Minnesota’s Electric Cooperatives discuss Minnesota’s energy future at Cooperative Energy Forum
Elk River, MN (February 15, 2002) Minnesota’s electric cooperatives will meet in downtown St. Paul next week to discuss deregulation and energy issues and talk with legislators about Minnesota’s energy future during a Cooperative Energy Forum.
Directors from Minnesota’s 45 distribution cooperatives and six generation and transmission cooperatives will attend the Cooperative Energy Forum from February 18-20 at the Touchstone Energy® Place at RiverCentre. The event will include the annual meetings of Great River Energy and the Minnesota Rural Electric Association (MREA), dialogue with Minnesota legislative leaders, and a conference of speakers on a variety of energy-related topics.
On Tuesday, February 19, electric cooperative leaders will host a town meeting with Minnesota Senators Roger Moe and Dick Day, and Representatives Steve Sviggum and Loren Jennings, about energy and utility issues.
On Wednesday, February 20, the Cooperative Energy Forum will feature speakers from around the country presenting on topics including the responsibility of boards of directors in this changing industry. Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura will be the luncheon speaker offering a state of the state to electric cooperative members.
Minnesota’s electric co-ops are consumer-owned, non-profit utilities that serve 611,631 customer meters, or about 1.3 million people, covering 80 percent of the geographic area of the state. They own and maintain over 113,000 miles of distribution line, averaging 5.4 consumers per mile of line. About 95 percent of electric co-op members are farm and non-farm residential.
Co-ops range in size from 2,000 to 100,000 consumers, with a median size of 5,800. They sell over 10 billion kWh per year, which represents about 15 percent of the state’s total kWh sold and about $676 million in revenues. Electric co-ops employ over 2,300 people in Minnesota. For more information, visit www.mrea.org.
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