Title
Authorizing the Department of Parks and Recreation to apply for a Geothermal Planning Grant from the Minnesota Department of Commerce for Como Zoo.
Body
WHEREAS, the Department of Parks and Recreation would like to apply to the Minnesota Department of Commerce’s Geothermal Planning Grant Program, which was established by the Minnesota Legislature in 2024 to provide financial assistance to eligible applicants to examine the technical and economic feasibility of installing geothermal energy systems; and
WHEREAS, the City of Saint Paul’s Climate Action and Resilience Plan adopted in December 2019 established a goal to achieve carbon neutrality in city operations by 2030; and
WHEREAS, the Como Park Zoo & Conservatory campus consumes an average of 5 million kWh of electricity and 70,000 Dekatherms of natural gas annually, which totals more than $1 million in energy costs per year; and
WHEREAS, a Geothermal Feasibility Study completed for Como Zoo in 2022 evaluated the energy and carbon emissions reductions that could be achieved through converting natural gas boiler systems to more efficient hydrogeothermal heat pump systems; and
WHEREAS, the transition to a geothermal system is in process for two buildings on the Como Zoo campus, but the next phase of geothermal work at the zoo will require additional planning and design; and
WHEREAS, the maximum grant amount of $150,000.00 with no match required from the Geothermal Planning Grant Program would support geothermal planning costs for Como Zoo’s Aquatic Animals and Como Harbor Filtration buildings; and
WHEREAS, the City certifies that it will comply with all applicable laws and regulations as stated in the grant agreement; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the Saint Paul City Council authorizes the Department of Parks and Recreation to apply for the Geothermal Planning Grant Program.