Basin Electric: Live Wire

Basin Electric: Live Wire is a blog that features some of the people stories and interesting background information that you can't get anywhere else. This blog was started in 2008 on the Wordpress platform, and moved here in 2021. Please find our archives at basinelectric.wordpress.com. You can email editor Tracie Bettenhausen with story ideas.

Recent Posts

Christensen's 'transmission' from rookie to retiree

  • Angela Magstadt
  • 20 March 2023

Throughout his four-decades-long career, Christensen worked in Resource Planning, Transmission, and Marketing and Power Supply before being hired...

Throwback Thursday: The ‘lectric light lady

  • National Rural Electric Cooperative Association
  • 16 March 2023

Life prior to electricity was difficult for both the farmer and his wife. The book, The Next Greatest Thing, detailed how the Country Life...

Winter member managers conference goes virtual

  • Jenifer Gray
  • 09 March 2023

The Member and External Relations team at Basin Electric were faced with last minute changes when the winter member managers conference, usually...

Pioneer Generation Station Phase IV adding mega megawatts

  • Tracie Bettenhausen
  • 08 March 2023

According to the 2023 Basin Electric Member Load Forecast, 92% of Basin Electric's distribution cooperative members are growing.

How We Serve with Human Resources

  • Jenifer Gray
  • 06 March 2023

Human Resources focuses on the development of employees by keeping them trained, engaged, and productive, with an eye on continuous improvement.

Powder River Energy Corporation and Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative employees tour Dry Fork Station

  • Caitlyn Inman
  • 02 March 2023

Dry Fork Station hosted a tour of the power plant for employees of Basin Electric Class C member Powder River Energy Corporation and Oregon Trail...

Why Basin? Culture, people, and commitment to community

  • Jenifer Gray
  • 23 February 2023

Basin Electric prides itself on its culture and commitment to its employees, making new hires feel welcome and appreciated from Day 1.

Basin Electric employee helps Pilots for Kids bring holiday cheer to those in need

  • Jenifer Gray
  • 20 February 2023

As a part of the Pilots for Kids program, Basin Electric Pilot Steven Schaffner helped Santa and Mrs. Claus trade in their sleigh and reindeer for...

Deer Creek Station hosts tour for Aurora Volunteer Fire Department

  • Caitlyn Inman
  • 16 February 2023

Deer Creek Station hosted a tour with the Aurora (South Dakota) Volunteer Fire Department to grow their working relationship and prepare them in...

Basin Electric donates to youth organizations with Northern Electric Cooperative

  • Caitlyn Inman
  • 13 February 2023

Basin Electric recently made donations to community youth organizations in South Dakota through the member match program.

How We Serve: Financial Services

  • Jenifer Gray
  • 06 February 2023

Employees at Basin Electric understand their role as stewards of service to the members of the cooperative. The “How We Serve” series highlights...

Co-ops leverage Basin Electric’s rate to build grid-level battery storage

  • Cathy Cash of NRECA
  • 03 February 2023

As more electric cooperatives pursue energy storage, a generation and transmission co-op is offering a trial battery rate to help members deliver...

Basin Electric donation keeps Bismarck-Mandan Homeless Shelter open 24-hours a day for winter

  • Caitlyn Inman
  • 19 January 2023

Basin Electric made a $75,000 donation to Missouri Slope Areawide United Way, resulting in the reopening of the emergency homeless shelter during...

Dakota Gasification Company earns valuable certification

  • Jenifer Gray
  • 12 January 2023

A few years ago, the team at Dakota Gasification Company was tasked with obtaining what’s called ISO 9001 certification, a metric that ensures...

Strength and value as a generation and transmission cooperative

  • Kalli Senske
  • 11 January 2023

Unlike other energy providers whose rates may only include energy, Basin Electric's rates include many other essential services.

How we serve with Montana Limestone Company

  • Kalli Senske
  • 09 January 2023

Montana Limestone Company is a relatively small operation that has a big impact on Basin Electric and its membership.

Top Basin Electric stories of 2022

  • Tracie Bettenhausen
  • 29 December 2022

As we’re getting ready to ring in 2023, we thought it would be fun to take a look at some of our popular posts and stories of 2022.

NIPCO reduces costs to member-consumers

  • Jenifer Gray
  • 27 December 2022

The NIPCO-owned Lawton Substation, located within its service area, is home to a 975-kilowatt Tesla® Megapack® .

Scheduled outage means continued reliability at Laramie River Station

  • Jenifer Gray
  • 19 December 2022

Basin Electric coordinates all outages to make sure there’s no disruption in power.

Basin Electric equipment helps young soccer players watch World Cup

  • Caitlyn Inman
  • 16 December 2022

Dakota United Soccer Club watched what would be the U.S. Men's National Soccer Team's final game in the World Cup using a Basin Electric projector.

Basin Electric and Dakota Gas employees step up to ensure service during mid-December blizzard

  • Jenifer Gray
  • 16 December 2022

Employees at Antelope Valley Station, Leland Olds Station, the Great Plains Synfuels Plant , and Basin Electric's Security and Response Services...

Thinking big: Minnesota co-op leads tour for local grad students

  • Erin Kelly of RE Magazine
  • 15 December 2022

The following is an excerpt from an article in RE Magazine featuring Dee Anne Norris, CEO of Renville-Sibley Cooperative Power Association, a Basin...

Sustainability a top priority at Basin Electric

  • Jenifer Gray
  • 13 December 2022

At Basin Electric, sustainability is the commitment we make to our members to meet their needs, while ensuring future generations will thrive.

Basin Electric transmission rates team finds an opportunity to cut Basin Electric costs

  • Caitlyn Inman
  • 08 December 2022

"That we were able to see an opportunity and capture it to save Basin Electric over $400,000 annually, which could increase every year, makes this...

How We Serve: Resource Planning and Rates

  • Jenifer Gray
  • 05 December 2022

Resource Planning & Rates is responsible for the management of Basin Electric’s long-term origination and resource planning activities which...

2022 Annual Meeting full reporting

  • Angela Magstadt
  • 21 November 2022

Find videos of the presentations on our website, and on our YouTube channel, 2022 Annual Meeting playlist.

PRECorp Leases Electric Vehicle As Part Of Moonshot Initiative

  • Jenifer Gray
  • 15 November 2022

Two years ago, the co-op leased an electric Chevy Bolt to help support its “Moonshot” initiative, with the goal of reducing its megawatt hour (MWh)...

Laramie River Station employees make a splash in their community

  • Caitlyn Inman
  • 14 November 2022

Employees at Laramie River Station came together to save their community pool from closing down for the rest of the summer.

Watch LIVE: Basin Electric Annual Meeting 2022

  • Tracie Bettenhausen
  • 09 November 2022

Watch Basin Electric's Annual Meeting live.

Basin Electric Teams Collaborate On Software Upgrade

  • Jenifer Gray
  • 03 November 2022

Upgrading software is no easy thing, and when it comes to Allegro, the Energy Trading and Risk Management solution at Basin Electric, it took 45...

East River Electric Purchases Its First All-Electric Vehicle

  • Jenifer Gray
  • 01 November 2022

East River Electric has been looking into purchasing an electric vehicle (EV) for use as a fleet vehicle for several years.

Basin Electric employees donate 860 lbs. of fresh, local food in 2022

  • Tracie Bettenhausen
  • 26 October 2022

Since 2014, Basin’s Backyard Garden has donated 5,256 lbs. of fresh, mostly local food to local food pantries through the Hunger Free North Dakota...

How We Serve: Government Relations

  • Jenifer Gray
  • 24 October 2022

Employees at Basin Electric understand their role as stewards of service to the members of the cooperative. The “How We Serve” series highlights...

A family tradition: three generations at Dakota Gas

  • Caitlyn Inman
  • 10 October 2022

“Sometimes a job can be looked at as just that, but in reality, a job at Dakota Gas has provided for generations for the Carr family, and working...

Former Basin Electric spokesperson honored by Lignite Energy Council

  • Tracie Bettenhausen
  • 06 October 2022

Joan Dietz received the award during LEC's annual meeting on Sept. 28. 

Basin Electric and PRECorp donate $10,000 to local organizations

  • Kalli Senske
  • 03 October 2022

Basin Electric recently partnered with Class C member Powder River Energy Corporation (PRECorp), headquartered in Sundance, Wyoming, on two...

Basin Electric team continually plans for reliable transmission

  • Caitlyn Inman
  • 29 September 2022

The Transmission team at Basin Electric were a part of the recent planning effort that resulted in the approval of more than $500 million in...

The Garfield Dairy shares co-op value of community

  • Angela Magstadt
  • 27 September 2022

The community-minded values of the new Garfield Dairy near Bryant, South Dakota, make it an ideal member for an electric cooperative with the same...

How We Serve: Asset Management and Commodity Strategy

  • Jenifer Gray
  • 20 September 2022

The “How We Serve” series highlights employees and their work group and explains how they serve our members every day.

MREA editorial shows we're all in this together

  • Excerpts from MREA editorial
  • 14 September 2022

Reliability means something different to an electric utility than it does to a clean energy advocate.

Transmission projects determined as needed in North Dakota by the Southwest Power Pool

  • Tracie Bettenhausen
  • 13 September 2022

The Southwest Power Pool (SPP) conducted an Integrated Transmission Planning study and in 2021 determined the need for extensive new transmission...

Montana school teacher shows the value of commitment in rural areas

  • Caitlyn Inman
  • 06 September 2022

This year, Hill County Electric offered its first ever Teacher Appreciation Award in an effort to help retain these educators that are so critical...

Basin Electric CEO and general manager visits wind, natural gas, and subsidiary facilities

  • Caitlyn Inman
  • 01 September 2022

Basin Electric CEO and general manager Todd Telesz visited three Basin Electric facilities this summer in Distributed Generation and two locations...

Deer Creek Station serves members with distributed generation

  • Kalli Senske
  • 30 August 2022

"Basically everything we do affects the membership. What's good for the membership is good for us."

Teamwork at Basin Electric develops new billing system

  • Caitlyn Inman
  • 18 August 2022

In 2019, departments at Basin Electric overcame challenges and worked together to develop a new member billing software called MemberBilling.

Feeling the heat puts focus on reliability

  • Angela Magstadt
  • 17 August 2022

Reports of energy shortfalls that could potentially lead to power interruptions left people feeling uneasy this spring and summer.

Basin Electric hosts the South Dakota Rural Electric Association's Youth Excursion

  • Caitlyn Inman
  • 08 August 2022

Basin Electric hosted the South Dakota Rural Electric Association’s Youth Excursion, including 14 high school students sponsored by electric...

Old Basin Electric safety inspection vehicle from 1961 found in Ohio

  • Caitlyn Inman
  • 01 August 2022

In 1997, an old Basin Electric safety inspection vehicle was found for sale in a newspaper ad by a family from Shreve, Ohio.

Vastness and variety set Montana co-op apart

  • Angela Magstadt
  • 27 July 2022

Doug Hardy says, “I’ve learned to volunteer to do things nobody else wants to do because some of those things have applications you would never...

Basin Electric continues sponsoring Teen Room at The Boys and Girls Club of Campbell County

  • Caitlyn Inman
  • 26 July 2022

Due to Basin Electric's sponsorship, the club has been able to market the space for the middle school age group within the community to provide a...

Basin Electric member match goes toward Carhart Trail improvements

  • Caitlyn Inman
  • 19 July 2022

Basin Electric provided a member match donation of $2,500 with Class C member San Isabel Electric to a non-profit, entirely volunteer-run...

Basin Electric watches cryptocurrency volatility and risk

  • Angela Magstadt
  • 13 July 2022

Cryptocurrency is a digital form of currency that doesn’t come from central authorities such as governments or banks. Bitcoin, the first form of...

Basin Electric teams up with Powder River Energy for donation to Climb Wyoming

  • 07 July 2022

Powder River Energy Foundation and Basin Electric have joined forces to make a $10,000 donation to Climb Wyoming, fostering workforce development...

A day in the life of Basin Electric senior fleet and logistics administrator Nathan Johnson

  • Angela Magstadt
  • 05 July 2022

“I work with employees at our facilities to find out when they need the equipment they ordered, then with trucking companies to coordinate...

Basin Electric pilots fly to East Coast to pick up parts for Dry Fork Station outage

  • Caitlyn Inman
  • 22 June 2022

"It is missions like these that really show the true value of the cooperative aircraft."

Rural America becomes even more electrified

  • Kalli Senske
  • 20 June 2022

“Having more access and reliability for power has been critical,” Eric Watson says. “If we didn’t have reliable power, it would hit every aspect,...

Basin Electric partners with members to support SPURS Therapeutic Riding Center

  • Caitlyn Inman
  • 15 June 2022

Basin Electric Class C member Northern Electric Cooperative presented SPURS Therapeutic Horseback Riding Center in Aberdeen, SD with a $2,000...

Trooper Toss event at Basin Electric provides funds for veteran bison hunts

  • Kalli Senske
  • 13 June 2022

In honor of Military Appreciation Month, employees at Basin Electric’s Headquarters participated in Trooper Toss – a fundraising event for Injured...

Living the cooperative way: Laramie River Station employees serve their community inside and outside of work

  • Lindsey Chumley
  • 10 June 2022

The skillsets William Deglman uses in his role as safety coordinator at Laramie River Station are also useful in his role as assistant fire chief...

40 Years of Opportunities: Steve Johnson's story with Basin Electric

  • Kalli Senske
  • 08 June 2022

One of the reasons Johnson says he’s found success in his career is that he has tried to treat everyone with respect and dignity and give people an...

Co-op members show kindness to line crews during spring snowstorm

  • Angela Magstadt
  • 06 June 2022

North Central Electric linemen worked long, hard hours after a late spring snowstorm knocked out power to some 1,200 accounts. Members were not shy...

Basin Electric Transmission System Maintenance comes to one member’s rescue amid snowstorm

  • Kalli Senske
  • 02 June 2022

Even with assistance from Basin Electric and other local cooperatives, it took Burke-Divide nearly three weeks to get power back to all residences.

Quick thinking by DGC teams lessen impacts of fire

  • Angela Magstadt
  • 19 May 2022

The quick actions of Operations, Electrical and Instrumentation, and Protection Services helped minimize damage and prevent injuries.

Leland Olds Station and Basin Electric Marketing teams turned a former cost into a benefit

  • Kalli Senske
  • 05 May 2022

Basin Electric’s Leland Olds Station and Marketing teams partnered to turn an $875,000 cost into a net benefit of $1.6 million annually.

Basin tours the Bakken

  • Angela Magstadt
  • 29 April 2022

Todd Telesz and Becky Kern visited key sites in the Bakken oil field to learn firsthand about current challenges and the potential for large-scale...

From blizzards to tornadoes, the Basin Electric SRS team managed it all

  • Kalli Senske
  • 21 April 2022

When historic blizzard, Silas, hit western and central North Dakota starting April 12, the Security and Response Services (SRS) team anticipated...

Basin Electric employee donations help victims reach goals

  • Tracie Bettenhausen
  • 19 April 2022

Employees collected about $10,000 in June 2021 that went to a special fund at Abused Adult Resource Center -- New Directions Education and...

Basin Electric CEO and General Manager Todd Telesz tours generation facilities

  • Angela Magstadt
  • 06 April 2022

When Todd Telesz took the position of Basin Electric’s sixth-ever CEO and general manager, he committed to visiting Basin Electric’s plant sites...

All are Welcome: Homeless Cats find Sanctuary on Basin Electric Employee's Ranch

  • Kalli Senske
  • 04 April 2022

Tami Lynn Arndt, administrative assistant at Laramie River Station, has always loved animals.

Antelope Valley Station employees get creative in moving coal

  • Kalli Senske
  • 30 March 2022

When a fire occurred at Antelope Valley Station last September, there was some damage to the L1 chute that brings in the coal fines from Dakota...

Basin Electric employee's quote highlighted by Bismarck Tribune

  • Tracie Bettenhausen
  • 25 March 2022

The Bismarck Tribune runs a weekly feature title "Eminently Quotable."

New Basin Electric Director Jerry Beck: Farmer, father, rural electric leader

  • Angela Magstadt
  • 21 March 2022

Basin Electric’s newest director, Jerry Beck, joined the Basin Electric board in December.

Innovative thinking saves the cooperative $1 million annually

  • Kalli Senske
  • 16 March 2022

When a project to modify the air quality control system at Dry Fork Station near Gillette, Wyoming, began, the project team had no idea it would...

Sheri Haugen-Hoffart: A woman, a leader, a public servant

  • Angela Magstadt
  • 08 March 2022

In a largely male-dominated industry, she says she never let being in the minority bother her.

A multitasker who loves a challenge

  • Tracie Bettenhausen
  • 03 March 2022

Worker shortages mean some trucking companies are declining to accept jobs moving freight into states like North Dakota and Wyoming.

Strategy for serving power to Basin Electric members, long-term

  • Tracie Bettenhausen
  • 02 March 2022

Basin Electric has generation and transmission facilities on both sides of the grid, and also has access to the DC ties.

Basin Electric employee receives Core Value Award from vendor

  • Angela Magstadt
  • 01 March 2022

Core Values Awards are given each year to celebrate notable individuals in the fleet industry who demonstrate the values that are integral to the...

Basin Electric's load forecasters are crystal ball experts

  • Kalli Senske
  • 23 February 2022

Robert Frank and Jay Lundstrom are responsible for the load forecasting for Basin Electric's membership. The load forecast is the main tool used...

Embracing change and serving the membership

  • Kalli Senske
  • 21 February 2022

Dave Raatz, senior vice president of Asset Management, Resource Planning, and Rates, retires after 41 years.

It's just part of living: Iowa man pays it forward to future generations

  • Lindsey Chumley
  • 14 February 2022

Retired dentist Dr. George North is one of three winners of the Touchstone Energy Cooperatives of Iowa's Shine the Light contest, a contest that...

Leland Olds Station employees use special equipment to clear ice, get unit back online

  • Tracie Bettenhausen
  • 09 February 2022

With the ice and debris clogging up the intake, a loss of flow of circulated water brought the intake from 40,000 gallons per minute down to 13,000...

'Down Here, It's Pickup Truck Country'

  • Erin Kelly of RE Magazine
  • 28 January 2022

Will rural residents be ready to go electric when EV trucks hit the market?

Helping them be who they were meant to be

  • Angela Magstadt
  • 25 January 2022

East River Electric does its part to benefit a community organization that provides therapies and equipment for differently abled children and...

Three teams work over the holidays to power up Wyoming CarbonSAFE project

  • 11 January 2022

It  took a collaborative trio to power the Wyoming CarbonSAFE project at Dry Fork Station.

Sioux Valley's new Beneficial Electrification department responds to members in a powerful way

  • Angela Magstadt
  • 03 January 2022

In a recent survey, 90% of members said they were interested in renewable energy and learning ways to be more energy efficient.

Top Basin Electric stories of 2021

  • Tracie Bettenhausen
  • 28 December 2021

As we’re getting ready to ring in 2022, we thought it would be fun to take a look at some of our popular posts and stories of 2021.

Cooperative leader and Basin Electric's 6th employee dies at 96

  • Tracie Bettenhausen
  • 27 December 2021

Robert Feragan, Basin Electric Cornerstone Award winner, former manager of East River Electric, former Rural Electrification Administrator, and...

Basin Electric holiday treats help neighbors stay warm and full

  • Kalli Senske
  • 21 December 2021

Basin Electric employees raised money for community members who are homeless or facing homelessness by ordering holiday treat trays, all made by...

Basin Electric employees give Christmas cheer to 176 children

  • Kalli Senske
  • 20 December 2021

Basin Electric employees donated to 176 children whose names were placed on “angel trees” at five Basin Electric locations.

Dakota Gas food service provider wears angel wings in her off-time

  • Tracie Bettenhausen
  • 16 December 2021

Kim Fischer says she delivers meals to anyone who is sick in the area

Basin Electric partners with Powder River Energy Foundation to provide meals this holiday season

  • Kalli Senske
  • 15 December 2021

Basin Electric teamed up with Class C member Powder River Energy's Foundation to donate a total of $6,000 to the Silver Sage Senior Center in...

Basin Electric's Paul Sukut talks about his time at the cooperative

  • Tracie Bettenhausen
  • 06 December 2021

Paul Sukut says the cooperative business model and principles give both staff and directors a solid foundation to lean on.

A little tree brings big bucks to Wyoming charity

  • Kalli Senske
  • 02 December 2021

A team of employees at Dry Fork Station near Gillette, Wyoming entered a decorated tree into the Festival of Trees, hosted by the Northeast Wyoming...

Co-op power proves out in reliable, efficient pasta production

  • Tracie Bettenhausen
  • 01 December 2021

Dakota Growers’ two sister plants (in Minnesota and Virginia) don’t have the cooperative advantages the North Dakota plant does as a member of...

In Depth: Researchers at Wyoming CarbonSAFE project near Dry Fork Station deploy seismic sensors

  • University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources
  • 29 November 2021

Researchers recently deployed a series of microseismic sensors as part of the ongoing baseline monitoring operations for the Wyoming CarbonSAFE...

Full reporting: Basin Electric 2021 Annual Meeting

  • Tracie Bettenhausen
  • 22 November 2021

All the information you need from Basin Electric's 2021 Annual Meeting of the Membership.

Basin Electric supports efforts to bring awareness to homelessness

  • Tracie Bettenhausen
  • 19 November 2021

A group from Ministry on the Margins, Missouri Valley Coalition for Homeless People, Inc., and the University of Mary stood outside from 7 a.m. - 7...

U.S. Air Force conducts training mission on Grayrocks Reservoir

  • Tracie Bettenhausen
  • 12 November 2021

The Air Force wanted to simulate a downed aircraft in a body of water, and another plane needed to drop rescue supplies.

Achievements to be proud of: military accomplishments from Basin Electric's veterans

  • Kalli Senske
  • 11 November 2021

They say that the greater the challenge, the greater the sense of accomplishment. Many in the military community have encountered situations that...

Wyoming Lime helps give a hero's welcome

  • Angela Magstadt
  • 08 November 2021

Employees hung a large flag from a 90-foot boom to honor a Vietnam vet whose remains were found and returned home after nearly five decades.

Synfuels Plant’s DEF-inite production advantages bring in millions

  • Angela Magstadt
  • 04 November 2021

The shift to producing an increased amount of DEF has had a significant financial impact for Dakota Gas .

Gratitude is sweet at Basin Electric – giving, even sweeter

  • Angela Magstadt
  • 02 November 2021

Candy for a Cause raised almost $8,000 for charity and provided a way for employees to show their appreciation for each other.

Getting to know Basin Electric's sixth general manager and CEO

  • Kalli Senske
  • 01 November 2021

Todd Telesz joined Basin Electric on Sept, 1, 2021, making him the cooperative’s sixth-ever CEO & general manager. We asked him a few questions so...

Diane Paul looks back with fondness

  • Angela Magstadt
  • 25 October 2021

She says working for the members and employees of Basin Electric was an honor.

Basin Electric member supports organization changing people’s lives

  • Angela Magstadt
  • 19 October 2021

East River Electric’s annual “mountain oyster” feed has raised nearly $850,000 over the past 57 years to help fund Lifescape’s mission.

Huron TSM employee intrigued by electricity since childhood

  • Angela Magstadt
  • 11 October 2021

Malsom and his team work to maintain substations and communication sites that cover about 18,000 square miles of service territory in eastern South...

Daring to innovate: 60 years of ambition at Basin Electric

  • Kalli Senske
  • 07 October 2021

From environmental impacts to new ways to generate power, Basin Electric has a long history of prioritizing innovation and taking chances. Here’s a...

Basin Electric: Cooks, coats, and a good cause

  • Kalli Senske
  • 30 September 2021

Five employees from Co-op Café at Headquarters put their cooking skills to the test for a chili cook-off. Each person prepared a large batch of...

Basin Electric employee helps bring clean water for the Roma

  • Kalli Senske
  • 20 September 2021

Basin Electric employee Mike Martin spent his vacation volunteering in Macedonia. One of the main projects he helped with was getting clean water...

Petals and Panels: A Wright-Hennepin Electric Co-op project

  • Angela Magstadt
  • 14 September 2021

Wright-Hennepin Cooperative Electric Association installed two projects that help their members show their environmental values in a way that works...

September 11: A twist of fate that changed one Basin Electric pilot’s future

  • Kalli Senske
  • 10 September 2021

Ryan Anderson, aviation manager, was an intern with Basin Electric on September 11, 2001 – the day there were four coordinated terrorist attacks...

Throwback Thursday: July 1970

  • Kalli Senske
  • 19 August 2021

On July 7, 1970, Basin Electric received a $100,000 grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for a regional program to...

Basin's Backyard Garden donates food to local pantries every week

  • Tracie Bettenhausen
  • 16 August 2021

Coming back in 2021, the garden decided it enjoyed that work-from-home life.