Group to meet with Great River Energy

A group of state officials, utility industry representatives and others concerned with “green” architecture and energy conservation will visit Great River Energy’s headquarters in Maple Grove, Minn.

A bus will leave from Bismarck on Monday and make stops in Jamestown and Fargo to pick riders up.

Once in Maple Grove the group will tour the headquarters on Monday night and have a briefing Tuesday morning.

Speakers will include executives from Great River Energy, Xcel Energy and Medtronic and a Minnesota Public Utilities commissioner who will share examples of state and regional best practices in energy efficient design and building and in legislative and regulatory policies.

Great River Energy’s headquarters has a Platinum LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification.

The building is one of about 100 Platinum certifications in the U.S. said Jason Schaefer, project manager with the Prairie Stewardship Network.

The building utilizes geothermal heating and cooling systems, solar panels, a wind turbine, recycled materials and captures rain water, Schaefer said.

“We consider energy efficiency to be our first fuel and a top priority, and our new headquarters building demonstrates how reduced energy use, financial savings and a better quality of life can go hand in hand,” said David Saggau, Great River Energy CEO in a press release. “We are pleased to host this group of leaders and stakeholders and support their efforts to advance energy efficiency in North Dakota.”

The tour is organized by the North Dakota Alliance for Renewable Energy, Dakota Defense Alliance, Energy Efficiency Partnership, Great Plains Institute and Prairie Stewardship Network.

Those interested in attending can contact Renee Gopal at 701-647-2532 or by e-mail at PSN@prairiestewardship.org

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