Midwest energy market maintains sufficient resources for reliability A persistent, record-breaking heat wave hit California in August, causing the state’s three biggest utilities to cut power to hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses for about an hour at a time until the emergency declaration ended a few hours later. These rolling blackouts—the first California […]
The Elk River Energy Recovery Station was shut down March 15, 2019, following years of economic challenges. Great River Energy is decommissioning and demolishing the plant in a responsible manner that will safeguard the local environment while also assuring the safety and security of employees and the local community. Crews have spent much of the […]
With the help of Dakota Electric Association and Great River Energy, a local data center is powered entirely by renewable energy. DataBank, a leading provider of enterprise-class colocation, connectivity and managed services, announced the milestone was achieved at MSP2, a data center located in Eagan, Minnesota. DataBank entered into an agreement with utility provider Dakota […]
Wind farms produce electricity when it’s breezy. Solar panels generate energy during the day. Low-cost, long-duration storage has the potential to serve cooperative members when the wind isn’t blowing and the sun isn’t shining. A Great River Energy pilot project has the potential to solve the challenges posed by the variable nature of the most […]
Great River Energy plans to replace coal with low cost renewables and market energy purchases Great River Energy announced plans today to transform its portfolio of power supply resources in the coming years, significantly reducing member-owner wholesale power costs. The electric cooperative plans to phase out remaining coal resources, add significant renewable energy and explore […]
Extraordinary times and extraordinary measures – these are the kinds of scenarios that people who manage risk for electric cooperatives think long and hard about year in and year out, even when things are going smoothly. This kind of thinking is what prepared Great River Energy to continue reliable service when the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic […]
Dakota Electric Association members are receiving more electricity from the sun through a new 3-megawatt solar facility built specifically for the cooperative’s members. The 15-acre solar site, south of Farmington, Minnesota, is expected to have a 25-year life and will produce enough electricity to power about 600 average homes. The 10,368 panels will produce more […]
Where does the electricity that serves Minnesota come from? If you’re a co-op member, it’s an ever changing and growing mix of reliable and cost-competitive energy produced by wind turbines, power plants, and hydroelectric dams across a 15-state market region. Access to reliable and cost-competitive electricity is made possible through Great River Energy’s participation in […]
The electricity serving cooperative members just got a little greener as another wind energy project has been added to the mix. The Emmons-Logan wind farm located in south central North Dakota began producing electricity in late December, becoming the largest renewable resource serving Great River Energy’s member-owner cooperatives. The 200-megawatt project will provide carbon-free electricity […]
On a normal day, having reliable electricity means you can charge your phone, watch TV and cook dinner. During extreme cold weather, however, reliable electricity means so much more. Electricity is essential for almost any home heating, whether through all-electric heating systems or for powering the components of a furnace. The importance of electricity was […]