News

See the video: GreenStep Cities - Decade of Growth. 

Read city stories in the Community Highlight series. 

See the Reflections on 10-Years Video.

Download and share the 1-page infographic 10 Years of GreenStep Impacts & Accomplishments.

See short TV/print coverage of two GreenStep gatherings:

• Rochester: https://www.kimt.com/content/news/Minnesota-GreenStep-Cities-program-celebrates-10-years-566825221.html
• Duluth: https://www.fox21online.com/2020/01/08/mpca-celebrates-ten-years-of-greenstep-cities-program/
• Duluth: https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/government-and-politics/4854307-Duluth-shares-its-sustainability-story-through-GreenStep-Cities-program

NOAA's Climate Program Office and the National Integrated Heat Health Information System (NIHHIS), in partnership with Climate Adaptation Planning and Analytics (CAPA) Strategies, are pleased to announce that we are now accepting applications from organizations interested in participating in the 2021 cohort of NIHHIS-CAPA Urban Heat Island mapping campaigns. 

Over the past three years, NOAA has funded CAPA Heat Watch to support 21 communities across the United States in mapping their urban heat islands (UHI). CAPA Strategies has developed a process to help cities plan and execute a volunteer-based community science field campaign that builds upon local partnerships, engages residents in a scientific study to map and understand how heat is distributed in their communities, and produces high-quality outputs that have been used in city sustainability plans, public health practices, urban forestry, research projects, and other engagement activities.

Applications due: Friday, January 8, 2021

Learn More: https://nihhis.cpo.noaa.gov/Urban-Heat-Island-Mapping/UHI-Campaigns 

January 20, 2021
9:00-12:15pm via Zoom

Registration
$30 / $15 for students with a .edu email address

Program highlights: Keynote speaker Sam Grant, Executive Director of MN350, a panel discussion moderated by Heidi Roop, the Extension Climate Specialist, and breakout session for the audience. 

Learn more: https://www.wrc.umn.edu/news-events/climateadaptationconference 

The Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science and USDA Northern Forests Climate Hub are offering the Forest Adaptation Planning and Practices training as an online course for forest and natural resource managers in the Midwest and Northeastern regions.

There is no registration fee for this course, thanks to support from the US Forest Service and the USDA Northern Forests Climate Hub.

Winter Course 2021 runs: January 25 to March 15, 2021.

Register by December 30th!

Learn about this course at informational webinar December 16th at 1pm ET.  Register for the webinar

The Resilient Communities Project is currently accepting proposals for partnerships to begin summer 2021. Local government agencies anywhere in Minnesota are eligible. Partners benefit from applied research and technical assistance, provided by students and faculty at the University of Minnesota from a variety of departments and disciplines, to address one or more locally identified projects that advance community resilience to economic, social, environmental, or technological changes. RCP specifically encourages proposals for projects focused on racial inequities, unjust systems, and/or the COVID-19 pandemic, and that center communities most impacted by these issues. Deadline for proposals is February 1, 2021. 

Learn more about RCP partnerships and how to apply >>>

National League of Cities 2021 Leadership in Community Resilience grant program is now accepting proposals!

We know first-hand how cumbersome and time consuming applications and proposal writing can be, so we purposely designed this one to be short and straightforward.

Each awardee city will receive $10,000 and customized support/training from NLC and the Resilient Cities Network (formerly 100RC). We have many other incredible program partners including Climate Access, I-DIEM, Thriving Earth Exchange, ASAP (grantees receive free membership!), ecoAmerica, NASA, NOAA, and more.

The deadline for applications is December 23th, 2020.

• Please read our FAQ carefully for more details and a link to apply
• Check out our past projects for ideas and inspiration
• For more information on the Resilient Cities Network partnership, check out our most recent blog

What issues should proposals focus on?

• Disaster preparedness and hazard mitigation (e.g., to heat, drought, smoke/wildfires, sea level rise, flooding, etc.)  
• Embedding equity in city resilience plans/programs 
• Water infrastructure/green infrastructure  
• Climate migration, retreat, and associated impacts/opportunities  
• Resilient renewable energy + storage projects 
• Nature-based solutions  
• Emissions reduction strategies 

Drive Electric Minnesota and Plug In America are excited to present a free webinar series focused on accelerating electric transportation adoption in 2021, in partnership with Xcel Energy and the Sustainable Growth Coalition.

In the six-part webinar series (December 1-4, 2020) attendees will learn about several electric vehicle (EV) policy and implementation topics, including:

• basics and benefits of EVs
• how Minnesota can become a leader in transportation electrification
• policies to implement at the state, city, fleet, and workplace levels
• how the state can overcome the remaining barriers to greater EV adoption

There is also a chance to “drive” electric in our virtual ride and drive webinar!

Each webinar has a different focus with different audiences in mind. We encourage you to attend the webinars that align with your interests. Details about each webinar, including how to register is at https://www.driveelectricmn.org/webinar-series-minnesotans-going-electric/ 

12/1, 11am-12:30pm - The Role of Cities and Counties in Transportation Electrification

12/1, 1-2pm - The 101 on Electric Vehicles for Minnesota

12/1, 2:15-3:00pm - Experience Electric Vehicles in a Virtual Test Drive

12-3, 10am-12pm - How Minnesota Can Lead on Transportation Electrification in 2021

12-3, 1-2:30pm - Economic Development Opportunities for Minnesota from the Transportation Electrification Sector 

12-4, 10am-12pm - Expanding Charging for Minnesota Fleets, Workplaces, Multi-Unit Dwellings, and Public Locations

The B3 Benchmarking tool was recently updated and added some new features!

What's new? https://mn.b3benchmarking.com/ReleaseNotes

MnDOT’s new Clean Transportation Pilot will provide up to $2 million annually in grants to pilot, test, and increase adoption of clean transportation technologies, especially where cost is a barrier to implementation. Grant amounts will range from $25,000 to $500,000 and require a 20% match.  No match is required for tribal governments.

In order to meet Minnesota’s greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets outlined in the Next Generation Energy Act, we need to identify clean transportation technologies that work for different communities throughout the state, especially outside the Twin Cities Metro.  The goal of the Clean Transportation Pilot program is to help communities around the state demonstrate how clean transportation technologies can meet their business needs and reduce carbon pollution. Successful projects will incorporate resilient design features; be responsive to economic disruptions; expand access to clean transportation technologies, especially in smaller and/or rural communities; and bring equity into project siting and user benefits, especially for communities of color and low-income residents.

The grants are available to local governments, regional transportation authorities, transit agencies, natural resource or public land agencies, schools, tribal governments, and Minnesota non-profits.

Qualifying activities include projects that do the following:

• Increase the use of vehicles or fuels that reduce GHG emissions compared to traditional gasoline and diesel combustion engines.
• Support infrastructure or systems that avoid or reduce transportation GHG emissions. Examples include, but are not limited to, shifting single-occupancy vehicle trips to other modes, reducing peak trip demand, advancing complete streets programs, increasing the availability of electric vehicles (EVs) and charging facilities, promote low carbon/advance biofuels, and other similar efforts.
• Demonstrate innovative uses or add commercially available clean transportation technologies in new or underserved communities.
• Help overcome barriers to new technology adoption in Minnesota, such as operability during winter months.
• Demonstrate how clean transportation technologies can be scaled up to serve a larger markets or larger numbers of users.
• Expand knowledge and understanding of clean transportation technologies in communities that may have less experiences with these technologies.

Next Steps

• October 26, 2020 – Pre-solicitation informational meeting
• November 2, 2020 – Submission period of letters of interest begins
• December 7, 2020 – Letters of interest due
• December 21, 2020 – MnDOT announces applicants selected for full application
• February 15, 2021 – Full applications due
• March 15, 2021* – MnDOT announces applicants selected to receive FY21 funding
• April 15, 2021* – Applicant grant agreements with MnDOT completed

* These dates may need to be adjusted. Applicants will be informed of any delays.

For additional information, please visit the Clean Transportation Pilot Funding Program website, which includes a Program Guide with application details. 

The Solar-for-Vouchers Program provides technical assistance to help multifamily rental property owners install solar panels and reduce their energy costs. Property owners can take advantage of the savings resulting from this technical assistance in exchange for a commitment to rent some of their units at market rates to Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program participants.

Info sessions: 

• October 29, 2020, 9:00–10:30 a.m.

• November 19, 2020, 9:00–10:30 a.m.

Learn more and RSVP