Field Notes

CURE Field Notes

Demanding Accountability from Minnesota Power Over Boswell Coal Ash Spill

Field Notes

Minnesota Power is violating federal coal ash rules! And, now, CURE has joined with Sierra Club and the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy (MCEA) in letting the utility know. In July 2024, Minnesota Power’s Boswell coal plant suffered a 5.5 million gallon coal ash water spill, and the company has still not come clean about how bad the […]

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CURE Field Notes

Private Equity or Public Power: The proposed sale of ALLETE/Minnesota Power to BlackRock

Field Notes

 A critical battle for our energy future and the role of private equity in our essential services is playing out in northern Minnesota. And CURE, along with our allies, had a significant victory along the way to a final decision.  ALLETE/Minnesota Power is the target of a proposed acquisition by powerful private equity interests, Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) and the Canadian

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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!