Third Funding Cycle
Third Cycle grant awards were approved in April 2008 by the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (MPUC). Seventeen Research and Development projects that total more than $14 million and five energy production projects that total more than $8 million were approved. In addition, two reserve projects were selected as alternate replacements.
Proposals were first submitted in July 2007. The seven-member RDF Advisory Board evaluated and selected proposals that were then submitted to the MPUC for final action (Selection Report 41 KB PDF). Projects chosen for grant awards from the RDF’s third funding cycle were announced in December 2007. (Xcel Energy announces renewable energy project selections 342 KB PDF).
Energy Production Projects
$8,223,922 was awarded to five projects for energy production.
Eligible energy production technologies included biomass, solar photovoltaic, solar thermal resulting in electricity production, and hydrogen production from a biomass or solar energy source. These technologies reflect the RDF Advisory Board’s philosophy of funding projects that will facilitate the movement of renewables into the energy marketplace, and eventually result in installations of renewable resources and technologies that are not currently commercially viable. The RDF Advisory Board received a total of 13 Energy Production proposals including: 11 solar PV, one biomass, and one hydrogen production from biomass.
Research and Development
$14,397,817 was awarded to 17 projects for renewable energy research and development.
Eligible technologies included biomass, solar PV, hydroelectric, biofuels and wind. Pilot projects and projects sponsored by the Prairie Island Indian Community received bonus preference points. The RDF Advisory Board was interested in funding a diverse mix of research projects that could range from early-stage to advanced-stage research. A preference was given to proposals that would be in a pilot or pre-commercial stage of development. The RDF Advisory Board received 78 research and development proposal submissions representing a diverse mixture of technology categories: 33 biomass, five biofuel, 18 wind, 15 solar PV, five hydro, two solar thermal electric.