTILITY COMPANY, THE TEAM HOSTED A TENANT ENGAGEMENT EVENT AT MACLAREN HILL APARTMENTS AND CONDOS. IT WAS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO EDUCATE ENERGY SYSTEM END USERS ABOUT HOW THE SYSTEM WORKS AND INTRODUCE OUR TEAM. WE ALSO HELPED TO AUTHOR A NEWSLETTER ARTICLE TO THESE STAKEHOLDERS.

DE SERVICES LLC IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE OPERATIONS AND MANAGEMENT OF MULTIPLE ENERGY SYSTEMS AND OPERATIONS IN SAINT PAUL, MN, INCLUDING ENERGY PARK UTILITY COMPANY, DISTRICT ENERGY ST. PAUL, ST. PAUL COGENERATION, AND ENVIRONMENTAL WOOD SUPPLY. THESE LAST THREE ENTITIES WORK TOGETHER TO HELP USE LOCAL TREE WASTE (BIOMASS) TO GENERATE HEAT AND ELECTRICITY FOR A LOW-CARBON ENERGY SOLUTION FOR LOCAL CUSTOMERS. THE TEAM WORKS WITH CITIES, COUNTIES, PRIVATE LANDOWNERS, AND BUSINESSES WHO NEED HELP DEALING WITH STORM-DAMAGED, DISEASED, INFESTED AND OTHER COMPROMISED TREES. THIS YEAR, THE TEAM SUPPORTED THE EFFORT OF THE MINNESOTA POLLUTION CONTROL AGENCY ("MPCA") TO COORDINATE MEETINGS OF BIOMASS STAKEHOLDERS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE VALUE THE COMPANY'S SERVICES PROVIDE TO THEM AND THE COMMUNITY. THIS WORK INCLUDED, PLANT, AND WOODYARD TOURS AND PARTICIPATION IN STAKEHOLDER WORKGROUP MEETINGS LED BY MPCA. THE COMPANY CONTINUES TO MANAGE A LARGE QUANTITY OF WOOD FOR THE METROPOLITAN REGION DUE TO THE REMOVAL OF TREES HARMED BY THE EMERALD ASH BORER.