About Us

The Minnesota Local Energy Project (MNLEP) strives to transform the energy landscape across Minnesota by giving people the knowledge and power to advocate for their own energy future and to help build an equitable energy system that is clean, local, and democratic.

The MNLEP website is produced by CURE—a rural organization made up of people who care about the well-being of their neighbors, the health of the land and water, and the legacy we leave for future generations.

Currently, MNLEP focuses on Minnesota’s Rural Electric Cooperatives (RECs). REC member-owners tell us they love their co-ops and they want their co-ops to be the best they can be—responsive, transparent, and people-powered. They want RECs to return to their roots and champion member-driven energy democracy once again. RECs are uniquely positioned to transform how our energy system works. They can be the leaders of locally owned and locally produced wind and solar power and embrace emerging energy storage technology for the promise it has to reshape our electricity grid. RECs can lead in the face of climate change, help build thriving new economies and rural communities, and along the way, make our electric sector more secure and resilient.

Currently on MNLEP

REC members-owners have told us that they have real concerns about how hard it is to be well-informed and connected to their co-ops. They struggle to find and get access to the basic information they need about co-op operations and governance; about basic co-op policies and how to have a voice as co-op member-owners. Concerns over access to important information and a perceived lack of transparency led the MNLEP to look at what information co-op websites provide to members. The result of this research is The Rural Electric Cooperative Democracy Report Card.

Contact Us

For further inquiries about the Minnesota Local Energy Project, please contact CURE’s Energy Democracy Organizer Erik Hatlestad, erik@cureriver.org or (320)-269-2984

CURE
117 South 1st Street
Montevideo, MN 56265
www.cureriver.org

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CURE’s Minnesota Local Energy Project produced the Minnesota Rural Electric Co-op Report Card because we want co-op member-owners to have access to more and better information about the rural electric co-op they co-own. The information collected from rural electric co-op websites was last updated on July 16, 2019, and was accurate as of that date. The use of names, likenesses, trademarks, and wordmarks included in the Report Card and on the Minnesota Local Energy Project website are intended solely for purposes of non-commercial expression to further the public interest through criticism, commentary, and news reporting.