Rochester Public Utilities

05/28/2026

Take a look back at RPU’s 24th annual Arbor Day Celebration. 🌳

Thank you to our community partners, ArborWise, The Davey Tree, Rochester Park & Recreation, and Sargent's Gardens, volunteers and everyone who stopped by McQuillan Field to celebrate the importance of trees, conservation and community togetherness. We’re grateful for another successful year of growing a greener Rochester.

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

05/26/2026

Get paid to save energy!💡💰

RPU customers can earn up to $75 through our Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) program by connecting a smart thermostat and helping reduce energy use during peak demand events.

It’s an easy way to support grid reliability, lower energy demand during high-use periods and put money back in your pocket.

Eligible smart thermostats can participate in brief energy-saving events throughout the summer while still keeping your home comfortable.

Learn more and enroll today:
https://www.rpu.org/rebates-programs/smart-thermostat-program/

05/22/2026

As we pause to remember and honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice, Rochester Public Utilities wishes you a safe Memorial Day.

RPU will be closed Monday, May 25, in observance of Memorial Day. Crews remain available 24/7 to respond to outages and emergencies. To report an outage, call 507-280-9191.

05/15/2026

Congratulations to 5th grader Zoe Merschbrock, the winner of our 2026 Arbor Day drawing! 🌳

She’s taking home a one-of-a-kind bear sculpture, hand-carved by chainsaw artist Stickman Steve. 🪵🐻

Zoe is a student in Mr. Ackerman’s class at Gibbs Elementary School. Thank you to everyone who joined us in celebrating Arbor Day and helping make this year’s event such a success! 🌲

05/15/2026

Power has been restored for all affected customers. Thank you for your patience.

05/15/2026

RPU crews are responding to a power outage in northwest Rochester affecting approximately 1,700 customers in the area between Civic Center Drive NW, 14th Street NW/NE and along the Broadway Avenue North corridor.

We are working to restore power as quickly and safely as possible.

Thank you for your patience. We will continue to share updates here as more information becomes available.

05/12/2026

Tonight’s Community Town Hall: Power, Water & Your Utility Services

Join Mayor Norton and RPU General Manager Tim McCollough to get answers about power line clearance tree trimming, advanced metering, rate adjustments, water supply planning, power supply planning (including renewable energy, battery storage, and other generation sources), and power outage response.

Free and open to the public—RSVP if you can (appreciated, not required): https://forms.office.com/g/1sPzn2ZjMi

We hope to see you there!

05/11/2026

Interested in a career in the utility industry? Apply by May 15 for a $1,000 Scholarship.

The Minnesota Municipal Utilities Association (MMUA) is offering the Utility Workforce Scholarship, awarding up to five $1,000 scholarships to Minnesota students pursuing careers in the utility field.

Eligible programs include careers such as powerline/lineworker, gas operator, water or wastewater operator, broadband, GIS specialist and other utility-related fields.

To apply, students must live in Minnesota, complete the application, answer two short questions about their interest in the utility industry and submit two letters of recommendation.

The deadline to apply is May 15, 2026.

Learn more and apply here:

05/08/2026

Round 1: Hank vs. the hydrant flush… safe to say Hank lost. 😅

He barely survived the first demo, but two more hydro flush showings are coming up at 4 and 5 p.m. at our Drinking Water Week event at the Apache Mall water tower.

Come watch the power of Rochester’s water system in action! Bring the kids and family and enjoy the beautiful afternoon with us.

05/08/2026

It’s a beautiful day to learn where your water comes from. 💧☀️

Come on down to the Apache Mall water tower now until 6 p.m. for Drinking Water Week. Bring the family to explore how Rochester’s water system works and meet the crews behind our water service.

Don’t miss our live fire hydrant flushing demonstrations at 3, 4 and 5 p.m. featuring “Hank” taking the full blast. You won’t want to miss it! 💦