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 »
Steven Johnson was recently announced by the Itasca-Mantrap Electric Cooperative board of directors as the cooperative’s new president and chief executive officer. Johnson, who began his duties Dec. 2, succeeds Christine Fox, who retired after 10 years with Itasca-Mantrap. Johnson has more than 25 years of experience in the electric cooperative industry, serving most recently
Steven Johnson named CEO at Itasca-Mantrap 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 »
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 »
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 »
Great River Energy recently welcomed a busload of Lake Country Power (LCP) member-owners who traveled from the Iron Range to Maple Grove to learn more about where their power comes from. The group of 50 people were given a tour of several Great River Energy facilities, including the headquarters, Elk River campus as well as
Members travel to learn how their power is made and moved Read More »
Two separate sections of Great River Energy transmission line sustained damage over the course of a week of severe weather, but recent grid modernization efforts allowed power to be restored quickly with minimal disruption to members. Straight line winds on July 31 downed more than a dozen structures on a 69-kilovolt (kV) transmission line spanning
Grid modernization helps crews restore power quickly after storms Read More »
A group of electric cooperative lineworkers from Minnesota and Iowa traveled 2,800 miles in June to transform a rural Guatemalan village, improving lives for generations. The trip was part of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s International Program, which since 1962 has provided opportunities for volunteers to illuminate villages and homes in impoverished countries around
Cooperative lineworkers electrify Guatemalan village Read More »