Whenever you flip a switch, plug in your phone or open your refrigerator, you’re relying on the grid to bring you reliable electricity. At the most basic level, the electric grid is a set of interconnected wires connecting places where energy is produced to where it is used. Over time, the grid has become smarter, …
The modern capabilities of advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) and Great River Energy’s demand response management system (DRMS) made possible a pilot program now in its third year that benefits Great River Energy and its member-owner cooperatives. The pilot tests a new approach to the irrigation load control program offered by most of Great River Energy’s …
Irrigation studied as a way to balance needs of crops, the grid Read More »
Certain devices that have traditionally been powered by gasoline now have electric models that offer a host of benefits to cooperative members as well as smart electricity sales for co-ops. This month, Great River News looks at an autumn necessity: the leaf blower. When looking to make quick work of leaves and debris, the benefits …
Smart electrification: Leaf blowers offer convenience, cleaner air Read More »
A collaboration between electric cooperatives and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is further expanding the state’s electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure. Great River Energy, its member-owner cooperative East Central Energy and the DNR recently gathered to mark the successful installation of a new EV charging station at Banning State Park, located in Sandstone, Minnesota. …
Following a year’s delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the partners behind ‘Sota Grown gathered last month at the site of their indoor agriculture food project for a celebratory ribbon-cutting event. ‘Sota Grown is an innovative pilot project that’s growing leafy greens inside a renovated shipping container at Central Lakes College’s (CLC) campus in Staples, …
Great River Energy’s partner on its upcoming Cambridge Energy Storage Project, Form Energy, recently revealed long-awaited details about its technology. The primary component of Form Energy’s first-of-its-kind, multi-day battery is also a cornerstone of Minnesota’s economy: iron. Form’s previously closely guarded technology is what sets it apart from other grid-scale batteries. “While other battery technologies …
A message from David Saggau, President and CEO, Great River Energy: Great River Energy is focused on building a better future for the member-owners we serve and the stakeholders who are impacted by the things we do. Over the past several years, we have reduced costs, mitigated our carbon risk, added renewables and completed a …
Great River Energy: Working together and doing what’s right Read More »
The best way to preserve the struggling monarch butterfly is through voluntary conservation efforts rather than government regulation, a Minnesota electric cooperative CEO recently told a House panel. “Our goal is to protect this iconic species for posterity,” said Justin Jahnz, CEO of East Central Energy (ECE), in testimony before the House Natural Resources Subcommittee …
Co-op CEO touts voluntary conservation efforts to Congress Read More »
Visitors to the Hemker Park & Zoo can now enjoy a smooth, quiet ride on an electric tram while they observe animals from around the world thanks in part to funds provided by Stearns Electric Association. The co-op, along with its wholesale power provider Great River Energy, used a portion of its annual Conservation Improvement …
States across the country have either already enacted policies to decarbonize their economies or are currently working toward implementing them. But different policies, even with the same goals, can have different impacts on each state’s energy system. Over the years, there have been several proposals in Minnesota, including some that would increase the state’s renewable …
Studies evaluate pathways to decarbonization in Minnesota Read More »