Some Eden Prairie projects will be required to install solar panels and other green building features under a new city policy taking effect Jan. 1. Above, solar panels were installed in 2023 on the rooftop of the Eden Prairie Community Center. File photo by Mark A. Weber
Eden Prairie is on track to meet the goals outlined in its Climate Action Plan (CAP) by 2050, city officials said during an Oct. 21 City Council workshop.
The council approved the plan in 2020 to encourage the city to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Jen Fierce, the city’s sustainability coordinator, presented the latest data on greenhouse gas emissions based on three categories: electricity, natural gas, and travel and waste. The collected data reflects emissions from 2023.
The city’s greenhouse gas emissions have decreased by 33% since 2007 and 3% from 2022, Fierce said.
The biggest decrease in emissions came from electricity, which is down 64%, Fierce said. The city has implemented solar and wind power options for residents to subscribe to and to power city facilities such as Eden Prairie City Center, reducing emissions from electricity use.
City programs such as the solar garden at the Eden Prairie Community Center allow residents to subscribe to a share of the garden for credits on their energy bills. City Center also has on-site solar panels on both the roof and ground, offsetting emissions from other energy sources.
Fierce said emissions from natural gas tend to fluctuate year to year based on weather. Natural gas emissions were up 7% in 2023, with residential and commercial development being a driving cause.
Electric heating is much more expensive than natural gas, so the latter tends to be the choice for most homeowners and business owners, Fierce said.
Fierce said many older buildings still use natural gas heating, so another way to reduce emissions is to require or encourage new buildings to use electric heating systems, such as air-source heat pumps.
The state program Electrify Everything MN works to educate homeowners on electric heating methods, Fierce said.
“For the longest time, they didn’t really work in our climate, but now they make cold-climate air-source heat pumps that do,” Fierce said.
Cold-weather heat pumps can still be tricky, she added, as homes need backup electric heating or a furnace if the pump stops working.
Though Eden Prairie’s population grew by 4% since 2007, electricity use has decreased by 19%, Fierce said. The decrease is attributed to energy efficiency improvements such as LED lighting and high-efficiency air conditioners.
Eden Prairie has sustainability standards for new buildings that encourage the use of solar on the property. Developers that get public funding or use the city’s flexible planned-unit development (PUD) process are required to meet the standards.
The council approved a new location for the Residence Inn at its meeting following the Oct. 21 workshop. The project is required to meet the city’s sustainable building standards.
Travel emissions decreased by 8% in 2023, which is likely influenced by the pandemic, Fierce said. Emissions from travel dropped sharply in 2020 but have slowly risen over the following years.
Fierce said she expects travel emissions to continue to rise as workers are called back into the office.
There are currently about 2,000 electric vehicles in Eden Prairie, making up 3% of the vehicles in the city, Fierce said. About 7.5% of car sales in 2024 were electric vehicles, but it is unclear how sales will look in the future because the federal government removed some electric vehicle tax credits.
The city’s 25 electric vehicles make up 22% of its fleet, Fierce said. If technology allows and it makes financial sense, the city hopes to have a fully electric fleet to further reduce emissions.
Waste in Eden Prairie is the smallest contributor to the city’s emissions and has decreased by 22% since 2007, Fierce said. However, it is currently not on track to meet the city’s 2050 climate goals.
“That’s really based on just reducing waste and then diverting materials from the landfill or incineration that could otherwise be recycled or composted through organics,” Fierce said.
Data about the city’s waste emissions comes from the countywide incineration, landfilling, recycling, and organics-processing data, Fierce said. It is divided by the population of each city to determine each community’s emissions.
Total waste in the city increased from the previous year in 2023, but much of that increase is attributed to growth in recycling and organics collection, Fierce said. About 2,700 households, or 10%, have signed up for the city’s organics program in 2024.
Fierce said the city sends out information every year explaining what can be recycled and how to dispose of materials. The city offers events throughout the year to encourage recycling and reuse as well.
She said the city is planning additional curbside recycling events for residents to dispose of materials that are more difficult to recycle, such as mattresses, furniture, and appliances. The city currently hosts three events a year, and residents who participate receive a $20 discount toward recycling costs, funded through the city’s recycling grant.
Other programs, like the Fix-It Clinic, where residents can get appliances repaired, have seen success and encourage reuse, Fierce said. The city also hosted a clothing swap where people could drop off clothes and find new ones, giving items a second life.
Any clothing not taken at the end of the event was donated, Fierce said. The last time they held a clothing swap, they donated 300 pounds of clothing.
Mayor Ron Case thanked Fierce for the work she does to promote sustainability at the city.
“We appreciate all that you’re doing as a result of maybe some of our conversations,” Case said. “We appreciate seeing it come to fruition.”