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Senator Klobuchar Highlights Minnesota Building as Model for Renewable Energy Use

Geothermal energy provides 100% of heating & cooling needs

August 13, 2008

VADNAIS HEIGHTS, MN – To highlight the potential for greater use of renewable energy, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar toured one of the most energy-efficient and environmentally-friendly commercial buildings in Minnesota. 
 
In 2002, Merrick, Inc. acquired a 52,000-square-foot building in Vadnais Heights, a suburb of Saint Paul.  Merrick then installed a geothermal system that meets effectively 100 percent of the building’s heating and cooling needs.  A geothermal system uses a series of deep pipes to take advantage of the earth's stable underground temperature to provide warm air in the winter and cool air in the summer.
 
Merrick is now installing what will be the state’s largest solar power array (100 kW) on their roof.  The new solar array is expected to reduce Merrick’s use of coal-generated electricity by at least 33 percent.  Over the next 25 years, this will equal planting 312,000 trees and will prevent the emission of over six million pounds of carbon dioxide.
 
“Buildings represent nearly 40 percent of all energy use in the United States,” said Klobuchar.  “The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that, on average, 30 percent of the energy used in buildings is wasted.  So this offers a huge opportunity to save energy and save money.  Merrick has decided to seize the opportunity.”
 
With the addition of the solar power array, the Merrick building is expected to be a national showcase for how to transform a previously inefficient older commercial building into a model of energy and environmental efficiency. 
 
Klobuchar said:  “What Merrick is doing with this building proves that it’s possible to use innovative new technology to dramatically improve energy efficiency and help protect the environment, while saving money at the same time.  Merrick made a bottom-line decision that it’s good business to invest in this renewable energy technology.”
 
Klobuchar noted that she supported the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which passed in December.  It includes several important provisions to promote high-performance, energy-efficient buildings. 
 
“But there is still much more that needs to be done to lead us into a new energy future,” she said.
 
Klobuchar has proposed federal legislation that would establish a nationwide renewable electricity standard, similar to the one that Minnesota recently passed.  She has also introduced legislation to extend the existing federal production tax credit for investment in renewable energy such as wind, solar, geothermal and biomass.  The tax credit is set to expire at the end of the year.
 
As a member of the Senate Environment Committee, Klobuchar is a leader on energy and climate change issues.  She also serves on the Joint Economic Committee, which held a hearing last month on “Efficiency: The Hidden Secret to Solving Our Energy Crisis.”
 
Merrick, Inc., is a nonprofit corporation based in Vadnais Heights that works to meet the employment, personal development and transportation needs of adults with developmental disabilities.  Established in 1964, Merrick has a professional staff of more than 100 people and maintains a fleet of 45 vehicles to serve job sites with over 80 businesses in the Twin Cities metro area.

 
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