Courtesy of Connexus Energy via MPR News A solar plus-battery storage project in Ramsey, operated by Connexus Energy, shown in a recent photo, began operating in 2018. The system allows Connexus to collect and save power generated by the solar panels to use at times when electricity demand and prices are high.
SOME MINN. RURAL CO-OPS EMBRACE RENEWABLE ENERGY, KEEP RATES FLAT By Kirsti Marohn | MPR News
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n a field in Ramsey north of the Twin Cities, a solar array is producing power from the sun. What’s unusual about this array are the large white boxes connected to it that are the size of shipping containers. They’re batteries that store energy when the sun is shining, to be used when electricity cost and demand are high. Connexus Energy, the state’s largest electric cooperative, built the Ramsey project and another in Athens Township three years ago. It was the first largescale, solar-plus-battery storage project in Minnesota. Greg Ridderbusch, CEO of Connexus Energy, said it’s one the reasons Connexus is able to keep its electric rates flat for the fifth straight year.
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“It’s saving our membership a lot of money every year by being able to time shift the use of energy to very expensive time periods,” he said. Connexus’ members are interested in greener electricity, but most don’t want to pay more for it, Ridderbusch said. “Our solar arrays that we put in are less expensive than the cost of electricity that we buy from the grid,” he said. “So we’re doing both things that our members want.” About one-third of Minnesotans get their electricity from a rural electric cooperative. While Minnesota’s largest investor-owned utilities, including Xcel Energy and Minnesota Power, are increasing electric rates this year, some rural electric coops are holding rates steady.
