Commitment to Sustainability

At Wright-Hennepin, sustainability is not a standalone initiative. It is embedded in how we plan our power supply, serve members, support communities, care for employees, and govern the cooperative. As a member-owned utility, we align environmental stewardship, social impact, and strong governance to deliver reliable, affordable, and responsible energy.

Environmental Stewardship

Lower-Carbon Power Supply

• The carbon intensity of WH’s power supply has significantly decreased over the past decade as WH’s power suppliers and the MISO market as a whole adds renewable energy resources to the generation portfolio.

Expanding Renewables

• Under our Member Directed Resource contract, we added 22 MW of renewables and are participating in three wind projects.
• We custom-built and integrated 2.25 MW of utility-scale solar.
• We were Minnesota’s first cooperative to offer community solar gardens (2013), expanded to four member gardens plus two dedicated to the City of Rockford.

Member-Choice Green Energy

• Solar Choice and Renewable Choice offer direct participation in clean energy.

Efficiency and Conservation

• About 26,650 members participate in one or more Energy-Saving Programs for space heating, water heating, and cooling.

Local Habitat and Waste Reduction

• We maintain a 1.25-acre pollinator garden at our headquarters.
• We run robust recycling for oil, scrap metal, cardboard, and more.

Social Impact

Community Giving

• Through Operation Round Up, members contribute roughly $200,000 annually, totaling $2 million over the past decade for local organizations.

Education and Youth

• WH sponsors six different scholarships each year for high school students, future lineworkers, low-voltage technicians, and trades leaders. We have provided 570+ scholarships totaling over $750,000 since 1988.
• Each year we donate thousands of nightlights and earbuds to kindergarteners and third graders in our service area.
• We conduct about 20 hotline safety demonstrations in area schools and partner with educators to strengthen vocational training.

Member and Community Engagement

• We host or participate in about 20 community events annually, from our Annual Meeting to regional fairs and parades.
• We regularly track and report American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) scores to ensure service quality.

Global Cooperative Good

• We contribute to NRECA International to help expand safe, reliable electricity access worldwide.

Our People

Safety, training, and wellness

• Employees are supported with annual wellness programs, required cybersecurity training, and four or more job-related trainings each year.
• We conduct a large Emergency Response Plan drill annually, plus four additional safety drills (fire, emergency response, tornado, and others).

Engagement and opportunity

• We run employee engagement surveys with action plans, offer summer and holiday internships, and follow a competitive bidding policy for fairness and value.
• We protect member and employee data through privacy and Red Flag Rules policies.

Governance You Can Trust

Member-elected leadership

• Our Board of Directors is elected by the membership in democratic annual elections. 

Board development and accountability

• Our directors get robust training and many of them hold Credentialed Cooperative Director (CCD) certificates and Board Leadership Certificates (BLC).
• We provide comprehensive new-director onboarding, maintain an anonymous fraud hotline, and execute a public policy plan each year.
• We pursue capital credit refunds to inactive members and maintain a 20-year capital credit rotation for our members.
• Our board engages a professional auditing firm to audit our financial statements and 401k plans annually.

How We Measure Progress

• Quarterly carbon-intensity reporting to directors
• Program participation metrics across renewables and efficiency
• Member satisfaction tracking via the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI)
• Annual safety and emergency drills, training completion, and audits

Your Role in Our Sustainable Future

Choosing efficiency programs, participating in community solar, and supporting Operation Round Up all make a tangible difference. Together, we can continue to reduce emissions, strengthen communities, and keep power safe, reliable, and affordable for everyone.