Minnesota Schools Cutting Carbon

Minnesota Schools Cutting Carbon helped over 100 high schools, colleges, and universities in the state save money and reduce their carbon footprints through online tools, technical assistance, and mini-grants. It was a collaborative initiative of the Clean Energy Resource Teams, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, Minnesota Office of Energy Security, and supporting partners. Learn more >

On behalf of Minnesota Schools Cutting Carbon, we want to thank all of the students, teachers, facility managers and school administrators who helped make the program a great success.

Through action by the 100 participating schools, as well as energy efficiency and renewable energy grants, the Minnesota Schools Cutting Carbon program is saving schools 32.4 billion BTUs of energy and $625,000 in energy costs every year. Participating schools are collectively reducing their carbon dioxide emissions by 15.7 million lbs—that’s the equivalent of taking 1,700 cars off of Minnesota roads!

Beginning in the fall of 2009 and ending in the fall of 2011, Patrick Santelli with CERTs and other MnSCC partners worked with approximately 7,000 students in 100 public high schools, colleges and universities. The students and their teacher “coaches” were a real inspiration throughout the program. Their creativity and leadership in finding ways to save energy and money at school—as well as their efforts to build leadership and entrepreneurship among students, and their crafting of math and science lessons around renewable energy and energy efficiency—were truly a joy to watch.