Energy & Innovation

Rural Electric Co-op Scorecard

Scorecard 2023: Minnesota’s RECs are moving in the right direction and still need to take key steps to inform and engage members better 

Energy & Innovation

RECs make a 93% improvement! Minnesota’s rural electric cooperatives (REC) are starting to heed the call to improve member-owner engagement through enhanced transparency. This is a significantly different place than RECs were in 2018 when CURE began to measure and track co-op governance and transparency policies via the REC Scorecard.   What’s new:  The 2023 iteration […]

Scorecard 2023: Minnesota’s RECs are moving in the right direction and still need to take key steps to inform and engage members better  Read More »

100% Clean Energy MN

100% Clean Energy MN

CURE News, Energy & Innovation

The 100% Clean Energy Act sets Minnesota on the path of clean and renewable energy that will save Minnesotans money, increase electric grid reliability, and create good rural jobs. We are protecting and preserving what we love most about Minnesota and looking out for our kids and grandkids. 100% Clean Electricity from the sun and

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Inflation Reduction Act of 2022

CURE’s Statement on the Inflation Reduction Act

Energy & Innovation, People & Communities

A Win for Rural Electric Cooperatives  The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) makes historic investments to help Rural Electric Cooperatives transition to a clean energy future. As a rural Minnesota-based democracy organization, CURE is a long-time champion of Rural Electric Cooperatives. We have led the Rural Power Coalition to help secure this monumental funding that puts

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GRE's Cambridge 2 Peaker Plant

The Cycle Continues – Great River Energy Attempts to Evade Environmental Review

CURE News, Energy & Innovation

Great River Energy (GRE) has proposed to the Public Utilities Commission a “minor alteration” to its existing permit for its gas-fired power plant in Cambridge, Minnesota. Hardly “minor,” the company plans to change it to an oil-and-gas-burning “dual fuel” plant while evading full environmental review. Environmental review for a new power plant would normally have

The Cycle Continues – Great River Energy Attempts to Evade Environmental Review Read More »

Power Plant Smokestack Emitting Pollution

Letter to GRE: Stop the sale of Coal Creek Station

Energy & Innovation, People & Communities

To the leaders of Great River Energy, Many people throughout Minnesota, and across the country, celebrated Great River Energy’s move in 2020 to retire Coal Creek Station and make a groundbreaking transition to clean energy. That’s why so many member-owners and member-owner advocates were so disappointed when GRE unexpectedly changed course. Minnesota has a deep

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Milton Young Coal Power Plant

New report says: Project Tundra is a bad investment we can’t afford

CURE News, Energy & Innovation, People & Communities

When you hear the name Project Tundra or the phrase “carbon capture utilization and sequestration,” what is the first thing that comes to mind? If you say “Bond-esque doomsday machine,” you wouldn’t be too far off the mark. Project Tundra is a carbon capture utilization and sequestration (CCUS or CCS) project headed by Minnkota Electric

New report says: Project Tundra is a bad investment we can’t afford Read More »

Electric Car driving down a gravel road

A Guide to Minnesota Clean Cars Standards

CURE News, Energy & Innovation

September 25, 2020, marks the one year anniversary of Governor Walz’s announcement of Minnesota Clean Cars Standards. In the year since the announcement, Minnesota has faced an ongoing global pandemic and corresponding economic crisis and is confronting the state’s gaping racial inequities. In spite of these monumental challenges, Minnesota is showing its true resilient spirit

A Guide to Minnesota Clean Cars Standards Read More »

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Kelsey Olson

Kelsey Olson

Director of Environmental Stewardship

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Kelsey Olson (she/her) joined CURE in 2025 as its Director of Environmental Stewardship. As a skilled environmental naturalist, Kelsey’s work focuses broadly on environmental education and advocacy with a keen focus on rural land use and how that use impacts our environment and climate. Working Lands, how land is used to support agriculture and forestry, is a key focus of her work. She brings 15 years’ experience in public communication, environmental education, and rural community engagement – strong communication strategies are core in her work. This includes two terms of service with AmeriCorps in the VISTA program in Oregon and Maryland and a nearly 10-year career as a naturalist followed. She recently worked on communications and marketing for rural economic development.

Kelsey lives in New London, MN, with her young children, husband, dog, and two cats. They enjoy spending time together outside and finding small treasures in nature. Visits to Minneapolis often include visits to one of their favorite historical museums, the Minnesota Swedish Institute. Kelsey enjoys experimenting in the kitchen, whether this is canning local produce, making kombucha, or other treats!