Great River Energy and Heimdall share dynamic line rating project results One year ago, Great River Energy started the largest dynamic line rating (DLR) deployment in the United States with the goal of getting more capacity out of its existing transmission lines. The cooperative partnered with Heimdall Power to install 50 “Neurons” on 10 transmission […]
Neurons boost grid capacity Read More »
Great River Energy hosted DTECH Midwest, one of the utility industry’s preeminent events Great River Energy recently served as host utility for a major regional conference that brought together electric utilities, tech providers, government officials and more to discuss solutions to challenges currently facing the industry. The inaugural DTECH Midwest conference, held July 14-16 in
Advancing the industry Read More »
In late July, a heat dome settled over the heart of the country, causing electricity demand to soar. In response, the Midwest grid operator, MISO, declared conservative operations. This meant that utilities in the region had to keep all grid resources on standby, ready for action. Great River Energy quickly rescheduled all planned maintenance and
All hands on deck: Co-ops step up during heat wave Read More »
MDU Resources Group, Inc. announced that Priti Patel, vice president and chief transmission officer at Great River Energy, has been elected to its board of directors following nomination by the board and approval by shareholders. Patel brings 28 years of experience in the energy industry, with a focus on electric transmission systems, infrastructure planning and
Patel elected to MDU Resources board of directors Read More »
Great River Energy employees rolled up their sleeves to support the Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity organization by helping to build new homes in Prior Lake in May. This year, employees — primarily from the transmission division — worked on a set of four townhomes. Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity is committed to building the
Employees spend week working with Habitat for Humanity Read More »
What began as a casual conversation has sparked a major safety initiative at Great River Energy, where dozens of employees now rely on wearable technology to enhance safety while working alone. The idea formed when Great River Energy’s Melissa Phillips, manager of field services, spoke with a technician who expressed concern about what might happen
Smartwatches help protect lone workers Read More »
The uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) program at Great River Energy began in 2018 and has since grown to include 15 systems and 16 qualified operators. The program received a Beyond Visual Line of Sight waiver from the Federal Aviation Administration last spring, which allows Great River Energy to fly its UASs up to 20 miles
UAS program continues to expand Read More »
Great River Energy achieves strong reliability in 2024 Keeping the lights on is Great River Energy’s core business and the cooperative delivered in every regard in 2024. Great River Energy closely monitors reliability by tracking outages affecting its member-owners’ distribution substations that are triggered by issues on the transmission system. In 2024, the cooperative recorded
Energy members can depend on Read More »
Severe Weather Awareness Week is designed to remind and educate everyone about the seasonal threats from severe weather and how to avoid them. It’s also a great time to make and practice your emergency plan, refresh your emergency preparedness kit and revisit what to do should you encounter a downed power line. Severe Weather Awareness Week is April 7-11 in Minnesota. The state conducts tornado drills April 10.
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Great River Energy recently entered into another innovative pilot project to further its grid modernization efforts. The cooperative is working with Prisma Photonics to deploy its monitoring technology across approximately 90 miles of existing transmission lines in northern and central Minnesota. The technology will help Great River Energy serve its members better by offering operators
Grid modernization takes shape on transmission lines Read More »