Great River Energy well prepared for today’s hot weather

Elk River, MN (August 18, 2003)
It’s the dog days of August, and during the hot steamy weather Great River Energy saw a record peak demand of 2,248 megawatts (MW) of electricity on Saturday, August 16.

“Even with the climbing temperatures and constant air conditioner use, we have enough power to serve our customers,” says Rick Lancaster, Great River Energy vice president of corporate services. “Over the last few years, Great River Energy has made significant investments in new power plants and transmission lines to keep up with this growing energy demand.”

In addition, Great River Energy and its 28 member cooperatives have invested heavily in load management and can control approximately 260 MW, or more than 10 percent, of their energy load.

After last week’s blackout on the east coast, reliability is on everyone’s mind. Great River Energy continually evaluates its generation resources and updates its transmission system. “Because we’re a not for profit cooperative and owned by our customers, we’re responsible to them and not a group of outside investors,” Lancaster says. “As a result, we continue to invest in system upgrades and maintenance.”

As an example, two new Great River Energy peaking power plants in southern Minnesota began operation in summer 2001. The plants, which only are operated about 10 percent of the time, play a significant role in ensuring Great River Energy’s ability to meet the record demand for electricity. Together, they generate nearly 1,000 megawatts of energy, enough to power nearly 100,000 homes.

Great River Energy also operates more than 4,400 miles of high voltage transmission line covering more than 60 percent of the state. Last year, Great River Energy constructed and energized more than $30 million in transmission projects. These projects serve the organization’s growing load and strengthen system reliability. They include everything from building new lines and substations to replacing poles and repairing breakers.

“We’re not facing an energy crisis,” Lancaster says. “But these hot days can stretch the regional power grid. So, it’s important for consumers to remember that simple things like adjusting their thermostats and turning off unnecessary appliances may help reduce the potential for problems.”

Great River Energy is a not for profit electric cooperative providing energy and transmission services to 28 member distribution cooperatives in Minnesota and Wisconsin.