McCollum’s $2.2 Million Request for Energy Efficiency Upgrades at Como Park Zoo and Conservatory Advances

Congresswoman Betty McCollum (MN-04) and the House Appropriations Committee voted to approve the Fiscal Year 2023 Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies Bill and report today, including a Community Project Funding (CPF) request made by Congresswoman McCollum to benefit Minnesota's Fourth Congressional District:

• Project: Como Park Zoo and Conservatory Hydro Geothermal Heat Pump ($2,200,000)
  This funding would be used by the City of Saint Paul to replace the zoo's inefficient natural gas steam boiler with a Hydro Geothermal Heat Pump (HGHP), a more energy efficient heating and cooling system. The proposed retrofit is expected to reduce emissions by up to 50%, lowering facility operating costs so more resources can be used to enhance programs that serve the community.

"Como Park Zoo and Conservatory is an invaluable institution that enriches our community," Congresswoman McCollum said. "I'm proud to advance this project to improve energy efficiency, reduce emissions, and reallocate resources to better serve visitors and help meet the city's carbon neutrality goals."

"Renewable energy is vital to creating a sustainable and resilient future for our community," said St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter. "This transition to geothermal at our Como Park Zoo and Conservatory will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and further our goal of becoming carbon neutral in our city by 2050."

Background:

For 2023, the Energy and Water bill provides $56.275 billion, an increase of $3.4 billion above the fiscal year 2022 level. The legislation:

• Helps lower energy costs by strengthening America's energy independence
• Creates tens of thousands of good-paying jobs with a focus on deploying clean energy technologies and the green jobs of tomorrow in communities across the country
• Confronts the climate crisis with more than $16 billion of transformative investments in clean energy and science, which will help develop clean, affordable, and secure American energy
• Rebuilds our nation's water infrastructure, critical to protecting communities from more frequent and severe storms and to addressing the worsening western drought
• Strengthens our national security by providing for a safe and secure nuclear deterrent and protects our environment by funding legacy nuclear cleanup work

The bill next heads to the floor of the U.S. House Floor for debate and approval.

A summary of the bill is here. The text of the bill is here. The bill report is here. In keeping with the Appropriations Committee's commitment to transparency, information on Rep. McCollum's Community Project Funding requests is available here.

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