Minnesota

SunOpta will cover two-thirds of its electricity needs with the rooftop array.

Low-income and minority communities are often most affected by extreme and damaging weather storms, as well as to indoor air pollution and higher energy costs. However, one community in Minnesota is actively working to change that.

Minnesota’s public utilities commission approves Form Energy’s 10 MW/1 GWh iron-air long-duration energy storage facility construction project for Xcel Energy.

This year, DOE recognized five organizations that exemplify the benefits that community solar can bring with $10,000 grand prizes, and recently launched a new round of the Sunny Awards.

Also on the rise: Maxeon claims 24.7% efficiency for IBC solar module. 50 states of solar incentives–Washington. And more.

Coalition of advocates urged PUC to address racial and wealth disparities in bill affordability, and they continue to push for more progress.

Also on the rise: Enphase launches IQ Battery 5P residential battery in U.S. and Puerto Rico. Solar energy in New York state covered record 20% of state power demand. And more.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz signed HF 2310 into law, which opens up the state’s community solar program to more residential subscribers, specifically low-to-moderate income (LMI) households, and expands the project sites from 1 MW to 5 MW community gardens.

Subscribers in the portfolio include municipalities, healthcare, food service, and retail companies, as well as 8,000 low-to-moderate income (LMI) households.

Officials from clean energy states discussed how the Inflation Reduction Act is advancing rooftop solar, customer savings, economic development, and grid reliability, and described the extent of community support they see for the clean energy transition.