RMEB announces financing tool for energy efficiency & renewable energy improvements

Interest in energy efficiency for buildings and adding renewable energy, like solar, has been growing in recent years in southwest Minnesota. A financing tool called Property-Assessed Clean Energy, or PACE, can help implementation of these energy efficiencies happen.

Available to businesses, farms, and multi-family housing, PACE provides project financing that is repaid as a separate item on property tax assessments for a set period. In this way, PACE eliminates the burden of upfront costs by providing low-cost, long-term financing. PACE is designed so that energy savings are enough to pay for PACE assessments.

Examples of potential building improvements that can be financed with PACE are solar arrays, HVAC upgrades, LED lighting, condensing boilers, digital controls, insulation, variable-frequency drive motors, building automation systems, and other water and energy conservation measures. Free energy assessments are available to assist in determining energy efficiencies.

This program is available in the 18 Rural Minnesota Energy Board (RMEB) member counties. RMEB counties comprise Blue Earth, Brown, Cottonwood, Faribault, Freeborn, Jackson, Lincoln, Lyon, Martin, Mower, Murray, Nicollet, Nobles, Pipestone, Redwood, Renville, Rock, and Watonwan. The program is administered by the Southwest Regional Development Commission.

PACE brochure and application can be found online at http://www.rmeb.org/pace.htm. Contact Robin Weis at 507-836-1638 or via e-mail at robin@swrdc.org for more information.

Judge blocks sit-down dining at central Minnesota bar chain

ST. CLOUD (AP) — A judge on Tuesday blocked a chain of central Minnesota bars and restaurants from offering sit-down dining in violation of Gov. Tim Walz’s peacetime emergency order during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Stearns County judge issued a temporary injunction sought by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison against the owner of the “Shady’s” chain. Shady’s owner Kris Schiffler earlier had planned to reopen a bar in Albany last month, but announced he was not reopening after he was blocked by a court order.