Member Communities
Blue Earth
Blue Earth Light and Water (BELW) is one of forty eight of the nation’s more than 2,000 public power utilities that has earned the Reliable Public Power Provider (RP3)® designation from the American Public Power Association for providing reliable and safe electric service. In planning for its electrification future, BELW installed two electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at the city’s welcome center next to the 55-foot-high statue of the Jolly Green Giant along Interstate Highway 90.
Website: belw.org
Energy Profile
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Power Generation: Local Energy: 10.7 MW Total 19.44 MW |
Sustainable Energy: Carbon Free Energy: 8.74 MW Energy Savings: 0.44 MW |
6.5 |
Distributed Energy Resource Interconnection Process
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Are you a local customer who wants to interconnect self-generation to the distribution system? Please visit:
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Delano
The city, whose slogan is “The Spirit of Community,” is home to the oldest and largest Fourth of July celebration in Minnesota, first held July 4, 1857. In 2013, Forbes selected Delano over every other town in the United States as the “Best School for Your Housing Buck.” Student test scores have consistently been at or near the top in the state.
Website: delanomn.us
Energy Profile
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Power Generation: Local Energy: 25.9 MW Total 36.8 MW |
Sustainable Energy: Carbon Free Energy: 8.5 MW Energy Savings: 0.20 MW |
6.1 |
Distributed Energy Resource Interconnection Process
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Are you a local customer who wants to interconnect self-generation to the distribution system? Please visit:
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Fairfax
Founded at the intersection of Minnesota State Highways 4 and 19, Fairfax calls itself a “Little Big Town”. The city bustles as a transportation hub within Renville County, an agricultural center that produces more corn and soybeans than any other county in Minnesota. Residents and visitors alike enjoy the 8.1-mile hiking and biking trail that connects Fairfax with Historic Fort Ridgely State Park located along the Minnesota River Valley.
Website: fairfax-mn.gov
Energy Profile
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Power Generation: Local Energy: 1.8 MW Total 4.4 MW |
Sustainable Energy: Carbon Free Energy: 2.2 MW Energy Savings: 0.01 MW |
1.6 |
Distributed Energy Resource Interconnection Process
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Are you a local customer who wants to interconnect self-generation to the distribution system? Please visit:
|
Glencoe
Glencoe has its eye on its future while also working to preserve its small-town community feel, as shown by the slogan, “Small City. Big Future.” The Glencoe Light and Power Utilities Commission has a long history of using available resources to position itself for the future and is proud to lead the state in purchasing reliable power from a local landfill gas generation plant. Generating electricity from methane is reliable and environmentally friendly, which makes it an attractive resource.
Website: glencoelightandpower.com
Energy Profile
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Power Generation: Local Energy: 39.1 MW Total 52 MW |
Sustainable Energy: Carbon Free Energy: 9.1 MW Energy Savings: 0.16 MW |
6.5 |
Distributed Energy Resource Interconnection Process
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Are you a local customer who wants to interconnect self-generation to the distribution system? Please visit:
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Granite Falls
Named for the granite and gneiss outcroppings over which the Minnesota River flows, Granite Falls is a great rural community with a strong and diverse economic landscape. The city’s location on the river allows it to generate electricity from a hydroelectric plant. At times, the plant meets approximately 30 percent of the city’s total electric needs with clean electric power.
Website: granitefalls.com
Energy Profile
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Power Generation: Local Energy: 6.7 MW Total 13.44 MW |
Sustainable Energy: Carbon Free Energy: 6.84 MW Energy Savings: 0.5 MW |
5.2 |
Distributed Energy Resource Interconnection Process
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Are you a local customer who wants to interconnect self-generation to the distribution system? Please visit:
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Janesville
Janesville is a community where friends are like family. Given the fact that the city is named after a local 19th-century settler, Mrs. Jane Sprague, it is fitting that the title of the city’s video is, What if your neighbors were your best friends? Janesville values relationships and works hard to meet the needs of its residents, including electric service through its public power utility established in 1939.
Website: janesvillemn.gov/utilities
Energy Profile
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Power Generation: Local Energy: 5.2 MW Total 8.94 MW |
Sustainable Energy: Carbon Free Energy: 3.74 MW Energy Savings: 0.021 MW |
2.6 |
Distributed Energy Resource Interconnection Process
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Are you a local customer who wants to interconnect self-generation to the distribution system? Please visit:
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Kasson
Kasson’s 1895 86-foot ornamental water tower of gray limestone is on the National Register of Historic Places. Providing quality utility services, including electricity, has been ingrained into the community fabric since the city’s beginnings.
Website: cityofkasson.com
Energy Profile
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Power Generation: Purchased: 11.34 MW Total 11.34 MW |
Sustainable Energy: Carbon Free Energy: 11.34 MW Energy Savings: 0.7 MW |
8.5 |
Distributed Energy Resource Interconnection Process
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Are you a local customer who wants to interconnect self-generation to the distribution system? Please visit:
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Kenyon
Home of the Boulevard of Roses and the historic Gunderson House, Kenyon is ideally nestled along the north fork of the Zumbro River 40 miles northwest of Rochester and only 50 miles south of downtown St. Paul. Its locale allows Kenyon to offer small-town charm in a family-friendly community, with a convenient, easy commute to suburban and metropolitan areas.
Website: kenyonmn.govoffice3.com
Energy Profile
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Power Generation: Local Energy: 5.54 MW Total 11.04 MW |
Sustainable Energy: Carbon Free Energy: 4.94 MW |
3.5 |
Distributed Energy Resource Interconnection Process
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Are you a local customer who wants to interconnect self-generation to the distribution system? Please visit:
|
Blue Earth
Blue Earth Light and Water (BELW) is one of forty eight of the nation’s more than 2,000 public power utilities that has earned the Reliable Public Power Provider (RP3)® designation from the American Public Power Association for providing reliable and safe electric service. In planning for its electrification future, BELW installed two electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at the city’s welcome center next to the 55-foot-high statue of the Jolly Green Giant along Interstate Highway 90.
Website: belw.org
Energy Profile
|
Power Generation: Local Energy: 10.7 MW Total 19.44 MW |
Sustainable Energy: Carbon Free Energy: 8.74 MW Energy Savings: 0.44 MW |
6.5 |
Distributed Energy Resource Interconnection Process
|
Are you a local customer who wants to interconnect self-generation to the distribution system? Please visit:
|
Delano
The city, whose slogan is “The Spirit of Community,” is home to the oldest and largest Fourth of July celebration in Minnesota, first held July 4, 1857. In 2013, Forbes selected Delano over every other town in the United States as the “Best School for Your Housing Buck.” Student test scores have consistently been at or near the top in the state.
Website: delanomn.us
Energy Profile
|
Power Generation: Local Energy: 25.9 MW Total 36.8 MW |
Sustainable Energy: Carbon Free Energy: 8.5 MW Energy Savings: 0.20 MW |
6.1 |
Distributed Energy Resource Interconnection Process
|
Are you a local customer who wants to interconnect self-generation to the distribution system? Please visit:
|
Fairfax
Founded at the intersection of Minnesota State Highways 4 and 19, Fairfax calls itself a “Little Big Town”. The city bustles as a transportation hub within Renville County, an agricultural center that produces more corn and soybeans than any other county in Minnesota. Residents and visitors alike enjoy the 8.1-mile hiking and biking trail that connects Fairfax with Historic Fort Ridgely State Park located along the Minnesota River Valley.
Website: fairfax-mn.gov
Energy Profile
|
Power Generation: Local Energy: 1.8 MW Total 4.4 MW |
Sustainable Energy: Carbon Free Energy: 2.2 MW Energy Savings: 0.01 MW |
1.6 |
Distributed Energy Resource Interconnection Process
|
Are you a local customer who wants to interconnect self-generation to the distribution system? Please visit:
|
Glencoe
Glencoe has its eye on its future while also working to preserve its small-town community feel, as shown by the slogan, “Small City. Big Future.” The Glencoe Light and Power Utilities Commission has a long history of using available resources to position itself for the future and is proud to lead the state in purchasing reliable power from a local landfill gas generation plant. Generating electricity from methane is reliable and environmentally friendly, which makes it an attractive resource.
Website: glencoelightandpower.com
Energy Profile
|
Power Generation: Local Energy: 39.1 MW Total 52 MW |
Sustainable Energy: Carbon Free Energy: 9.1 MW Energy Savings: 0.16 MW |
6.5 |
Distributed Energy Resource Interconnection Process
|
Are you a local customer who wants to interconnect self-generation to the distribution system? Please visit:
|
Granite Falls
Named for the granite and gneiss outcroppings over which the Minnesota River flows, Granite Falls is a great rural community with a strong and diverse economic landscape. The city’s location on the river allows it to generate electricity from a hydroelectric plant. At times, the plant meets approximately 30 percent of the city’s total electric needs with clean electric power.
Website: granitefalls.com
Energy Profile
|
Power Generation: Local Energy: 6.7 MW Total 13.44 MW |
Sustainable Energy: Carbon Free Energy: 6.84 MW Energy Savings: 0.5 MW |
5.2 |
Distributed Energy Resource Interconnection Process
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Are you a local customer who wants to interconnect self-generation to the distribution system? Please visit:
|
Janesville
Janesville is a community where friends are like family. “What if your neighbors were your best friends?” the city asked in a YouTube video. Fitting for a city named after Mrs. Jane Sprague, a 19th century settler. The city is located on the south edge of Lake Elysian and is home to Southern Minnesota’s only reversible golf course, where you can play a round either in a counterclockwise route or in a less conventional clockwise one.
Website: janesvillemn.gov/utilities
Energy Profile
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Power Generation: Local Energy: 5.2 MW Total 8.94 MW |
Sustainable Energy: Carbon Free Energy: 3.74 MW Energy Savings: 0.021 MW |
2.6 |
Distributed Energy Resource Interconnection Process
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Are you a local customer who wants to interconnect self-generation to the distribution system? Please visit:
|
Kasson
Kasson’s 1895 86-foot ornamental water tower of gray limestone is on the National Register of Historic Places. Providing quality utility services, including electricity, has been ingrained into the community fabric since the city’s beginnings.
Website: cityofkasson.com
Energy Profile
|
Power Generation: Purchased: 11.34 MW Total 11.34 MW |
Sustainable Energy: Carbon Free Energy: 11.34 MW Energy Savings: 0.7 MW |
8.5 |
Distributed Energy Resource Interconnection Process
|
Are you a local customer who wants to interconnect self-generation to the distribution system? Please visit:
|
Kenyon
Home of the Boulevard of Roses and the historic Gunderson House, Kenyon is ideally nestled along the north fork of the Zumbro River 40 miles northwest of Rochester and only 50 miles south of downtown St. Paul. Its locale allows Kenyon to offer small-town charm in a family-friendly community, with a convenient, easy commute to suburban and metropolitan areas.
Website: kenyonmn.govoffice3.com
Energy Profile
|
Power Generation: Local Energy: 5.54 MW Total 11.04 MW |
Sustainable Energy: Carbon Free Energy: 4.94 MW |
3.5 |
Distributed Energy Resource Interconnection Process
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Are you a local customer who wants to interconnect self-generation to the distribution system? Please visit:
|
Lake Crystal
Exactly as its name implies, Lake Crystal is a gem of a city in southern Minnesota located by the shores of three lakes. Along with MN State Highway 60 serving as the main route through town, the city rightly adopted the motto “The Place To Be”. City residents take great pride in their quality of life and value community involvement that supports local youth, workforce development, and accommodations for retirees. Whatever your stage in life or business, Lake Crystal is “The Place To Be”.
Website: www.lakecrystalmn.org
Madelia
Madelia Light and Power has served as the local connection to electricity since 1939. Madelia has long enjoyed local connections of all sorts from the days of citizen involvement in capturing bank robbers in the 19th century to rebuilding a downtown following a fire in the 21st. This strong sense of community is also strongly evident in its Pride of the Prairie video. As a public power utility, Madelia Light and Power supports this vibrant quality of life and serves families and businesses with reliable electric service while giving back to the community and keeping rates as low as possible.
Website: madelialightandpower.com
Mountain Lake
Mountain Lake’s tribute to its public power heritage is strongly apparent in the photos that line the walls as you walk through its power plant. In fact, in the late 1920’s when the citizens voted to form a public power utility, the area IOU contested the election and took the city to court. Ultimately, the Minnesota Supreme Court upheld the lower court opinion “that the election was hotly contested, but fairly conducted. And the results should be left in force.” And so, public power was born in Mountain Lake.
Website: mountainlakemn.com
Energy Profile
|
Power Generation: Local Energy: 9.2 MW Total 27.9 MW |
Sustainable Energy: Carbon Free Energy: 5.1 MW Energy Savings: 0.04 MW |
3.6 |
Distributed Energy Resource Interconnection Process
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Are you a local customer who wants to interconnect self-generation to the distribution system? Please visit:
|
Sleepy Eye
Sleepy Eye citizens in the 1890’s were so concerned about keeping students comfortable for learning that they located the city’s first power plant in the basement of the new public school. Located in the middle of Minnesota’s most productive farmland, many of Sleepy Eye’s businesses, including vegetable canning, serve the agricultural sector. State Highway 14, also known in Minnesota as the Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Highway, goes through the center of Sleepy Eye and is the avenue used to send food to market.
Website: sleepyeye-mn.com
Energy Profile
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Power Generation: Local Energy: 11.68 MW Total 40.7 MW |
Sustainable Energy: Carbon Free Energy: 10.7 MW Energy Savings: 0.04 MW |
7.5 |
Distributed Energy Resource Interconnection Process
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Are you a local customer who wants to interconnect self-generation to the distribution system? Please visit:
|
Springfield
Springfield often refers to itself as “Minnesota Town on the Prairie” in keeping with the city’s mention on the “Little House on the Prairie” television show based on the famous Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books. The quality of life improved for the “Minnesota Town on the Prairie” when it built a power plant in 1894. At the time, only a few hundred kilowatt hours of electricity were generated per day – mostly for lighting. Today, 125 years later, the city’s quality of life is phenomenal as Springfield Public Utilities reliably meets electric needs.
Website: springfieldmn.org
Energy Profile
|
Power Generation: Local Energy: 9.1 MW Total 16.9 MW |
Sustainable Energy: Carbon Free Energy: 6.5 MW Energy Savings: 0.04 MW |
4.6 |
Distributed Energy Resource Interconnection Process
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Are you a local customer who wants to interconnect self-generation to the distribution system? Please visit:
|
Truman
Truman is a great place to call home, and as a warm welcome to the city, you will quickly notice homey images of quilt squares around town. These displays of barn quilt squares support the endeavors of a local artist and showcases the city’s sense of history, craftsmanship, and generosity. From public power to the barn quilt trail, the residents of Truman embrace local initiative and rolling out the welcome mat to all who live in and visit their community.
Website: trumanmn.us
Windom
You can “Come On Down” to Windom anytime, especially given that it is the birthplace of Johnny Olson, the original announcer on the Price is Right game show. Windom is a lively, growing city, as viewed in the video, “Windom a Great Place to Live!”. A transportation hub for the region, Windom is served by U.S. Highway 71 and Minnesota Highway 60. The city’s public power utility electrifies a diverse economy including manufacturing, agriculture, medical and adult care facilities.
Website: windom-mn.com
Energy Profile
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Power Generation: Local Energy: 9 MW Total 24.6 MW |
Sustainable Energy: Carbon Free Energy: 9.3 MW Energy Savings: 0.07 MW |
6.6 |
Distributed Energy Resource Interconnection Process
|
Are you a local customer who wants to interconnect self-generation to the distribution system? Please visit:
|
Lake Crystal
Exactly as its name implies, Lake Crystal is a gem of a city in southern Minnesota located by the shores of three lakes. Along with MN State Highway 60 serving as the main route through town, the city rightly adopted the motto “The Place To Be”. City residents take great pride in their quality of life and value community involvement that supports local youth, workforce development, and accommodations for retirees. Whatever your stage in life or business, Lake Crystal is “The Place To Be”.
Website: www.lakecrystalmn.org
Madelia
Madelia Light and Power has served as the local connection to electricity since 1939. Madelia has long enjoyed local connections of all sorts from the days of citizen involvement in capturing bank robbers in the 19th century to rebuilding a downtown following a fire in the 21st. This strong sense of community is also strongly evident in its Pride of the Prairie video. As a public power utility, Madelia Light and Power supports this vibrant quality of life and serves families and businesses with reliable electric service while giving back to the community and keeping rates as low as possible.
Website: madelialightandpower.com
Truman
Truman is a great place to call home, and as a warm welcome to the city, you will quickly notice homey images of quilt squares around town. These displays of barn quilt squares support the endeavors of a local artist and showcases the city’s sense of history, craftsmanship, and generosity. From public power to the barn quilt trail, the residents of Truman embrace local initiative and rolling out the welcome mat to all who live in and visit their community.
Website: trumanmn.us
Mountain Lake
Mountain Lake’s tribute to its public power heritage is strongly apparent in the photos that line the walls as you walk through its power plant. In fact, in the late 1920’s when the citizens voted to form a public power utility, the area IOU contested the election and took the city to court. Ultimately, the Minnesota Supreme Court upheld the lower court opinion “that the election was hotly contested, but fairly conducted. And the results should be left in force.” And so, public power was born in Mountain Lake.
Website: mountainlakemn.com
Energy Profile
|
Power Generation: Local Energy: 9.2 MW Total 27.9 MW |
Sustainable Energy: Carbon Free Energy: 5.1 MW Energy Savings: 0.04 MW |
3.6 |
Distributed Energy Resource Interconnection Process
|
Are you a local customer who wants to interconnect self-generation to the distribution system? Please visit:
|
Sleepy Eye
Sleepy Eye citizens in the 1890’s were so concerned about keeping students comfortable for learning that they located the city’s first power plant in the basement of the new public school. Located in the middle of Minnesota’s most productive farmland, many of Sleepy Eye’s businesses, including vegetable canning, serve the agricultural sector. State Highway 14, also known in Minnesota as the Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Highway, goes through the center of Sleepy Eye and is the avenue used to send food to market.
Website: sleepyeye-mn.com
Energy Profile
|
Power Generation: Local Energy: 11.68 MW Total 40.7 MW |
Sustainable Energy: Carbon Free Energy: 10.7 MW Energy Savings: 0.04 MW |
7.5 |
Distributed Energy Resource Interconnection Process
|
Are you a local customer who wants to interconnect self-generation to the distribution system? Please visit:
|
Springfield
Springfield often refers to itself as “Minnesota Town on the Prairie” in keeping with the city’s mention on the “Little House on the Prairie” television show based on the famous Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books. The quality of life improved for the “Minnesota Town on the Prairie” when it built a power plant in 1894. At the time, only a few hundred kilowatt hours of electricity were generated per day – mostly for lighting. Today, 125 years later, the city’s quality of life is phenomenal as Springfield Public Utilities reliably meets electric needs.
Website: springfieldmn.org
Energy Profile
|
Power Generation: Local Energy: 9.1 MW Total 16.9 MW |
Sustainable Energy: Carbon Free Energy: 6.5 MW Energy Savings: 0.04 MW |
4.6 |
Distributed Energy Resource Interconnection Process
|
Are you a local customer who wants to interconnect self-generation to the distribution system? Please visit:
|
Windom
You can “Come On Down” to Windom anytime, especially given that it is the birthplace of Johnny Olson, the original announcer on the Price is Right game show. Windom is a lively, growing city, as viewed in the video, “Windom a Great Place to Live!”. A transportation hub for the region, Windom is served by U.S. Highway 71 and Minnesota Highway 60. The city’s public power utility electrifies a diverse economy including manufacturing, agriculture, medical and adult care facilities.
Website: windom-mn.com
Energy Profile
|
Power Generation: Local Energy: 9 MW Total 24.6 MW |
Sustainable Energy: Carbon Free Energy: 9.3 MW Energy Savings: 0.07 MW |
6.6 |
Distributed Energy Resource Interconnection Process
|
Are you a local customer who wants to interconnect self-generation to the distribution system? Please visit:
|