MN Green Jobs Task Force Makes Recommendations

Minnesota's Green Jobs Task Force released recommendations yesterday for creating more green jobs in the state - specifically in the areas of green products, renewable energy, green services and environmental conservation. The task force is made up of 24 members from government, business and nonprofit organizations who have spent the last year examining strategies to grow green jobs.

Among the task force's recommendations (read the full list here):

• Establish a Green Enterprise Authority to coordinate marketing and business
  assistance; streamline grants, loans and permitting processes; and coordinate
  workforce training opportunities.

• Enact policies to incent locally owned distributed renewable energy generation.

• Review and strengthen Minnesota’s net metering and interconnection policy.

• Require an agency to focus on and report to the legislature on the utilization of the Farm Bill programming dollars for biomass establishment costs.

• Expand policies and financing for emerging solar technology.

• Modify Minnesota’s building code to include utilization of energy efficiency requirements.

• Identify training needs for workforce that would support new models of water conservation and reuse.

• Provide State revenue bonding package to renovate the most energy inefficient public buildings.

• Develop a green bonds program that allows individuals to purchase and support
  green enterprise investments.

via the St. Paul Pioneer Press and the Green Jobs Task Force