2025 in Review: The Highlights from Ever-Green Energy
December 30, 2025 by Ever-Green Energy
2025 brought the integration of a new site, an international conference to our city, and more. We look forward to more exciting innovation in 2026, kicking off with a pro-bono consulting opportunity.
Reliably Heating and Cooling Minnesota’s Largest County
January 1 marked the start of a new calendar year and a new partnership for Ever-Green. Ever-Green now operates, manages, and maintains Hennepin County Energy Center located on the east side of downtown Minneapolis. The steam and chilled water district system provide heating and cooling services to Hennepin County, the state’s largest county, and City of Minneapolis operations for 15 buildings totaling 5 million square feet. This system serves vital local government operations: health care, safety and justice, and government services. This includes the Hennepin County Medical Center, which is home to a nationally-recognized Level 1 Adult and Pediatric Trauma Center.
Board Members Take Flight in Boss Lift
In June, Bonnie Holub, Ph.D., Ever-Green board chair, and Heidi Conrad, Ever-Green board member and District Energy St. Paul board chair, joined Luke Gaalswyk, Ever-Green President and CEO on the 2025 Boss Lift. A program put on by the 148th Fighter Wing of Duluth, Minnesota and the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, the Boss Lift aims to educate and build relationships between civilian employers and their military employees.
Boss Lift passengers flew in a KC-135 Stratotanker to watch F-16 Fighting Falcons be refueled in the air. In an approximately two-hour flight that took off and landed at the 148th Fighter Wing, participants viewed familiar landmarks and watched jets refuel through a boom pod.
“As a drill-status Guardsman who balances both roles, I know firsthand how crucial it is for civilian employers to understand and support their military employees,” Gaalswyk reflected. “Ever-Green is committed to honoring those who serve, and the Boss Lift program helps bridge that understanding between the military and civilian worlds.”
International District Energy Association Conference Held in the Twin Cities
Minneapolis hosted the 2025 International District Energy Association annual conference on June 2-5. Nearly 900 of our industry peers convened in the Twin Cities for knowledge sharing and networking. Members of the Ever-Green team attended and presented at the conference, including our work at Milwaukee Regional Medical Center and the Board of Water and Light in Lansing, Michigan.
As a part of the program, we welcomed 60 attendees from across the country and around the globe to tour our facilities at District Energy St. Paul and the University of Minnesota.
Celebrating the Career of Ken Smith
Taking advantage of our industry peers in town for the conference, we hosted a retirement party to celebrate the illustrious career of Ken Smith at the Minnesota History Center. Ken joined Ever-Green and District Energy St. Paul in 2006 and assumed the role of President and CEO of both companies in 2010. Ken’s tenure as a Senior Advisor to Ever-Green wrapped on December 5, 2025, marking the close of his 40-year career as an electrical engineer and business leader. We are grateful to Ken’s transparent and collaborative leadership, and wish him all the best in his next chapter.
Investing in Our Team and Welcoming New Team Members
In 2025, Ever-Green welcomed 39 new members to our team. Thirty-three employees were awarded promotions for their excellent work. Throughout each year, we invest and support the continued learning and development of our team through robust training opportunities for employees at all levels, including organizational learning opportunities for employees to learn from their peers across our locations
Helping Campuses Achieve Their Goals in the Coming Year
For many, the start of a new year means putting ideas into action to make goals a reality. In 2026, Ever-Green is proud to once again be partnering with Second Nature, offering pro bono consulting services to develop a carbon neutrality plan for a college or university. If this sounds intriguing, we invite you to join Second Nature’s Round VI information session via Zoom on January 15.
We hope you will stay up to date on the ways Ever-Green hopes to collaborate and reach new communities in 2026. To see what we accomplish in the next calendar year, follow us on LinkedIn and subscribe to our Dispatch newsletter for updates.
This time of year, we encourage you to come together in community for celebration and reflection. Ever-Green wishes you a peaceful and happy holiday season and New Year!
