May 12, 2008—Minnesota power company Great River Energy kicked off dedication ceremonies for its new LEED-Platinum headquarters by announcing a new revolving loan fund for LEED-certified projects as well as a zero-interest loan fund for energy efficient equipment in its service territories.
The company says its new headquarters will use up to 50 percent less energy than similarly sized buildings that use standard construction technologies. A large part of the savings come from the building’s unique design, which includes a long axis to the building and extensive use of glass that will harvest daylight to serve as the building’s main light source.
The new $20 million revolving zero/low-interest loan fund will enable commercial members of most of Great River Energy’s 28 distribution cooperatives to “comfortably” finance the additional costs to construct buildings that meet the US Green Building Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) program standards. Great River Energy will also finance 100 percent of the costs related to the LEED application that must be submitted to the USGBC as part of the certification process.
Additionally, Great River Energy will offer zero/low-interest financing to commercial members through an $8 million program to finance the purchase and installation of energy-efficient equipment in their facilities.
