Great River Energy News

Construction underway on Faribault air separation plant

Monday, December 02, 2019

Construction is underway in Faribault, Minnesota, on an independently owned and operated air separation plant that will be powered by reliable electric service from Steele-Waseca Cooperative Electric (SWCE), one of Great River Energy’s 28 member-owner cooperatives. Absolute Air—a consortium of five independent gas and welding supply distributors along with the Independent Welding Distributors Cooperative—will bring gases often used in the medical, electronic, food packaging, laboratory and metal fabrication industries to the upper Midwest region beginning sometime in early 2021. Together, the consortium represents 30 business locations with more than 50,000 customers in a seven-state region. “Now we’re going to be making ...

Loan program helps fund fire truck

Monday, December 02, 2019

Rush City firefighters recently added a new fire truck to their fleet after being presented with a $252,000 check from East Central Energy (ECE), one of Great River Energy’s 28 member-owner cooperatives. The 2019 Spartan MetroStar Chassis fire truck replaces a 1992 model that had become insufficient in meeting the needs of the growing community. It was a team effort between the electric cooperatives, Rush City administration and the fire department to secure funding for the new truck. ECE maintains an economic development revolving loan fund (RLF) established through the USDA Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant (REDLG) program to suppor...

Seeking tech companies to fill Minnesota Technology Corridor

Monday, December 02, 2019

Partners across several industries and political jurisdictions have come together to identify a region along Interstate 35 in Minnesota that holds opportunity for tech companies looking for a location to start, relocate or grow their business. The Minnesota Technology Corridor consists of five cities within two counties in northeast suburbs of Minneapolis, Minnesota, that boast project sites ranging in size from 10 to 250 acres with access to abundant fiber, water and power. The cities and counties involved, along with electric utilities—including Connexus Energy, one of Great River Energy’s 28 member-owner cooperatives—and several high-speed internet service providers, are working to promot...

Attracting business through virtual reality

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Relationships are key to economic development. But let’s face it: This puts rural communities at a disadvantage in business attraction since site selectors don’t often have the time and money to visit small, remote towns. When in-person meetings aren’t possible, the right technology can do an excellent job of bridging the communication gap. Virtual reality (VR) has proven to be the next best method for showcasing community assets and capturing the attention of busy site selectors. Great River Energy partnered with economic development communications firm Golden Shovel Agency early to pioneer innovative VR technology for use in economic development. Tom Lambrecht, manager o...

Co-op hosts weeklong economic development course

Thursday, August 22, 2019

A five-day course designed for those new to economic development as well as seasoned professionals seeking to deepen their knowledge and skills in the field was hosted at Great River Energy’s Maple Grove office in late July. The Upper Midwest Basic Economic Development Course provided intensive training in the basic concepts, methods and strategies of local economic development. Attendees learned from a diverse and experienced faculty who provided a blend of theory and practice during the course. They studied the core building blocks of the industry, including: business retention and expansion, financing, marketing and business attraction, strategic planning and workforce development. The cours...

Fresh produce to be grown indoors with electricity

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Leafy greens will soon be grown 365 days of the year Minnesota. How? An insulated shipping container equipped with a complete hydroponic growing system will be delivered to the Central Lakes College (CLC) Agricultural Campus as part of an Electric Power Research Institute research project with Great River Energy, Todd-Wadena Electric Cooperative (TWEC), Lakewood Health System (LHS) and the college. Each partner will play a critical role in the two-year demonstration. Students from CLC’s horticulture and agriculture degree programs will learn firsthand about sustainable agriculture practices by maintaining and harvesting the produce, which will then be delivered to LHS for its “Food Farmacy&rdquo...

New future for Mille Lacs County sawmill

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Continued growth in the construction sector has increased demand for erosion control products using wood. One electric cooperative’s partnership with a local business will help meet that need. Gap financing provided through East Central Energy’s (ECE) revolving loan fund will help support the expansion of a sawmill in Milaca, Minnesota, this fall. Silt Sock, Inc., manufactures filter fabric socks filled with processed wood that are designed to allow water to flow through at a controlled rate while trapping sediment. These barriers are used as a lower-profile alternative to silt fencing on construction sites, protecting waterways from excess sediment by way of run-of...

Recruiting and retaining the best workforce

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Workforce development is a topic on the minds of business owners and economic developers around the nation. Minnesota is no different. It’s projected that the state will be short 239,000 workers by 2022. Across Minnesota, and throughout Great River Energy’s member-owner service area, economic development partners are working proactively to address this workforce challenge. Here are a few examples of some of the innovative initiatives making the state more competitive in attracting and retaining talent. Greater St. Cloud Development Corporation (GSDC) GSDC’s mission is to spearhead economic development in the greater St. Cloud region. Part of this charge is to expand and nurtur...

Washington and Anoka counties team up to market suburbs as Minnesota Technology Corridor

Monday, July 01, 2019

Two counties and five cities in the northeast suburbs are launching a regional marketing push aimed at attracting data centers and technology businesses to undeveloped pockets near Interstate 35E. Anoka and Washington counties are leading the collaborative pitch to brand the stretch of freeway near Centerville, Columbus, Forest Lake, Hugo and Lino Lakes as the future home of the Minnesota Technology Corridor. The partners engineered a soft launch last week of the corridor website and plan to ramp up marketing efforts in July. The marketing highlights the area’s large utility capacity and its proximity to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and emphasizes the tech talen...

Growing demand for refrigerated warehouses to serve Minnesota’s food industry

Thursday, May 30, 2019

The United States remains among the world’s largest markets for refrigerated/frozen warehousing services, with 131 million cubic meters of cold storage warehouse capacity – second only to India – according to the 2018 GCCA Global Cold Storage Capacity Report. Together with China, these three nations account for 60 percent of the global total for cold storage space. And the industry continues to grow. The report showed that global cold storage capacity increased 2.7 percent since 2016, while trend data from the frozen food and pharmaceutical industries suggest this growth will continue for several years to come. Great River Energy’s economic development tea...

Minnesota holds potential for mass timber manufacturing

Thursday, May 30, 2019

A recent study highlights northern Minnesota’s strong commercial market, accessibility to supply chain and opportunities for economic impact, suggesting it as a uniquely positioned area to propel development of mass timber manufacturing. “The Economic Feasibility of Mass Timber Manufacturing in Minnesota” – commissioned by the Area Partnership for Economic Expansion (APEX) and sponsored by Great River Energy, the Blandin Foundation, the Minnesota Department of Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation (IRRR), among others – also examined the state’s capacity to build a mass timber manufacturing facility in northern Minnesota. “The forest products industry in our region has always been strong,” said Brian Hanson...

Opportunity Zones: A powerful new investment incentive

Thursday, May 30, 2019

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 created a unique economic and community development initiative. The Opportunity Zone program aims to stimulate development in designated low-income urban and rural areas nationwide through a creative and powerful investment incentive. Through the program, private investors who sell property or stocks can defer or reduce their capital gains tax burden — or eliminate it altogether — by investing in a project in an Opportunity Zone. Under the new tax law, the longer the investment, the lower the burden. If a new investment is made by the end of 2019 and is held fo...

Projects with electric cooperative ties receive awards

Thursday, May 30, 2019

Two projects that Great River Energy and its member-owner cooperatives played a role in securing financing for, and a city that has found a niche with advanced manufacturing, food production and foreign direct investment, were recently recognized with awards. Minnesota Real Estate Journal, a statewide commercial real estate publication, recently handed out awards to companies, cities and local executives in recognition of their respective successful projectsand initiatives from the last year. Included among the award winners is Crystal Brook Senior Living Community, a 138,000-square-foot, 88-unit facility in Park Rapids, Minn., that was completed in October 2018. The facility was chosen as th...

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