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CASE STUDY: PLANNING - NORTHEAST REGION

Mapping an Energy Action Future -Arrowhead Regional Development Commisionand the City of ElyBy Christina Eschbach • July 2011

Cities and regions taking a leading role in sustain-ability are incorporating energy plans into their com-prehensive plans. In northern Minnesota, EnergyAction Plans are in the works. An Energy ActionPlan is a comprehensive set of goals and specificactions that aim to decrease reliance on non-renew-able energy. Developing such a plan requires coop-eration, leadership, organization, and vision. That’swhere Arrowhead Regional DevelopmentCommission (ARDC) comes in.

ARDC is a “planning and developing organizationthat assists and support local government (cities,town, etc.) in implementing the government’svision.” In the fall of 2009, ARDC partnered withIron Range Resources, an agency funded by taconitemining companies in the region, to survey local gov-ernments within the seven counties that both organi-zations cover (Aitkin, Carlton, Cook, Itasca,Koochiching, Lake, and St. Louis) about communi-ties in this region had an organized group workingon energy conservation/efficiency initiatives; thechallenges the groups faced; and what communitiesaddress energy-related initiatives in their localComprehensive Plan.

A city’s Comprehensive Plan is a document thatarticulates the vision, goals, and strategies that com-munity wishes to accomplish in a certain period oftime. It is the guiding document for planning, landuse, public resources, and economic development.To be more specific, ARDC and Iron RangeResources wished to see if any communities had anEnergy Action Plan already incorporated in theirComprehensive Plans or were interested in creatingone. After an application process, Ely, MN, locatedin St. Louis County in northeastern Minnesotateamed up with ARDC and the project to develop anEnergy Action Plan (EAP) to be added as an officialaddendum to the city’s Comprehensive Plan.

The project began in March 2010 with NE CERTsgiving the project a $5,000 grant. NE CERTsCoordinator, Bill Mittlefehldt, helped provide greatbackground information based on previous workwith the city of Ely, said senior ARDC planner,Bonnie Hundrieser. ARDC worked with the City ofEly, Ely Alternative Energy Taskforce, EnergyEfficient Ely (E3), Vermillion Community College,Ely Area Development Association, U.S. ForestService, local business owners, and many othergroups.

Project Snapshot

Project: Community energy action plan for the City of Ely

Purpose:To set a vision and set of goals and actions todecrease reliance on non-renewable energy

Community Impacted: Ely, Minnesota in St. Louis County

Grant:$5,000 NE CERT grant

Ely visioning meeting for the Ely Energy Action Plan

CERTs PARTNERS

University of Minnesota’sRegional SustainableDevelopmentPartnerships

Eureka Recycling

Southwest RegionalDevelopmentCommission

The Minnesota Project

Minnesota Departmentof Commerce, Division of Energy Resources

CERTs FUNDERS

Xcel Energy’s RenewableDevelopment Fund viaDivision of EnergyResources

Bush Foundation

Environment & NaturalResource Trust Fund

ARDC facilitated three meetings with representatives from these groups to draft a Visionstatement, Goals, Strategies, and Action Steps for the plan. The first meeting was held onJune 9th, 2010. On the agenda was a workshop to help the group answer this question:What is important to support and sustain energy conservation/efficiency and renewableenergy? The group brainstormed individually and in partners to help identify key goals fortheir EAP.

The second meeting was held August 5th, 2010 to draft the vision, goals, steps, and strate-gies of their EAP. The third and final meeting was held on September 1st, 2010 to finalizesome of the ideas that were generated in the second meeting. The draft was submitted to thecity council to be reviewed, and then the EAP draft was brought up in a public meeting, let-ting the residents of Ely discuss the EAP.

In November 16th, 2010 the Ely City Council voted to adopt and add the addendum to theirexisting Community Plan. The City also coordinated efforts with E3 to start implementingaspects after the adoption of the EAP, doing energy audits on major community spaces. ElyArea Development Association offered its assistance with grant writing to further supportthe implementation of the EAP.

The City of Ely stepped up to be a leader of energy independence in their area, and theysucceeded greatly in taking the most important step for that role —committing officially andeagerly starting on implementing their goals and strategies. ARDC was key to bringing thissuccess together, bringing expertise in starting and managing a large project such as thisone. The Ely Energy Action Plan is a fantastic example of a community coming together tosupport their goal in being energy independent.

For more information, email Bonnie Hundrieser, Senior Planner at the ARDC at bhundrieser@ardc.org or call (218) 529-7527.

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Mayor of Ely Roger Skraba adds the Energy Action Plan intoEly’s existing Community Plan.

Energy Action Plan Summary

Vision: Ely is a leader in energy independence. We maximize our energy efficiency and the use of renewable and local energyresources, leading to sustainability and economic prosperity.

Goals

Goal 1: Demonstrate leadership and commitment to energy planning and implementation.

Goal 2: Maximize energy efficiency of homes and businesses.

Goal 3: Maximize energy efficiency of community facilities.

Goal 4: Maximize the use of renewable energy by homes and businesses.

Goal 5: Maximize renewable energy into all future facility development or redevelopment of projects.

Goal 6: Plan for land uses and transportation systems that offer opportunities for energy efficient modes of transportation.

Goal 7: Provide a secure, affordable and sustainable energy environment for the Ely area.

Goal 8: Attract students, tourists, and business to learn from and experience Ely’s energy independence.

Goal 9: Stay current with emerging technologies, best practices, policies and funding opportunities to impact and support our Vision.

Goal 10: Foster opportunities for development of energy-related business and jobs.