Edina's Community Climate Action Fund exhausted early for second year in a row

For a second year in a row, Edina’s Climate Action Fund has been exhausted early.

Residents and local businesses hoping to use those funds for their energy efficiency, renewable energy, equipment and deconstruction projects will have to join a waitlist to apply.

“It’s exciting to see how excited folks are,” Sustainability Specialist Matthew Gabb said. “It’s obviously disappointing for folks that have to be on a waitlist and aren’t guaranteed funding, but it’s a good problem to have because it means that these are things that the community is wanting, and the growth of the program is clearly something that’s been asked for.”

Launched in 2022, the Climate Action Fund provides incentives for electric bicycles, sustainable deconstruction, energy efficiency, building and equipment electrification and renewable energy projects. These changes help the community reach Climate Action Plan goals, greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals, while also helping residents make their homes more comfortable and lower their utility bills, Gabb said.

“The Climate Action Fund largely focused solely on solar panel installations for residents and commercial lighting upgrades. And since then, especially with Xcel and CenterPoint expanding their residential and commercial rebate programs, it really allowed the city to expand our the climate action fund as well,” Gabb said. “It’s a way to really help residents and businesses go further with their dollars. … And it’s been really exciting to just continue to add new types of projects and support folks being able to now to do things like insulation, and heat pumps and induction stoves.”

Through late June, $122,506 from the fund had been allocated for 71 efficiency projects across 54 homes, nonprofits, multifamily buildings and businesses. Insulation, heat pumps, electrical panel upgrades, solar installations and electrification upgrades are among the projects receiving funding.

With assistance from the fund, Edina residents and businesses are privately investing nearly $1.16 million for these projects — almost 10 times what the fund allocated. More than a third of the funded residential projects were for households of seniors, veterans and people with a disability or limited income.

“The Climate Action fund continues to be just a really incredible return on investment,” Gabb said. “We’re really focused on helping make sure that folks’ dollars can go a lot farther by having this fund and helping cover the gap that lets folks financially be able to afford these projects.”

Gabb said interest in the Climate Action Fund has only continued to grow. In 2024, applications for the fund closed early without a waitlist, taking the whole year to fully allocate the funds. This year, funds were completely allocated by the summer, Gabb said. 

The Climate Action Fund is also the largest it has ever been, Gabb said. This year saw $160,000 available in funds, compared to the $120,000-$130,000 up for grabs last year.

Currently, there is no deadline to join the Climate Action Fund waitlist. Applications for 2027 projects are expected to open during the first week of January.

Sustainability Manager Marisa Bayer and Gabb will review the program later this year for possible modifications that could help reimburse more projects without increasing the overall funding, which comes from a franchise fee on utility bills.

Gabb also pointed to the e-bike lottery, which is still open year round. Applications for the lottery are accepted on a rolling basis with selections occurring on the first Tuesday of each even-numbered month. Upcoming selection dates are Aug. 4, Oct. 6 and Dec. 8.

Folks should also be on the lookout for the state’s rebates that may be coming out sometime later this year or early next year.

“That’s a whole other source of money to help reduce the burden of installing these sorts of projects,” Gabb said.

For more information about the Climate Action Fund or to join the waitlist, visit edinamn.gov/1929/community-climate-action-fund.

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