Following a contentious election season, Minnesota and North Dakota legislators are back to work in their respective state capitols for their 2025 legislative sessions. Great River Energy will be keeping a close eye on the happenings of the legislatures and taking the time to educate new and returning elected officials while advocating on behalf of […]
Legislatures feature new faces, opportunities in 2025 Read More »
Five students each recently received a $500 scholarship in honor of one of Minnesota’s electric cooperative leaders. The Jay A. York Scholarship was established in 1994 in recognition of the first Minnesotan to head the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. York was a prominent figure in the rural electric cooperative industry for nearly 30 years.
Scholarships awarded in honor of co-op leader Read More »
Goodwill and giving often take center stage during the end-of-year holiday season as people come together to support those who are most in need. But for electric cooperatives, the spirit of giving is not limited to this time of year. Instead, community is a focus year-round because co-ops like Great River Energy are rooted in
Strengthening communities through year-round giving Read More »
Great River Energy is budgeting for revenue and expenses of approximately $1.1 billion in 2025, as it allocates funds to operate the business in addition to making necessary investments in the electric system. As a not-for-profit cooperative, Great River Energy collects enough revenue to cover its costs as well as a margin to operate the
Board approves budget and rates for year ahead Read More »
Great River Energy is one of 12 cooperative electric utilities across the country selected to negotiate contracts for over $97 million in federal infrastructure funding. The funding will be provided through the Department of Energy’s $10.5 billion Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) program, which was created through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law of 2021 to
Great River Energy receives $15.4M for grid initiatives Read More »
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
Thorson celebrates 50 years of service Read More »
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
Co-ops answer call for mutual aid Read More »
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 »