Split Rock Energy names CEO to succeed Mussell
Elk River, MN (February 22, 2002) - Split Rock Energy, LLC has named Ron Larson to succeed Ade Mussell as its president and CEO upon Mussell’s retirement this spring. The two will work together during a transition period in April. Larson is currently Chief Financial Officer for Great River Energy, a generation and transmission cooperative headquartered in Elk River. He has been a member of Split Rock Energy’s board since the organization’s formation in 2000.
“We are pleased that Ron has accepted this challenge to lead Split Rock Energy through the coming phases of its development,” said Don Shippar, Split Rock Energy board chair and president of Minnesota Power. “His extensive experience at Great River Energy, and prior to that at Cooperative Power Association, along with his strong financial background will be beneficial to the continued growth of the alliance.”
Split Rock Energy LLC was formed by Minnesota Power and Great River Energy to mitigate the companies’ risk in the wholesale energy market. The utilities combine their power supply capabilities and customer loads for power pool operations, generation outage protection, and power marketing and trading. MPEX, Minnesota Power’s wholesale marketing division, has been conducting power marketing and trading functions for the utilities.
Recently, the Split Rock Energy board decided to integrate MPEX into Split Rock Energy by the end of March to better equip the alliance and its member utilities to keep pace with the demands of an industry in transition.
Headquartered in Elk River, Minnesota, Great River Energy is a consumer-owned generation and transmission cooperative and Minnesota’s second largest utility in terms of generating capacity. Great River Energy provides low-cost electrical energy and related services to its 29 member distribution cooperatives in Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Minnesota Power, an ALLETE company, serves 144,000 customers in northeastern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin with affordable electricity. The company supplies wholesale electric power to 16 municipal systems and also markets power across the Midwest.
For more information:Kandace Olsen, Great River Energy, 763-241-2293
Eric Olson, Minnesota Power, 218-723-3947
