Maintaining a resilient electric system has always been top of mind at Great River Energy, a generation and transmission cooperative providing wholesale electricity to 28 member-owner distribution cooperatives in Minnesota that serve two-thirds of the state. The utility’s effort to ensure system resiliency has intensified over the last several years.
While there are many threats to resilience, weather extremes that come with life in the Upper Midwest are front and center for those charged with keeping the lights on 24/7. Great River Energy’s transmission employees have several organized efforts underway — based on lessons learned from a 2019 winter storm and other self-assessments — to continually address resilience. The utility aims to be prepared for and recover as quickly as possible from major events to provide continued reliable electric service to members.
Following are images of Great River Energy's efforts to prepare for and adapt to storms and other threats to reliability. See the full story in the November issue of T&D World: Great River Energy Assesses Its Resilience.