Todd-Wadena Electric Cooperative (TWEC) recently recognized the achievement of one of its most esteemed leaders as he reached 50 years of service to the cooperative’s board of directors. Mike Thorson has played a pivotal role in guiding and shaping TWEC’s mission and vision since 1974, ensuring that the cooperative’s members benefit from reliable and affordable …
Great River Energy’s Jim Zabel, telecommunications technician/electrician foreperson, saw a big red flag when he arrived at one of the cooperative’s communication tower sites to perform maintenance. He saw a contract crew digging a trench to access equipment 8 feet below ground. He also saw a problem: Nothing was preventing the trench walls from caving …
Be the One: Employee speaks up and stops work for safety Read More »
More than 70 telecommunications professionals from around the region gathered recently in Minneapolis for the Utilities Technology Council (UTC) Region 5 conference to discuss important topics that are critical to the operation of the electric grid. Great River Energy hosted the event, and Vice President and Chief Information Officer Jim Jones kicked off the annual …
Grid-critical industry group gathers for conference Read More »
Minnesota electric cooperatives send lineworkers to restore power in communities ravaged by hurricanes Unprecedented times call for an unprecedented response. After evaluating the mass devastation caused to their communities by Hurricane Helene, several electric cooperatives in South Carolina put out a call for mutual aid to help restore power after the storm caused outages to …
Great River Energy recently had the privilege of hosting students from Anoka Hennepin School District at its Elk River campus. The group of 45 high school students learned about various electrical technician roles at Great River Energy, toured the Elk River Substation, performed hands on substation apparatus activities and rode in a bucket truck. “We …
Students learn about electrical technician roles Read More »
Cybersecurity threats continue to be an ongoing concern for electric utilities, government agencies and industry organizations. Rest assured, over the last decade, Great River Energy has taken steps to prepare for cybersecurity threats and continues to keep pace with best practices and technology solutions. “Today’s reality is that no one is immune from a cyberattack, …
Minnesota is one of several states that has enacted legislation to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from electric utilities. The state’s carbon-free standard requires that 90% of electric utilities’ retail sales be provided by carbon-free power supply by 2035. Serving more than 700,000 members across Minnesota and parts of Wisconsin, Great River Energy is a wholesale …
Diverse resource portfolio powers local communities Read More »
President Joe Biden announced the first round of finalists for the Empowering Rural America (New ERA) program, part of the administration’s efforts to boost clean energy investments in rural communities, at an event held Sept. 5 in Westby, Wisconsin. Great River Energy was among the cooperatives announced as a finalist. The New ERA program aims …
Great River Energy named finalist for clean energy funding Read More »
Great River Energy, along with its member-owner cooperatives Cooperative Light & Power (CLP) and Lake Country Power (LCP), recently partnered with Minnesota Power for the second annual Electric Avenue at the Lake Superior Harvest Festival held at Bayfront Festival Park in Duluth, Minnesota. Approximately 8,000 festival attendees had the opportunity to see a wide variety …
Festival highlights plug-in vehicles, electric safety Read More »
A partnership between two electric cooperatives and a Minnesota golf course is helping to showcase how electric technology used in new ways can function in the real world. Stearns Electric Association teamed up with its wholesale power provider, Great River Energy, and Mean Green Electric Mowers last summer to lease an electric lawnmower to Lynx …
Electric lawnmower turns golf course even greener, cleaner Read More »