Program History
This program has been in development with the Twin Cities Energy Efficiency Cohort since 2019, gathering community input and feedback.
The Cohort was established as a peer-learning network to meet community needs through energy - lowering energy bills, increasing home comfort/safety, addressing climate impacts, and building power to change systems to reflect community needs better.
Through the Cohort sessions and public feedback workshops, several gaps and potential solutions were identified, including the concept of a navigator to support residents in understanding and accessing available options for them to make their homes more comfortable and reduce their energy bills.
Our program aims to address systemic barriers to home efficiency upgrade programs by employing navigators to assist and guide residents throughout the process of upgrading their homes.
We want to see a Minnesota where everyone can afford to live comfortably in their home while reducing the energy burden and emissions associated with home energy consumption.
This is only the beginning!
Starting in the summer of 2025, Neighborhood Energy Navigators will be working with residents in the Rondo, Frogtown, and East Side neighborhoods of Saint Paul, the Northside and Southside Green Zones in Minneapolis, and other select areas of Saint Paul and Minneapolis for efficient home weatherization and electrification projects.
Our goal is to build a community of knowledgeable and engaged residents who can help shape not only Good Energy Connections but the energy landscape overall in the Twin Cities.
In time, we plan to expand our reach to more of Minneapolis, Saint Paul, and beyond.