Great River Energy’s Vice President and Chief Information Officer Jim Jones was recognized Sept. 18 as a finalist in the Twin Cities CIO of the Year ORBIE Awards. Judges rank finalists on innovation, leadership, business value creation and community involvement. Awards are presented each year in six different categories of organizations: global, enterprise, large enterprise, […]
One of Great River Energy’s 28 member-owner cooperatives was recently named the first electric cooperative—and the first applicant from the energy sector—to receive a Certificate of Inclusion into the monarch butterfly Candidate Conservation Agreement with the Assurances (CCAA). The CCAA program encourages transportation and energy partners to get involved in monarch conservation by providing and […]
An unmanned aircraft system (UAS)—or drone—was needed to safely complete recent work on a transmission line project led by Great River Energy for one of its member-owner cooperatives. A portion of the Elisha to Pine Point project required crossing Hay Creek near Park Rapids, Minnesota. This vegetative wetland is hard to travel by foot and […]
Over the course of several years, lots of tiny donations can add up and make a huge difference in the community. By rounding their electricity bills up to the nearest dollar, Runestone Electric Association’s (REA) members raised $1 million to support important community organizations through a program called Operation Round Up. Over the past 17 […]
As Great River Energy planned to demolish a power plant, employees found a way to preserve the site’s beloved falcons – and set an example that could have lasting effects on peregrine falcon populations. A pair of peregrine falcons returned in March to a Great River Energy facility location in Elk River and accepted their […]
Land on the bank of the Missouri River was converted from a field to Stanton Station in the mid-1960s. For half a century, the power plant created reliable energy for Great River Energy’s member-owner cooperatives. Today, the site is fully restored to resemble what it looked like more than 50 years ago. Nearly three years […]
Wright-Hennepin Cooperative Electric Association (WH) recently seeded a native planting at its Rockford, Minnesota, headquarters. The planting is located on 1.25 acres of land in front of two WH solar communities. The property will soon provide habitat for pollinators such as birds, bees and butterflies. Minnesota Native Landscapes, based in Otsego, Minnesota, prepped the site […]
As the business district near Underwood, North Dakota, expanded along a highway, a growing stream of cars and trucks mixed with cyclists and pedestrians on a frontage road. A recent Great River Energy concrete donation resulted in a new multi-purpose recreation trail and a safe path for biking and walking. The project came about as […]
Great River Energy has a long history of donating to communities in need across the country when crises arise. This time, the crisis hit closer to home for many employees and their families. Storefronts along the Minneapolis Lake Street business district—where most businesses and organizations are owned by immigrants and people of color—were vandalized, looted […]
Great River Energy’s employees have successfully served its 28 member-owner cooperatives throughout the pandemic. Nearly half of the cooperative’s employees have continued reporting to their work locations to ensure reliable electricity keeps flowing to member-owners, while the other half have worked remotely since March 12 as a result of the coronavirus. “Great River Energy is […]