By Lori EhdeThe Twin Cities are seeing increasing demand for affordable, renewable fuel.Meanwhile, rural energy producers are looking for ways to get their product to the metro areas where its most needed.Both metro and rural leaders put their heads together last week to make that happen."This is real for us. We’re looking for a way to harness green energy out here — renewable energy and affordable energy," said Hennepin County Commissioner Peter McLaughlin."We have huge demand for energy in the metro area … and my constituents in the cities want it to be affordable and they’re concerned about global warming."McLaughlin is chairman of the Metropolitan Energy Task Force, which represents eight counties in the Twin Cities metro area."It’s my job as an elected individual to figure out how to create the institutional ties and financing to make it happen," he said.He and other members of his task force got on a bus Thursday and Friday to tour wind farms and biodiesel and ethanol fuel production facilities in southwest Minnesota.Calling it the Southwest Minnesota Renewable Energy Tour, the bus made its way through southwest Minnesota, ending at the wind turbines in Beaver Creek and the ethanol plant in Luverne.This was the first opportunity for many metro commissioners to climb inside a wind turbine and talk to wind developers and others about the direct benefits of wind energy for Minnesota.McLaughlin said the state of Minnesota currently exports $4 billion every year in fuel costs for production of electricity and other energy. "We need that money to stay here," McLaughlin said. "If we continue with the old model, we’re going to continue shipping boatloads of money out of the state."The ultimate goal would be in-state ownership of energy sources and transmission lines."This would be a double whammy for us in terms of benefits," Said Pipestone County Commissioner Jack Keers. "It’s about creating the institutional structure and the financial structure … When the ownership stays in Minnesota, everybody wins."Keers is chairman of the Rural Minnesota Energy Board, which represents alternative energy leaders in 14 counties in southwest Minnesota.Both he and McLaughlin recognize the complexities of transmitting "green" energy from southwest Minnesota to the Twin Cities.The two groups are seeking legal and financial expertise from within the renewable fuels industry to make it happen."It’s complicated," McLaughlin said. "We think this would be the first rural-metro relationship of its kind." Rock County Commissioner Ken Hoime said he’s encouraged by the enthusiasm of metro leaders."This is a big step forward," he said. "It’s not every day you’re going to get Twin Cities commissioners down here in outstate Minnesota. They need us and we need them."Hoime has been a member of the Rural Minnesota Energy Board since it was formed nearly 10 years ago. He now serves as secretary of the board.He said the metro group has already committed $20,000 for research, and approval is pending for another $20,000 from the member counties of the rural board.In addition, the groups have received a $20,000 grant from the Department of Commerce."The seed money is there to get this thing going," Hoime said.