Ilhan Omar, Tina Smith celebrate Earth Day touring green initiatives ...

Minnesota congressional leaders skipped the typical Earth Day tree planting event Monday in favor of observing two massive, old boilers that power Sabathani Community Center in south Minneapolis. 

Representative Ilhan Omar, DFL-Minneapolis, and Senator Tina Smith, DFL, toured Sabathani Community Center to learn about the green transformation underway at the building, and to highlight the impact federal legislation is having on environmental justice initiatives in Minnesota. 

“Green days can be celebrated in concrete buildings,” Omar said. 

Thelma and Louise, the nicknames bestowed on the boilers at Minneapolis’ oldest African American community center, are heading over the cliff. Sabathani plans to replace the gas powered boilers with a highly efficient and environmentally friendly geothermal heating system, which will save money and lower their carbon footprint. The center has to spend about $20,000 each year to service the old machines. 

A geothermal system at Sabathani would amplify several completed and planned improvements that are making the century-old building a clean energy success story. When the community center conducted an energy audit in 2019, it had a federal Energy Star rating of zero. Installing LED light bulbs and smart thermostats in 2021 helped lower energy costs by more than $30,000 per month, according to Scott Redd, Sabathani’s chief executive officer. 

Redd pointed out a small patch of grass between the community center and the affordable senior apartment complex Sabathani built in 2021. Wells will be dug at the location to power the geothermal system. 

“I don’t think a lot of people appreciate that Minnesota is a source of geothermal power,” Smith said. 

Lowering emissions in buildings is a priority in addressing climate change, which is fueled by the burning of fossil fuels like natural gas. 

The geothermal project will be eligible for about $4.5 million in tax credits because of the federal Inflation Reduction Act, a massive climate change investment package signed by President Joe Biden in 2022. It’s part of an energy overhaul at Sabathani that is projected to cost $21 million; about $6.5 million has been secured. 

Sabathani is seeking $10 million this year from the Minnesota Legislature for the project. The center hopes to receive another large chunk of funding from an Environmental Protection Agency grant, and to begin construction in 2025.

Ultimately, much of the funding from the various government sources can be traced back to infrastructure and climate funding packages passed by Congress in recent years. 

“It’s a model for what we can do around the country,” Smith said. 

Replacing the boilers can show young people the potential for clean energy jobs, and the cost savings would help Sabathani boost funding for community initiatives, including a food shelf and job training center, Redd said. 

“This community deserves it,” Redd said.  

Smith and Omar helped secure federal funding to repair Sabathani’s roof in 2022. The roof is now repaired, and ready for a new solar array expected to be the cherry on top of the center’s green initiatives. 

The solar array is expected to power a battery storage system supplied by Resilient Minneapolis, a project by the city and Xcel Energy to create “resilience hubs” that can serve as a source of energy if power is lost during storms. The program was cut in June 2023, but was revived in October by a federal grant. 

Sabathani hopes that its planned geothermal energy system can eventually become part of a broader energy district for the neighborhood. Omar said the project is an example of the projects that can be funded through federal grants. Her office is working to connect cities and organizations across the district to federal dollars to reduce emissions and save money, she said. 

“The geothermal system you’re exploring is why we fight for environmental justice,” Omar told Sabathani staff. 

Federal policies such as freeway expansion harmed communities like south Minneapolis, Smith said, citing the pollution from Interstate 35 just blocks away. But she’s hopeful the energy transformation underway at Sabathani can set an example for green initiatives.  

“The best ideas on how to move forward are coming from this community,” Smith said.