Olmsted County Secures $381K Grants for Solar Projects NOW

URGENT UPDATE: Olmsted County has just announced it will receive $381,000 in state grants for the installation of solar panels on eight public buildings. This groundbreaking initiative is aimed at significantly enhancing the county’s renewable energy capabilities and is expected to benefit taxpayers by minimizing energy costs.

The funding is part of a larger pool of $14.5 million made available by the Minnesota Department of Commerce for local governments and Tribal Nations eager to implement solar energy systems on publicly owned structures. County Director of Facilities and Building Operations, Mat Miller, described the grants as essentially providing “a free solar array for each of these sites,” contingent on successfully securing federal tax credits to cover the total project cost of nearly $544,000.

The approved installations will take place on:

– Public Works Service Center cold-storage facility, wash bay, and main building at 1188 50th St. SE, Rochester
– A solar setup on the new exhibition center currently being constructed at Graham Park, 1403 Third Ave. SE
– Caretaker house and main office at Chester Woods Park, 8378 Highway 14 Southeast, Eyota
– Caretaker house and nature center at Oxbow Park, 5731 County Road 105 NW, Byron

While some of these projects were already budgeted, the Graham Park installation was the only one scheduled for next year. Thanks to these grants, all eight projects are now expected to be completed by 2026.

County Administrator Travis Gransee explained that while all expenses could potentially be covered, the county will need to initially fund the projects before receiving reimbursements from the state and federal levels in 2026 and 2027. The state funds are set to be disbursed within 30 days following the completion of each project, while federal funds, pending approval, could take until the next year to become available.

The urgency of this transition to solar energy is underscored by the potential for Olmsted County to install systems that can cover up to 120% of a building’s annual energy consumption. In light of this, commissioners have urged Miller to explore additional sites for solar panel installations, given that state funds remain available.

“We do have other sites we could look at, but it’s been a ton of work to apply for these eight,” Miller stated, noting that the application deadline was extended from November 14 to December 1. He also highlighted some concerns regarding the condition of roofs at potential new sites, as state funds will not cover roofing improvements.

“The projects we picked were the low-hanging fruit that had good roofs or could accommodate ground mounds, or the site just made sense,” Miller added regarding the selection process for the eight initial projects.

As Olmsted County moves forward with these solar projects, the community can look forward to a greener, more sustainable future. Stay tuned for further updates as this story develops.