Renewable Energy Roundtable

 

Minnesota has a long and storied history with renewable energy development. The state was one of the first to develop producer-owned ethanol plants, was the first to require the use of biodiesel and has among the nation’s highest amounts of installed wind power capacity. Researchers are now working on coproduct utilization, biomass power, fuel cell technologies, fermentation, biogas generation and many more technologies designed to power the future.

Since 2006, an umbrella organization called the Renewable Energy Roundtable has brought together representatives of more than 60 organizations including higher education, research, agriculture, state government and industry. This collaborative effort is designed to develop a community of partnerships to meet the immediate needs of the state and to move priority issues forward for the betterment of the entire state.

Several initiatives have been developed as a result of the Renewable Energy Roundtable efforts. The first is the Minnesota Biofuels 2007 Action Now Initiative, which is an effort to bring Minnesota’s renewable energy stakeholders together to solve immediate industry challenges and capitalize on opportunities. This collaborative effort provides a forum for soliciting input from those involved with energy, education, economic development and agriculture. The issues and ideas surrounding the Action Now Initiative can be viewed at http://www.actionnow.myreddragon.biz.

Teams have been formed to identify priority issues and to develop action plans for addressing those issues.  Breakout sessions are held at each of the quarterly Renewable Energy Roundtable meetings to allow for idea exchange and the development of implementation plans. Since all of the five identified initiatives are intertwined, it is important that developments in each group are shared.

 

The latest information on priority issue identification and action plan development is available by clicking on one of the links.

n Public Policy and Awareness

n Talent Development

n Infrastructure

n   Basic and Applied Research

n Economics and Funding

A second initiative called Destination 2025, is an effort to establish a roadmap for growth in Minnesota’s bio-business industry, including bioenergy. This 20-year visioning process is designed to provide a long-term vision and plan for sustainable growth in the state.
 

                                               Action-Now Collaborative
 

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