As ever more renewable energy is added to the electric grid, utilities continue to preserve one of electricity’s most important qualities: reliability. Large conventional power plants that have shut down in recent years are often replaced with new generators, such as wind turbines and solar panels, that can produce electricity at a lower cost. But […]
While the blizzard that hit Minnesota the night before Christmas Eve did little to damage Great River Energy’s transmission system, transmission partners that serve its member-owner cooperatives were not as lucky. “The blizzard caused damage to transmission facilities owned by other utilities, which left 11 of our members’ substations without power for sustained periods,” said […]
“Member Moment” highlights one of Great River Energy’s member-owner cooperatives and how it uniquely demonstrates what it means to be a cooperative. Connexus Energy, the largest member-owned utility in Minnesota, has served its communities since 1937 when a group of residents formed the Anoka County Cooperative Light and Power Association and brought electricity to the […]
For Rodney De Fouw, member electrification strategist at Great River Energy, the winter cold in the area bordering Lake Superior is more than just an uncomfortable reality or an interesting bit of trivia. He knows one of the biggest barriers to commercial and industrial (C&I) members adopting electric equipment is skepticism that it will operate […]
Electric cooperatives are guided by seven cooperative principles, and among them is a vow to support the overall sustainability of the communities they serve, which extends beyond providing electricity. “We know the coronavirus impacted millions of people, including some of our employees,” said Therese LaCanne, manager of communications and marketing at Great River Energy. “We’ve […]