Your co-op recognizes that natural gas is one of the lowest cost, cleanest burning fuels available and will be a primary national energy resource for a long time. We’ve formed a subsidiary called Lake Region Energy Services (LRES) and through a working partnership with Greater Minnesota Gas (GMG), we are bringing natural gas to the surrounding communities of Parkers Prairie, Deer Creek, Miltona, and Dent.
Greater Minnesota Transmission is providing the intrastate pipeline to bring a supply of natural gas to these areas and natural gas termination points within the region. From there, Lake Region Energy Services owns and maintains the distribution pipeline that serves the natural gas customers.
Construction of natural gas distribution infrastructure began in May of 2017. Work began with the GMG intrastate pipeline, and was followed by the build out of distribution lines into the Parkers Prairie and Deer Creek communities. In 2018, the natural gas network expanded to include the communities of Miltona and Dent.
Natural gas service provides LRES customers with stable and lower costs, and an additional energy source for residential, commercial, agricultural, and industrial service. Our goal is to provide the services and products that our members are going to need now and into the future. The natural gas utility that Lake Region Energy Services operates benefits from the operational and back office capabilities that Lake Region Electric Cooperative already possesses. This synergetic diversification provides financial benefits to the electric co-op even as it benefits new natural gas customers.