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October 20, 2016
Minnesota Commerce Department
and partners secure U.S. Department of Energy SunShot grant to help achieve
energy goal of 10% solar by 2030
For Immediate Release:
SAINT PAUL --
The Minnesota Department of Commerce has been awarded a $2 million grant that
will help realize Minnesota’s goal of generating 10 percent of its electricity
from the sun by 2030.
The grant,
awarded by the U.S. Department of Energy SunShot Initiative, is called “Project
North Star: Illuminating the Way to PV Integration.” It will combine a
stakeholder collaboration process with technical analysis to support Minnesota’s
deployment of solar electricity, also known as photovoltaics (PV).
“Diversifying
Minnesota’s energy portfolio with additional solar electricity will create new
economic opportunities for people across our state, while reducing our
dependence on fossil fuels that hurt our health and environment,” said Lt.
Governor Tina Smith. “I thank the U.S. Department of Energy for providing the
grant, and look forward to working with our Minnesota-based partners to
implement it.”
The state
goal of 10 percent solar by 2030 will take Minnesota from 35 megawatts of solar
capacity at the end of 2015 to as much as 6 gigawatts by 2030. (One gigawatt
equals 1,000 megawatts.)
“This
important grant will strengthen Minnesota’s efforts to continue moving forward
to a clean energy future,” said Commerce Commissioner Mike Rothman, whose
agency serves as the state energy office. “Project North Star is an opportunity
for the Commerce Department to work together with our many partners and
stakeholders to make Minnesota a leading state for solar innovation and
deployment.”
Led by the Commerce
Department, Project North Star includes four core partners: Center for Energy
and Environment, Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTs), Clean Power Research and Great
Plains Institute. It also involves a host of supporting partners, including utilities,
local governments and solar industry representatives.
The project
will engage in a wide range of activities with these stakeholders to identify
and demonstrate least-cost, best-value strategies for Minnesota to achieve its solar
energy goals. This includes the potential of key
technologies and management approaches to overcome grid integration challenges
with increased solar.
About the SunShot Initiative
The U.S. Department of Energy SunShot
Initiative is a
collaborative national effort that aggressively drives innovation to make solar
energy fully cost-competitive with traditional energy sources before the end of
the decade. Through SunShot, the Energy Department supports efforts by private
companies, universities, and national laboratories to drive down the cost of
solar electricity to $0.06 per kilowatt-hour. Learn more at energy.gov/sunshot
Media Contact:
Ross Corson
Director of Communications
Minnesota Department of Commerce
P: 651-539-1463 | C: 651-368-5050 | ross.corson@state.mn.us
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