MMUA Membership Directory arriving soon

Watch your mailbox for MMUA's Fall 2024 Membership Directory! This annual resource should arrive via US mail sometime in the next week or so. It will be addressed to your utility's/company's main contact with MMUA.

This helpful resource provides program and service details to see what best fits your needs, valuable contact information, and more.

Each MMUA member company will receive one copy of the directory. If you need additional copies, they are available from MMUA for a small fee.

If you have any questions or would like to purchase additional copies, please contact Jen Williams.

New Virginia, Minnesota, landfill creates geothermal energy by capturing heat from garbage

In early November, a new section of the St. Louis County regional landfill was dedicated. The county has installed eight miles of subterranean tubing in a 10-mile area that captures heat from the garbage as it decomposes. The heat will be used to power a new on-site wastewater treatment plant that will start construction in the Summer of 2025. The wastewater plant will treat the water that comes from the landfill using renewable geothermal energy. The plant will also be able to mitigate per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).



To learn more, click here.

Xcel completes the first phase of Sherco Solar

On November 19, Xcel Energy marked the completion of the first phase of the Sherco Solar project near Clearwater, Minnesota with a ceremony that included Xcel leaders, government officials, and workers who built the project.

When Sherco Solar reaches full completion in 2026, it will consist of 1.5 million solar panels that will provide up to 710 megawatts of power to customers.



Read more here.

Reminder to take the 2024 Industry Survey

Whether you are someone who spends their days working in or supporting municipal utilities, or your work supports municipal utilities, your voice is important to MMUA. Please share your feedback with us. We will use the information to help MMUA evolve, improve, and further position itself to continue meeting the needs of municipal utilities well into the future. Don't forget to complete the survey by Thursday, January 2, 2025. All members of your utility team—employees, commissioners, and city officials— are encouraged to complete the survey.

Please begin the survey by clicking here.

USDA Community Facilities Direct Loan and Grant Program

This opportunity provides funding to develop essential community facilities in rural areas. The funding priorities for this rural development grant include small communities with a population of 5,500 or less and low-income communities having a median household income below 80% of the state nonmetropolitan median household income.

Learn about requirements and how to get started by clicking here.