Connexus Energy Blog

Affordability you can count on all year long 

When our call center received its second, third, and fourth call after a TV news segment about rising electricity costs our team was ready. We were still in the thick of budgeting for 2022 as questions about our 2022 rates were being asked by members. 

In early December, as with each year, the Connexus Energy Board representing our member owners heard the details of how inflation, investment, strategic initiatives, member conservation, and market prices would affect the 2022 budget.  

The good news, with the efforts of employees, members, and a bit of growth, 2022 will be Connexus Energy’s fifth consecutive year of no rate increase. 

While several of Minnesota’s largest electric utilities are proposing to raise the rates and increase bills, Connexus Energy is happy to be an outlier. Connexus’ mix of modern electric grid technologies, the hard work of our staff, and a well-designed and maintained system empowers us to provide nationally competitive reliability at an affordable cost. 

Looking forward we are reaching deeper to find additional efficiencies looking in detail at our wholesale power supply. A unanimous vote by Connexus Energy’s board directed staff to pursue competitive wholesale power savings, flexibility, and local control. Negotiations with Great River Energy our current wholesale power provider are ongoing and being pursued while maintaining the reliability and safety of our service to you and our commitment to cooperative values. As reported in our last several annual meetings, our wholesale power costs have been the highest of all electric cooperatives in Minnesota for the past decade. 

Last fall we were pleasantly surprised with recognition by our business peers at the Anoka Chamber of Commerce with the 2021 Service Business of the Year Award. Chamber CEO Pete Turok observed that “Affordable, reliable energy is the lifeblood of our communities and creates advantages that spur economic growth.”

Nina Axelson, executive director of Grid Catalyst, a Minnesota-based energy business accelerator, observed “it’s great to see this news. Connexus is clearly implementing innovative energy solutions that balance the critical need of reliable energy service with the urgency of grid transformation and decarbonization. It’s easy enough to claim to be innovative, but their team has delivered on their promise in very tangible ways. The best kind of energy innovation makes a difference in people’s lives, and we’re encouraged to see it happening here in Minnesota.”

Swimming against a stream of rising costs for five consecutive years is an achievement we’re proud of. It takes hard work from our employees, and courageous choices by your elected Board members. The energy transition that is presently occurring is an exciting time and Connexus Energy’s approach is always grounded by your expectation of affordable, reliable, safe, and increasing sustainable electricity. 

One of Minnesota’s award-winning filmmakers recently teamed up with Prairie Restorations on a short documentary, “Pollinators, Prairie, and Power” that included Connexus Energy CEO Greg Ridderbusch. Watch it now.

Separately, members of Anoka Area Chamber of Commerce voted to recognize Connexus as its 2021 Service Business of the Year. In 2021, Connexus Energy’s board voted unanimously to pursue competitive wholesale power and increased flexibility in its power generation portfolio. “Affordable, reliable energy is the lifeblood of our communities and creates advantages that spur economic growth,” said Pete Turok, president of the Anoka Chamber of Commerce.

“Connexus is honored to accept this award on behalf of our more than 200 employees working in service of the thousands of Connexus Energy members throughout Anoka County and the region,” said Greg Ridderbusch, CEO of Connexus. Since its establishment in 1952, the Anoka Area Chamber of Commerce has helped advance commercial, civic and industrial interest in Minnesota cities, providing local businesses with resources to help them thrive. With more than 600 members, the organization focuses on creating a better business environment and a stronger community through meaningful engagement and education.

In response to a Star Tribune report of Xcel Energy seeking a nearly 20% increase in residential energy bills, Connexus Energy issued the following statement:

“Members are asking what to expect in 2022, as Connexus Energy has achieved 4 years of flat rates. And though we are budgeting for 2022 in a rising cost environment we are trying to achieve another strong result,” said Greg Ridderbusch, CEO. “Connexus’ mix of modern electric grid technologies, the hard work of our staff, and a well-designed and maintained system empowers us to provide nationally competitive reliability at an affordable cost.”

By embracing innovations including grid-scale battery storage, more than $25 million of local solar generation, customer-centric demand response programs, and automated metering infrastructure, Connexus has kept retail rates to our members flat while progressing with greening the grid.

“We’re encouraged by Connexus’ commitment to demand response, battery storage, and local generation to help manage energy costs and prevent rate increases,” said Annie Levenson-Falk, executive director of the Citizens Utility Board of Minnesota (CUB). “We look forward to working with Connexus to ensure that all members can afford their electricity service.” Formed in 2016, the Citizens Utility Board is Minnesota’s nonprofit advocate exclusively focused on being the voice for, and resource to, regular Minnesota utility consumers.

Connexus is Minnesota’s largest electric cooperative and one of the 20 largest retail electric cooperatives nationwide, serving more than 320,000 people (140,000 meters) in all or parts of seven Minnesota counties north of the twin cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. As a member-owned cooperative, Connexus returns annual profits to its members in a program it calls Cash Back. In 2021, Connexus paid more than $8.4 million back to its member owners through the Cash Back program.