The Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute (SOEI) at Northland College recently received a $150,000 grant from Xcel Energy Corporation to improve the energy efficiency of the Institute building.

Completed in 1981, the Institute building was an early model for "green" design and helped to set sustainability standards for its time. As technology has improved, standards for energy efficiency have increased and, today, the building is in need of updates. The grant funding will be used to address the largest of these issues: the installation of new energy efficient windows.

"Northland College and its Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute have long been leaders in environmental education and outreach in this community," said Karen I. Halbersleben, president of Northland College. "Xcel Energy’s generous gift enhances our ability ‘walk the talk’ environmentally, and extends our capacity to deliver environmental outreach and education in our region. We are proud to be partners of Xcel Energy in the search for sustainable solutions to our energy needs."

"We are proud of our longtime commitment to the Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute and Northland College," said Mike Swenson, president and CEO, NSP-Wisconsin, an Xcel Energy company. "As the leading provider of renewable energy in Wisconsin and the No. 1 wind power provider in the country, we strongly support the goals and mission of the Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute. We feel this grant will go a long way to helping the Institute meet its goals of being an environmental leader in this region."

Since its founding in 1972, the Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute has worked with citizens to build environmental awareness, encourage responsible action and forge lasting solutions to environmental challenges in the Lake Superior region. The Institute’s namesake, Sigurd F. Olson (1899-1982), is one of North America’s most beloved nature writers and an influential conservationist of the 20^th century. He is best known as the author of nine books about the North Country. In 1974 he won the John Burroughs medal for his book, "Wilderness Days." To obtain more information about the Institute, call (715)-682-1223 or go to www.northland.edu/soei.

Pictured above: Xcel Energy’s Jim Musso(far left), manager of siting and land rights; Mike Bebeau (second from left), community service manager, and David Donovan (far right), manager of regulatory policy; present John Allen (second from right), chair of the Northland College Board of Trustees, with a $150,000 grant check.