FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 8, 2023
MnSEIA Joins Governor Walz's Landmark Trade Mission to Australia
St. Paul, MN—The Minnesota Solar Energy Industries Association (MnSEIA) is proud to announce our participation in Governor Walz's upcoming Trade Mission to Australia. MnSEIA’s Director of Business Development & Communications, Abbi Morgan, will represent the association’s 160+ member companies in the upcoming delegation. The Governor’s Trade Mission aims to strengthen economic ties between Minnesota and Australia, fostering business partnerships and exploring new opportunities for collaboration.
The mission, taking place November 10 - 18th, will include stops in Sydney and Melbourne and includes a track focusing on “environmental technology.” Abbi will be engaging with Australian clean energy leaders and government representatives, touring renewable energy sites, and bringing back key takeaways from Australia’s successful solar market. The trade delegation is an amazing opportunity to promote Minnesota’s thriving solar and energy storage industry and showcase to an international audience why our state is an ideal place to conduct business.
“I’m thrilled to participate in Governor Walz’s upcoming trade mission,” said MnSEIA’s Abbi Morgan. “It’s a remarkable opportunity to showcase Minnesota’s growing solar and storage market, learn from Australian ‘success stories’, and connect with international business leaders. To be invited to join this delegation demonstrates the growing economic power of Minnesota’s clean energy economy and the promising future of what’s to come.”
The jam-packed agenda includes in-depth market briefings, networking events with influential business and government leaders, and immersive site visits. Some of the tours will include:
- Australia’s largest rooftop solar and microgrid project. Located at a busy transportation terminal, the 60 megawatt solar array and 150MWh of battery storage can generate enough clean energy to power 40,000 homes;
- A 300 megawatt grid-scale battery storage site - the largest utility-scale battery project in Australia. The site uses Tesla Megapack batteries and can store enough energy to power over one million homes;
- The Advanced Manufacturing and Recycling Hub to learn about recycling clean energy technologies and creating a more sustainable supply chain;
- A tour of the Sydney Opera House to see their successful sustainability and energy efficiency efforts;
- And more!
The trade mission will also include meetings with:
- Australian indigenous leaders to share best practices for engaging indigenous communities in the clean energy transition and opportunities for supporting economic development;
- A training center in Melbourne to discuss workforce development strategies and training the next generation of clean energy workers;
- Clean energy tech hubs and innovation groups;
- Government officials and energy associations to share best practices and “lessons learned”;
- A wide variety of business leaders in both Sydney and Melbourne to connect and explore opportunities for collaboration.
“Participating in Governor Walz’s Trade Mission to Australia is an incredible opportunity for MnSEIA and our members,” said Logan O’Grady, MnSEIA’s Executive Director. “Abbi is going to take away useful lessons from a successful solar and storage market that we can implement back home in Minnesota. We’re excited to strengthen international relationships and represent our force of over 160 member companies. Minnesota is proud to have a strong and stable solar + storage industry, showing the world that we are a major player in the global clean energy marketplace.”
To follow along on the trade mission, check out MnSEIA’s X/Twitter or LinkedIn for updates!
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About MnSEIA:
MnSEIA is a member-driven 501(c)(6) nonprofit that promotes and protects Minnesota’s solar and storage industries. We advocate in the state legislative and regulatory arenas in a unified and actionable way to move solar + storage forward. Find out more at https://www.mnseia.org/.
Media Contact:
Abbi Morgan, Director of Business Development & Communications
amorgan@mnseia.org