About us

Corporate Profile

  • A not-for-profit generation and transmission cooperative incorporated in 1961 to provide supplemental power to a consortium of rural electric cooperatives
  • Diverse energy portfolio: coal, gas, oil, distributed, and renewable energy, including wind power
  • Consumer owned by 131 member cooperative systems
  • Serves 3 million electric consumers
  • Members' service territories comprise 550,000 square miles in nine states
  • At end of year 2021, Basin Electric operates 5,222 megawatts (MW) of wholesale electric generating capability and has 7,263 MW of capability within its resource portfolio
  • Operates 11 maintenance shop output locations in 4 states
  • Owns 2,497 miles and maintains 2,537 miles of high-voltage transmission
  • Owns and/or maintains substation equipment in 94 locations and has equipment ownership in 18 additional locations
  • Owns and maintains telecommunications equipment at 213 telecommunication sites

Data updated March 2022.

Todd Telesz

Organization

Basin Electric’s core business is generating and transmitting wholesale bulk electric power to customers, primarily to our member rural electric systems, which are located in nine states.

people standing in a field

Members

At Basin Electric, our focus is the person at the end of the line. Our member-owners are the reason we exist. That's the co-op difference.
Lineworkers on transmission structure

Transmission

Basin Electric is one of the few utilities that supply electricity on both sides of the national electric system separation.

worker at computer screens

Generation

Whether we're running on coal, wind, natural gas, hydro, oil, or soon solar, or ramping up our generation to fulfill peak demand, you can be sure we've got the power for our members.
People smiling in front of building

Career Center

Basin Electric employs over 1,800 people at facilities in North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Nebraska, and Wyoming. 

RESOURCE PROFILE

Basin Electric's core business is generating and transmitting wholesale bulk electric power to customers, primarily to our 131 member rural electric systems, which are located in nine states: Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. Our largest subsidiary, the for-profit Dakota Gasification Company, owns and operates the Great Plains Synfuels Plant near Beulah, North Dakota, which gasifies lignite coal and captures some of the carbon dioxide emissions (CO2) and sends them to produce several value-added products.

Basin Electric will own 4,279 megawatts (MW) and operate 5,222 MW of electric generating capability by end of year 2021, of which 981 MW is for participants of the Missouri Basin Power Project (MBPP), and 80 MW is jointly owned by Basin Electric and its Class A member, Corn Belt Power Cooperative, Humboldt, Iowa. Our electric generation facilities are located in North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, and Iowa. Most of Basin Electric's baseload capacity comes from coal. Peaking facilities are oil or natural gas-based.

Basin Electric's total winter season generation capability portfolio by the winter 2021/2022 season will be 7,262.7 MW. Of that, Basin Electric has purchased a total of 2,983 MW of electric generation capability, including 1,525 total MW from renewable resources of which 1,480 MW are from wind turbines, and 45 MW are waste heat energy (known as recovered energy generation - REG).

Data updated March 2022.