FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: September 3, 2025
Media Contact:
Megan Holz, Director of Marketing & Engagement
952-715-1419
MnSEIA’s Gateway to Solar 2025 Set to Shine with New Keynotes, Hot Topics, and Midwest Market Insights
St. Paul, MN— The Minnesota Solar Energy Industries Association (MnSEIA) will host its 12th annual Gateway to Solar Conference on October 7–8, 2025, returning to the InterContinental Minneapolis – St. Paul Airport Hotel. As Minnesota’s largest solar and energy storage event, the two-day conference brings together hundreds of clean energy professionals, policymakers, and thought leaders from across the Midwest and beyond.
This year’s conference will feature a compelling lineup of keynote speakers, including Charles Hua of PowerLines, presenting “Regulatory Revamp: Modernizing America's Utility Regulatory System,” and Pier LaFarge of SparkFund, delivering “DER Dichotomy: What Utility-Owned Distributed Solar + Storage Means for Decentralized Power” Their insights anchor a program designed to address the solar and storage industry’s most pressing challenges and opportunities.
“This year’s schedule reflects the dynamic moment we’re in, balancing technical depth with practical insights and policy relevance,” said Logan O’Grady, MnSEIA’s Executive Director. We’ve built the program to foster meaningful progress, whether that’s through headline keynotes, expert panels, our 101 workshops, or the fast-paced ‘Short Circuit’ deep dives. Gateway to Solar is where Minnesota’s energy community and the broader Midwest market come together to shape what’s next.”
In a moving tribute, MnSEIA is renaming its Lifetime Achievement Award to the Melissa Hortman Lifetime Achievement Award, in honor of the late Speaker Emerita of the Minnesota House of Representatives. A legislative leader and a powerful force in advancing Minnesota’s clean energy vision, Hortman authored the landmark 2013 solar energy standard and helped launch one of the nation’s early community solar programs. Often honored as “the godmother of solar in Minnesota,” she championed bipartisan collaboration and mentored the next generation of leaders. This renaming ensures that her legacy of innovation, service, and unity will inspire the industry for years to come.
MnSEIA is proud to announce the 2025 Gateway to Solar Award winners, who represent the innovation and leadership moving Minnesota’s solar energy and storage forward:
- MnSEIA Solar Project of the Year Award - Blue Horizon Energy: Excelsior Crossings
- MnSEIA Excellence in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Awards - Timothy DenHerder-Thomas & Pouya Najmaie, Cooperative Energy Futures
- MnSEIA Distinguished Policy Leadership Awards - Rep. Andrew Myers, Rep. Larry Kraft, Sen. Julia Coleman, and Sen. Scott Dibble
- MnSEIA Solar Advocacy Award - Kim Benjamin, MN Solar and More
- MnSEIA Agency Excellence Recognition Award - MN Department of Agriculture
- MnSEIA Member of the Year Award - Heliene
Melissa Hortman Lifetime Achievement Award - John Farrell, Institute for Local Self-Reliance
These awardees will be recognized during the Awards Luncheon on Day 2 of the conference, celebrating their contributions to solar and storage.
Tickets are still available for Gateway to Solar 2025. Attendees can explore the full agenda, speaker lineup, and training opportunities, including the NABCEP courses offered in partnership with Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA), on the conference website.
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About MnSEIA:
The Minnesota Solar Energy Industries Association (MnSEIA), a 501(c)6 nonprofit, promotes and protects Minnesota’s solar and energy storage industries. We harness the strength of our 170+ member companies at the state legislature, in the regulatory arena, and the courtroom. We Move MN Solar + Storage Forward in a unified and actionable way that establishes a vibrant sector of the clean energy economy. Find out more at www.mnseia.org.