Action: District Energy Saint Paul | Saint Paul Climate Dashboard

District Energy Saint Paul

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District Energy St. Paul (DESP) is a non-profit utility that provides energy to downtown Saint Paul, and the adjacent West Side neighborhood. Through district energy infrastructure, hot water, and chilled water are sent to customer buildings to meet all their heating and cooling needs. This centralized system replaces on-site energy production (typically boilers and chillers).

The system is North America's largest hot water district system and an industry leader in system integration, featuring biomass-fired cogeneration, thermal storage, and solar thermal technology. Up to 50% of the current annual heat production comes from renewable, urban tree waste and solar thermal. Tree waste sources in the Twin Cities metro area include storm and disease-damaged trees such as those damaged by Emerald Ash Borer, tree trimmings, and habitat restoration. The United Nations Environment Program has recognized district Energy as one of three systems in the United States serving as an international model for best practices.

While District Energy St. Paul currently provides 100% carbon-neutral cooling and up to 50% carbon-neutral heating, it continues to evaluate the best opportunities to fully decarbonize its energy systems. In 2024, DESP completed a wastewater heat recovery study in collaboration with the Metropolitan Council and the City of Saint Paul, and continued its partnership with Caterpillar to host a hydrogen CHP pilot project at the Kellogg plant. In addition, DESP's longstanding commitment to renewable energy has been a driving force behind its involvement in the development of The Heights Community Energy project, in partnership with the Saint Paul Port Authority. This aquifer thermal energy storage project is one of the first of its kind in North America and will showcase Saint Paul’s continued commitment to energy leadership.

In 2021, DESP began purchasing renewable energy credits (RECs), allowing it to provide all of its chilled water customers carbon-neutral cooling.

In addition to the renewable production assets, fuels, and RECs, DESP improved efficiency and reduced carbon emissions by enhancing controls and monitoring technology, adjusting operational procedures, and optimizing customer building performance. Coupled with its team’s data monitoring, the Customer Portal helps customers monitor their energy use and analyze their trends. These combined efforts have reduced the system’s carbon emissions by 77% between 2000 – 2023.

The organization has committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2050.