News of the week

Heat pumps in Northern Minnesota receive national news spotlight

Burning fossil fuels to heat buildings accounts for around 40 percent of Minnesota's greenhouse gas emissions. An emerging effort to reach carbon emission reduction goals is the expanded use of heat pumps.

Heat pumps are highly efficient, two-in-one appliances that can both heat and cool a home. Energy News Network published a story last week on the benefits of heat pumps, focusing on the impact of adoption of such systems in northern Minnesota. Heat pumps are more efficient than furnaces because they don’t make heat; they move it from one place to another, the same as refrigerators do. 

Homeowners who rely on propane can save as much as 30 percent on home heating costs by switching to heat pumps; those using baseboard heat can save as much as 50 percent, according to the Air Source Heat Pump Collaborative. Homeowners can save more when they combine heat pumps with dual-fuel programs offered by some utilities.

To read more, click here.

Before you go: what to know about the Summer Conference

We can't wait to see friends old and new in Duluth next week for the 2023 MMUA Summer Conference! Here are some things to know before you go:

• Registration first opens at 8 am on Monday morning. The registration desk will be set up in the Holiday Inn lobby on Monday until 5 pm. We will bring badges and tickets with us to Hoops Brewing for the Welcome Reception, but you will need to stop by registration on Tuesday for folders and giveaways if you register at Hoops. Registration will open again at 7 am on Tuesday on the first floor of the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center (DECC), just inside Door B.
• Space is still available for the Monday pre-conference sessions on grant writing and negotiation tactics. If you aren't already signed up, you can register at the door on Monday morning. These sessions will be held at the Holiday Inn. If you decide to join the grant writing workshop, be sure to bring your laptop computer–a phone or tablet won’t work well.
• The golf tournament and the hiking excursion will both begin at 1 pm. Plan to arrive at your event of choice between 12:00 and 12:30 pm. 
• Hotel check-in at the Holiday Inn begins at 3 pm on Monday.
• MMUA's welcome reception will be held at Hoops Brewing in Canal Park on Monday evening. Join us from 6:30-8:30 pm for fun, food, and drink! The event is free for all those attending the full conference. Be sure to stop by registration first to grab your drink tickets!
• Three hospitality rooms will be open for conference attendees. Their schedules and locations are:
• Energy Management Systems
• Monday, August 21 (Holiday Inn Lyric Room)
• Frontier Energy
• Monday, August 21 and Tuesday, August 22 (Holiday Inn Lake Shore Room 514)
• Ziegler Power Systems
• Monday, August 21 and Tuesday, August 22 (Holiday Inn Duluth Room 515)
• All conference activities on Tuesday and Wednesday will be held at the DECC. Parking is available for purchase at the DECC for $10 a day, and the conference space is connected via skyway to the Holiday Inn. The walk from the hotel to the DECC takes about 10 minutes either via skyway or street, and signage will be placed throughout the skyway to direct you.
• This year, the awards ceremony will take place during a luncheon on Tuesday afternoon. The Trade show is longer this year, and it features adult beverages as well as heavy hors d'oeuvres. If you are still hungry after that, dinner is on your own on Tuesday evening … and don’t forget that hospitality rooms are open at the Holiday Inn into the later part of the evening.
• Hotel check-out is required by 11 am on Wednesday. We encourage you to check out in the morning before leaving the hotel for the conference as you won’t want to miss the final speaker. Luggage storage will be available at the DECC.

Click here to view the conference program. If you have any questions, please email us. See you in Duluth!

Small modular reactors reach milestone, still facing delays and uncertainty

In January, energy company NuScale received final approval from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for their small modular reactor (SMR) design. This landmark ruling was the first of its kind granted by the federal government.

The achievement has been celebrated by proponents of SMR nuclear generation, which is claimed to be safer, easier to build, and potentially cheaper than traditional nuclear generation. Though the proposed method produces less generation than a large-scale nuclear power plant (the approved reactor design would produce 50 MW per unit compared to a typical traditional nuclear reactor that can produce over 1000 MW), an SMR site could inhabit about 2 percent of the land space of a traditional nuclear plant. “That’s the benefit—it becomes more of a routine, more of a cookie-cutter project,” said Jacopo Buongiorno, director of the Center for Advanced Nuclear Energy Systems at MIT.

Still, the first SMRs are still years away from going online, and their cost has already increased dramatically from initial projections despite the substantial tax credits afforded to nuclear power plants through the Inflation Reduction Act. In 2017, NuScale planned to have its first power plant in Idaho running by 2026. That timeline has since been delayed to 2029. Additionally, NuScale researchers were still working on reactor design amidst the lengthy regulatory process. During the process of submission and planning, the company discovered that its reactors could increase performance by about 50 percent. As a result, the company needed to resubmit updated plans to the NRC, which it did last month. It could take up to two years before the altered plans are approved by the agency. In January, NuScale also announced that its planned price of electricity from the Idaho plant project had increased, from $58 per megawatt-hour to $89.

“I’m not going to believe it’s for real until I see them operating,” Buongiorno said on the future of SMRs. Their true promise will be realized only when it’s time to build the second, the third, the fifth, and the hundredth reactor, Kathryn Huff of the Department of Energy said, and both companies and regulators are learning how to speed up the process to get there. “It becomes truly real when electrons go on the grid,” Huff says.

To read more, click here.

MMUA announces additional "Interacting on the Issues" sessions

In June, we had excellent meetings with commissioners and utility leaders about the benefits of local control of municipal utilities and the challenges facing the industry. We also took a look at the outcome of the 2023 legislative session, discussed implications, and sought feedback on priorities for the coming year.

By popular demand, we are going back on the road this fall! Please consider joining us for a session at one of our four locations around the state. We can't wait to hear from you and learn how we can help to enhance and promote the great work you do.

Join the MMUA government relations team and peers from your region to discuss the implications of new laws, explore solution opportunities, and network with others committed to protecting, promoting, and strengthening hometown utilities.

There is no cost to attend, however registration is required for planning purposes. Encourage your whole commission to attend and learn about how commissioners can help champion hometown utilities. You can learn more and register by clicking on the links below.

September 18—New Ulm

September 27—Grand Rapids

October 3—Detroit Lakes

October 4—Marshall

Funding opportunities

MN Department of Commerce announces revamped website for funding opportunities

Information on funding for energy related projects is now being shared online by the Division of Energy Resources at the Minnesota Department of Commerce (MNDOC). 

The New Energy Programs page joins with the existing Federal Funding opportunities page to provide additional insight for Minnesotans on new state funding for energy opportunities and programs. Details on the new rebates, grants, and other programs will be added to the site as the programs are developed by MNDOC to make those funds accessible to all Minnesotans.

You are encouraged to bookmark this new page for future reference: New Energy Programs / Minnesota Department of Commerce - Energy (mn.gov); updates are currently included for the EV Rebate Program and Heat Pump Rebate Program. Please plan to check back frequently for future updates; you can also stay current by signing up for MNDOC's newsletter at this link.

2023 Energy Future Grants (EFG) Creating a Community-Led Energy Future 

• DE-FOA-0002870
• Deadline: Full Application due 9.30.2023.

DOE's State and Community Energy Program issued a funding opportunity with $27 million in financial and technical assistance to support local, state, and tribal government-led partnership efforts advancing clean energy program innovation. Community-led EFG projects foster integrated clean energy solutions in and across the power, transportation, and building sectors. Approximately 50 multi-jurisdictional teams, with ideally 3-4 (or more) state, local, and tribal government partners on the team, are expected to receive awards of $500,000. Teams will also partner with community benefit organizations to turn innovative, novel or early action ideas into solutions that address barriers to clean energy deployment and provide measurable benefits to disadvantaged communities.

Looking ahead

Regional Safety Workshops—Following the popularity of the summer sessions, MMUA is going back on the road with more regional workshops. You can learn more and register by clicking on the links below.

September 18—New Ulm

September 19—Brookings, SD

Stepping Into Leadership—Designed for those who are new to a supervisory role or current supervisors and leaders who wish to improve their leadership skills. Participants will have 56 hours of instruction delivered in a mix of in-person and virtual settings over a 14-month period. The new cohort will begin on October 4. You can learn more and register by visiting the program's webpage.

Cross Training School—Learn how to safely assist in electrical work. Register by September 15 for the best rate. The school will be held at the MMUA Training Center in Marshall from October 10-12. Please click here to learn more and to register.

Tree Trimming Workshop—Registration is open. This workshop is intended for any municipal employee responsible for tree work; it’s not just for lineworkers. It will be held at Brainerd Public Utilities from October 17-19. Please click here to learn more and register.

As always, thank you for your association with MMUA and your commitment to delivering excellent service through locally owned utility assets in your community. Have a great week!

Christian Glanville

Marketing and Member Relations Manager

Direct: 763.746.0727 / Cell: 612.655.0598

Fax: 763.551.0459

cglanville@mmua.org | www.mmua.org

To download a copy of this email, click here.