SUBSCRIBE TO a community solar garden

Welcome to Cooperative Energy Futures (CEF). We are excited you want to learn more about our innovative and equitable Community Solar Garden (CSG) program! CEF exists to transform who controls, owns and benefits from our transition to renewable energy.

Minnesota’s LMI CSG Program is open to any Xcel customer, regardless of income or whether they rent or own their home. At CEF, we prioritize community members with lower incomes who have previously lacked opportunity to participate in a CSG.

We have limited openings right now in three CSGs. After May 2025, it will be about a year and a half before our upcoming CSGs are finished, so we highly encourage you to sign up NOW!

Please fill out the Application Form below. In order for CEF to process your application as quickly as possible and increase your possibility of subscribing:

Fill out all the fields on the form, especially the Income Level question.

Upload a copy of the first two pages of your most recent Xcel bill (the front and back of the first page in a physical copy)

Things to keep in mind:

We do our best to accommodate everyone who applies, but there is a limit to how many households can subscribe to each CSG.
In order to have an active subscription and receive bill credits, applicants need to complete multiple documents. The sooner you get needed info to us the more likely you will be able to subscribe and start saving on your electricity costs.
The amount of time that a subscriber waits to start receiving benefits depends on variable project construction timelines, available space in a CSG and when your application was fully completed. Subscribers start receiving benefits varies according to project construction timelines and if they have completed all steps of the application process.

Click the CSG APPLICATION FORM button below to get started.

CSG Application Form

Operating Gardens

Clara City CSG (At capacity and not accepting new subscribers at this time)

Eden Prairie CSG (Operating): is accepting a limited number of subscriptions for Eden Prairie residents who are at or below 80% Area Median Income.

Community Solar Gardens (CSG) in Development:

Lake Elmo CSG
The Lake Elmo Community Solar Garden is under construction and expected to be connected to the grid in Spring 2025. Lake Elmo CSG is open to Xcel electric customers with low to moderate income. Community members who participate in programs like SNAP, WIC, and Medical Assistance qualify as low to moderate income. Click here to see if you qualify.

Community members who are not low to moderate income will go on our waiting list.

Mankato CSG
The Mankato CSG is under construction and expected to be connected to the grid in Spring 2025. Mankato CSG is open Xcel electric customers with low to moderate income. Community members who participate in programs like SNAP, WIC, and Medical Assistance qualify as low to moderate income. Click here to see if you qualify.

Community members who are not low to moderate income will go on our waiting list.

Midtown Community Solar Garden is under construction and expected to be connected to the grid in Spring 2025. Midtown CSG is open Xcel electric customers with low to moderate income. Community members who participate in programs like SNAP, WIC, and Medical Assistance qualify as low to moderate income. Click here to see if you qualify.

Priority is given to residents with low to moderate incomes and that live in these Minneapolis neighborhoods: Midtown Phillips, East Phillips, West Phillips, Ventura Village, Stevens Square, Corcoran, Central, Powderhorn, Whittier, Cedar Riverside, and Longfellow.

Community members who are not low to moderate income will go on our waiting list.

We recommend that you check our CEF’s Community Solar FAQ and Our Approach to Community Solar and Overview of Subscription Terms.