Energy Efficiency

Nebraska Public Power District offers multiple rebates for commercial, agricultural, and industrial customers to save energy in eligible facilities. Rebates are available for energy efficient lighting, HVAC measures, and variable speed drives. The lighting incentive programs are only for existing construction. The program offers several prescriptive rebates and a custom lighting rebate for projects that save energy but are not listed in the program brochure. For all rebates, projects over $5,000 dollars require pre-approval from the utility. No facility shall receive more than $100,000 in incentives annually without preapproval. The custom lighting rebate also requires pre- and post inspections of projects over $5,000. 

Morgan County REA (MCREA), in conjunction with Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, provides financial incentives for all ratepayers to improve the energy efficiency of homes and facilities. Upon request, MCREA will perform a free energy audit, in which they will recommend energy saving improvements, rebates and provide some free energy saving devices. Incentives are available from both MCREA and Tri-State a variety of equipment and appliances. Accordingly, the amounts listed above represent the combined rebate from both sources. Equipment efficiency requirements, which can be found on the program website, must be met in order to receive rebates under this offering.  Incentives generally increase for items with higher efficiency ratings. 

Southern Minnesota Municipal Power Agency (SMMPA) is a joint-action agency which generates and sells reliable electricity at wholesale to its eighteen non-profit, municipally-owned member utilities, and develops innovative products and services to help them deliver value to customers. With help from SMMPA, Mora Municipal Utilities provides incentives for its commercial and industrial customers to improve the energy efficiency of facilities. Rebates are available for a variety of energy-efficient equipment: lighting, HVAC, replacement motors, variable speed drives, anti-sweat heater controls for cooler/freezer doors, food service equipment, and custom measures. Each type of equipment has minimum efficiency and performance ratings which must be met in order to qualify for the rebate.

Moorhead Public Service Utility offers the Bright Energy Solutions Programs for commercial and industrial customers that purchase and install a variety of energy-efficient equipment in existing facilities. Rebates are also available for custom measures which reduce a facility's energy demand. Custom rebates are project specific. For each project, the rebate is designed to make implementing the energy-saving measure an attractive investment to the customer and at the same time, is limited by the value of energy savings to MPS.

Minnesota Municipal Power Agency (MMPA) generates and purchases electricity for 11 member communities in Minnesota. The following 8 members participate in the MMPA WE Save Business Program: Arlington, Brownton, Buffalo, Chaska, Le Sueur, North St. Paul, Olivia, and Winthrop. Through these communities, MMPA offers a number of rebates to commercial and industrial customers for upgrading certain equipment. Rebates are available for light fixtures, lighting controls, motors, variable frequency drives and vending machine controls. All equipment requirements must be met in order to qualify for rebates. The following 3 members administer individual programs: Anoka, Shakopee and East Grand Forks. 

Bright Energy Solutions offers energy efficiency cash incentive programs to residential and business customers of municipal utilities that are members of Missouri River Energy Services. In Minnesota, this includes:

Adrian Public Utilities

Alexandria Light & Power

Barnesville Municipal Utilities

Benson Municipal Utilities

Breckenridge Public Utilities

Detroit Lakes Public Utilities

Elbow Lake Muncipal Electric

Henning Municipal Utilities

Jackson Municipal Utilities

Lake Park Public Utilities

Lakefield Public Utilities

Luverne Municipal Utilities

Madison Municipal Utilities

Marshall Municipal Utilities

Melrose Public Utilities

Moorhead Public Service

Ortonville Municipal Utilities

Sauk Centre Public Utilities

St. James Public Utilities

Staples Water & Light

Wadena Electric & Water Dept.

Westbrook Public Utilities

Worthington Public Utilities

Rebates are offered for a variety of efficient technologies and measures including: compressed air system efficiency, HVAC, lighting, VFDs, cooking equipment, and custom projects.  Rebates vary from one participating utility to another.

Minnesota cooperatives and municipals in Minnkota Power Cooperative’s service territory are providing incentives for their commercial customers to improve the energy efficiency of their facilities through the PowerSavers program. 

PowerSavers participating utilities include:

Bagley Public Utilities
Red Lake Electric Cooperative
Baudette Municipal Utilities
Red River Valley Cooperative Power
Beltrami Electric Cooperative
Roseau Electric Cooperative
Clearwater-Polk Electric Cooperative
Roseau Municipal Utilities
Fosston Municipal Utilities
City of Stephen Municipal Utilities
Halstad Municipal Utilities
Thief River Falls Municipal Utilities
Hawley Public Utilities
Warren Municipal Utilities
North Star Electric Cooperative
Wild Rice Electric Cooperative
PKM Electric Cooperative

Minnesota Valley Electric Cooperative (MVEC) offers incentives to encourage commercial and industrial customers to increase the energy efficiency of facilities. Rebates are offered for the installation of energy efficient improvements, retrofit motors,variable speed drives, new or retrofit lighting, vending machine controllers, compressed air evaluations, ventilation systems, cooling systems and chillers.  Agricultural equipment and efficiency measures such as dairy plate coolers, dairy-free water heaters, agriculture ventilation, and custom hog farrowing are also eligible for rebates.

For most technologies, the maximum rebate is 50% of the project cost or $5,000 (unless otherwise pre-approved), agriculture rebates, however, have a maximum of $100,000. Projects not eligible for any of the prescriptive rebate programs may be eligible for a custom rebate based on electric demand and usage reduction. Qualifying members must apply for 2015 rebates no later than November 18, 2015.
 

The Building Operators Certification program provides scholarships for eligible customers who are certified as having successfully completed training on building operation and maintenance. Building operators, maintenance staff, and consultants who maintain commercial facilities served by MERC in Minnesota are eligible to participate.

MER also provides rebates to commercial and industrial customers for an energy audit which provides a walk-through of the premise and a report on energy saving opportunities, and estimated costs and savings. Free facility benchmarking services which analyze energy usage are available as well. Applications for audits are processed on a first- come, first-served basis until funds are depleted.

Minnesota Energy Resources provides rebates to commercial and industrial customers for the purchase of energy efficient natural gas forced-air heating systems & components, steam traps, food service equipment, space heating equipment,  water heating equipment, and custom measures. Applications are processed on a first- come, first-served basis until funds are depleted.

MidAmerican Energy offers a variety of incentives for their commercial customers to improve the energy efficiency of their facilities. Qualified equipment includes air conditioners, heat pumps, motors, lighting measures, water heaters, cooking equipment and refrigeration equipment.