Town hall events gather input on future of energy

Events provide opportunity to educate public, collect input on resource plans 

Great River Energy hosted three public town halls in January to share updates on its forthcoming integrated resource plan (IRP) and gather community input that will help shape the cooperative’s long‑term power supply strategy.

The IRP outlines how Great River Energy plans to meet members’ future energy needs reliably and affordably while supporting Minnesota’s clean‑energy goals ahead of its April 1 filing with state regulators. 

Sessions were held on Jan. 20 in Maple Grove, Jan. 22 in Grand Rapids and Jan. 28 in Mankato. These meetings provided an overview of Great River Energy’s resource planning priorities and invited open‑house discussions with community members and stakeholders. 

“At Great River Energy, our planning process works best when it reflects the voices of the people we serve,” said Kyle Leier, Great River Energy’s manager of resource strategy and development. “Hearing directly from members, local leaders and stakeholders helps us test assumptions, understand real‑world impacts and build an IRP that balances reliability, affordability and environmental stewardship.” 

The town halls, facilitated by Great River Energy’s resource planning team, featured a short presentation followed by stations where attendees could ask questions and offer feedback on topics such as renewable integration, grid reliability, transmission needs and cost impacts.

Community input from these events will be considered as Great River Energy finalizes its IRP for review by the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, which encourages utilities to engage the public in the planning process.