In the News

We are regularly asked, “Who qualifies for USDA business loans and grants in Minnesota?” Great River Energy’s economic development team and our member-owner cooperatives can answer that question on a one-on-one basis by reviewing the needs of your business. In the meantime, here are a few things to keep i...Continue Reading

Many of Great River Energy’s member-owner cooperatives support USDA grants for eligible community development projects in Minnesota and can help entrepreneurs and expanding business access new sources of funding. The USDA has several programs to help businesses create jobs and grow rural economies. This particular program, the USDA Rural Economi...Continue Reading

The U.S. gained the land now known as Minnesota starting in the late 1700s through the Treaty of Paris, the Louisiana Purchase and negotiations with the Dakota Indians and other tribes who had long inhabited the land. The start of Minnesota’s statehood, gained in 1858, was marked by hostile relations betwee...Continue Reading

The Georgia-North Carolina business climate rivalry was relegated to the runner-up level in this year’s ranking of the best state business climates. Virginia, a frequent top 10 finisher in Site Selection’s annual ranking, won first place over Georgia, a recent eight-consecutive-year winner. Texas finished in third place. North Carolina an...Continue Reading

Great River Energy (GRE) and our cooperatives have loans for Minnesota businesses and we can help you to apply for them! We understand that running a business is time consuming and it can be difficult to find the financing necessary to grow and expand. Our economic development team is her...Continue Reading

Some tourist attractions on the Range experienced a decline this past year, while others saw growth. Nick Arola, Hibbing Parks and Recreation Director said the Hibbing Municipal Golf Course returned to pre-COVID numbers. “In 2020 there were 12,100 rounds played,” Arola said. “That number decreased to 11,7626 last year and continued downwar...Continue Reading

The Elko New Market City Council continued its public hearing about the proposed Niagara Bottling water bottling plant on Tuesday, Dec. 20. The public hearing had begun on Thursday, Dec. 15. For most of the two-and-ahalf-hour Dec. 20 meeting, the council heard from more than 30 people at city hal...Continue Reading

When Ford’s first electric F-150 Lightning trucks started hitting roads earlier this year, it was one sign that electric vehicles are now mainstream. The truck, the newest version of the best-selling vehicle in the U.S., was designed to convert drivers who might not have considered EVs in the past. Your lates...Continue Reading

The Business Expansion Loan Program offered by Great River Energy helps rural Minnesota businesses to grow by providing capital at below-market interest rates. Businesses can borrow up to $500,000, or 50% of the project cost. Interest rates for eligible projects can be as low as zero percent (0% interest), makin...Continue Reading

On Dec. 8, Governor Tim Walz announced an almost $100 million investment for internet providers across the state to expand broadband coverage for all Minnesotans. “This historic funding will dramatically improve broadband access for thousands of Minnesotans,” said Governor Walz in a prepared statement by Governor Walz’s press office. “Broadband connect...Continue Reading

At a recent Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation Board meeting, approximately $680,000 in loans, $5.7 million in infrastructure grants, $2.6 million in trails grants, $9.4 million in mining fund rebates, $8.3 million in Giants Ridge development, $6.7 million in K-12 school collaboration funds, and $985,000 in higher education funds wer...Continue Reading

The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) on Tuesday launched a Request for Proposals (RFP) to award $67.6 million in broadband grants across the state.   This new grant round comprises $25 million in state funding and $42.6 million from the federal government, DEED said in a news release...Continue Reading

Energy efficient equipment can be expensive, but new energy efficiency loans can help Minnesota businesses to pay for these important upgrades. The E3 Fund (Energy Efficiency & Electrification Fund) is used to facilitate the installation of high efficiency equipment. Up to $350,000 can be lent, or up to 80% o...Continue Reading

This December, the American Community Survey (ACS) released its 2021 five-year estimates. This data release offers the first glimpse into trends since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic and provides some evidence on population trends that have long been subject to speculation. Click here to read full article from Northland Connection. Continue Reading

The Stearns Electric Association Board of Directors announced that Matt O’Shea has been named CEO of the cooperative. He will succeed Robin Doege, who retired from the cooperative in Sept. 2022. "The Board of Directors conducted an extensive search in partnership with Holmes Executive Search, LLC to find the next CEO for Stearn...Continue Reading

December 17 is the 119th anniversary of the Wright Brothers’ first flight. The day honors Orville and Wilbur Wright, who in 1903 flew the first successful flight in a mechanically propelled airplane near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Over a century later, northeastern Minnesota’s aviation industry is an important part of th...Continue Reading

Rural Minnesota businesses can benefit from the USDA Rural Economic Development Loan & Grant (REDLG) program designed to create jobs through business expansions and start up activities. Businesses who qualify can receive loans at an interest rate that is either zero, or lower than the prevailing Prime interest rate. Thi...Continue Reading

It's an old saying in the recruiting industry: Minnesota is the hardest state to recruit employees to, but also the hardest state to recruit employees away from. St. Louis Park resident Sarah Schueller has heard the paradoxical axiom a number of times since moving here from Chicago a few years ago...Continue Reading

For 66 years Sawbill Outfitters has been off-grid, producing electricity by solar, wind, propane and diesel generation, but that recently changed when Arrowhead Cooperative got electrical and fiber to the remote business. “I’m sure we’ll continue to realize many benefits to our new access to power, but the first obvious on...Continue Reading

Rural broadband projects across Minnesota are set to receive nearly $100 million as the state pushes to bring high-speed internet to the more than 200,000 households in the remaining communities that don’t have access. Gov. Tim Walz’s office on Thursday announced that the $99.6 million in state and federal funding fo...Continue Reading

Local governments should take a holistic, government-wide approach to develop electric vehicle charging infrastructure to take advantage of new funding opportunities, according to a report issued Tuesday by the Electrification Coalition, a nonpartisan organization that promotes the adoption of EVs. Last year’s bipartisan infrastructure law provided nearly $19 billion in grant...Continue Reading

 Governor Tim Walz announced that internet providers will receive nearly $100 million to expand broadband coverage to more Minnesotans, representing the largest single investment in broadband infrastructure in state history. "This historic funding will dramatically improve broadband access for thousands of Minnesotans," said Governor Walz. "Broadband connects students to new educationa...Continue Reading

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Under Secretary Xochitl Torres Small today announced that USDA is accepting applications for grants to establish and operate Agriculture Innovation Centers. These centers provide technical and business development assistance to agricultural producers seeking to market or produce value-added products. USDA is making $...Continue Reading

A new DEED grant intends to help labor-strapped manufacturers employ more robots in their companies. Central McGowan Vice President and General Manager of Automation Pete Rogers said automation implementation has been undergoing a big shift; previously, it was mainly large manufacturers with the resources to automate, but that has tricked dow...Continue Reading