Great River Energy’s Elk River Station receives international environmental certification

Elk River, Minn. (December 7, 2007) Elk River Station, a waste-to-energy power plant owned by Great River Energy, has received ISO (International Organization for Standardization) 14001 certification of its environmental management system (EMS). This certification demonstrates conformance to an international standard that reflects global consensus on superior environmental practices.

“Great River Energy is the only generation and transmission cooperative in the U.S. with ISO 14001 certified facilities. This is a significant demonstration of our commitment to being an environmentally responsible company,” says Mary Jo Roth, manager, environmental services, Great River Energy.

ISO 14001 is a voluntary international standard for excellent environmental practices. It requires that a company continuously evaluate and improve its environmental performance. As part of the certification process, an independent registrar completed a rigorous audit of Elk River Station’s EMS and environmental programs.

Elk River Station diverts about 300,000 tons of municipal solid waste annually from landfills to its electric generating station in Elk River, producing enough electricity for approximately 30,000 homes. According to legislation passed by the State in 2003, the power plant is classified as renewable energy.

Great River Energy has also received and maintains ISO 14001 certification for Coal Creek Station, Pleasant Valley Station, Lakefield Junction Station and its transmission operations.

Great River Energy, Elk River, is Minnesota’s second largest electric wholesale supplier, providing electricity to 28 distribution cooperatives that, in turn, serve more than 620,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Great River Energy is a not-for-profit cooperative owned by its members. For more information about Great River Energy, visit: www.GreatRiverEnergy.com.