Cooperatives help members serve own energy needs

Minnesota cooperative consumers have shown some interest in supplying electricity for their own use, including projects designed to avoid sending power onto the utility’s electric lines. Rural electric cooperatives work with their members to implement these systems to benefit the member while balancing the interests of all members.

“We are committed to working with members installing systems to generate their own power,” said Darrick Moe, president and CEO of the Minnesota Rural Electric Association (MREA). “Cooperatives will help their members to make sure their system is installed correctly and safely.”

Minnesota electric cooperatives recently modified their interconnection standards to simplify the process to interconnect non-exporting solar and battery systems. The expedited process for systems under 100 kW helps reduce costs and shortens the time needed to bring a qualifying system online. State regulators will soon be issuing similar standards for all Minnesota utilities; most rural electric cooperatives have already put them in place, making it easier for consumers who want to generate and use their own electricity onsite.

Kristi Robinson, STAR Energy Services Director of Operations, represents cooperatives on the Distributed Generation Working Group and led the effort to develop these standards.

“Electric cooperatives recognize the need to respond to member demand by updating their interconnection processes to provide an efficient, straightforward pathway for battery storage and solar systems to work together,” Robinson said. “The ability to collaborate and maintain flexibility allows cooperatives to quickly adapt interconnection requirements as distributed energy resource technologies and applications continue to evolve.”

One example of a cooperative working with a member-consumer to install a system is East Central Energy’s work with Pine Technical and Community College, Pine City, to install a 275 kW solar array. The system delivers all of its power to the facility and doesn’t export any power onto the local distribution grid.

“We were thankful for East Central Energy’s expertise as we built out our solar array,” said Joe Mulford, PTCC President. “The solar install was part of a historic facility expansion project, and their partnership allowed us to focus on the mission critical teaching and learning components of the project.”

“As a not-for-profit, member-owned electric cooperative, our role is to support members who choose to generate their own electricity while making sure project costs and benefits are handled fairly for that member and the rest of our membership,” said Justin Jahnz, CEO of East Central Energy. “Rural electric cooperatives are in the business of helping our members achieve their energy goals.”

Another example is the partnership between Itasca-Mantrap Electric Cooperative and Pine Point School on the White Earth Reservation. The project includes a 500-kW solar array paired with a 400-kW/2.76-MWh battery energy storage system designed to meet the school’s energy needs while providing backup power and community resiliency benefits. The system generates approximately 700,000 kWh annually and can operate as a resilience hub during extended outages, supporting the school and community center when grid power is unavailable.

“The Pine Point project demonstrates how cooperatives and their members can work together to create value for everyone involved,” said Steve Johnson, CEO of Itasca-Mantrap Electric Cooperative. “The White Earth community gains greater energy resilience, local ownership of energy resources, educational opportunities for students and long-term control over energy costs. At the same time, the battery system helps manage peak demand and supports the local electric system. It is a great example of how innovative energy projects can advance member goals while also benefiting the cooperative and the communities we serve.”

Consumers interested in pairing battery storage with solar generation also may qualify for incentives through a Minnesota Department of Commerce rebate program. The program supports both new and existing solar installations, helping make battery storage more affordable. Electric cooperatives have worked with the state to maximize the program’s benefit for consumers.

“With this program, cooperative members installing a qualified system can get up to $7,000 when linking solar with battery backup,” Jay Berken, state utility grants program administrator, said. “The information about the rebates can be found under energy storage incentives on our website.”

Minnesota’s rural electric cooperatives remain committed to supporting member-consumers who want to invest in solar and battery storage while maintaining safe, reliable and affordable service for all cooperative members. It is important that those installing systems contact their local utility early in the project timeline.