Windustry’s mission is to promote sustainable energy solutions and empower communities to develop and own clean energy assets. As an independent voice acting in support of communities we work – through educations, outreach, and advocacy – to advance broad community ownership of renewable energy. This work is now expanding from work focused on wind based solutions into solar. We recognize that each community is unique and each faces different challenges. This extends into energy usage as well. We work with communities to assist with the resources that will provide the most benefit in becoming more energy efficient and cleaner.

The idea behind the Solar Alliance is to build a community around solar energy along the Green Line light rail (LRT) corridor. This area is central to the Twin Cities area and presents an opportunity to highlight solar power. This community will be a great way for people who are interested in the prospect of renewable energy to learn more and connect with other people with the same interest. This community of people will work together to bring solar solution in low-to-moderate income areas. These are the people that will benefit most from this project. This project will connect people and neighborhoods along the green line to clean energy resources, creating a cleaner, more vibrant and energy resilient community.

Our goals are to:

1. Expand solar access and benefits to underserved market participants, specifically low- and moderate-income (LMI).
2. Create a vibrant link between the low- and moderate- income neighborhoods and opportunities and workforce development related to solar energy operating in their own community.
3. Increase understanding of the potential is for powering diverse communities with clean energy.
4. Deploy solar on buildings, businesses, libraries, churches, schools, in parking lots, on canopies at Green Line stations and more.
5. Continually raise the number of solar projects installed along the Green Line Corridor.
6. Explore developing a campaign in conjunction with Metro Transit, to transform Green Line light rail stations into outdoor solar classrooms by installing solar canopies with information kiosks available to all riders.