Company news Archives - Page 9 of 15

Internship program offers foot in the door to electric industry

A new crop of college students will hit the ground running this month at Great River Energy, bringing with them new ideas and a drive to gain real-world working experience, as the cooperative’s summer internship program kicks off. The program offers interns several months of well-rounded, firsthand experience working alongside utility industry professionals at Great …

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Low-carbon future comes into focus

Company news, Cooperatives, Initiatives, Power generation resources, Renewable energy, Transmission / May 2, 2022

If you were to start an electric company from scratch, what would it look like? Great River Energy President and Chief Executive Officer David Saggau has described his vision for the ideal power provider for Minnesota’s cooperative members. “You would start with a portfolio of renewable energy resources at locations throughout the Midwest,” Saggau said. …

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New technologies improve air quality

Company news, Sustainability / April 21, 2022

When Great River Energy employees who worked remotely the last two years due to the pandemic returned to the office earlier this month, their workspace looked and functioned much in the same way it did in March 2020 but with the addition of several air quality safety upgrades. The nature of COVID-19’s ability to spread …

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‘Sota Grown earns recognition for rural vitality

Beneficial electrification, Company news, Initiatives, Member-owner cooperatives, Sustainability / April 21, 2022

A collaborative project between electric cooperatives and organizations with a vested interest in the success of rural communities was recently recognized by the Environmental Initiative during its 2022 award season. ‘Sota Grown, a two-year demonstration project to sustainably grow leafy greens year-round for Minnesota residents using a hydroponic growing system inside a shipping container, was selected to …

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Leading the charge

Beneficial electrification, Company news, Cooperatives / April 21, 2022

Electric sector’s greenhouse gas reductions putting state goal in reach Great River Energy and other Minnesota utilities are setting the pace to meet the state’s emissions target. Between 2005 and 2018, greenhouse gas emissions related to electricity dropped 29% in Minnesota. The sectors with the next biggest reductions — waste and transportation — reduced emissions …

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Always ready, always there

Company news, Cooperatives, Sustainability / April 21, 2022

The motto of the Minnesota National Guard — “Always ready, always there.” — also rings true to the men and women who provide electricity to cooperative members across Minnesota. It should come as no surprise that many employees of Great River Energy and its member-owner cooperatives come from military backgrounds — and that cooperatives strive …

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Great River Energy returns $25 million to members

Company news, Cooperatives, Member-owner cooperatives / April 21, 2022

Cooperatives are not-for-profit organizations that operate at cost, only collecting enough revenue to run the business and meet their financial obligations. When a cooperative enjoys financial success, it returns those dollars to members through patronage capital payments. That’s what occurred in March when Great River Energy issued $25 million in patronage capital payments to member-owners. …

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Powering electric vehicles with 100% wind energy

Beneficial electrification, Company news, Electric vehicles, Renewable energy / April 20, 2022

Great River Energy developed Revolt, a first-of-its-kind program that allows electric vehicle (EV) owners to further support the use of renewable energy. When a member claims their upgrade, Great River Energy dedicates wind energy to completely cover the electricity used to fuel an EV for the car’s lifetime. Launched in 2015 to accolades from other …

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Democracy in action

Company news, Cooperatives, Member-owner cooperatives / April 7, 2022

Great River Energy members elect directors; board elects officers Part of being a democratically governed electric cooperative involves gathering annually and establishing the structure of the board of directors for the upcoming year. During these annual meetings, cooperatives elect the directors — new and old — to their seats on the board and hold elections …

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Energy forum engages rural Minnesota in clean energy conversation

Beneficial electrification, Company news, Initiatives, Member-owner cooperatives, Renewable energy / March 23, 2022

From increased adoption of electric vehicles to navigating the ongoing transition to cleaner energy, Minnesota’s not-for-profit electric cooperatives offer innovative energy programs to member-owners. In a time of remarkable industry change, Lake Region Electric Cooperative (LREC) — one of Great River Energy’s member-owner cooperatives — hosted an open forum for its member-owners last month. Electric cooperatives across …

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