Distributed Energy Resource Innovation Initiative

Collaboration for a Clean Energy Future

Great River Energy (GRE) and its member-owner distribution cooperatives – called “co-ops” – are a critical part of the ecosystem of organizations advancing Minnesota’s energy transition, particularly in rural Minnesota. Notably, GRE is incorporated as a cooperative, meaning that it is consumer-owned and consumer-governed by its 28 member distribution co-ops, themselves owned and governed by the end-consumers they serve.

But together, the ~900 co-ops across the country that serve 42 million Americans in primarily rural areas are facing a grand challenge: how do they decarbonize the electric grid and increase electrification of heating and transportation, all while equitably sharing the costs and benefits across types of consumers and regions of the state?

The challenges faced by co-ops’ are emblematic of the problems faced by utilities across the United States. But there is no playbook for how to adapt utility business models and practices for a rapidly changing technology landscape and the imperative of decarbonizing.

The DERII is working to establish a collaborative learning partnership to implement, research and learn the practices needed for utilities to drive the energy transition through technology acceleration, action research and peer learning.

Outcomes

• Held a planning phase to develop input to inform co-ops’ processes and best practices for integration of distributed energy resources
• Conducted interviews with GRE staff and member co-op CEOs and held focus groups with co-op staff to develop input and insights for the next stages of the research partnership
• Created a 36-page DERII Planning Phase Report, condensing the planning phase findings into practical summaries of the issues facing GRE and its member-owners concerning  distributed energy resources