Celebrated by cooperatives nationwide during the month of October, National Co-op Month is an annual opportunity to look at the many qualities that make them unique. Cooperatives are motivated by people and their needs, not by profit. The seven cooperative principles guide electric cooperatives to operate differently from other electric utilities, putting the needs of …
Concern for community: A top principle for co-ops Read More »
Cooperatives are built on the principle that a group of people united for a common cause is a powerful force. This is especially true when a cooperative must recover from a natural disaster. Great River Energy’s board of directors recently pledged $25,000 to the Florida Electric Cooperatives Association to aid in the relief effort for …
Helping co-ops in crisis: Board pledges $25,000 for Hurricane Ian recovery Read More »
August came in hot — literally — for Minnesotans, and data collected from Great River Energy’s demand response programs this summer reflect the high temperatures and market prices. The month’s first week brought temperatures in the mid-90s with the National Weather Service Twin Cities recording the average daily high at 81.5 degrees Fahrenheit. In the …
Co-ops combat high temperatures, market prices during state’s ‘longest summer’ Read More »
Great River Energy recently made a public filing detailing the latest information about the cooperative’s power supply plans. The interim update was a requirement of Great River Energy from the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) earlier this year. At that time, the PUC approved a one-year extension for the cooperative’s next full integrated resource plan …
Great River Energy files update to power supply plans Read More »
Whenever you flip a switch, charge your smart phone or store food in the freezer, you’re relying on the grid to bring you reliable electricity. At a 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 …
Stearns Electric Association lineman Mike Siemers recently earned a LIFEguard Award through the Minnesota Rural Electric Association (MREA). MREA recognizes cooperative employees throughout the state who go above and beyond the expectations of keeping individuals safe through its LIFEguard program. Siemers, a journeylineman for Stearns Electric — one of Great River Energy’s 28 member-owner cooperatives …
The Cooperative Light & Power (CLP) board of directors recently announced Joel Janorschke as the electric cooperative’s new chief executive officer/general manager. “We were very fortunate to have three excellent candidates for the position,” said Board President Scott Veitenheimer. “The board unanimously agreed that Joel had the experience, knowledge and skills that would be the …
Vice President and Chief Transmission Officer Priti Patel recently had the opportunity to tour the LJ Shosten Union Training Center in St. Paul along with Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith. The visit was made in light of President Joe Biden signing the Inflation Reduction Act into law Aug. 16, which will now allow public power to …
As summer draws to a close, Great River Energy and its member-owner cooperatives are looking back on a season of reliable electric service despite news coverage and warnings about a shortage of electricity in the Midwest. Even though the Midwest electric system had less surplus electricity than prior summers, the region still had nearly 8% …
Eighteen students visiting from the Ukraine recently toured Great River Energy’s Maple Grove headquarters and received a taste of home during the event. The students, ages 13 through 18, were in Minnesota as part of a five-week business and entrepreneurship program sponsored by Global Synergy Group, a nonprofit whose goal is to strengthen communities in …
Ukrainian students learn about leadership, energy during tour Read More »