Cisco IoT Solutions Enhance Reliability for Great River Energy Across Minnesota

In Minnesota, where summers can reach scorching temperatures and winters bring subzero lows, power reliability is not just a convenience—it's a necessity. Great River Energy, the state’s second‑largest electric power supplier, serves 695,000 families and businesses through 28 member‑owned distribution companies, covering a sprawling 56,000‑square‑mile service area that includes more than 600 distribution and transmission substations.

To support a comprehensive hardware and technology refresh statewide, the company’s engineering team embarked on a rigorous vendor evaluation. Their goal: rugged, cost‑effective industrial routers with built‑in LTE connectivity capable of withstanding harsh field conditions.

After a thorough assessment, Great River Energy selected Cisco’s IR829 industrial integrated services routers, along with IE 2000 and IE 3000 switches. The deployment involved nearly 525 IR829 routers and up to 400 IE 2000 switches, creating a resilient communications backbone that allows the utility to operate critical systems on LTE while upgrading equipment across the state.

“We basically needed to fuel the plane while it was in the air… In one month alone, backup LTE service gave us an additional 10,000 hours of availability system‑wide while Radio Frequency gear was being replaced.”

Eric Rupp, Principal Network Engineer, Great River Energy

With the new infrastructure, Great River Energy now enjoys always‑on connectivity that improves daily operational reliability, reduces maintenance costs, and streamlines field operations. Prior to the migration, any outage triggered 24/7 technician dispatch—including weekends and holidays—driving up labor expenses and potentially delaying scheduled construction projects. The LTE‑backed network enables substations to maintain operations for short periods while repairs are coordinated, thereby enhancing overall efficiency.

The consistent control console across numerous sites, coupled with a customized script for fast over‑the‑air updates, gives field crews a powerful, unified tool for managing the entire network. This level of automation and reliability is critical in utility environments where a single substation outage can have catastrophic consequences.

Utility providers like Great River Energy are expanding the possibilities of IoT, demonstrating how Cisco’s robust, easy‑to‑manage equipment can elevate service reliability and operational excellence.

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