The annual North Country Electric Vehicle Show & Tell Event will be shifting gears when it pulls into a new venue on Saturday, Sept. 9, in Duluth.

Great River Energy, Lake Country Power, and Cooperative Light & Power are bringing their electric vehicle (EV) car show to the 29th annual Lake Superior Harvest Festival and partnering with Minnesota Power for an expanded Energy Fair experience as part of the event at Bayfront Festival Park.

Festival-goers will be able to view more than a dozen electric vehicles and hear from a well-rounded group of panelists who will share their perspectives on the EV industry. The EV panel discussion starts at 11:30 a.m. on the Energy Fair stage followed by “Solar 101,” a presentation on solar energy basics, at 1 p.m. on the same stage.

Panelists include Steve Nisbet, electric vehicle program director, Minnesota Automobile Dealers Association; Jessica Johnson, director, community and government relations, Talon Metals; Jack Volz, CEO, Safety and Security Consultation Specialists LLC; Megan Hoye, chief development officer, ZEF Energy, Ryan Ferguson, PE, senior engineer, Lake Country Power; and an experienced electric vehicle owner from California and most recently northern Minnesota. 

Come ready to listen and ask questions with your water bottles in hand as the Harvest Festival is proud to be a zero-waste event.

Some of the EVs on display include the Tesla Roadster, Ford F-150 Lightning, Ford Mustang Mach-E and the Mean Green Mower.

Representatives from the four energy providers will be at informational tables where you can learn about air source heat pump technology and other energy-efficient ways to heat and cool your home or business. Stop by the Northland Reliability Project booth to learn about the partnership between Minnesota Power and Great River Energy to build a 345-kV transmission line from northern Minnesota to central Minnesota to help maintain a reliable and resilient regional power grid.

“Together with these power cooperatives, we’re making a concerted effort to grow the energy fair section of Harvest Festival and make it a worthwhile stop in your festival experience,” said Jon Sullivan, Customer Programs and Services Representative Lead, Minnesota Power/ALLETE. “Our goal is to educate consumers about electrification and help them adopt technologies such as electric vehicles, air source heat pumps, solar, and so forth in their quest to use energy more efficiently and wisely.”

“Energy experts from our local region will be on hand for the public to get their questions answered about all-things energy related,” said Ryan Ferguson, P.E., senior engineer, Lake Country Power. “We are ready to share resources and information about our energy conservation programs and other ways consumers can save money and energy.”

If you have questions about electric vehicles, solar, heat pumps, electric reliability, or anything else energy related, be sure to swing by the Energy Fair at the Harvest Festival. The Harvest Festival runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free and parking is $10 per vehicle.

Harvest Festival is put on by the Lake Superior Sustainable Farming Association. For more information, visit your energy provider website or https://sfa-mn.org/harvest-festival/.