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A. IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES FOR THERMAL ENERGY GRIDS District heating is an underutilized technology that makes use of thermal energy grids. Wherever there is waste heat, there may be an opportunity to use the heat to meet demands of a nearby thermal load (i.e. heating and cooling needs). Waste heat can come from sewer mains, anaerobic digestion processes, data centers, or processing facilities, among others. Opportunities for district heating should be considered for new developments and in the early planning stages of infrastructure projects to make projects the most cost effective. ❑ Identify facilities in the community with excess waste heat ❑ Identify facilities with high thermal demand ❑ Determine locations with opportunities to pair waste heat with large thermal loads ❑ Explore recommendations made in the Minnesota 2025 Energy Action Plan B. EXPLORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMBINED HEAT AND POWER Combined heat and power (CHP) systems simultaneously generate electricity and thermal energy within a single system. By using the thermal energy, CHP systems achieve much greater efficiency than conventional power generating systems. While this system is well established in Minnesota, there is still great potential to harness this resource. Work with the Minnesota Department of Commerce, Division of Energy Resources to explore opportunities for combined heat and power. C. ANAEROBIC DIGESTERS FOR WASTE HEAT AND COMPRESSED NATURAL GAS Anaerobic digestion is a process that uses captured biogas (methane and carbon dioxide) from the decomposition of organic material to generate heat and/or electricity. Biogas generated from this process can also be cleaned to remove carbon dioxide and other impurities to produce a renewable product equivalent to conventional natural gas, referred to as renewable natural gas. Renewable natural gas can serve as a replacement for any natural gas application and can also be compressed to provide a source of transportation fuel in place of conventional natural gas. Biogas can also be used to generate electricity in a process called combined heat and power (mentioned above). Organic materials may include waste from crop residue, manure, food processing residues, urban yard waste, or organic waste collected from businesses and residents. ❑ Coordinate with Minneapolis, Hennepin County, and the State to explore opportunities for regional anaerobic digester from organics collection ❑ Identify opportunities to purchase compressed natural gas from methane capture at closed landfill sites (e.g. Eden Prairie) ❑ Promote development projects like the Eco-Village and Creative Center that uses anaerobic digestion to supply electricity D. FUEL SWITCHING Deep decarbonization efforts may require shifting end -uses to low or no -carbon energy sources. By 2040, to be carbon neutral, many appliances that currently use natural gas will need to be switched to an alternative fuel (e.g. electricity, biomass, or renewable gas). For instance, many water heaters, boilers and furnaces, gas ranges, and dryers use natural gas to operate. Implementing energy efficiency actions alone will not get these systems to carbon neutral. They will either need to be offset through additional renewable energy credit purchases, or be replaced by an alternative clean fuel. There may also be opportunity to use energy saving technologies like ground -source heat pumps for new construction, or air-to-air heat pumps for existing buildings.