Coal Ash Pond

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

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

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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 

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 »

USC Land Back Meeting

Upper Sioux Agency State Park land transfer meeting — Many gather to share and learn more

Minnesotans from around the region traveled to Granite Falls to learn more about the proposed land transfer of Upper Sioux Agency State Park back to the Dakota people  Area residents encouraged to be on the “right side” of history moving forward  On the evening of Wednesday, April 5, several hundred people gathered in Granite Falls

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Rise + Repair Marchers at the State Capitol

Marching for the 2023 Indigenous Rights and Climate Justice platform

Rise & Repair Rally brings 200+ people to the Minnesota State Capitol on February 15th 200+ activists ask their legislators to center indigenous rights and climate justice in the transition to renewable energy What does a clean energy future look like to you? Affordable electricity with no more mass shut-offs right before winter? Smog-fee skies

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CO2 Pipeline Map

CURE says PUC “got it wrong”— Petitions for reconsideration on scope of Environmental Review for CO2 pipeline

CURE (Clean Up the River Environment) is arguing that there is nothing hypothetical about Summit Carbon Solutions’ (Summit) plans for an extensive CO2 pipeline network in Minnesota. On Monday, February 27, Montevideo-based CURE petitioned the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to reconsider its February 6, 2023, decision to deny CURE’s Citizen Petition for environmental review

CURE says PUC “got it wrong”— Petitions for reconsideration on scope of Environmental Review for CO2 pipeline Read More »

100% Clean Energy MN

100% Clean Energy MN

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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Heavy Equipment digging a Pipeline

CURE applauds PUC decision requiring environmental review for CO2 pipeline but troubled by limited scope

On Thursday, January 5, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) unanimously voted to require an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) as a necessary component of the permitting process for Summit Carbon Solutions’ (Summit) carbon dioxide (CO2) pipeline. In doing so, the PUC denied Summit’s attempt to fast-track the review process of its hazardous CO2 pipeline project

CURE applauds PUC decision requiring environmental review for CO2 pipeline but troubled by limited scope Read More »

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Kelsey Olson

Kelsey Olson

Director of Environmental Stewardship

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!