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neighborhood use. These systems would most likely be a city project with collaboration from the <br />Elk River Municipal Utilities and possible the downtown association or individual businesses. <br />Achieve 15% Above State/Federal Mandates of Renewable Energy City -Wide <br />Currently, Minnesota requires our utility to achieve 25% renewable energy by 2025. This task would <br />look to achieve the utility's goal plus an additional 15% across city and private installations of solar, <br />wind, geothermal, and other renewable technologies. The utility is currently just above 9% <br />renewables. <br />Questions to Consider <br />Are these projects feasible in Elk River? <br />Are they feasible to complete prior to 2024? <br />What location would best be utilized for development and distribution? <br />What communities have implemented these projects to date? <br />What costs may be associated with these projects? <br />What resources and funding opportunities exist for finances? <br />Do the paybacks for these projects make economic sense for our community? <br />How much carbon can we reduce by implementing these projects? <br />Community Involvement <br />Renewable energy resources affect the entire community. By using clean energy, our air quality <br />improves. Xcel Energy's 2,222 MW Sherco Coal plant is located not far from Elk River city limits. <br />Although we have not had air quality exceedances, this fuel source inevitably affects our community. <br />In addition, producing locally sourced renewable energy allows for energy independence, unlike coal, <br />that is mostly imported from other states. In the case of continued climate change, having locally <br />produced energy is also beneficial for climate resilience in times of power outages due to natural <br />disasters or increased energy demands. The City of Elk River also has two major highway <br />thoroughfares (Highways 10 and 169) that see large amounts of traffic in the community. By <br />converting our energy sources to clean energy, we can further improve air quality and reduce <br />greenhouse gas emissions as we wait for cleaner vehicle fuels. <br />Elk River has the unique opportunity of having our own Elk River Municipal Utilities who reports <br />to City Council. This provides the prospects of increased integration with utility scale infrastructure <br />and programs and education on electricity, water, and solid waste. <br />These projects would be a part of the community, utilizing community input and desired outcomes <br />as a part of the planning processes. The goal would be to educate the community on the project <br />design, development, and usage and create projects that are highly desired and capable of being used <br />permanently in the future. <br />Other Projects to Consider <br />Transportation — Electric Vehicle Integration <br />Small Scale Dam Retrofit for Energy Production <br />Bio -digester Opportunity <br />