CURE

Hudson Kingston

Hudson Kingston, CURE Legal Director, awarded Minnesota Attorney of the Year

CURE Press Releases, People & Communities Press Releases

On Thursday, February 8, 2024, CURE’s Legal Director, Hudson Kingston, was honored as a 2023 Minnesota Attorney of the Year, awarded by Minnesota Lawyer magazine. Hudson is being recognized as part of the legal team that represented the East Phillips Neighborhood Institute (EPNI) in their David-and-Goliath struggle against the City of Minneapolis. EPNI sued the […]

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Erik Hatlestad at the White House

Erik Hatlestad, CURE Energy Democracy Director, Answers USDA request to Serve with Rural Utility Service

Energy & Innovation Press Releases

At the end of January, CURE bid a temporary “bon voyage” to Energy Democracy Director Erik Hatlestad as he started serving a six-month detail with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development, Rural Utility Service (RUS) as a Clean Energy Benefits Advisor. During his detail, Hatlestad will help the RUS implement the Empowering

Erik Hatlestad, CURE Energy Democracy Director, Answers USDA request to Serve with Rural Utility Service Read More »

Old Tractor with American Flag

Farmer Benefit Plan

Energy & Innovation

American agriculture – and small and mid-sized farmers in particular – has an enormous opportunity to build new revenue streams and community wealth through the clean energy transition. Siting of wind turbines, agrivoltaic arrays, and other clean energy investments can bring significant new investment to disinvested rural communities. In a 2020 report, the Rocky Mountain

Farmer Benefit Plan Read More »

CCS Convening

Carbon Capture + Minnesota’s Carbon Free Future

CURE News

At the convening “Carbon Capture and Minnesota’s ‘Carbon-Free’ Future,” CURE and other experts from Minnesota and throughout the U.S. came together for a timely and critical discussion about industry-driven carbon capture, CO2 pipelines, and the false promise of a “cleaner fossil fuel” future. Since 2021, CURE has been at the forefront of the debates surrounding

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Pipeline with Map Overlay

CURE to MN PUC: Halt review of CO2 “pipeline to nowhere”

Energy & Innovation Press Releases, People & Communities

This week, the Minnesota-based organization CURE formally petitioned the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to halt their review of Summit Carbon Solutions’ proposed CO2 pipeline in Otter Tail and Wilkin Counties. CURE’s request comes in response to North Dakota’s recent denial of Summit’s permit application in that state. In their filing, CURE contends that without

CURE to MN PUC: Halt review of CO2 “pipeline to nowhere” Read More »

Rainbow sidewalk chalk drawing

Somewhere over the rainbow

CURE News

TL;DR: CURE continues to pursue democracy-driven solutions to solve big problems—because the places we love the most and call home aren’t somewhere over the rainbow; they are right here. But—because you did take the time to open this jam-packed blog—stick with us for the next 4 minutes and learn more about historic rural clean energy

Somewhere over the rainbow Read More »

Solar Panels on Barn

New ERA funding cuts threaten future of Rural America

Energy & Innovation

Following the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), there has been growing excitement in rural communities and rural electric cooperative offices around the country about the historic investments in rural electrification contained in the IRA. Specifically, the Empowering Rural America Program (New ERA) and the Powering Affordable Clean Energy Program (PACE) will help leverage

New ERA funding cuts threaten future of Rural America Read More »

GRE's Cambridge 2 Peaker Plant

GRE’s Cambridge 2 Peaker Plant Proposal: A blast from the past

CURE News, Energy & Innovation, People & Communities

Now is the time to invest in carbon-free electricity, energy efficiency, demand-side flexibility, and other innovations for the 21st century, NOT dirty diesel power. It is 2023. Minnesota, the country, and the world are experiencing the impacts of the growing climate crisis. In recognition of the urgency of the moment, this year, the Minnesota legislature

GRE’s Cambridge 2 Peaker Plant Proposal: A blast from the past Read More »

Coal Ash Pond

CURE Supports EPA Decision to Deny Permit for Coal Creek Toxic Ash Disposal

CURE Press Releases

Minnesota-based rural advocacy organization CURE is supporting the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) decision to deny a permit to the Rainbow Energy Center (formally known as Coal Creek Station) in North Dakota that would have allowed the coal-fired power plant to continue to dump toxic coal ash into its aging and failing storage pit. Coal ash

CURE Supports EPA Decision to Deny Permit for Coal Creek Toxic Ash Disposal Read More »

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 »

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Kelsey Olson

Kelsey Olson

Director of Environmental Stewardship

Envelope Linkedin

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!