Rothsay's Community Energy Challenge
Rothsay is like many small towns in greater Minnesota. Residents work hard to keep their community alive, and that's one of the reasons Otter Tail Power Company selected Rothsay—and Rothsay Public School—to be the center of an ambitious pay-it-forward goal to save energy.
Imagine all of the residents of a small rural community working together to reduce the energy use of their entire town—every business and every home—through a Community Energy Challenge. Then imagine all of the students in the community playing a leadership role to accomplish that goal. It's Otter Tail Power Company's unique way to encourage greater understanding that the choices people make about their energy lifestyles and technology selection impact everyone.
Minnesota is nationally known for its aggressive statewide energy-efficiency goals. When the Next Generation Energy Act was signed, Governor Pawlenty made a statement to the effect of, "The best time to have taken action on energy issues would've been decades ago . . . the second best time is right now." And this small town isn't afraid to step up to the plate and demonstrate what it means to manage energy use.
"The City of Rothsay is very excited and honored to be chosen for the Community Energy Challenge! As City Leaders we will do our best to maximize the positive impact this challenge will have on our community. Thank you Otter Tail Power Company."
-- Mayor Shirley and the Rothsay City Council
"We are excited and honored to be chosen as the recipient of the Community Energy Challenge from Otter Tail Power Company. The 233 students in Preschool through grade 12 will benefit greatly from the energy-conservation lessons they will learn and the real-life applications they will be involved with in the coming months and years. Because a portion of our mission is to produce responsible citizens, the Community Energy Challenge is a timely reinforcement of what that means not only to individual students and their families, but to Rothsay Public School as a whole, to the town of Rothsay, and to future generations."
-- Dr. Mary Donohue Stetz, Superintendent/Principal, Rothsay Public School
