MAPLE GROVE, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Great River Energy and its participating member cooperatives today launched Revolt, a first-of-its kind program that allows cooperative members to upgrade the electricity used to fuel their vehicles to wind energy at no additional cost.
Renewable sources are already part of Great River Energy’s power mix, but the Revolt program provides a more direct connection between wind energy and the electric vehicle driver.
“Our Revolt program allows consumers to further support the use of renewable energy. We are dedicating wind energy to completely cover the electricity that a consumer uses to fuel an electric vehicle for the vehicle’s lifetime,” said David Ranallo, Great River Energy Revolt program manager. “We’re thrilled to offer this innovative program and hope it acts as a spark to ignite awareness around electric vehicles in Minnesota.”
To be eligible for participation in Revolt, a cooperative member must currently own, purchase or lease a plug-in electric vehicle or plug-in hybrid electric vehicle by Dec. 31, 2016. A household can enroll up to four electric vehicles in the program. Standard or off-peak rates still apply for electricity used to fuel the vehicles.
“Electric vehicle owners are already some of the happiest drivers on the planet because they know they’re making a positive impact on the environment,” said Jukka Kukkonen, a plug-in vehicle owner who is a principal in PlugInConnect, a Minnesota consulting firm. “The Revolt program adds an innovative element by powering the vehicles completely from wind energy, which I see only bolstering the satisfaction of owning an electric vehicle.”
In addition to electric vehicle enthusiasts, Revolt is being lauded by leaders of organizations across Minnesota that promote the use of renewable energy.
“There has never been so much innovation going in to producing vehicles that are faster, safer, cleaner, and cheaper and easier to maintain,” said Michael Noble, executive director of Fresh Energy, a nonprofit organization that advocates for acceleration of Minnesota’s transition to a clean energy economy. “Refueling with renewable electricity is a great vision for Great River Energy to advance and is ready to become more common than fueling with gasoline within the next 20 years.”
“We applaud Great River Energy for giving customers 100 percent renewable wind energy to recharge their electric vehicles. Making sure renewables are generating the ‘juice’ for an electric vehicle is the right way to go and provides a win-win product for their members,” said Beth Soholt, executive director of Wind on the Wires, a nonprofit organization which works to bring wind energy to market.
For more information about the Revolt program, visit MNRevolt.com. Electric vehicle drivers may enroll in the Revolt program online or by contacting their local electric cooperative.
Electric vehicle eligibility requirements
Two categories of electric vehicles are eligible for enrollment in Revolt: plug-in electric vehicles (PEV) and plug-in hybrids (PHEV). PEVs are all electric, all of the time – no internal combustion engine or gas tank involved. PHEVs run on both gas and electricity.
Hybrid electric vehicles that have a gas tank and no plug are not eligible. They charge through regenerative braking and by drawing power from the engine.
About Great River Energy
Great River Energy is a not-for-profit cooperative which provides wholesale electric service to 28 distribution cooperatives in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Those member cooperatives distribute electricity to approximately 655,000 member consumers – or about 1.7 million people. With $3.9 billion in assets, Great River Energy is the second largest electric power supplier in Minnesota and one of the largest generation and transmission cooperatives in the nation.
Great River Energy’s member cooperatives range from those in the outer-ring suburbs of the Twin Cities to the Arrowhead region of Minnesota to the farmland of southwestern Minnesota. Great River Energy’s largest distribution cooperative serves more than 125,000 member-consumers; the smallest serves about 2,500. Learn more at greatriverenergy.com.
