Market Street Energy, in partnership with Cinergy Solutions, was declared the winner of a 2005 Environmental Initiative Award in the Energy category at an awards banquet on
May 5. The winning entry was St. Paul Cogeneration—the wood-fueled combined heat and power (CHP) plant that provides heat to District Energy St. Paul and electricity to Xcel Energy. It is the largest wood-fired CHP plant serving a district energy system in the United States.

“These winners exemplify the best of many outstanding partnerships taking place to solve a wide range of very complex environmental problems facing our communities,” said Mike Harley, executive director of the Minnesota Environmental Initiative (MEI). “One of our state’s greatest assets is the many environmental leaders that understand and leverage the power of partnering to create innovative environmental solutions.”

Market Street Energy partnered with many environmental organizations and community groups during the development phase of the CHP project. We solicited and encouraged employee and community input over a two-year period regarding building design and environmental issues. We also collaborated with the Science Museum of Minnesota on the use of common colors for the adjacent structures. In 2003, a Market Street Energy affiliate partnered with the City of Saint Paul to manage the city’s Wood Recycling Center to ensure a steady supply of wood waste to fuel the CHP plant’s boiler.

Now in its 12th year, the popular environmental awards program annually recognizes outstanding partnerships in five categories: environmental education, energy, land use, private sector innovation and public sector innovation. MEI also presents a Partnership of the Year award to one of the 15 project finalists. This year’s winner, The Phalen Corridor, is restoring the economic, social and physical prosperity of Saint Paul’s East Side through an inclusive community partnership.