The exercise was part of an energy conservation outreach program called Learn & Earn that was led by Lake Country Power and Minnesota Power. The program encouraged energy education within area classrooms and communities while raising money for valuable school programs.  Ron Mackey was MP's local coordinator for the program.

To raise money for their school, high school juniors and seniors from the Honor Society promoted the use of compact fluorescent light bulbs to residents and businesses within the Eveleth and Gilbert communities. They also distributed rebate coupons at school and at participating retailers, earning money from Lake Country Power and Minnesota Power for each compact fluorescent light bulb sold during the campaign.

“Learn and Earn was a wonderful project for our school and communities,” said Sheena Nelson, advisor at Eveleth-Gilbert School. “The program allowed students from the National Honor Society to go into classrooms and interact with students, learn about energy conservation, and promote CFL light bulbs. It was an all around great experience for the National Honor Society members and the students of the Eveleth-Gilbert School District.”  

Lake Country Power, www.lakecountrypower.coop, is a Touchstone Energy® cooperative serving parts of eight counties in northeastern Minnesota. The rural electric cooperative provides services to more than 41,000 members and has offices located in Grand Rapids, Kettle River and Virginia.

Minnesota Power, headquartered in Duluth, Minnesota, is one of the companies of ALLETE, Inc. (NYSE:ALE). It is a low-cost electric utility that serves some of the largest industrial customers in the United States.