A team from the Minnesota Retiree Environmental Technical Assistance Program (RETAP) analyzed the Oak Grove Presbyterian Church utility bills for energy efficiency, water use, and waste management using utility bill data for the twelve-month period ending October 2023, building physical and operations data provided by interview and from the 2013 RETAP report, NOAA weather data for Minneapolis for the billing period, and an onsite visit.
Report highlight: “Undoubtedly, OGPC is the most energy efficient and most forward-thinking facility that RETAP has assessed in RETAP’s 24-year history. When comparing OGPC’s performance to both typical worship facilities and to relevant Energy Star benchmarks (see Sec. 4, Benchmarking), we found that OGPC is performing excellently.”
Oak Grove Presbyterian Church (2200 W Old Shakopee Rd, Bloomington, MN) is hosting the annual Electric Vehicle Expo on Saturday, September 23, 2023, 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Free and open to the public.
Oak Grove Youth are holding a Shredding Event on Saturday, May 13, 2023, 10:00 a.m. – 12 noon. Help the environment by bringing your documents to be shredded onsite. Cost is $10/grocery bag or $20/box. Tell your friends!
Oak Grove hosted a successful Earth Day “Electrify Everything”event on Saturday, April 22, 2023. The event featured talks by Buff Grace of Minnesota Interfaith Power and Light on the federal Inflation Reduction Act and by Alexis Troschinetz of CERTs/UMN Extension on Heat Pumps as a powerful climate solution.
The event also included tours of Oak Grove’s Green projects including: Solar, EV charging, Insulation, Heat Pumps, Recycling-Composting, Rain Gardens, and LED Lighting throughout the church. Scroll down for photos and links to slide shows.
Thanks to the volunteers: Pdon Pinkham, Bob Gerdes, Eric Duvall, Amanda Fineran, Larry Klueh, Al Greimel, Randy Dop, John and Mary Crampton, and Ruth Dukelow; staff members Sue Gjerset, Mary Koon, and Bart Roush, along with partnering organizations Erica Sniegowski and Peggy Kvam of Nine Mile Creek Watershed District and Madyson Hoese of the American Lung Association Minnesota. We estimate that 70 people attended, many from other faith communities who came to learn from our work here at Oak Grove. Next up is our annual EV Expo in late September…. stay tuned.
Learn how you can reduce your carbon emissions, save money, stop feeding the oil-gas monster and clean up air pollution. Come see:
Dealer test drives/test rides of the latest EV models including the Ford F-150 Lightning
25 EVs on display with their owners telling about their driving experiences.
Electric bikes, e-mowers and e-snow blowers
Electric School Bus from Eastern Carver County District
Talks about picking the right EV, rates for charging, electric school buses, climate benefits, cost savings and a women’s panel “Why We Love Our EVs”
Event is free and open to the public in the Oak Grove Presbyterian Church parking lot. Visitor parking will be available at nearby sites and on-street locations. Shuttle service will be available from Creekside Center parking lot (98th and Penn) from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Oak Grove Presbyterian, 2200 W. Old Shakopee Rd, Bloomington 55431 952-888-4621
Oak Grove’s Earth Day AFF on Sunday April 24th 9:15-10:15am
The walking tour starts at church at 9:15 a.m. It will also be streamed on Facebook Live if you prefer watch the tour online.
The AFF for Oak Grove’s Earth Day celebration on Sunday April 24th will be the Green Committee’s walking tour of different sites around the church where we are moving to clean, non-polluting renewable energy and clean water. The tour will show our LED lights, solar panels, wind energy, electric vehicle charging, rain gardens, air source heat pumps and all the insulation and sealing of our building to cut energy use and switch to carbon-free sources. We will also show how we are educating the next generation.
Find out what we are doing to protect God’s Creation and pass on a livable Earth to our kids and grandkids. Find out how you can do many of these things in your homes and help our church become net zero in electricity, heat/cooling, and transportation.
Thank you to the Green Committee for giving an informative Adult Faith Formation (AFF) program on Sunday, January 23, 2022. Their non-partisan presentation, Caucusing for Climate on Tuesday, February 1, focused on the upcoming party caucuses. The parties are making it easier this year to take part in the caucus process including the DFL’s contactless caucus that you can do at home.
See the list below for links to the Green Committee’s presentation and key links for finding your caucus, becoming a delegateto the endorsing conventions, offering resolutions, and more. For further information, contact John Crampton, Chair-Green Committee, 612-396-6010 jcrampt48@gmail.com
Over 20 EVs will be on display, and their owners will share their driving experiences. The American Lung Association will host dealer test drives of some of the latest EV models.
Talks by experts will include:
What EV is Right for You?
Utility Rates and Rebates for EVs
Let’s Go to Electric School Buses Now!
Charging Networks for Road Tripping
Climate and Health Benefits of EVs
Women’s Panel: Why We Love EVs
Electric bikes, e-scooters, e-mowers, and e-snowblowers will be on display, along with an EV transit van.
The events and test drives follow Covid protocols and are free and open to the general public. The event will be outdoors at Oak Grove Presbyterian Church, 2200 W. Old Shakopee Rd, Bloomington 55431 952-888-4621
Oak Grove’s Green Committee is hosting three Adult Faith Formation (AFF) sessions in April and May 2021. Also, on April 8, the Green Committee hosted a Conversation with District 50 Representatives and Senator.
Thursday, April 8, 6:00-7:30 p.m., Faith Communities Talk With Legislators. You are invited to question-and-answer state legislative forum for faith communities in District 50 on Thursday night April 8th from 6:00-7:30 pm via Zoom. The forum will feature Senator Melissa Wiklund, Rep. Andrew Carlson (50B) and Rep. Michael Howard (50A). The forum is being organized by Isaiah https://isaiahmn.org/ and will include members of faith communities in District 50 including Oak Grove Presbyterian, Christ the King Lutheran, Dar Al-Farooq Muslim Center, and St. Richards Catholic Church and other groups. The forum will focus on pending bills for: Revenue-making everyone pay their fair share, Democracy– expanding/protecting voting rights, Paid Family Leave– caring for our families, Climate Justice– plans that meet the scale and urgency of the climate crisis. For more info, contact John Crampton 612-396-6010 jcrampt48@gmail.comTo register:https://secure.everyaction.com/G_DuKjcYOU62gxI7vz_2tQ2
Clockwise from top left: Rep. Michael Howard (50A), Senator Melissa Wiklund, Rep. Andrew Carlson (50B)
Sunday, April 11, 9:30 a.m., “Climate Reality and Our Future” a sobering overview of the impact on climate change on different earth systems and projections of species survival under different scenarios of global warming. Developed by Former Vice President Al Gore and Alliance for Climate Protection and The Climate Project. Presented by Bill Middlecamp, a commissioned Earthkeeper in the United Methodist Church and a well-known climate activist in our area. See also En-ROADS Brings Climate Science to the Masses.
Sunday April 18, 9:30 a.m., “Policy Solutions to Climate Change.” Participants are able to simulate possible large scale solutions to dramatic climate change through the use of the online En-ROADS policy simulation model developed by MIT. See what possible solutions are and discuss the implications. https://www.planet.veolia.com/en/climate-change-climate-simulator-En-ROADS Presented by Bill Middlecamp, a commissioned Earthkeeper in the United Methodist Church and a well-known climate activist in our area. See also En-ROADS Brings Climate Science to the Masses.
Sunday, May 2, 9:30 a.m., Socially-Just Climate Solutions
Cooperative Energy Futures equips members across the state to build socially-just climate solutions that grow community wealth and power. CEF has financed and developed 6.9MW (~$16M) of low-income-accessible community solar arrays that are cooperatively-owned-and-operated across urban, suburban, and rural Minnesota—including: Shiloh Temple in North Minneapolis, Pax Christi Church in Eden Prairie, and Edina Public Works Building. Find out how Oak Grove and our members can potentially get involved as host site(s), investors, subscribers and supporters. https://www.cooperativeenergyfutures.com/ Presented by: Timothy Den Herder, General Manager of CEF
Link to recording of the January 17 Zoom presentation – password !1r1!3B0
The Adult Faith Formation program, “Bringing Renewable Energy and Empowerment to Low Income Communities to End Energy Poverty,” will be presented on Sunday, January 17, 2021 at 9:30 a.m. by the Green Committee and RREAL, Rural Renewable Energy Alliance of Northern MN.
RREAL is a leader in helping Native American Nations construct community solar gardens, solar for Habitat for Humanity houses, and solar assistance for low income people through community action programs. RREAL also develops community-based solar projects in Uganda and Liberia. RREAL is a leader in installing solar on schools and has developed renewable energy curricula for grades K-8 which is being used in schools throughout Minnesota. https://www.rreal.org/
Our goal is to begin a discussion of how Oak Grove can marry our church’s efforts and expertise in social justice, mission, supportive housing, education, and environmental stewardship to serve the wider community of low income people in our communities. For more information, contact John Crampton 612-396-6010
