Standing on a rooftop on E. Lake Street, overlooking a solar array partly funded by the city, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey on Tuesday called on small businesses and nonprofits to apply for green energy grants.
"Whether you're replacing an old dingy boiler … or you're putting solar panels on the roof … we have an obligation to our entire planet to make sure that we are doing the work right now around sustainability and climate justice," he said.
Frey's proposed 2022 budget allocates $500,000 in city money plus $2 million in federal American Rescue Plan funding for the Green Cost Share program, which helps pay for energy efficiency, solar and pollution reduction projects at qualifying properties.
The mayor unveiled his budget proposal Friday and must now begin the work of selling the $1.6 billion spending plan to fellow city leaders and constituents before a City Council vote at the end of the year.
Green Cost Share has paid out about $5 million since Patrick Hanlon, the director of environmental programs, created it in 2012. The city has had an additional $40 million in corporate matches, utility rebates and other grants, Hanlon said. City officials expect the program will have 900 completed projects by the end of the year.
"We never dreamed to have this opportunity," said Juan Linares, co-founder of Mercado Central, where Latino shops were vandalized during riots on Lake Street last summer. The small business hub is replacing its roof and will install solar panels through the city's program.
"The benefits, not only for Mercado Central but the community, are going to be significant," he said.
