https://econdev.greatriverenergy.com Great River Energy News Feed Fri, 15 May 2026 19:22:34 +0000 en-US https://econdev.greatriverenergy.com/news/great-river-energy-news/p/item/66792/lake-country-power-iron-range-resources-support-shovelready-real-estate-in-cohasset https://econdev.greatriverenergy.com/news/great-river-energy-news/p/item/66792/lake-country-power-iron-range-resources-support-shovelready-real-estate-in-cohasset Tue, 10 Mar 2026 05:00:00 +0000 Lake Country Power (LCP), one of Great River Energy’s member-owner cooperatives, celebrated the groundbreaking of its Cohasset Industrial Park Distribution System Upgrade, a project that promises to greatly enhance the shovel-ready development opportunities in Cohasset. LCP gathered with representatives from the city of Cohasset, Itasca County, Lake States Construction and the... https://econdev.greatriverenergy.com/news/p/item/66729/ireland-trade-mission-clarifies-foreign-direct-investment-paths-for-rural-minnesota-cooperatives https://econdev.greatriverenergy.com/news/p/item/66729/ireland-trade-mission-clarifies-foreign-direct-investment-paths-for-rural-minnesota-cooperatives Tue, 10 Mar 2026 05:00:00 +0000 Rural areas in Minnesota continue to find innovative ways to attract private investment, skilled workers and stable employers. Foreign direct investment is a steady source of growth. Despite changes in trade policy and global markets, international companies are still expanding in the U.S. Many are now looking beyond big, expensive... https://econdev.greatriverenergy.com/news/p/item/66724/minnesotas-medtech-momentum-creates-new-opportunity-for-electric-cooperatives https://econdev.greatriverenergy.com/news/p/item/66724/minnesotas-medtech-momentum-creates-new-opportunity-for-electric-cooperatives Tue, 10 Mar 2026 05:00:00 +0000 Minnesota has become one of the most competitive destinations for life sciences and medical technology (medtech) investment in the country. According to the Hickey Institute’s 2025 Life Sciences and MedTech Site Selection Strategy Report, the Minneapolis-St. Paul region is now one of the most critical national hubs for biomanufacturing and... https://econdev.greatriverenergy.com/news/in-the-news/p/item/66517/ireland-trade-mission-expands-new-foreign-direct-investment-paths-for-rural-minnesota-cooperatives https://econdev.greatriverenergy.com/news/in-the-news/p/item/66517/ireland-trade-mission-expands-new-foreign-direct-investment-paths-for-rural-minnesota-cooperatives Tue, 17 Feb 2026 06:00:00 +0000 Minnesota's electric cooperatives continue to seek practical ways to diversify local economies, attract new capital and foreign direct investment, and connect rural regions with new international partners.A recent trade mission to Ireland – supported by Great River Energy, Greater Mankato Growth and LITTUS – provided new insight into how Irish... https://econdev.greatriverenergy.com/news/p/item/66007/sc-times-2025-st-cloud-new-developments-spend-millions https://econdev.greatriverenergy.com/news/p/item/66007/sc-times-2025-st-cloud-new-developments-spend-millions Fri, 02 Jan 2026 06:00:00 +0000 St. Cloud welcomed several major development projects to the area in 2025.The area's biggest projects of the year spanned areas from health care to manufacturing and commercial space, excluding restaurants and housing, bringing in tens of millions of dollars in new developments.CentraCareThe CentraCare system brought in a total of over... https://econdev.greatriverenergy.com/news/p/item/66020/grand-rapids-herald-review-learning-through-adventure-and-play-roots-&-wings-to-open-naturebased-early-learning-center-spring-of-2026 https://econdev.greatriverenergy.com/news/p/item/66020/grand-rapids-herald-review-learning-through-adventure-and-play-roots-&-wings-to-open-naturebased-early-learning-center-spring-of-2026 Sat, 27 Dec 2025 06:00:00 +0000 Roots & Wings Early Learning Center, LLC, affectionately called “The Mustard Seed” by owners Rob and Krista Sjostrand, is set to open spring of 2026.The project was planted in their hearts a little over 3 years ago. After COVID, when the world went a little sideways, the Sjostrands felt the... https://econdev.greatriverenergy.com/news/p/item/66018/deed-governor-walz-announces-millions-in-workforce-training-grants https://econdev.greatriverenergy.com/news/p/item/66018/deed-governor-walz-announces-millions-in-workforce-training-grants Tue, 23 Dec 2025 06:00:00 +0000 Governor Tim Walz and the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) today announced the recipients of $8.8 million in grants to grow Minnesota's workforce through the Drive for 5 Workforce initiative. Drive for 5 is the state's program for preparing Minnesotans for high-demand jobs in five occupational categories: the... https://econdev.greatriverenergy.com/news/p/item/66016/opportunity-zones-the-coming-opportunity-zone-investment-surge https://econdev.greatriverenergy.com/news/p/item/66016/opportunity-zones-the-coming-opportunity-zone-investment-surge Tue, 23 Dec 2025 06:00:00 +0000 New survey data indicates a likely surge in Opportunity Zone investing in 2027. What else is coming down the pike? Plus, the long-awaited 2025 OZ Holiday Gift Guide!In this episode of OZ NewsHour, Andy Hagans and Jimmy Atkinson deliver their end-of-year program, covering brand-new proprietary survey data, OZ 2.0 policy... https://econdev.greatriverenergy.com/news/p/item/66008/sc-times-st-clouds-airport-adds-travelers-improvements-in-recent-years https://econdev.greatriverenergy.com/news/p/item/66008/sc-times-st-clouds-airport-adds-travelers-improvements-in-recent-years Mon, 22 Dec 2025 06:00:00 +0000 St. Cloud Sky Central Airport boasted its increased passenger count and improvement projects in its comprehensive community report, released Dec. 17.Since 2022, the St. Cloud Regional Airport Authority worked on improvement projects worth nearly $10.9 million, of which nearly 93% was funded by state and federal grants, according to a... https://econdev.greatriverenergy.com/news/in-the-news/p/item/65991/leading-metro-locations-2025-smaller-markets-stronger-momentum https://econdev.greatriverenergy.com/news/in-the-news/p/item/65991/leading-metro-locations-2025-smaller-markets-stronger-momentum Mon, 22 Dec 2025 06:00:00 +0000 Each year, Area Development partners with Chmura Economics & Analytics to evaluate the performance of U.S. metropolitan areas based on the fundamentals that matter most to business expansion: workforce, economic strength, and adaptability. Using Chmura’s data-driven model — which equally weights Prime Workforce and Economic Strength — the Leading Metro... https://econdev.greatriverenergy.com/news/p/item/66019/business-north-20-maadaookiing-grants-support-projects-that-strengthen-native-american-culture-and-community https://econdev.greatriverenergy.com/news/p/item/66019/business-north-20-maadaookiing-grants-support-projects-that-strengthen-native-american-culture-and-community Fri, 19 Dec 2025 06:00:00 +0000 The Northland Foundation is pleased to share that 14 individuals were awarded $66,500 in Maada’ookiing grants this past summer which include awards made through a special “pop-up” Maada'ookiing grant opportunity that was announced in the spring. Another six grants totaling $29,450 were awarded in the fall grantmaking round.“The Maada’ookiing Advisory... https://econdev.greatriverenergy.com/news/p/item/66021/grand-rapids-herald-review-northland-foundation-awards-over-725000-to-support-people-and-communities-in-northeastern-minnesota https://econdev.greatriverenergy.com/news/p/item/66021/grand-rapids-herald-review-northland-foundation-awards-over-725000-to-support-people-and-communities-in-northeastern-minnesota Thu, 18 Dec 2025 06:00:00 +0000 Northeast MN and Tribal Nation Lands—The Northland Foundation awarded 29 grants totaling $728,750 through its Quarterly Grant program during July, August, and September. A large share of the grants went to organizations addressing food insecurity in communities throughout northeastern Minnesota, including food banks, food shelves, and other food distribution programs.“Food... https://econdev.greatriverenergy.com/news/in-the-news/p/item/65982/site-readiness-surge-states-bet-big-to-attract-industrial-investment-and-jobs https://econdev.greatriverenergy.com/news/in-the-news/p/item/65982/site-readiness-surge-states-bet-big-to-attract-industrial-investment-and-jobs Wed, 17 Dec 2025 06:00:00 +0000 A critical shortage of development-ready industrial sites is pushing states to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in product development. These proactive efforts aim to enhance the developability and speed-to-market of industrial property, ultimately attracting capital investment and job creation. Site Selection Group regularly monitors these investments, and this article... https://econdev.greatriverenergy.com/news/p/item/66017/along-those-lines-electric-coops-manage-unprecedented-data-center-growth https://econdev.greatriverenergy.com/news/p/item/66017/along-those-lines-electric-coops-manage-unprecedented-data-center-growth Mon, 15 Dec 2025 06:00:00 +0000 Planned data center construction is surging to meet demand for cloud applications, cryptocurrency, streaming services and artificial intelligence. Electric co-ops are at the center of that development, with some fielding multiple new requests at a time to serve data centers.These large loads can benefit co-ops and the communities they serve... https://econdev.greatriverenergy.com/news/p/item/66013/minneapolisst-paul-business-journal-daikin-applied-americas-building-163-million-r&d-facility-in-twin-cities https://econdev.greatriverenergy.com/news/p/item/66013/minneapolisst-paul-business-journal-daikin-applied-americas-building-163-million-r&d-facility-in-twin-cities Tue, 09 Dec 2025 06:00:00 +0000 Daikin Applied Americas Inc., a maker of commercial HVAC equipment, has begun construction of a 163 million dollars  research and development test lab in the Twin Cities. The 71,000-square-foot facility will be located at the company's Plymouth headquarters at 13600 Industrial Park Boulevard according to an announcement Tuesday. Completion is... https://econdev.greatriverenergy.com/news/p/item/66015/duluth-news-tribune-after-helium-discovery-hunt-for-minnesota-hydrogen-ramps-up https://econdev.greatriverenergy.com/news/p/item/66015/duluth-news-tribune-after-helium-discovery-hunt-for-minnesota-hydrogen-ramps-up Tue, 09 Dec 2025 06:00:00 +0000 Two years after a company confirmed the presence of helium beneath the surface of Northeastern Minnesota, other companies are poking around the area for confirmation of a lightweight gas from the other end of the periodic table of elements: hydrogen.At its remote site between Babbitt and Isabella, Pulsar Helium has... https://econdev.greatriverenergy.com/news/in-the-news/p/item/65990/the-cold-chain-sector-recalibration https://econdev.greatriverenergy.com/news/in-the-news/p/item/65990/the-cold-chain-sector-recalibration Wed, 03 Dec 2025 06:00:00 +0000 United States cold storage is a specialized sector representing less than 2% of the overall industrial market, yet it is mission-critical infrastructure for U.S. consumption. Today, the property type is in a period of generational change. Average rents have grown more than 100% since 2020, yet vacancy has climbed to... https://econdev.greatriverenergy.com/news/p/item/66012/keyc-news-greater-mankato-growth-using-facebook-to-support-small-businesses https://econdev.greatriverenergy.com/news/p/item/66012/keyc-news-greater-mankato-growth-using-facebook-to-support-small-businesses Tue, 02 Dec 2025 06:00:00 +0000 Nearly a third of the Mankato Population are members of the Greater Mankato - Support Local Businesses Page.It was originally meant for local restaurants to reach out to the community during COVID.Greater Mankato Growth’s Andy Wilke says it’s now serving a dual purpose, “Not just to celebrate businesses, but then... https://econdev.greatriverenergy.com/news/in-the-news/p/item/65984/aiforward-content-strategies-for-economic-developers-how-to-promote-your-community-in-2026 https://econdev.greatriverenergy.com/news/in-the-news/p/item/65984/aiforward-content-strategies-for-economic-developers-how-to-promote-your-community-in-2026 Tue, 02 Dec 2025 06:00:00 +0000 As economic developers look for new ways to promote their communities online, adapting to an AI-driven search landscape has become essential. At Golden Shovel Agency, we’re helping organizations rethink their 2026 content strategies to ensure their communities stand out—both to people and to artificial intelligence.Economic Developers Must Adapt to the... https://econdev.greatriverenergy.com/news/in-the-news/p/item/65750/medical-devices-&-technology-health-care-heats-up-with-medtech-boom https://econdev.greatriverenergy.com/news/in-the-news/p/item/65750/medical-devices-&-technology-health-care-heats-up-with-medtech-boom Sun, 30 Nov 2025 06:00:00 +0000 Robots repairing femurs. AI being wielded to find cancer treatments. These are just a few areas of research that will be supported by the new Strategic Innovation Center (SIC) recently announced at Rowan University in New Jersey.“Maybe one day down the road, we will have the Silicon Valley of medtech... https://econdev.greatriverenergy.com/news/in-the-news/p/item/65651/fdi-in-america-how-does-the-us-stack-up-in-fdi https://econdev.greatriverenergy.com/news/in-the-news/p/item/65651/fdi-in-america-how-does-the-us-stack-up-in-fdi Sun, 30 Nov 2025 06:00:00 +0000 Foreign dollars invested in the United States increased by $332.1 billion to $5.71 trillion at the end of 2024, with the manufacturing sector seeing the highest increases and retaining the largest sector of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the country. This year has also seen a yo-yo effect when it... https://econdev.greatriverenergy.com/news/p/item/66014/star-tribune-in-minnesota-farm-country-a-plan-for-a-4-billion-data-center-takes-root-with-vast-wind-solar-and-battery-projects https://econdev.greatriverenergy.com/news/p/item/66014/star-tribune-in-minnesota-farm-country-a-plan-for-a-4-billion-data-center-takes-root-with-vast-wind-solar-and-battery-projects Wed, 26 Nov 2025 06:00:00 +0000 A power developer has a novel plan to build a $4 billion data center in rural southwestern Minnesota, as well as an armada of wind, solar and battery plants the company hopes will attract a wealthy buyer.Somewhere among the farm fields that dominate the landscape around the tiny enclaves of... https://econdev.greatriverenergy.com/news/p/item/65607/great-river-energy-electric-cooperatives-power-minnesotas-life-science-growth https://econdev.greatriverenergy.com/news/p/item/65607/great-river-energy-electric-cooperatives-power-minnesotas-life-science-growth Tue, 25 Nov 2025 06:00:00 +0000 Minnesota is experiencing a decisive expansion in its life sciences and medical technology sectors. With an intense concentration of medical device, biotech and health-technology companies, the state offers a compelling destination for firms seeking sites for research, development and manufacturing.According to the state’s business development agency, Minnesota’s life sciences industry... https://econdev.greatriverenergy.com/news/in-the-news/p/item/65731/us-opportunity-zones-what-opportunity-zones-permanence-means-for-corporate-investors https://econdev.greatriverenergy.com/news/in-the-news/p/item/65731/us-opportunity-zones-what-opportunity-zones-permanence-means-for-corporate-investors Mon, 24 Nov 2025 06:00:00 +0000 Anyone planning to make a location decision in the coming years should be paying attention to Opportunity Zones, the federal capital gains tax incentive designed to drive productive investment into low-income areas across the country.The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) made Opportunity Zones (OZs) a permanent feature of the... https://econdev.greatriverenergy.com/news/p/item/66009/usda-rural-development-secretary-rollins-announces-availability-of-7-million-for-advanced-biofuel-production https://econdev.greatriverenergy.com/news/p/item/66009/usda-rural-development-secretary-rollins-announces-availability-of-7-million-for-advanced-biofuel-production Fri, 21 Nov 2025 06:00:00 +0000  U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins today announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture is making $7 million in payments available to advanced biofuel producers nationwide through the Advanced Biofuel Producer Payment Program, which is a provision of the One Big Beautiful Bill. The funding is aimed at increasing the...