Contact Information
Meegan Hall
Macalester Plymouth United Church
July 15, 2023
MACALESTER PLYMOUTH UNITED CHURCH PARTNERS WITH
LAKE STREET SOLAR AND INTERFAITH POWER AND LIGHT TO BRING SOLAR INSTALLATION TO SAINT PAUL’S MACALESTER GROVELAND NEIGHBORHOOD
SAINT PAUL, MN (July, 15, 2023) -- Rooftop solar installation is scheduled to go live on July 23, 2023, the result of a partnership between Macalester Plymouth United Church (MPUC), Minnesota Interfaith Power and Light, Lake Street Solar, and Go Solar Installs. The installation is a 57.4 kWh array with 140 modules.
The congregation has explored solar panel options on and off for the past decade. Recently, a child of the church looked at the roof of the building and asked his dad, “Why doesn’t our church have solar panels?” That led to another round of research leading MPUC to MNIPL and Lake Street Solar and, ultimately, the new solar array. On July 23, 2023, during our 10 am Sunday service, that child will symbolically “turn on” the solar panel array.
MPUC is proud to take this step as part of a continuing commitment to creation justice. “Solar panels turn sunlight into electricity.” Explains Lead Minister Rev. Adam Blons, “ Macalester Plymouth United Church is a congregation that turns faith into action, working towards a more just, generous, and loving world. Our continuing commitment to reduce our carbon footprint is another faithful response to God’s call to upend systems of domination and exploitation for the well-being of all creation.”
Don Christensen, a member of the MPUC Creation Justice Committee, the group that led the research that led to the installation, highlights the significance of the project as it relates to the mission of the church, “Installing solar panels on the roof of our church is an action we can take that will increase the amount of clean electricity available, and reduce CO2 in the earth’s atmosphere. It is a powerful declaration to our children, our neighbors, and our community that we have chosen life over death, that by acting together, we can make the changes required to protect, heal, and sustain God’s sacred creation, our home, Planet Earth.”
"The Lake Street Solar partners really appreciated working with Macalester Plymouth United Church on this project," said Buff Grace of MN Interfaith Power & Light. "They not only lived out their faith and saved a bundle on electricity, but they also helped make it possible for a handful of solar projects to go forward in underserved Twin Cities neighborhoods. That is a real commitment to climate justice."
About Macalester Plymouth United Church (MPUC)
Located in the Macalester Groveland neighborhood in Saint Paul, Macalester Plymouth United Church is a progressive Christian congregation committed to peace, justice, and love.
The MPUC community believes that caring for God’s earth is crucial to our spiritual life and social justice work. The church’s environmental efforts, led by the Creation Justice Committee, work for sustainability in our communal life and in our individual lives.
In October 2015, MPUC passed a congregational resolution to become an Earthwise Congregation. The United Church of Christ now recognizes Macalester Plymouth United Church as a Creation Justice Church. In March 2023, MPUC received its ninth annual certification as an Earth Care Congregation by the PC(USA)’s Environmental Ministries. For more information about MPUC, please visit www.macalester-plymouth.org.
About Lake Street Solar LLC
Lake Street Solar LLC was started in 2021 by Amber Naqvi. The mission is to fund solar installations and ensure access to solar power is expanded.
About Minnesota Interfaith Power & Light
MNIPL is building the interfaith climate justice movement in Minnesota by empowering faith communities across the state to take action that is authentic, effective, and energizing in their context. We create transformative power and bring the lights of people’s unique gifts to address the climate crisis in a variety of ways, from energy efficiency and solar installations to legislative and policy advocacy, always emphasizing the moral justice that is the common foundation of our diverse partners.
About Go Solar Installs
Go Solar is a solar energy contractor located in Bloomington, Minnesota. They specialize in Community Solar Gardens and solar array installations.