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RENew Northfield, 402 Washington St., Northfield, MN 55057 http://www.renewnorthfield.org 507.645.7133

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Five years ago I threw caution to the wind and wrote a piece for the Northfield News in which I opined that all of Northfield’s electricity could be generated by locally owned renewable energy facilities within 10 years. As a result of that opinion piece 23 concerned Northfield area residents took me up on the offer of meeting to discuss the ideas presented. In short order RENew Northfield came into existence, coalescing around the concept of community energy self-sufficiency based on energy efficiency and local development of renewable energy resources. This concept seemed then, and even more so now, applicable not only to Northfield but to communities statewide, nationwide and globally. Five years down the road, it’s only fair to ask how far we have come toward making that vision reality, and what the prospects are for the next five years or so. Given the increasing

Blowin’ in the Wind

Building Energy Efficiency Initiative Awarded $40,000 Grant

RENew Northfield and the Northfield Area Foundation are teaming up in a new initiative to build community support for incorporating energy efficiency, solar, and geothermal heating and cooling technology in new and retrofit construction in the area. Northfield EnergySmart BuildingWorks was awarded a $40,000 grant by the Environmental Assistance division of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.

The grant is being matched by $10,000 from the Northfield Area Foundation, and will be used for an educational campaign, creation of a

INSIDE THIS ISSUE Blowin’ in the Wind 1

Building Energy Efficiency Initiative Awarded $40,000 Grant 1

Old Memorial Field (poem by Rob Hardy) 2

Global Climate Change Factoids 2 Northfield SolarWorks 2 RENew Your Place on Earth Rain Barrels 3 Thank you, donors! 5

volatility of energy prices, tight supplies and peak oil worries, our nation’s ever-increasing dependence on imported oil and the resulting negative economic effects and foreign policy distortions, in addition to the myriad environmental problems (global climate change being foremost) related to fossil fuel dependence, local energy self-sufficiency seems a higher priority now than ever before.

The initial focus of RENew Northfield’s resources was on development of locally owned commercial-scale wind projects, as these hold the most promise of capturing the community’s imagination and delivering cost-effective, clean

fund that will be used to make energy improvements more affordable for low and moderate-income residents, and assistance in developing highly energy-efficient affordable housing in the community.

Rising natural gas and electricity costs are an increasing burden for low and moderate income households. The goal for the affordable housing units will be to ensure that combined mortgage or rent and utility payments are no higher in the first year than they would be in a conventional unit, and significantly lower over the lifetime of the housing unit and/or mortgage. The funding supports work through June 30, 2008.

Summer So l s t ice Vo lume 1, I s sue 1 June 21, 2006

By Bruce Anderson, Executive Director

By Bruce Anderson

Please see Blowin’ in the Wind on page 4

Old Memorial Field The old football field is silvered with dandelions gone to seed. In this light, it looks like ice inside the oval of the overgrown track— seeds scatter and skate, silk skirts spinning above slippered toes, swirling and melting on a sudden breeze. The wind in the cottonwood sounds like running water, or the echo of October applause as the ghostly seeds break their huddle and drift into the end zone— dispersing like a crowd at the endof the game, or like graduates, leaving behind their empty chairs— caps and tassels flung in the air, a million plans suspended in celebration, coming down to take root somewhere else.

By Rob Hardy

“…the ghostly seeds break their huddle and drift into the end zone …”

Carleton wind turbine at dawn

© Rob Hardy. Used with the author’s permission.

Photo by Laura Hedelson

Global climate change factoids: Average global surface temperature has increased one degree F in the past century as the atmospheric CO2

concentration has risen from about 280 parts per million to 375 ppm. Average global surface temperatures are expected to rise 2.5 to 10.4 degrees or more by 2100 as CO2 levels rise

to 540 to 970 ppm. Mean sea level rise of up to 5 inches by 2025 and 34 inches by 2100 are expected. Annual per capita CO2 emissions in the U.S.: 43,802 pounds Annual CO2 emission reductions resulting from Carleton wind turbine operation: 7,650,000 lbs. Annual CO2 emission reductions resulting from biodiesel use by the 10 founding members of the

Northfield Biodiesel Buyers’ Club: 56,170 lbs. Local actions matter!

Interested in learning more about biodiesel and the

?See http://renewnorthfield.org/?page_id=69

Page 2RENews

RENews

Rain Barrels Roll into, out of Bridge Square

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Blowin’ in the Wind from page 1 Could roughly 40 wind turbines be installed in the next five years or so? There’s no reason to think this challenge couldn’t be met, but it certainly won’t be easy. St. Olaf will have a 1.65 MW turbine up and running soon (by some time in August according to recent reports); Rice County is actively investigating siting a 2 to 2.5 MW turbine adjacent to the county landfill, and RENew has been working with a number of area landowners interested in developing single or multiple turbine wind projects. State legislation passed in 2005 encourages development of these kinds of community-based wind projects, and the Pawlenty administration has expressed support for development of 800 MW of such projects statewide by 2010.

Technical feasibility is not the issue. Running the gauntlet of obstacles to wind project development, and developing creative ownership structures to enable profitable local investment in projects are the challenges. Local entrepreneurs can meet this challenge, I am confident, if the state and federal governments provide the kind of stable policy support needed to level the playing field and allow locally owned wind facilities to compete with traditional fossil-fuel-fired electricity generation.

Of course, our area’s population is growing, and electricity is only one of several different types of energy needs. In recognition of that, RENew Northfield has expanded the scope of its activities to include, but move beyond, the initial focus on wind development. In September 2005, I was hired as the organization’s first staff person, and this has enabled us to put more effort into initiatives focused on building and transportation energy use, a few of which are discussed in this newsletter.

I know from innumerable conversations that many in the community view the Carleton wind turbine as an icon of a more sustainable future for the community. I’m proud of the role RENew Northfield played in helping bring this positive symbol into being, and look forward to RENew Northfield playing an important role in the development of a truly sustainable community, with an energy-efficient, renewable-energy-powered economy, ready to thrive into the foreseeable future.

energy from locally owned facilities. (Energy efficiency investment is almost always more cost-effective than any new generation, but as an old energy auditor, I know that energy efficiency/conservation doesn’t have the sex appeal of a gleaming new wind turbine!)

In the spring of 2001, few people in the wind energy community thought large wind projects could be successfully developed cost-effectively in the Northfield area, but we went to work to find out whether and how it could be done. Three years later, after much effort by many dedicated volunteers, many trials and tribulations, and as the result of Carleton College’s willingness to be a pioneer, the first turbine went up just east of Northfield. The 1.65 megawatt (MW) turbine has now been producing enough clean electricity to power roughly 600 households on the east side of Northfield since September 2004. “All of the area’s electricity

could be provided by about 40 wind turbines.”

To put this in context, I think of RENew

Northfield’s core geographic area of focus as Northfield, Waterford, Dundas and the surrounding rural townships. The Carleton wind turbine, producing about 5,000,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity per year can provide about 1.75 % of all electricity consumed annually in this entire area. In other words, roughly 94 MW of installed wind capacity would generate all of the electricity consumed on a net annual basis in this area. With turbines being installed today generally in the 1.5 to 2.5 MW range, all of the area’s electricity could be provided by about 40 wind turbines. (Of course, there would be times when these 40 turbines would generate more power than needed in this area, so power would be exported, and times when power would need to be imported, but on a net annual basis, they would directly provide or offset all area electricity consumption.)

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Our work would not be possible without financial help from our many friends and community

supporters. THANK YOU to all! 2005 and early 2006 donors $500 and above Michael Behr Barbara Helling $150 to $499 Bob and Lin Bruce Bob and Suzannah Ciernia $100 to $149 Dan and Cahrene Dimick Christopher and Joan Ennis Craig and Cheryl Hall Loren and Patti Haskins Eric and Margit Johnson Loren and Elizabeth Larson Brett and Michele Reese Barb Spurrier David Strachan Norm Vig and Carol Oliver $50 to $99 Bruce and Carol Benson Kathy Blough Nancy Casper Judy and Jim Cederberg Ray Cox John and Meghan Dimick E David and Mary Ann Emery Helene Haapala and Connie Martin Debbie Hadas and Bob Hanson Marshall Hansen

Dan Hudson Denise Intihar-Lum Amy Kolan and Craig Feathers Charlotte Melin and Matthew Rohn Allene Moesler Jerry and Adrienne Mohrig Lanelle Olsen Jeff Ondich and Mary Dunnewold Mary and Joseph Shaw Charles A Skinner Bruce Stahlberg Don and Marjorie Tarr Elaine Thurston Lynne Wasner Norman Watt Steve and Lynne Wilmot Mollie and Bill Woehrlin $30 to $49 Gene and Lois Bakko Chris Bashor and Mary Titus Jean and Shelby Boardman Dr and Mrs C E Buchwald Nancy and Mike Carriel Peter and Mary Jo Cristofaro-Hark Ross and Sarah Currier Megan and Tom Durkin Eric and Carolyn Fure-Slocum Frank W Gery George and Gretchen Hardgrove Ralph and Marilyn Haugen Elvin and Corrine Heiberg

Carl and Mary Caroline Henry Fred and Barb Howe Joann and Paul Jorgensen Steve Janusz Barbara Jenkins Marie Jensen Keith Johnson George Kinney Diane C. Lee Janet Mitchell Paul Moss William Ostrem Cora and Bob Scholz Susan and Gary Singer Steve and Judy Swanson Janet Watchman and Joel Weisberg Justin and Emily Watkins Up to $29 Julia and William Burmesch Greg Colby and Carol Schoen Julie and Will Healy James and Caroline Holden Jerry and Kathy Holzer Julie Klassen Elizabeth Lasley Dawn MacDonald Steve O'Malley Nancy Paddleford George and Carolyn Soule Jack Tripp

Please renew or become a new member today! Your support is crucial to RENew’s continued effectiveness. Return to RENew Northfield, 402 Washington St., Northfield, MN 55057

Name(s):_____________________________________ Address:___________________________________________

Phone #:_________________________ E-mail address:________________________________________________

Amount of contribution: $30_____ $50_____ $100_____ $250_____ $500_____ Other: $_____

RENew Northfield is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization. All contributions are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law. For further information, please consult a tax professional.

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RENew Northfield’s mission is to lead the Northfield area community

to energy self-sufficiency.

We are guided by the following values:

Environment Energy needs must be met without harm to the environment. All of the community’s energy needs must be provided by non-polluting, renewable sources which are used efficiently

Community Economic benefits from the production and use of energy should accrue primarily to the local community. The community should determine and share the responsibility for how its energy is produced and consumed

Social Justice All community members should be ensured access to affordable energy provided in a way that does not harm human health, the environment or the well-being of others in the world community

RENew Northfield 402 Washington St. Northfield, MN 55057