Powering Our Communities: 

A Case Study on Saving Money and Energy in Rural Minnesota 

Date and Time: Tuesday, June 30th , 2026    6-7:30 P.M. 

In person: Watonwan County Library, 125 5th St S, St James, MN 56081

Online: Link to be provided soon

This educational forum from the South Central Minnesota Clean Energy Council and in partnership with Climate Smart St. James will highlight two nationally recognized clean energy projects happening in rural Minnesota. Over the past year, the Region Nine Development Commission and West Central Initiative have been part of a peer learning coalition through Resource Rural to increase clean energy implementation in their communities. For Region Nine this has been a residential efficiency project that provided free energy audits to 143 households and has made upgrades in 50 homes. West Central Initiative will present on their Municipal Solar Cohort that worked with 10 small towns to install solar that was 90% covered by utility rebates and federal tax credits. The presentations will not only highlight their successes but also the important learnings on what it takes to move these projects forward in rural Minnesota.