“It is possible to fight over oil but not over wind and sun!”

These were the words of Wilfried (Willi) Voigt, Germany’s former Secretary of Energy, as he presented environmentally friendly energy producing ideas and methods at a conference held at St. Olaf on January 9, 2009. Sponsoring the conference was John Farrell of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR), an organization that supports environmentally sound and particularly local community development.

For Minnesota the information ILSR has developed on the Feed-In-Tariff (FIT) program is of particular interest.

The FIT is a simple yet powerful strategy to expand renewable energy and benefit local economies. It works as a mandated, long-term premium price for renewable energy paid by the local electric utility to energy producers. For example, Xcel, our local energy producer, would be required over a period of time (say 20 years), to pay for each KWH (kilowatt hour) produced, from a wind turbine or solar panel, that feeds into the existing power grid. This negotiated price and length of contract may be adjusted for inflation and the tariff rates will be set to allow for reasonable profits and no more.

Other speakers at the conference were Paul Gipe from Wind-Works, whose presentation on the Renewable Energy Payment (REP) background, its design and comparison to Renewable Portfolio Standards, was very interesting. For more information visit his website . Also present was Betsy Engelking (Xcel Energy), Glenn Skarbakka (Great River Energy) and Frank Fredrickson (MN Power). They presented the industry view of REPs.

Wilson Rickerson of Rickerson Energy Strategies,  a Boston based consulting group, also presented new clean energy ideas and technology trends that are rapidly reshaping our world.

As Willi Voigt said “Ecology is long term stabilized economy.” In this day and age, stabilizing the economy is of utmost importance. I believe the REP program would work very well in Minnesota.  In the future look for more information on the Renewable-energy-paymnet program I am working on in the state legislature. I will keep you updated on further progress.

ILSR has posted the presentations on their website you can find them by clicking on this link: presentations.

Videos of the presentations should follow soon.

Tuesday May 6th
8:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Lonsdale City Hall
415 Central Street West, Lonsdale, 55046

Saturday May 10th
9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Belle Plaine Library
125 W Main, Belle Plaine, 56011

Tuesday, May 13
6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Northfield Public Library
210 Washington Street, Northfield, 55057

Saturday, May 17
9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Nerstrand City Hall,
221 Main Street, Nerstrand, MN

Unfortunately, the unfair school funding system and the tough economy means tough times for all schools including those in District 25B. After years of cuts, there is little left to cut. Class sizes will likely increase, and students will receive fewer opportunities today than we did a generation or two before them. They deserve better.

That’s why I am supporting a measure (HF 2475) that would provide $49 million ($51 per student) in additional school funding statewide in 2009. Funding would come from an unused surplus leftover in the state’s Q-Comp funding program. Approval of this bill would help ease some of the pain at schools across our district. In all, schools in our area would receive roughly $700,000 in additional school funding in 2009.

Specifically, HF2475 would provide:

Belle Plaine will receive approximately – $76,347
Montgomery-Lonsdale will receive approximately – $55,896
New Prague will receive approximately – $179,826
Northfield will receive approximately – $199,053
Faribault will receive approximately – $204,867

 These figures are taken from the 2007 enrollment data depicted by the MN Dept of Education on their website.

The situation our schools are facing is a long-term problem that needs a solid, long-term solution. And while this year’s proposal is a short-term fix, it is a necessary step to set the stage for a comprehensive education reform measure in the coming 2009 Legislative Session.

Your comments, questions and suggestions are always welcome.

In spite of the weather, I enjoyed recent meetings in Belle Plaine and Lonsdale a couple of weeks ago.  We had fairly good turn out considering the icy roads and early hour.  

Belle Plaine Town Hall– Saturday, February 24, 2007, 8:00 a.m to 9:15 a.m. LOCATION:  Belle Plaine Library

Lonsdale Town Hall– Saturday, February 24, 2007, 10:00 a.m to 11:15 a.m. LOCATION:  Lonsdale City Hall

Northfield Town Hall– Wednesday, March 14, 2007, 6:00 p.m to 8:00 p.m. LOCATION: Northfield Public Library

Here's the town hall informational poster (adapted from original form, and in Adobe .pdf). 

Poster also available in Word.