Upcoming Director Elections

Connexus Energy is now accepting applications for Board of Director candidates in director districts 1, 2, and 3. The deadline for applications is 5:00 p.m. on January 24, 2020. An informational meeting for members interested in becoming director candidates is scheduled for January 14 at Connexus Energy. If you are planning to apply and would like to attend the informational meeting, please contact kim.vredenburg@connexusenergy.com.

Important dates

January 24 – Deadline for Director applications

Late March – Voting packets mailed to members

April 16 – Annual Meeting

Be as green as you want

At Connexus Energy, we make it easy for you to be green. Did you know that 25% of the electricity you use comes from renewable energy? As we build more solar arrays that number continues to climb.

How green you want to be is up to you. If you want to run your home with 100% renewable energy,
we offer several programs to help you reach your goal.

Visit us at connexusenergy.com for more information.

Community Corner

You won’t be hearing about “starving students” at Anoka Technical College. The college now has a food shelf onsite for students to use when needed. Connexus Energy worked with Hope for the Community to make the food shelf a reality.

Our employees love a parade especially when it takes place in Anoka, the Halloween capital of the world.

Connexus members chose Jack’s Basket as the latest recipient of a $1,000 donation through our Your Community, Your Choice program. Jack’s Basket mission is to celebrate babies with Down Syndrome and to ensure new and expectant parents are provided resources and support within the community.

Co-op Cuisine

Nanaimo Bars

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup plus 1 tbsp butter, divided
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup baking cocoa
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, optional
• 2 tbsp instant vanilla pudding mix
• 3 tbsp milk
• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 3 oz semi-sweet chocolate

Preparation:
In a large saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter. Remove from the heat; blend in sugar, cocoa, vanilla, egg, crumbs, and coconut. Add nuts if desired. Press into a 9-in. square pan. In a small bowl, cream 1/4 cup butter, pudding mix, milk, and sugar. Spread over crumb layer; chill. Melt chocolate and 1 tablespoon butter; spread over pudding layer. Chill before cutting into bars.

Community Calendar

Driver Improvement Program 55+
January 9
February 27 & 28
To pre-register, call 1.888.234.1294
Sponsored by St. Cloud State University
Held at Connexus Energy

A fresh approach to energy

New programs save members money

Small action can lead to big change. Just ask those members who participated in the new Wi-Fi PowerNap® Air Conditioning and Peak-Time Rebate programs last summer. By making a few changes, most saved energy and lowered their electric bills.

What are the changes that can result in credits on your bill? They are as simple as shutting off unnecessary lights and appliances during certain times or allowing us to control air conditioners through your Wi-Fi thermostat for a couple of hours.

The two energy-efficiency programs focus on conservation and help reduce our need for electricity during peak times. Peak demand for electricity is usually in the early evening on hot days when most people come home and the demand for electricity is high. By reducing your energy usage during those times, we reduce the need for more energy and additional infrastructure (power plants, etc.), which in turn lowers costs.

Our new and innovative battery storage facilities in Ramsey and Athens Township also help reduce costs. Solar plus battery storage gives Connexus the ability to save the power that the solar panels produce and use that power at times when electricity demand is at its peak. “We are encouraged by our results,” said Connexus Energy CEO Greg Ridderbusch. “In the first nine months of operation, the batteries are performing as we expected.”

Interested in joining the thousands of other Connexus members who are already enjoying the benefits of our innovative energy-efficient programs? Get more information on the Wi-Fi PowerNap and Peak-Time Rebate programs at connexusenergy.com.

Your community, your choice

Fur-Ever Home Rescue from Zimmerman is one of the recent recipients of a $1,000 donation through our Your Community, Your Choice program. With this online-based program, you choose which local organizations receive our support.

Co-op cuisine

Harvest Pumpkin Dip

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 3 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 15 oz can pumpkin
• Apple and pear slices
• Graham crackers and vanilla wafers

Preparation:
Beat first five ingredients until blended. Gradually beat in pumpkin until smooth. Serve with your choice of apple or pear slices, graham crackers, or vanilla wafers. Refrigerate leftovers.

Community Calendar

Driver Improvement Program 55+
November 14
December 11
To pre-register, call 1.888.234.1294
Sponsored by St. Cloud State University
Held at Connexus Energy

Connexus Energy CEO, Greg Ridderbusch, had the opportunity to be invited for the second year in a row to attend the Berlin Seminar in July.

Hosted by the University of Minnesota’s Institute on the Environment and funded through a grant from the German government, the annual Berlin Seminar on Energy Policy is a unique opportunity for leaders in government, business, academia, and the nonprofit sector from both Germany and the U.S. Upper Midwest to share information and perspectives on how to best achieve a renewable energy future.

The theme of this year’s seminar is Energy Transition 2.0: The 20-some delegates invited to attend viewed showcase examples in the North Rhine-Westphalia and Berlin/Brandenburg regions that demonstrated the benefits of looking at energy in a comprehensive fashion and connecting renewable energy generation with other sectors, including buildings, transportation, industry, and agriculture.

Minnesota has been exchanging best practices in energy and sustainability with Germany since 2011 through various programs hosted by the Institute on the Environment. Minnesota’s 2013 solar energy legislation, which is enabling strong growth in the deployment of solar energy plants across the state, is among the outcomes prompted by the exchange. Another outcome relates to the ongoing conversation in the state about opportunities and challenges in Minnesota’s own energy transition; having access to insights from the architects of Germany’s transition, along with multi-partner collaboration, allows for more robust solutions in Minnesota.

Connexus Energy is proud to be a part of such a fantastic opportunity as we move toward even more renewable energy in the future for our members.