MPCA Celebrates Ten Years of “GreenStep Cities” Program

DULUTH, Minn. – On Wednesday Duluth Mayor Emily Larson helped celebrate the 10th anniversary of a statewide program aimed at helping cities become more green.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is behind the effort called “GreenStep Cities.”

It’s designed to make communities more energy efficient, healthy and environmentally conscious.

In Duluth: solar panels, L-E-D lights and electric car charging stations are just a few steps the city has made in recent years.

Mayor Emily Larson says, more additions are coming.

“We have activated an energy plan commission, we have established an energy plan which wasn’t in place before. We are in the final stages of hiring a sustainability coordinator for the city of Duluth. So there are just so many things going on all at the same time that kind of package into the green step model,” Duluth Mayor, Emily Larson says.

133 cities across Minnesota have joined the “GreenStep Cities” program.

The MPCA says, that equals more than $8 million in energy saving costs per year.