Cook County Real Estate Fund is comprised of local investors interested in working on projects in the Grand Marais community. Their first project was the renovation of the Birchbark building. The new building is highly efficient. The renovations included installing energy-efficient LED lights, air source heat pumps, programmable thermostats, wall and ceiling insulation, and high-efficiency windows. The projects qualified for a rebate of $10,626 from Grand Marais Public Utilities. This project reduces annual greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to the emissions of 12 passenger vehicles. Congrats on the completion of their first project! Pictured (left to right) are Alyssa Morinville, Administrative Assistant at Grand Marais Public Utilities; Howard Hedstrom, Cook County Real Estate Fund; Nancy Kelly, Energy Services Rep for Grand Marais Public Utilities; Charles Hathaway, Grand Marais Public Utilities Commissioner; and Chris O’Brien, Cook County Real Estate Fund.

n March of this year, Cook County Home Center acquired Sawtooth Lumber and opened Cook County Home Center West. The store owners upgraded their warehouse lighting this summer. They replaced or retrofitted all the inefficient fluorescent fixtures with high-efficiency LED fixtures and lamps. The project qualified for a rebate of $1,167. This project reduces annual greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to planting four acres of forest. Owner Jeff Buetow shared, “This was great because the lighting is so much brighter, and we save money in the process.” Pictured (left to right) are Alyssa Morinville, Administrative Assistant at Grand Marais Public Utilities; Nancy Kelly, Energy Services Rep for Grand Marais Public Utilities; Jeff Buetow, owner; Charles Hathaway, Grand Marais Public Utilities Commissioner, Nate Sheils, President; and Shane Steele, Grand Marais Sustainability Coordinator.

Superior Creamery by the Saltless Sea is a new restaurant in Grand Marais that serves amazing ice cream. This past year they replaced their old inefficient light fixtures with new energy-efficient LED fixtures. They replaced their inefficient electric hot water heater with an ENERGY STAR® heat pump water heater. They also installed an ENERGY STAR commercial dishwasher and a low-flow pre-rinse spray valve. They received a total rebate of $1,385 from Grand Marais Public Utilities. The new equipment is expected to save approximately $1,646 in annual energy costs. Pictured (left to right) are Shane Steele, Grand Marais Sustainability Coordinator; Alyssa Morinville, Administrative Assistant at Grand Marais Public Utilities; Charles Hathaway, Grand Marais Public Utilities Commissioner; Owners Alex Bebbe-Giudice and Christine Sayler. Alex and Christine shared: “We would not have been aware of these rebates if Nancy Kelly (Energy Services Rep for Grand Marais Public Utilities) had not stopped by. The process was super easy too.”

Studios 17 and 21 at GMAC opened in 2022. For this project, they gutted the old pharmacy and pet food store. They installed new energy-efficient LED light fixtures and replaced their electric water heater with an ENERGY STAR® heat pump water heater. They also replaced their old oil-fired boiler with an electric boiler with in-floor hot water heat. They are reusing their Steffes off-peak wall heaters, so they qualify for off-peak electric rates. The building is now an all-electric building. This project qualified for $4,100 in rebates from Grand Marais Public Utilities. Ruth shared: “We appreciate all the efforts to make our new facility more sustainable. The utility stuck with us as we worked through all the improvements.” Pictured (Left to Right) are Charles Hathaway, Grand Marais Public Utilities Commissioner; Alyssa Morinville, Administrative Assistant at Grand Marais Public Utilities; and GMAC Director Ruth Pszwaro..