Minnesota Ag Connection - MFU Holds Renewable Energy Session and Solar Open House

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MFU Holds Renewable Energy Session and Solar Open House
Minnesota Ag Connection - 06/24/2016

Minnesota Farmers Union (MFU) recently moved into its new office at 305 Roselawn Ave E in Saint Paul. Its focus, while remodeling the building prior to moving in last December, has been renewable energy and a Minnesota-based vision on implementing it as soon as possible.

Together with Novel Energy Solutions, MFU installed solar panels on the roof to generate a portion of their energy. This week, MFU hosted a Renewable Energy working session and open house to discuss the importance of renewable energy in the agricultural communities and the benefits that it holds for family farmers.

Many agricultural leaders and renewable energy experts joined the group of over 30 MFU members to discover common grounds between renewable energy and farming.

Guest speakers during the session included: Bill Grant, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Commerce; Senator John Marty, Chair of Environment and Energy Committee, Chair of Finance Environment and Energy Budget Division Committee; Representative Pat Garofalo, Chair of Job Growth and Energy Affordability Policy and Finance Committee, Greater Minnesota Economic and Workforce Development Policy Committee, Rules and Legislative Administration Committee, Taxes Committee, Ways and Means Committee; Allen Gleckner, Senior Policy Associate, Fresh Energy; Lynn Hinkle; Policy Director, Minnesota Solar Energy Industry Association; Lisa Daniels, Executive Director, Windustry; Kathleen Zehm, Marketing Specialist, Farmers Union Insurance Agency; Scott Carlson, Executive Director and Attorney at Law, Farmers Legal Action Group (FLAG); Jim Horan, Director, Government Affairs & Counsel; J. Drake Hamilton, Science Policy Director, Fresh Energy; Fritz Ebinger, Project Manager, CERTs Rural Energy Development; Ron Oman, Energy Coordinator, USDA Rural Development.

"Our policy supports renewable energy programs and we are working with financial support from the McKnight Foundation, Minneapolis, to engage our members in discussing renewable energy programs and policies that might benefit our family farmer members and promote the benefits that renewable energy," stated MFU President, Doug Peterson, "It is great to be able to host such an event where all the key points were discussed and the interests of our members were heard. We look forward to other opportunities to have this discussion again."

More information can be found about Novel Energy Solutions can be found at novelenergysolutions.com and more information about Minnesota Farmers Union can be found at mfu.org or by calling 651.639.1223

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