The Jolly Green Giant, Garrison Walleye have “A Brighter Idea”

Great River Energy and its member cooperatives partner with Minnesota landmarks to promote energy conservation

WHAT: Brighter ideas in energy conservation are popping up all over the state. On Tuesday, June 5, two of Minnesota’s most famous landmarks– Blue Earth's Jolly Green Giant statue and Garrison's Walleye statue–will reveal “A Brighter Idea.” These well-known statues will each don a 12-foot-high compact florescent bulb (CFL) inflatable balloon above their heads to kick-off Great River Energy’s “A Brighter Idea” campaign to encourage Minnesotans to install CFL bulbs in their homes. By doing so, homeowners will not only help conserve energy but also save money in energy costs.
These events will provide an excellent photo opportunity.

WHY: Great River Energy and its 28 member cooperatives are dedicated to having each of their 500,000+ residential customers replace five incandescent light bulbs with CFL bulbs. A single CFL bulb can save a homeowner $30 in energy costs over its lifetime. What’s more, if all of Great River Energy’s residential customers switched five incandescent bulbs to CFL bulbs, they would have the power to eliminate 201,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions every year—the equivalent of removing 38,000 cars from the road.* For additional information about the initiative, visit http://www.mnbrighterideas.com.

WHEN: Tuesday, June 5, 2007

TIME: 11 a.m.

WHERE: Green Giant Statue Park, Hwy. 169 and Green Giant Ave., Blue Earth, MN 56103

Walleye Statue, Hwy. 169, south end of town, Garrison, MN 56450

*Calculations are based on Great River Energy and its member co-ops’ 516,000 residential customers changing five regular incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescent light bulbs for one year.