West Central Initiative highlights regional investments, small-scale municipal solar opportunities

Ben Shire, director of civic partnerships at West Central Initiative, told the Moorhead Economic Development Authority that West Central is celebrating 40 years serving a nine-county region and a portion of the White Earth Nation.

"I think it's more than $13,000,000, which has come back into the city limits of Morehead since we started back in 1986," Shire said, describing grant and discretionary funds awarded to Moorhead organizations.

Shire highlighted a "mayor's network" of 10 communities installing small-scale solar on public buildings in partnership with Otter Tail Power Company and using federal tax incentives under the Inflation Reduction Act. He said those are typically "40 kW or less" projects that often cash-flow within two years and can produce decades of taxpayer savings.

Shire said the Minnesota Department of Commerce indicated it may free up state funds to leverage federal rebates to reach communities that are served by municipal utilities and are currently ineligible for some private utility rebates; Moorhead was cited as an example. "We're having a follow-up call with them this week," he said.

Why it matters: The presentation underscored regional partnership models for economic and clean-energy work and asked the EDA to consider continuing Moorhead's funding support for West Central Initiative in upcoming city budgets.

Discussion and follow-up: EDA members thanked Shire and said the partnership and West Central tools such as gap financing and Promise Act grants have supported downtown redevelopment. Shire noted 13 component fund grants and additional discretionary grants to Moorhead organizations totaling more than $230,000 in the past 12 years.

No formal EDA action was recorded at the meeting; Shire said West Central will follow up about funding requests.