Inspiring Innovators: MN Valley Electric Cooperative

May 2025

Electric cooperatives have been innovators in rural America for decades, starting when farmers and other rural leaders banded together to deliver not-for-profit electric service in the countryside during the 1930s and 40s. For Minnesota Valley Electric Cooperative, serving portions of Blue Earth, Carver, Dakota, Le Sueur, Rice, Scott, Sibley, Hennepin and Waseca Counties, that historic trend to innovate has delivered a unique charging program for electric vehicles.

MN Valley Electric Co-op won the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance's 2025 Inspiring Efficiency Award for Innovation for their time of use program for electric vehicles.

This program allows EV owners to charge their vehicles any time of day, and pass along savings during non-peak times. It’s convenient and popular, significantly expanding from 2020 to 2024, with a total of 818 members signed up for the program.

Gabe Chan of the Electric Co-op Innovation Center at the University of Minnesota knows this is the way cooperatives work in their communities.

“Congratulations to MN Valley Electric Co-op on their award. The Center is excited to help make progress on innovative energy programs, and we’re excited to create opportunities to partner with cooperatives and municipalities on energy planning and grant writing.” 

 - Gabe Chan

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