Industry experts expand ‘Energy Fair’

Annual Harvest Festival event included electric vehicle car show

Great River Energy, along with its member-owner cooperatives Lake Country Power and Cooperative Light & Power, recently partnered with Minnesota Power to bring an electric vehicle (EV) car show to the 29th annual Lake Superior Harvest Festival.

Held at Bayfront Festival Park in Duluth, Minnesota, the EV car show that featured more than a dozen car models — including a Tesla Roadster, Ford F-150 Lightning and Ford Mustang Mach-E — was part of the event’s expanded Energy Fair experience. The utilities collaborated on this effort as EVs are becoming more widely adapted by drivers across the state.

“We had traditional electric vehicles, but we also had an electric kayak and commercial grade electric lawnmowers on display,” said Trevor Roy, media and external relations lead at Great River Energy. “This is an exciting time for electricity. The grid is getting cleaner, how we generate power is getting cleaner. When your electricity gets cleaner, charging your vehicle gets cleaner, too.”

The event included a discussion panel of industry experts who shared their well-rounded knowledge and experience with EVs and included an opportunity for questions.

“We were happy to be part of this event to show our members the many EV options available today,” said Tara Collins, marketing strategist with Great River Energy. “There is a wide array of options, and your local electric cooperatives are available to help members navigate all of them.”

Representatives from the four energy providers were also available at information tables to answer questions about air-source heat pump technology as well as other energy-efficient ways to heat and cool homes or businesses.

Also available were representatives from the Northland Reliability Project, a partnership between Minnesota Power and Great River Energy to build a 345-kilovolt transmission line from northern Minnesota to central Minnesota to help maintain a reliable and resilient regional power grid.

The Harvest Festival is a zero-waste event boosting local food systems and sustainable agriculture in the Lake Superior regions. Over 120 vendors and exhibitors were onsite to welcome approximately 7,000 people.