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.

Community Solar Gardens (CSGs) are for Everyone!

  • Anyone with an Xcel electric bill can subscribe. Renters welcome! No permission needed from your landlord.

  • The solar panels are located on an industrial roof, parking ramp or in a large field, so no physical changes to your residence are needed.

  • The only upfront money is a one-time $25 membership fee. We offer flexible payment options if the $25 membership fee is a barrier.

  • If you move and remain an Xcel customer in Minnesota, your subscription can transfer to your new address.

  • Community solar is flexible. You can cancel at any time and there are no termination fees.

Benefits of Cooperative Energy Futures Community Solar Program:

  • Reduce your energy costs: members see an overall savings of about 10%-20%. 

  • You support renewable energy; fossil fuels use is the leading cause of climate change, asthma and other health threats.

  • CEF is a cooperative meaning our members support, benefit from, and own renewable energy.

How does Community Solar work?

  • You subscribe to and own a portion of the energy produced by the community solar garden. 

  • As an energy generator, Xcel is required to pay you for the energy produced from your subscription. Your payment from Xcel comes in the form of a monthly bill credit.

  • Some of your bill credit automatically goes to CEF to cover our costs for building and maintaining the CSG. The rest of the bill credit lowers the amount you owe Xcel every month. Savings amounts vary according to the size of your subscription and how much energy the CSG produces, but subscribers must, by law, save each month.

  • Please fill out the form below to be put on our waiting list. 

  • Our community solar gardens are currently full. We are developing new community solar gardens that are estimated to be finished in late 2026. Please fill out our Community Solar Garden Interest form here or down below to get on our wait list.

Operating Gardens

Clara City CSG

  • Operating and providing subscriber bill credits

Eden Prairie CSG

  • Operating and providing subscriber bill credits

  • Reserved for residents of Eden Prairie

  • At subscriber capacity with a wait list.

Community Solar Gardens (CSG) in Development:

Lake Elmo CSG

  • Construction complete

  • Expected to be connected to the grid in late summer 2025

  • At subscriber capacity with a wait list.

Mankato CSG

  • Construction complete

  • Expected to be connected to the grid in late summer 2025

  • At subscriber capacity with a wait list.

Midtown Community Solar Garden

  • Construction complete

  • Expected to be connected to the grid in late summer 2025

  • At subscriber capacity with a wait list.

Priority for our waiting list 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.