Environment --> Energy Wise

Saving energy means saving money. We want to help you save both, without sacrificing your comfort. Learn how to be Energy Wise^®. To help make your home more energy efficient, look here for energy saving tips.

Great River Energy’s 28 member cooperatives offer many incentives for your household or business to conserve energy. For more information, contact your electric cooperative.

Great River Energy coordinates grant and rebate programs that commercial, industrial and agriculture operations can apply for through their electric cooperative. In 2004, approximately $1.2 million was awarded for energy conservation through these programs.

Great River Energy and our member cooperatives recognize the environmental, economic, and societal benefits of renewable energy resources and the importance of utilizing alternative forms of electric generation. Co-op members can receive an incentive of $2,000 per kW on new grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) solar electric systems up to a maximum of $4,000 for a 2-kW system through our Solar Electric Rebate Program.

Great River Energy’s member cooperatives have offered their consumers energy efficiency information and assistance for over 30 years. According to our most recent reports, our member cooperatives have achieved energy savings of more than 38 million kilowatt hours annually and created a 12 percent reduction in our peak summer load through conservation and load management initiatives, many of which are aimed at residential consumers. Through these efforts, we’ve grown our load management programs over the last 25 years and reduced the need for new generation resources with programs like:

The Cycled Air Conditioning Program, begun in 1984, has enabled more than 135,000 residential member consumers to help Great River Energy reduce peak usage by approximately 130 MW.
The Electric Thermal Storage Program, which started in 1985, has enabled more than 50,000 residential member consumers to install more efficient water and space heating equipment and has the added benefit of optimizing the use of excess energy available at night from new renewable generation resources like wind.

Our member cooperatives have also increased their commitment to cost-effective conservation programs. Together, they spent approximately $10 million on conservation rebates and initiatives in 2006. They expect to spend nearly $13 million in 2008 to help consumers reduce their electric energy use through a variety of programs including:

Through the Energy Star Program, our member cooperatives have provided more than $2 million in rebates since 2003 to consumers who purchase high-efficiency clothes washers, refrigerators, air conditioning units and compact fluorescent light bulbs.
The Air Conditioning/Air Source Heat Pump Quality Installation Program, begun in 2007, helps consumers save money by reducing wasted energy caused by improper sizing and installation of air cooling systems.
The “Brighter Idea” Program, introduced in 2007, focuses on the uses of compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). CFLs use about 75 percent less energy to produce the same amount of light as incandescent bulbs. Lighting accounts for 15 to 20 percent of most residential electric bills, so CFLs can provide significant home energy savings at a reasonable upfront cost and little, if any, inconvenience.

Great River Energy’s member cooperatives current energy conservation efforts and increased spending, as successful as they are, have saved less than 0.4 percent of total energy usage annually. Increasing annual savings by recent Minnesota cannot be accomplished with just the stroke of a pen. Successful initiatives will require perseverance, an “in your neighborhood” presence and effective partnerships like the one shared by Great River Energy and its member cooperatives. Working together across Minnesota, we are committed to making a good faith effort to achieve this challenging goal with cost-effective solutions.