National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation (CFC) announced recently that Great River Energy has received $2.2 million in proceeds from Clean Renewable Energy Bonds (CREBs) for wind and solar projects at the cooperative's Maple Grove headquarters. CFC is a finance cooperative that is owned by and serves rural utility systems, and secured the funds as part of a federal program to fund renewable energy projects.

Great River Energy used the funds for wind and solar power initiatives at the cooperative's 166,000-square-foot Maple Grove Complex, including the installation of 72 kilowatts of roof-top solar panels and a 200-kilowatt wind turbine. The wind turbine and solar array provide up to 15 percent of the building's electricity, and excess electricity from the wind turbine is distributed onto the local electric grid.

These additions were completed in March 2008, helping the cooperative earn Platinum LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. The building is the first in Minnesota to achieve the distinction and one of fewer than 100 buildings worldwide to receive the designation.

"We expect our investment in renewable power generation will help us produce a projected 470,000 kilowatt-hours per year of electricity and achieve nearly $30,000 in annual energy savings today and even greater savings in future years," said Mark Rathbun, Great River Energy's renewable energy leader. "The CREBs program has helped us make our headquarters one of the most efficient, sustainable buildings in the state."

Electric cooperatives are not-for-profit, member-owned utilities. As part of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the CREBs program provides electric cooperatives and other not-for-profit utilities a source of funding for renewable generation resources.

In October, CFC issued a total of nearly $29 million in bonds for 11 projects on behalf of eight of its electric cooperative member-owners. This follows an earlier issuance of CREBs by CFC that took place in February 2008, totaling nearly $31 million.

Great River Energy is a not-for-profit cooperative, which provides wholesale electricity to more than 1.7 million people through 28 member distribution cooperatives in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Great River Energy's largest distribution cooperative serves more than 120,000 member-consumers; the smallest serves just more than 2,400.