WILLMAR
— Amid an endless effort by cities across America to lower costs for residents and provide cleaner energy, New London has managed to strike a balance and pick up a win.

Over the summer, New London undertook a solar panel installation project with the help of a $148,000 grant from the Solar on Public Buildings grant program. The state footed 70% of the bill, with the remainder coming from the federal government.

Solar panels have already been installed on the New London senior center and fire hall, while work at City Hall had not yet begun as of the deadline for this publication.

The Minnesota Solar on Public Buildings grant program dedicated $14.5 million to promote clean energy in city governments and tribal nations by subsidizing solar projects up to 40 kilowatts for publicly owned buildings. The program was implemented by the state in 2023 in an effort to chip away at Minnesota’s goal of
requiring electrical utilities to provide 100% carbon-free electricity by 2040.

New London City Administrator Jen Dahl, who was serving as the city clerk-treasurer when the grant application was submitted last year, said when the opportunity to install solar panels — essentially for free — was presented to the city, it was an easy decision to capitalize on the offer.

She labeled the project a net positive across the board.

Levi Jones / West Central Tribune

“We saw it as an opportunity to kind of advance our technology a little bit and save money, which then results in savings to our residents,” Dahl said, “because if our bills are lower, their tax bill is lower, you know? We’re being more efficient.”

According to Dahl, the three solar arrays are projected to save an estimated $150,000 in combined energy costs over the next 30 years.

Peter Lindstrom of Clean Energy Resource Teams — a partnership organization that works with the state and the University of Minnesota, among others, to build clean energy projects — played an instrumental role in the grant process.

Lindstrom called his experience of working with Dahl and others “fantastic.”

“They are the model of how a city should approach this type of project, meaning they asked the right questions,” Lindstrom said of the New London team. “They sought technical assistance to make sure that they were utilizing best practices, and they did a great job seeking out proposals to make sure that they were getting a company with the right experience, with good references at the right price for the taxpayer.”

Dahl said, despite the long hours and mounds of paperwork the grant process sometimes demanded, the undertaking had still gone along smoothly. She credited Wolf Track Energy — New London’s solar contractor — for being easy to communicate and cooperate with during those times.

Evan Pederson / West Central Tribune

While New London was approved for the program in December of 2024, city staff found out in February 2025 that the federal funding for the project — comprising $43,000 of the grant — was apparently up in the air.

The federal renewable energy tax credit incentive covers up to 30% of the cost of equipment and installation for solar projects, and the funds are available to government entities as a direct payment.

The New London City Council voted in February to move forward with the project, with or without the federal dollars guaranteed, assuming a new position of risk.

“From what we understand, it is not going to be withdrawn, but nothing is ever for sure,” Dahl said of the grant monies when interviewed in mid-summer.

Evan Pederson / West Central Tribune

The state as of September was still advising applicants to the program for Solar on Public Buildings to also complete the application for the federal credit.

The passage of the Trump administration’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” in July makes changes to the credit starting next year, and the Minnesota Department of Commerce advises that projects commencing construction before Dec. 31, 2025, will have “the most streamlined pathway forward to access these credits.”

Because federal funding for many clean energy projects is being sunset, Lindstrom said his job with CERTs is now to make sure public Minnesota entities capitalize while they still can. He said without consistent federal aid, it will be very challenging for local governments to undertake clean energy projects in the future.

“There’s a full court press to make sure local governments and tribal nations are aware of this opportunity, and tap into it while the federal funding is still available,” Lindstrom said.

Levi Jones / West Central Tribune

In a push for increased access, the Solar on Public Buildings grant program in August became available to local units of government and tribal nations statewide, in any utility service territory; previously, the program was only available to entities in Xcel Energy service areas. Any local government can now apply for a grant to install solar arrays on eligible buildings or adjacent land.

Lindstrom is adamant that New London is just one of many communities that will see long-term benefits from adding a clean energy initiative.

“I’m really excited for New London in taking the initiative to apply for this grant,” Lindstrom said. “I’m confident that it will help save the residents of the city money on the city’s utility bills and help ensure that they’re using clean energy.”

The Solar on Public Buildings grant program is accepting applications from any local government or tribal nation until Nov. 14, 2025, or until all funds are committed. More information can be found on the Minnesota Department of Commerce website at
mn.gov/commerce.