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“HONORING THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF DISTRICT ENERGY” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Energy was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1360 on Sept. 20, 2013.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
HONORING THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF DISTRICT ENERGY
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HON. BETTY McCOLLUM
of minnesota
in the house of representatives
Friday, September 20, 2013
Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to pay tribute to the many dedicated men and women of District Energy on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of this community energy system.
District Energy launched as a demonstration project in 1983 as Saint Paul's response to the energy crisis of the 1970's. The venture was a public-private partnership between the City of Saint Paul, State of Minnesota, United States Department of Energy and the downtown business community, all of whom believed in the viability of a hot water district heating system to alleviate the pinch of the energy crisis.
District Energy Saint Paul was built from the vision of Saint Paul Mayor George Latimer. Led by Mayor Latimer, the City lobbied the State and Federal governments for assistance in adopting a technology, developed in Europe, that could solve the heating problems of the city. Using the expertise of Hans Nyman, District Energy's first president, the system was successfully designed to be energy efficient, fuel flexible, and result in stable rates for its customers.
In 1993, ten years after the successful startup of the district heating system, District Energy began offering cooling service to downtown building owners. Ten years later, in 2003, District Energy became a green energy service provider following construction of an affiliated combined heat and power (CHP) plant that is fueled by a renewable resource--clean, urban wood residuals. It is the largest wood-fired CHP plant serving district energy system in the nation. The system was advanced further in 2011 with the installation of the Midwest's largest solar installation. It is one of the country's largest hot water solar projects and the first in the United States to be integrated into a district heating system.
Today, District Energy Saint Paul is considered the most notable in the United States for its use of renewable energy sources and implementation of energy conservation measures. In the past couple of decades, District Energy has been recognized on numerous occasions for its work promoting energy conservation. This year District Energy has received the Innovation Recognition and Bronze Space Award from the International District Energy Association as well as the Renewable Energy Award from the Sustainable Saint Paul Award Program. Furthermore, it continues to stand by its core values of customers, community, work environment, and conduct.
Mr. Speaker, in honor of District Energy, a community energy system committed to energy conservation, I am pleased to submit this statement in recognition of their 30th anniversary.
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