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• Cooperative Principles

Governance Model

A business model that works

Basin Electric's structure and governance is based on the cooperative business model (video), which has proven itself time and again - we are in a stable financial condition in very unstable times.

Recent years have been tough for other electric utilities, but Basin Electric’s ability to finance needed capital requirements at a reasonable cost is a key factor in sustaining our credit quality and providing a cost-based power supply to our members.

Three-tier system

Basin Electric is a generation and transmission cooperative with a three-tier delivery system:

• We sell wholesale power to our Class A members and others. The Class A members sell power to their distribution cooperatives (Basin Electric classifies distribution cooperatives as Class "C" members) who, in turn, sell power to retail customers.
• There are also special membership categories entitled Class B and Class D members.

Generation and transmission cooperatives

Seventy-seven percent of distribution co-ops (above) receive their power from generation and transmission co-ops (G&Ts).

Generation and transmission (G&T) cooperatives both generate and transmit (wholesale) electricity to meet the power needs of distribution co-ops. Some G&Ts own neither generation resources nor transmission; they are are referred to as intermediate G&Ts.

Electric cooperatives serve 42 million people in 47 states.

Distribution cooperatives

Many electric cooperatives are distribution cooperatives that deliver (retail) electricity to consumers. Distribution cooperatives are often involved in community economic development projects, such as improvement in health care and educational facilities, and creation of jobs and small business incentives.

Serving our members

External Relations & Communications staff offer media and related services to our member systems, in addition to communicating and coordinating utility and legislative issues affecting generation and transmission cooperatives.

The Member Services staff offer strategic planning and assessment workshops, Touchstone Energy brand training, the electric technology program, and Headquarters security and after-hours dispatch function for Basin Electric and subscribing member systems to our members.

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