Minnesota cities take steps to go green

Oct 18 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Maria Elena Baca Star Tribune, Minneapolis

Seeking to overcome the notion that it's not easy being green, a handful of cities have joined a state initiative to help germinate sustainable practices in what's envisioned as a recycled version of the Minnesota Star Cities designation.

But instead of being given for economic development, it would be for embracing green initiatives.

Though many cities have eco-conscious intentions, finding, funding and implementing ideas can be daunting. Plus, best practices elsewhere may not apply here because of climate and other differences, said Philipp Muessig of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA).

What might work or make sense in cities in California "doesn't play that well in Minnesota," he said.

Challenge from Legislature

Muessig is coordinator of GreenStep Cities, a public-private program that sprang out of a 2007 challenge by the Legislature to support and recognize cities working on the state's Next Generation Energy Initiative. That initiative requires utilities to provide 25 percent of electricity from renewable sources and cut greenhouse gas emissions by 15 percent by 2025.

The MPCA, with five nonprofit partners, created the program. The consortium gathered pilot cities, including Bloomington, Edina, Falcon Heights, St. Louis Park and Victoria, to help launch it. Nine cities have passed resolutions joining the program, and more are considering them.

The program's website, greenstep.pca.state.mn.us, provides resources -- real and virtual -- and goals tailored to cities' resources and needs to meet requirements in five sustainability categories to become a GreenStep City. The site offers specific steps, a cost-benefit analysis and information on how to contact local experts.

The vision is that cities achieving goals will be recognized at the League of Minnesota Cities' annual conference and be designated in a manner similar to the Minnesota Star Cities.

A resource for cities

In the next several weeks, Muessig said, there are plans to upgrade the program's website to include cities' progress reports, creating a new resource for their peers.

The program hasn't garnered any additional state funding, Muessig said. The program's nonprofit partners are working to gather private dollars and steer cities to other funding sources, he said.

Muessig said in the past three years he's seen an unprecedented number of cities hire sustainability coordinators and create sustainable city plans and energy and environment commissions.

The Eagan City Council passed its GreenStep Cities resolution in August. University of Minnesota students are studying city practices to target likely goals and find areas the city already can check off the list, said Dianne Miller, assistant to the city manager.

"The structure has been helpful," she said. "There are so many places you could start, and GreenStep Cities provides a really good format to get you started and down the road."

Maria Elena Baca --612-673-4409