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May 17, 2023
Connexus Energy Applauds Historic Investment in Electric Cooperatives and Utilities Serving Rural America
The United States Department of Agriculture announced $10.75 billion of new investments in cooperatives and utilities serving rural America to accelerate deployment of resilient and cost-competitive electric infrastructure, energy efficiency, and clean energy generation. The funding represents the single largest investment in rural electrification since President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Rural Electrification Act into law in 1936.
Connexus Energy attended the announcement event hosted by USDA Rural Utilities Service Administrator Andrew Berke in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building at the White House and released the following statement:
“Connexus Energy applauds Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Senator Tina Smith for their work contributing to this historic investment in electric cooperatives nationwide,” said CEO Greg Ridderbusch. “With clarity of purpose Connexus will work to secure investments that reduce costs and increase reliability for our members, while we seek successful pathways for the clean energy transition. Further, we will partner with other cooperatives and stakeholders with vision to generate the most benefits for rural communities. We take this historic action by USDA with seriousness and ambition.”
(Ramsey, MN) — Members of Connexus Energy, Minnesota’s largest electric cooperative, gathered in-person and online yesterday for the cooperative’s Annual Meeting.
Since its founding in 1937 as one of the nation’s first 100 electric cooperatives, Connexus Energy has been governed by a Board of Directors elected by its members. Members cast their vote online and via mailed ballot proactively provided to each member. Members gathered in the cooperative’s large community room as well as watched the proceedings streamed online.
2023 Election Results
In 2023, Board elections were held in District 1, District 2, and District 3.
In District 1, Michael Cady was re-elected to the board. In District 2, Michael Thews was elected to the board, taking over for retiring board member Donald Holl. In District 3, Shelly Peterson was re-elected to the board.
Survey and Ballot Systems, an independent and national expert third-party cooperative election administrator, managed all member votes. Here is the breakdown of the voting:
District 1
Michael Cady – 6,738 / 77.4% David Mol – 1,965 / 22.6%
In addition to recognizing a fifth consecutive year of no rate increase, this year was also special due to the retirement of Board Member Donald Holl following 25 years of service. Holl’s service was formally recognized in remarks of Connexus Energy Board Chair Fran Bator. Holl represented Connexus Energy’s District 2.
Retiring board member Donald Holl with Connexus Energy Board Chair Fran Bator
2022 Annual Review
The 2022 Annual Review and audited financials are available online. Printed copies of the Annual Review were mailed to all Connexus Energy members before the Annual Meeting. In addition, videos of the CEO and CFO’s 2022 business reports have been posted online.
In lieu of a single guest speaker, Connexus Energy hosted brief presentations on Minnesota’s recently enacted 100% carbon-free electricity by 2040 law. The presenters were energy advisor and former Minnesota Public Utilities Commissioner Dan Lipschultz and Brian Burandt, Connexus Energy’s vice president of power supply and business development.
Connexus Energy is Minnesota’s largest electric cooperative and one of the 20 largest retail electric cooperatives nationwide, serving more than 144,000 members in parts of eight Minnesota counties north of the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Connexus Energy is nationally and regionally recognized for its innovation, affordability, and providing reliability in the top five percent of all utilities nationwide.
The artwork of Jerry Jorgenrud, an artist and Connexus member from Oak Grove, is displayed inside the Connexus Energy building in two locations. Members can see three watercolors facing our main lobby and employees can see three more watercolors outside the System Operations windows.
Showcasing the work of local artists is a new collaboration with Rumriver Art Center that began in December 2022. Jerry’s work is on display through May 2023. The watercolor to the right is titled “Clean Electric.”
Rumriver Art Center began in 2009 in an old creamery building along the Rum River. They have expanded to include an art café and library, a ceramic studio and seven private artist studios. The founders and directors are Susan Yee and Larry Weinberg, who are Connexus members from Andover.
If you are interested in purchasing any of Jerry’s pieces, please contact Rumriver Art Center. If you want to explore your own creativity, check out the in-person and virtual classes offered by Rumriver Art Center in Anoka. There are also classes and summer camps for kids. More than 10,000 students take classes each year.
