University of St. Thomas; microgrid research and application funding provided, previous appropriations extended, and money appropriated.

HF 2573 appropriates $1.2 million from state funds for the University of St. Thomas Center for Microgrid Research in fiscal year 2026. The funding must be used to expand the center’s capacity for industry testing of near-commercial microgrid products, purchase advanced equipment to connect more campus buildings, and increase hands-on educational opportunities for students. The bill also extends the deadline for using prior fiscal year 2024 and 2025 appropriations for the same center to June 30, 2028. This legislation directly supports the University of St. Thomas’s microgrid research activities and associated educational programs.