STAPLES — The Region Five Development Commission launched an energy and environment planning and project implementation initiative as a result of hearing from communities in Crow Wing, Cass, Morrison, Todd and Wadena counties.
Examples of projects could include initiatives like reducing costs through municipal building energy efficiency, installing electric vehicle charging stations, providing critical infrastructure in the event of a local power outage or establishing a corridor of plantings to slow water runoff or prevent snowdrifts.
The commission began earlier this year with Staples and Hackensack. To serve more communities in its five-county region, the commission will apply to the U.S. Department of Agriculture for an investment that would allow 10 more communities to further this work.
The opportunity is open to all communities throughout the region, and the commission will serve the first 10 who respond with interest. Once the community-driven blueprint is in place, an investment of $10,000 will be utilized for project implementation.
The Region Five Development Commission invites cities to participate in local planning to mitigate against the near-term energy and environmental risks. To learn more, visit regionfive.org/eep .
