The Cook County board, the City of Grand Marais, and the Cook County Local Energy Project (CCLEP) have formed an Energy Plan Committee to develop a countywide Energy Conservation and Renewable Energy Plan. According to CCLEP Chair George Wilkes, “the committee’s mission is to engage the community in a public process to create a living document that will guide Cook County and the City of Grand Marais – their governments, businesses, and residents – to make educated decisions with regard to energy conservation and renewable energy projects.”
As a first step in creating this Energy Plan, the Energy Plan Committee is soliciting public input about energy issues facing the residents and businesses of Cook County. Wilkes said public input will be solicited through energy surveys, scheduled interviews, and at two public meetings to be held in Tofte and Grand Marais.
Energy surveys will be conducted by telephone. The survey can also be taken on-line on the CCLEP website at www.cookcountylep.org. Paper copies of the survey may be picked up and dropped off at Grand Marais City Hall, the county auditor’s office or at Arrowhead Electric in Lutsen. Completed surveys may also be mailed to CCLEP, P.O. Box 973, Grand Marais MN 55604.
The committee is also extending an invitation for all interested individuals or organizations to schedule interviews with members of the Energy Committee on Monday, April 25, between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. or to submit written comments and suggestions about any and all energy issues pertaining to Cook County. Contact Energy Plan Coordinator Don Grant at 370-9998 to schedule an Energy Plan interview or e-mail written comments to cclep@boreal.org.
The two public community “energy summits” will be held on Wednesday, May 25 at the Tofte Town Hall, and in Grand Marais on May 26 day at the North House Folk School – Blue Building. Both begin at 7 p.m.
At these meetings the Energy Committee will present a brief overview of the energy planning process, accept questions and comments from the public, and hand out copies of the energy plan survey.
Wilkes said, “We really hope folks will take advantage of these opportunities to participate in this important planning process. And for those who happen to be on our random telephone survey list: We apologize in advance for the intrusion, and thank you for your time and effort.”
In addition to gathering public input, the Energy Plan Committee is also creating a database of baseline energy information to be used in forming the Energy Plan. The committee will create a draft plan over the summer and a final version for adoption by the City of Grand Marais and the Cook County Board by this fall. For more information about the Energy Plan Project, and to see examples of three different energy plans from other communities, go to the CCLEP website, www.cookcountylep.org.
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