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Minnkota MESSENGER January-February 2021 Contents Features 4 Finding injection perfection The team researching and managing the development of Project Tundra have a lot of work ahead of them in 2021, but the carbon capture initiative celebrated the start of the year with promising new injection test results. 8 Popping into business A family of Devils-Lake-area entrepreneurs is using its business to make the world taste good. CoJACK Snack 4 8 & Pack adds value to the agricultural products of the region, creates local jobs, provides opportunities for those with disabilities – and makes some outstanding popcorn. 12 North Star's guiding light Through more than four decades at North Star Electric Cooperative, Ann Ellis has seen a lot of changes – many by her own leadership. Now, the co-op’s general manager is ready to make retirement her next big transition. 12 On the cover: Father-daughter duo Brian and Chace Engstrom stand before one of two large vats that coat their Colorado Jack popcorn in caramel. The CoJACK Snack & Pack product is popped, flavored and packaged in their Devils Lake facility. Minnkota Messenger is published six times a year by Minnkota Power Cooperative. Its mission is to communicate Minnkota’s perspectives and concerns to its members, elected officials, employees and other business audiences. For editorial inquiries, call (701) 795-4282 or email bfladhammer@minnkota.com. Editor Board of Directors Subscription Inquiries Ben Fladhammer Chair For change of address or subscription Contributing Writer Les Windjue inquiries, contact Monica Sletten at Kaylee Cusack Vice Chair msletten@minnkota.com. Graphic Designer Steve Arnesen Minnkota Power Cooperative is an equal Mary Merrill Secretary-Treasurer opportunity and affirmative action employer. Photography Colette Kujava Minnkota Power Cooperative is a generation and Michael Hoeft Rick Coe Stay Connected transmission cooperative headquartered in Grand Forks, Mark Habedank Follow us on our website for additional N.D. It supplies wholesale electricity to 11 member-owner Printing and Mailing Roger Krostue information, expanded stories, video and distribution cooperatives, three in eastern North Dakota Troy Ahonen Donald Skjervheim photo galleries. Go to news.minnkota.com. and eight in northwestern Minnesota. Minnkota also Rhonda Amundson Greg Spaulding serves as operating agent for the Northern Municipal Marcy Svenningsen Power Agency, an association of 12 municipal utilities in Mike Wahl the same service region. Together, the Joint System serves Tom Woinarowicz more than 153,000 customers. President & CEO Like us Follow us Mac McLennan on Facebook on Twitter 2 Minnkota Messenger / January-February 2021
Our power is our people MINNKOTA EMPLOYEES RISE TO THE CHALLENGES OF 2020 W hen faced with the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Efforts to address aging infrastructure and pandemic, Minnkota’s employees have responded improve service continued in 2020, as substations and with strength and resiliency. This group of 400 transmission lines were rebuilt, equipment was up- continually found creative solutions to problems and graded and enhanced communication technologies were proved to be innovative in collaborating and keeping implemented. This work continues to limit outages and projects moving forward throughout 2020. helps crews be more responsive to system issues. “We’ve seen many challenges over our history, but At the Milton R. Young Station, employees kept the nothing that has tested our workforce quite like the units running reliably and efficiently. The COVID-19 pandemic,” said CEO Mac McLennan. “Our highlight of the year at the coal-based employees have risen to the challenge every step of the facility was celebrating Unit 1’s 50th year way and made sure that homes, hospitals and businesses of operation. Commitment from past and across our region have remained energized.” present employees helped the Young Sta- Significant mitigation strategies were implemented in tion reach one of its best years of operation 2020 to protect the health and well-being of the coop- in 2020 with both generating units being erative’s employees as the virus spread throughout the available more than 93% of the time. United States. Despite distractions and obstacles, the While the pandemic continues to pres- workforce responded with an outstanding safety re- ent challenges, Minnkota employees have provided cord during the year. Safety statistics, including overall needed stability to the region during unstable times. on-the-job injuries and OSHA recordable injuries, were That will continue into 2021 and beyond. lower than in recent years and better than industry aver- “We take our role as an electricity provider in the ages. region very seriously,” McLennan said. “Our employ- In the field, power delivery crews didn’t let the ees continue to go beyond the call of duty to serve our pandemic stall progress on the many projects that are members. We’ve proven over the course of 2020 that no important to the membership. In fact, nearly $41 million challenge – whether it is storms, system malfunctions or in power delivery projects were completed in 2020 – a even a pandemic – is going to stop us from delivering total that would be impressive even in a year without a reliable energy when the region needs it most.” January-February 2021 / Minnkota Messenger 3
Project Tundra project manager Dan Laudal evaluates a diagram highlighting an injection output from one of the project’s proposed injection and storage zones. Finding injection perfection LATEST PROJECT TUNDRA SIMULATIONS SHOW PROMISING PROPERTIES FOR CO2 INJECTION AND STORAGE D an Laudal and Shannon Mikula are But the geologic testing results they have skeptical people. But it’s not their received lately are making it hard to be cyni- fault. cal. The roles of these members of “We’ve looked at each other and gone, the Minnkota Project Tundra team force ‘This is almost too good to be true,’” Mikula them to find the potential flaws in every said. “You have to take a step back and say, aspect of the ambitious carbon capture and we have put so much data into these mod- storage initiative – Laudal as the project’s els – they can’t get much more robust than manager, and Mikula as geological storage what they are. We’ve done everything. The lead and project legal counsel. last step is we just need to do it.” 4 Minnkota Messenger / January-February 2021
“You have to take a step back and say, we have put so much data into these models – they can’t get much more robust than what they are. We’ve done everything. The last step is we just need to do it.” – Shannon Mikula, project legal counsel The models Mikula refers to are a set of 3D data that describe the properties of the deep subsurface beneath Minnkota’s Young Station, built on years of in-depth data collection, from core samples to seismic geophysical surveys. These geologic models have already revealed the Young Station sits Safe CO2 injection upon suitable geology for carbon dioxide and storage capabilities are (CO₂) injection, but digital simulations the being evaluated project team has recently initiated have in several geologic zones, exposed just how suitable that geology is. all thousands When coupled with the geologic models, the of feet into the simulations predict how CO₂ captured from subsurface below the Milton R. the Young Station would behave when in- Young Station. jected into geologic formations deep within the subsurface around the coal-based plant. Late in 2020, a crew ran a physical field test at one of Minnkota’s two test well injec- tion sites, just south of Center, N.D. The test injected salt water into 10-foot sections of porous rock layers to determine the re- sponse at a range of injection rates and pres- sures. The formations accepted fluid at very high rates and at pressures that didn’t cause Environmental Research Center (EERC) ran the rocks to break – a great sign for potential digital simulations of how CO₂ injections in CO₂ injection. the 10-foot test areas would translate to the Using what they already knew about the much larger planned storage scenarios. targeted formations and the new injection “What we saw was much more promis- tests, reservoir engineers at the Energy & ing than what we expected,” Mikula said. January-February 2021 / Minnkota Messenger 5
can make tweaks to it to bring costs down and safely get the most CO₂ into the smallest footprint we can.” EERC researchers will continue to run several simulations to find efficiencies in the injection and storage plan. Wes Peck, EERC geologist and assistant director for subsur- face strategies, likens the process to deter- mining the best way to file fans into a large football stadium. “For the first test, we opened all the sta- dium doors and had people all run in as fast as they could. But that’s not what’s going to happen,” he said. “Number one, we won’t have that many people – or that much CO₂ – so we don’t need to open all the doors. And every time we open a door, it costs millions. If we can get everybody – all the CO₂ – in there in a reasonable amount of time by only opening a few doors, then that’s what we’re trying to do.” Over the past few years, Peck has over- Energy & Environmental Research Center geologist seen a variety of research experts focused She added that the rate and volume at Wes Peck displays two on carbon capture and storage connected to North Dakota rock types which the formation could accept CO₂ was that will play key roles in Project Tundra – geologists analyzing core beyond what was needed to safely inject and accepting CO2 and locking samples, geophysicists using seismic data to it in place. store the 4 million metric tons per year ex- expand the information derived from cores, pected with Project Tundra, which indicated and geomechanical and dynamic simulation additional wells wouldn’t be needed. In fact, modelers who bring all of that information there is even potential to use fewer wells. together. “That is extremely good news, because that Mikula says that in addition to the EERC means we don’t have to reconfigure every- (experts on North Dakota’s geologic forma- thing.” tions), Minnkota has built out a prestigious “This is really a tool to optimize the partnership network that will ensure a solid project,” Laudal explained. “The simulation case for the project. injects CO₂ at a certain rate over a certain “We have Schlumberger, who ran the period of time in a certain location, and we field test and analyzed that data, which is figure out what happens. From there, we a global force to be reckoned with when it comes to CO₂ injection. And we have Oxy Low Carbon Ventures, arguably the big- gest commercial operator using CO₂ in the world,” she said. “So we have three power- houses who are at the top of their fields, tell- ing us this is good news – you kind of want 6 Minnkota Messenger / January-February 2021
to pop a bottle of champagne and celebrate.” EERC – whose jobs are to question every- However, there won’t be time to slow thing – are finally letting optimism overtake down and revel in the latest findings. Miku- some of their natural skepticism. la and Laudal are now using all of the data Some of it. they’ve gained to draft a permit application “We’re doing our homework and cross- for Class VI storage. Once submitted, the ap- checking some of these situations with a plication will face a lengthy review period. critical eye, so that when we go forward, Minnkota hopes to have the permit by the everyone is playing it a little bit cautious. If end of 2021. In the meantime, the Project it turns out to be as good as it suggests, then Tundra team will be speaking with investors there’s no problem – we don’t lose any- who have much to gain with the project’s thing,” Peck said. 45Q carbon capture tax credit. “It felt good to get to deliver this news There are many challenges yet to come, to the team,” Mikula said, “to say that this even before a decision is made to break piece is dropping into place as we thought it ground on Project Tundra. However, the would.” dozens of policy, technology, geology and engineering pros with Minnkota and the By Kaylee Cusack / Photography Michael Hoeft Small water injection tests were performed this winter at a test well site south of Center, N.D. The results showed the local formations would safely accept CO2 at the rate and volume needed for Project Tundra. (Submitted photo) January-February 2021 / Minnkota Messenger 7
Popping into business NORTH DAKOTA FARM FAMILY BUILDS PACKAGING COMPANY TO SUPPORT ECONOMY, GIVE BACK AND CREATE LEGACY 8 Minnkota Messenger / January-February 2021
CoJACK Snack & Pack founder Brian Engstrom (right) and daughter Chace oversee the production, marketing and sales of Colorado Jack popcorn – just one element of the CoJACK enterprise. I f a visitor steps into CoJACK Snack & ates a value-added ag ecosystem right in the Pack on just the right day, they’re hit first heart of the nation’s top state for dry edible with the smell of freshly air-popped pop- beans. corn, and then enveloped in the sweet, “Almost 100% of the pinto beans are buttery bliss of warm caramel. On one of from local farmers,” Brian explained as he those recent “just right” days, the packaging walked through a warehouse stacked high portion of the Devils Lake, N.D., facility was and far with raw black beans, peas, lentils popping, flavoring and bagging thousands and more. “Some things are coming from of pounds of caramel corn to be shipped out western North Dakota and Montana. But to distributors around the region. within a couple hundred miles of here “Our caramel is not the easiest to make. – that’s where nearly all of our product It took a while to get it right, but we figured comes from.” it out,” said CoJACK founder and owner Brian Engstrom. “I do believe that we have Bean there, the best popcorn. You can taste all of our done that other flavors, and I would say the same More than 20 years ago, Brian – an thing about them as the caramel – that they area farmer himself – started Engstrom are the best.” Bean in Leeds, N.D. The company was If this is the Wonka Chocolate Factory of and continues to be successful, but popcorn, Brian is the Willy Wonka of the en- Brian had a bigger vision. His wife and CoJACK’s automated terprise. But popcorn is just one piece of the CoJACK co-owner Kim Engstrom remem- production lines process, package, brand and distribute multifaceted undertaking that is CoJACK bers sitting with Brian as the early plans for beans and other dry edible Snack & Pack. The family business is one CoJACK formed. goods for the farmers of the part Colorado Jack popcorn plant and one At Engstrom Bean, they would ship region. part bean processing and packaging. processed beans to other facilities (often out Essentially, CoJACK takes raw product of state) where they would be packaged. from local farmers, cleans it, packages it and “He said, ‘You know, they’re making all the ships it out on their behalf. The process cre- profit, and we’re getting the littlest bit of the January-February 2021 / Minnkota Messenger 9
tricity, CoJACK’s co-op had a role to play in Served by getting this venture rolling. Nodak Electric “Because we are in a very large agricul- Cooperative tural-based area, I think it’s always great Grand Forks, N.D. when our members can take a product from the farm to the shelf,” said Nodak engi- • Incorporated – Jan. 17, 1940 neering manager Steve Breidenbach. “The • Year energized – 1939 entrepreneurial efforts of the family are • Board members – 9 spectacular.” • General manager – Mylo Einarson Since its first package rolled off the line • Members: 14,961 late in 2019, CoJACK has grown from 12 to • Miles of line – 8,082 28 local employees, now sending out 10-20 truckloads of product to sites around the country. It has thrived even through the CO- whole pie,’” Kim recalled. “We had the VID-19 pandemic, which raised nationwide ability to just do it all ourselves.” demand for edible beans. Looking forward, The Engstroms partnered with Jack’s the company plans to modernize and target Bean in Colorado to get started in the its marketing, ramp up its production lines world of bean packaging, which also and expand to even more distributors. pulled them into the world of popcorn “Our goal is to be a company that has processing (hence, the eventual CoJACK/ big gross sales every year,” Brian said. “We Colorado Jack brand). But the distance cre- need to grow, and we need to have the sales ated too many hurdles. By 2018, they were to support this whole business.” looking for a building to make the plan local. The leader of the Devils Community giveback Lake Economic Development Companies like CoJACK are a growing board showed them a hulking necessity for North Dakota communities 120,000-square-foot facility. like Devils Lake. Not only is the business “Kim and I did the tour on supplying great jobs, but it’s diversifying an October day, and I think it the local economy and bringing in money was the first of December that from outside of the state. On top of that, the I ended up buying popcorn Engstroms have multigenerational roots in popping equipment at an auc- the area – they won’t be taking their busi- Colorado Jack Popcorn tion,” Brian said with a laugh. ness elsewhere. Flavors “So then I was all in.” Last year, CoJACK was given the • Sea Salt & Butter They bought the building Governor’s Choice Award for Economic • White Cheddar in March 2019 and CoJACK Development. “The whole project embod- • Caramel Snack & Pack began to fall into ies rural economic development. So many • White Cheddar & Jalapeño • Colorado Mix place. Brian called on Nodak times it’s out-of-state projects coming to Electric Cooperative to help North Dakota, taking our local economic Notable Retailers him get transformer capacity development dollars, failing and then two • Simonson Station Stores • Hornbacher’s back to the operation days of years later, they’re gone,” said Brad Barth, • Dollar Tree the past, when the building executive director of Forward Devils Lake • Albertsons was used as a pasta factory. Corporation. “Here you have local owners • Save a Lot With much of the three auto- that risked significant dollars, found other coloradojackpopcorn.com mated processing and packag- partners, and in less than a year have nearly cojacksnacks.com ing lines, heat lamps and even 30 employees in a highly automated packag- forklifts powered with elec- ing facility – that’s a pretty cool thing.” 10 Minnkota Messenger / January-February 2021
It’s not just the local community benefit- ing from CoJACK. The company is using its Colorado Jack popcorn as the center of a program to help organizations fundraise, from school groups to sports teams. The popcorn for those small-batch fundraiser orders are manually popped, flavored, packaged and shipped at Valley City’s Open Door Center, which provides residential and vocational services for those with dis- abilities. The Engstroms’ son Cullen, who has au- tism, is employed at the Open Door Center, creating a perfect partnership opportunity. “Not only are we helping organizations fundraise, but we are also able to employ in- dividuals and give them a sense of purpose and pride, so we’re able to give back in that way, too,” said Chace Engstrom, Cullen’s sister and head of marketing and sales for CoJACK. “Cullen gets to be a part of that. He gets to help us make our product and be a part of the family business.” As they sat together in the CoJACK office, Brian, Kim and Chace personified something as warm and sweet as their cara- mel recipe – a family energized by innova- tion, but connected by caring. “It’s great to have the next generation sitting here, and so passionate about it,” Brian said as he glanced at Chace. “As a whole, it all goes back to family, the organi- zation, building some legacy that our family can build on.” By Kaylee Cusack / Photography Michael Hoeft CoJACK’s 60,000-square-foot storage warehouse holds rows and rows of both raw and packaged products, waiting to be processed or shipped Sales of Colorado Jack popcorn continue to increase, and owner Brian Engstrom anticipates adding another to distributors nationwide. automated popcorn production line soon. January-February 2021 / Minnkota Messenger 11
North Star’s guiding light AFTER A 43-YEAR COOPERATIVE CAREER, NORTH STAR ELECTRIC’S ANN ELLIS SETS A NEW COURSE – RETIREMENT T he view out of Ann Ellis’ portunities to grow, office window at North Star do their jobs better Electric Cooperative is a por- and advance,” she trait of a northern Minnesota said. winter – a row of tall evergreen trees coated in a dusting of snow. Growing in But looking back more than four the co-op decades to her first month at North Ellis was eventu- Star, the co-op’s general manager ally promoted to recalls a not-so-serene scene. billing coordinator, “We had the worst storm of my and in 1986, a new career,” Ellis said, evoking the deer- opportunity arose while she was Although she was knee-knock- hunting-opener blizzard. “Instead pregnant with her daughter, Lisa. ing nervous for her first annual of walking the nine blocks to work It was an opening for North Star’s meeting presentation, she soon in the morning, I remember rolling finance manager. turned the traditionally low-energy over the snowbanks in the road, try- “The member services manager finance reports into interactive expe- ing to get to the office. We had some told me, ‘Ann, you need to apply,’” riences. One year, she taped $5 bills people out of power in the Swift she said. “His confidence in me to paper planes and flew them into area for three days. That’s the worst helped me move forward in that po- the audience – but members could outage in my 43-year history.” sition. That taught me to help others only keep the cash if they answered Ellis had just been hired as an and give them confidence to move a multiple-choice question. office assistant, learning the ropes forward as well.” Ellis was ulti- She also recalls when personal of the energy industry, finance and mately offered the finance manager computers became a core co-op tool, member service. Now, she’s retiring position in the hospital, having just after using equipment like key- from the co-op’s top post, leaving delivered Lisa. punch machines to create single-use the knowledge she has gained in the As she grew within the co-op, input data to feed into a neighbor- hands of her North Star colleagues. she made sure the co-op was grow- ing business’s mainframe computer. “Those first days set the stage for ing with her. Ellis points to several Ellis and her co-worker Betty en- showing me how the co-op invests moments of pride in helping North rolled in an MREA-sponsored “Intro in its employees. The co-op is so Star evolve in terms of technology to PCs” course and quickly realized good about giving employees op- and member engagement. they had a lot to learn. 12 Minnkota Messenger / January-February 2021
“It’s what you have to remember when you’re making reliable and affordable power at the forefront for our members.” decisions about what to do on a project or how to treat In her retirement, Ellis won’t lose her view of the northern Min- a member in the field – everything we do is about the nesota trees – she will surround members. And relationships just flow from that.” herself with them. She and her hus- – Ann Ellis, retired general manager band of 40 years, Steve, will build a North Star Electric Cooperative new home on a 40-acre parcel that her family bought and filled with forestry when she was young. “I “The instructor, with his pony- captain of the ship for the past five helped my dad plant some of those tail, gets up front and says, ‘We’re years, she has followed one guid- trees when I was around 12,” she going to start, so go ahead and turn ing star – the members. She ensures said. “So you can just imagine how on your personal computers.’ I every new employee sets their com- beautiful those maples and Norway looked at Betty and said, ‘How do pass that way as well. pines are now.” you do that?’” she said, laughing. “It’s what you have to remem- The Ellises’ daughters, Lisa and “On our way home, we were talking ber when you’re making decisions Laura, have already put down roots about all of the things we could do.” about what to do on a project or on the tree farm with their families, The duo ended up developing a how to treat a member in the field having both finance spreadsheet that is still used – everything we do is about the built homes on today. members. And relationships just the property. But Ellis’ proudest moment was flow from that,” she said. Once the third, less colorful than cash and comput- As a servant leader, Ellis earned newest house ers. It was when she successfully the respect and friendship of those is raised next convinced the board of directors within the building and throughout door, Ellis (7), that the co-op should raise the the Minnkota system of coopera- JoJo (4) and Ivy basic service fee (the fixed charge) tives. She says she’s proud of North (2) will have and lower the kilowatt-hour (kWh) Star’s employees and board direc- easy access to charge on members’ bills, something tors, adding that their hearts are in Nana and Papa. In retirement, Ann Ellis will now she had advocated for two years. the right place and they will con- “I’m look- have more time to spend with her grandkids – Ivy, Ellis and JoJo. “I have had to prove things,” she tinue to serve the region well once ing forward to said. “I think everyone should have she leaves. just looking out the window and to prove their point of view.” “Ann has always been so helpful, watching the grandkids running supportive and encouraging,” said down the driveway,” Ellis said, with Servant leader North Star finance manager Robyn no attempt to hide her delight. Ellis served as finance manager Sonstegard, who has worked with By Kaylee Cusack / Submitted photos until 2015, when the North Star Ellis for 13 years. “She has been a board gave her the nod to become great leader for the co-op, always the next general manager. As putting the goal of providing safe, January-February 2021 / Minnkota Messenger 13
Newsbriefs Minnkota, Square Butte to host annual meetings virtually M innkota Power Cooperative and Square Butte Electric Coopera- tive will host their annual meetings on March 26 both virtually and with limited in-person attendance at Minnkota’s headquarters in Grand Forks. Meeting times, online invita- tion links and instructions will be provided to attendees closer to the date. While Minnkota hosts its 81st annual meeting, Square Butte will host its 47th annual meeting. At the resolutions on issues of importance tion cooperatives supply electricity meetings, reports on operations and to Minnkota and Square Butte. to more than 140,000 consumers in year-end results will be presented, The two meetings will be presid- a 35,000-square-mile area. Square along with planned generation and ed by Minnkota Chair Les Windjue, Butte owns Unit 2 at the Milton R. transmission projects. Other busi- Devils Lake, N.D., and Square Butte Young Station and is governed by ness will include the election of President Paul Aakre, Angus, Minn. the cooperatives associated with directors and adoption of policy Minnkota’s 11 member distribu- Minnkota. Minnkota testifies against 100% carbon-free proposal in MN M innkota testified against a pro- posal in the Minnesota legis- lature that would require electric affordable for the region, a decar- bonization path must be sustainable, optimize efficiency and maintain carbon-free resources, and efforts are being pursued to decarbonize even further through pursuit of utilities in the state to use only system reliability. Furthermore, the Project Tundra – a proposed carbon carbon-free resources by 2040. bill does not include carbon capture capture facility at the Milton R. The complexity and difficulty technology or acknowledge the vital Young Station. in achieving a carbon-free electric role that this technology must play As the energy transition con- grid cannot be understated. Extreme in the future of decarbonizing. tinues, it is vitally important that decarbonization policies present sig- Minnkota has made great strides electric utilities remain part of the nificant challenges and completely toward reducing the carbon foot- conversation and that decisions are eliminating generation options is print of its generation portfolio. based on technological capabilities, costly to member-consumers. To About 42% of the generation capac- reliability and affordability. keep electricity safe, reliable and ity provided is already derived from 14 Minnkota Messenger / January-February 2021
Newsbriefs Energy Secretary nominee excited about Project Tundra E nergy Secretary nominee Jennifer Granholm expressed support for Project Tundra during her confirma- lization and storage). I look forward to working with you on it, and yes, you have my support.” more about the state’s en- ergy industry. tion hearing Jan. 27 before the Sen- Project Tundra is an effort being “I’m com- ate Energy and Natural Resources evaluated by Minnkota to install ing to see Committee. carbon capture technology at the you!” Gran- When questioned by Sen. John coal-based Milton R. Young Station holm replied. Hoeven (R-ND) about her sup- near Center, N.D. Grant funding A former port for carbon capture technology from the U.S. Department of En- Michigan and research, Granholm said, “I’m ergy has been critical to completing governor, Jennifer Granholm excited about Project Tundra! I’m project research and the advanced Granholm is Energy Secretary nominee excited about using your state as an engineering design. expected to refocus the Department example of the regulatory regime to Sen. Hoeven then invited Gran- of Energy on climate change if she’s facilitate CCUS (carbon capture uti- holm to visit North Dakota to learn confirmed. pantry for school social workers to access at any time for critically needed items. • Youthworks of North Dakota – based in Bismarck and Fargo, the organization helps homeless, run- away, trafficked and struggling youth in North Dakota. • Prairie Harvest Mental Health – a Grand Forks-based organization that promotes independence and an enhanced quality of life for adults with serious mental illness. Employee Jeans Day Fund Minnkota employees donate toward the Jeans Day Fund for gives big on Giving Hearts Day the privilege of wearing jeans on Fridays and during other times throughout the year. More than M innkota’s employee Jeans Day Fund took advantage of the generous giving match of Giving • REACH (Rural Enrichment and Counseling Headquarters) – a multi-agency human service cen- $62,000 has been raised through the program in the last decade for non- profits and others in need. Hearts Day by donating to four ter serving primarily individuals Giving Hearts Day is an annual organizations that support mental and families in rural Clay, Becker 24-hour giving event that supports health and the region’s youth. and Norman counties in Minne- charities in North Dakota and north- The committee chose the fol- sota. west Minnesota. Last year alone, lowing causes to receive $250 each, • Grand Forks Foundation for Edu- Giving Hearts Day raised more than which will be matched to $500 by cation – currently raising funds $19 million in donations for the Giving Hearts Day sponsors: to create “The Giving Tree,” a regional causes involved. January-February 2021 / Minnkota Messenger 15
PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE PAID Permit No. 313 Grand Forks, ND 5301 32nd Ave S • Grand Forks, ND 58201-3312 Small electric cooperatives have big goals these days. Our biggest goal is reliability. Renewable resources are part of our diverse energy strategy. But when it’s this cold, we need 24/7 coal power to keep our grid strong. And as a leader in carbon capture research, our resilience is becoming even more responsible. Reliable. Affordable. Cleaner than ever. We’re all in on all-of-the-above energy.
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