Banding one of the young peregrine falcons at Elk River Station. |
Environmental stewardship Great River Energy strives to be a good steward of the environment in all areas of its operations as well as in our surrounding communities. Below are some examples of our environmental stewardship efforts. You can read more about these efforts in our 2008 Social Responsibility Report. |
In June 2008, Great River Energy and our 28 member cooperatives worked with the Center for Energy and Environment to sponsor the first free statewide compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) collection and recycling program in Minnesota. By partnering with Minnesota Menards® locations, we were able to provide residents across the state with a free and convenient CFL recycling opportunity.
A team of about 30 Great River Energy employee volunteers is dedicated to educating coworkers about how to be more environmentally conscious at work and at home. The group leads a number of hands-on activities. Including:
| Minimizing our waste Great River Energy is an active Waste Wise member and sponsor. Waste Wise is a non-profit organization whose mission is to help businesses and organizations reduce waste, save money and protect the environment. Great River Energy’s Waste Wise efforts include tracking and reporting waste prevention; recycling activities that include pop can recycling, fly ash beneficial use and technical equipment donation. In 2008, Great River Energy received the Minnesota Waste Wise Leader award. The award is given to Minnesota Waste Wise members who have shown true leadership in sustainable business practices, including waste reduction, recycling, energy efficiency, purchasing and employee involvement. |
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Great River Energy installed a peregrine falcon nesting box on its Elk River Energy Recovery Station power plant in early 2006. Every year since 2007 we have hosted two adult falcons and several eyases (baby falcons). Each year the eyases have been banded by the Raptor Resource Project. Great River Energy installed a bird cam in the falcon box to increase awareness of conservation efforts and provide the public with opportunities to watch the birds.
Visit our Birdcam page »Great River Energy has planted several prairies over the last few years as part of our stewardship programs. We started with our New Prague facility in 2003, continued with Pleasant Valley Station in 2005, Lakefield Junction Station in 2006, Cambridge Station in 2007 and, most recently, our new headquarters facility in Maple Grove. Native prairies have numerous environmental benefits, such as reducing erosion/runoff, promoting carbon sequestration, providing wildlife habitat and reducing plant maintenance activities – like mowing and irrigation. While native prairies take a few years to establish, they are truly sustainable once they fully mature.
Great River Energy uses an integrated vegetation management program to enhance wildlife habitat along power line rights-of-way. This effort includes the use of low-volume, biodegradable herbicides to remove unwanted woody species while leaving behind the grasses, wildflowers and low-growing trees preferred by butterflies, songbirds, wild turkey and deer.
In a unique partnership, Great River Energy teamed up with Ducks Unlimited, The Falkirk Mining Company, North Dakota and federal agencies, and area landowners to build a nesting site for migrating ducks in central North Dakota. A nesting island was constructed around a Great River Energy transmission line tower near Coal Creek Station.
Great River Energy and Minnesota’s other Touchstone Energy® cooperatives have joined together to spruce up the state park system through the GreenTouch partnership. Twice a year, co-op volunteers work together to help build picnic shelters, brush trails, plant trees and undertake other activities at various state parks.
Before Great River Energy was formed in 1999, North Dakota and Minnesota employees were involved in highway revitalization, and that volunteering effort continues. In both the spring and fall of 2008, about 15 employees at each site cleaned up a section of U.S. Highway 10 in Elk River, Minnesota, U.S. Highway 83 near Underwood, North Dakota, and U.S. Highway 200A in front of our Stanton Station. Great River Energy continues to partner with the U.S. Department of Transportation to participate in the Adopt-A-Highway program.
Employees at our Maple Grove, Minnesota facility also help to clean park lands and a walking path adjacent to our building.
For five months in the winter of 1804-1805, the Lewis & Clark Expedition lived at Fort Mandan in North Dakota. It was here where the group first met Sakakawea, became close friends with the Mandan and Hidatsa tribes and survived a long, bitterly cold winter. The North Dakota Lewis & Clark Bicentennial Foundation constructed a visitor services center at Fort Mandan to accommodate the thousands of visitors expected to visit during the upcoming bicentennial of the expedition. The visitor services center is constructed virtually entirely of coal combustion products. The center showcases the many new energy efficient, environmentally friendly products that are constructed from recycled products of coal combustion.
