Biles makes Western North Dakota safer one smoke alarm at a time
Dakota Gas' Auston Biles is making a difference in Western North Dakota through the American Red Cross.
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.
Dakota Gas' Auston Biles is making a difference in Western North Dakota through the American Red Cross.
For the team at Leland Olds Station, located near Stanton, North Dakota, a plugged hopper-bottom silo sent them into action on the night of Jan. 23.
When contracts expire, it can be a difficult process to gain new easements. Thankfully, the relationships Basin Electric continues to build with...
Ryan Koch may be new to Basin Electric, but he's already found that this is the place for him.
Many processes and systems within a plant happen so automatically that it’s easy to forget someone had a role in getting everything set up just...
Twice each year, Basin Electric’s Transmission System Maintenance (TSM) crews from across its service area are required to participate in live line...
A team at Basin Electric created an electronic process for its jeans day program, resulting in an increase in donations.
Dakota Gas and Laramie River Station strive to minimize the duration and frequency of essential scheduled outages.
Cody Schmidt has worked for Basin Electric in the Distributed Generation group for a little over six years, but three months ago he began working...
Employees at Basin Electric understand their roles as stewards of service to the members of the cooperative. The “How We Serve” series highlights...
Construction continues at Pioneer Generation Station Phase IV (PGS IV) with the recent arrival of six Wartsila engines.
Verendrye Electric Cooperative, a Basin Electric Class C member located in Minot, North Dakota, invited Erin Laverdure, Basin Electric project...
Dakota Gas' partnership with Bismarck State College opens opportunity for full time, paid internships for process technology students.
Basin Electric prides itself on its culture and commitment to its employees, offering an impressive benefits package, professional development...
Employees at Basin Electric understand their roles as stewards of service to the members of the cooperative. The “How We Serve” series highlights...
As we’re getting ready to ring in 2024, we tallied up the clicks to see what were the most popular posts and stories of 2023. Grab your hot chocolate.
Basin Electric is committed to providing reliable and affordable electricity to its members and the cooperative is dedicated to ensuring there is a...
The Baumanns moved to Iowa to start the second location of HiPer Ceramics, a business Betti’s parents started in Germany in 1995.
Basin Electric appreciates its employees and works hard to retain its workforce. The cooperative understands employees, with their combined...
As energy needs continue to grow in Basin Electric’s service area, so does the need for additional generation and transmission resources.
While lineworkers are heroes in the electric industry, they are still human, so performing work on energized lines requires special tools, a...
When the first snowstorm of the season hit northern North Dakota on Oct. 24, Basin Electric’s lineworkers were out in the snow and ice to repair a...
When you think about the essential roles needed to keep a plant running, a few jobs might pop in your head. Perhaps an electrician or welder, or...
Basin Electric’s strategic roadmap meets member needs, today and tomorrow.
When Basin Electric's Huron Transmission System Maintenance (TSM) outpost purchased new vehicles, they donated their former side-by-side...
Work in the late summer and fall has been focused on the steel structure and getting it enclosed with sheeting.
Joe Ibrahim from National Grid Renewables explains how solar works.
At Leland Olds Station, the Safety & Wellness Committee sponsored a 2023 chili cookoff.
An unexpected series of events led to a Basin Electric employee carrying out a task her father started more than 30 years ago and form a connection...
Recently, the original two turbines from the PrairieWinds Chamberlain Wind Project were decommissioned as they were at the end of their useful life...
This past July, the organization put on a 108.1-mile race starting at the CCC Campground located 15 miles south of Watford City, North Dakota, and...
Basin Electric prides itself on its culture and commitment to its employees, offering an impressive benefits package, professional development...
Committed to the well-being of its employees, Basin Electric provides on-site walking paths and fitness centers at most of its facilities, and for...
Employees at Basin Electric understand their roles as stewards of service to the members of the cooperative. The “How We Serve” series highlights...
The training course is designed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology as a way for UAS pilots to objectively measure their flying...
Basin Electric appreciates its employees and works hard to retain its workforce. The cooperative understands employees, with their combined...
Employees at Basin Electric understand their roles as stewards of service to the members of the cooperative. The “How We Serve” series highlights...
Basin Electric's Marketing team conducted a blanket and pillow drive for Ministry on the Margins, a local a volunteer-based ministry that supports...
Basin Electric’s Tony Michlitsch, Leland Olds Station plant superintendent, is one of 20 stand-out cooperative employees to win the National Rural...
Basin Electric was honored at the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) “Lunch with the Boss” event held on Aug. 19.
Seven of the nine states in Basin Electric’s service territory were represented at the Key Accounts Master Course at Class C member West River...
Basin Electric prides itself on its culture and commitment to its employees, offering an impressive benefits package and professional development...
Employees at Basin Electric understand their role as stewards of service to the members of the cooperative. The “How We Serve” series highlights an...
The 2023 BE Leaders team used their teamwork skills when they were tasked with developing a new mission statement and set of values for Basin...
Find videos, written summaries, photos, and more from Basin Electric's 2023 Annual Meeting of the Membership.
The Laws of Physics say that at the very second electricity is being used, it must be generated somewhere.
See how two self-proclaimed jerks from California made the front desk laugh at Southeast Electric Cooperative.
Vess Hurley says he was able to diversify and grow because he was willing to adapt.
As more and more electric vehicles hit the road, the need for safety training increases. West River Electric Association, a Basin Electric Class C...
Watch Basin Electric's 2023 Annual Meeting live online.
Matthew Weigel coaches his daughter in the Junior Marksmanship Program and participates in shooting sports, himself, as well. Sometimes, they even...
The certification will give the Support Center a common language and help standardize their practices to continue to grow their capabilities.
Kayla Hieb, Basin Electric vice president of Human Resources, was selected by the Bismarck Mandan Chamber EDC as one of the 2023 top 20...
Employees at Basin Electric understand their roles as stewards of service to the members of the cooperative. The “How We Serve” series highlights...
Todd Brickhouse was named Basin Electric’s interim chief executive officer and general manager in July.
Basin Electric appreciates its employees and works hard to retain its workforce. The cooperative understands employees, with their combined...
Congestion has always been present on the transmission grid, but it has become increasingly problematic over the past five to 10 years as...
Basin Electric was recently part of a $35,000 donation given to the Food Bank of Wyoming for their September Hungry Awareness Month fundraising...
July 25 is National Hire a Veteran Day, a day created as a call to action for hiring companies, and to encourage veteran job applicants.
In honor of Pioneer Day on July 24, we're taking a look back at some of Basin Electric's pivotal decisions, from environmental impacts to new ways...
Reliability has ensured Basin Electric’s members can provide opportunities for the breadbasket and energy corridor of America.
Electric cooperatives are using a solar trailer to educate their members by demonstrating how solar power works to help them make educated...
A native of Mandan, North Dakota, Kyren Miller has been with Basin Electric since August 2022, when he started as a training coordinator for...
Most of us take clean air for granted as we go about our day, never thinking about what’s in the air we are breathing, while behind the scenes...
Whether it’s in their blood or they are just Dutch at heart, some 100,000 people flock to northwestern Iowa for the annual Orange City Tulip...
As part of a shared team initiative, the Accounts Payable and Financial Operations groups decided to convert more vendors to electronic payments to...
Construction has begun on Pioneer Generation Station Phase IV. Right now, the main objective is to get the buildings erected prior to the winter...
The Wills say the reliable electricity and small business feel they receive from Capital Electric mean a lot.
Basin Electric made a $150,000 donation to the Y.E.S. House Foundation in Gillette, Wyoming, to help cover ongoing efforts and program needs,...
Employees at Basin Electric understand their role as stewards of service to the members of the cooperative. The “How We Serve” series highlights an...
Before the school year ended, Basin Electric employees visited schools in Bismarck, North Dakota to give students information about Basin Electric...
Linda and Derek Binstock's love for animals has turned their garage into a makeshift animal rehab facility.
Basin Electric appreciates its employees and works hard to retain its workforce. The cooperative understands employees, with their combined...
Electric cooperatives deliver reliable, affordable, and responsible electricity to rural America fueling economic prosperity. Here, meet our 2022...
NRECA employees were recently given the opportunity to tour Dry Fork Station and the Dry Fork Mine to see how Basin Electric facilities differ from...
In 1999, Basin Electric invested more than $100 million to build the infrastructure and pipeline that now delivers carbon dioxide produced at...
Kelby Hovey, Basin Electric pilot and safety officer, was recently nominated to the Greater North Dakota Chamber’s (GNDC) inaugural list of 15...
Jason Evans, Laramie River Station safety coordinator, recently spent two days at Wheatland High School teaching OSHA 10 to a group of shop...
Every month, employees at Dry Fork Station volunteer to serve meals at the Gillette Senior Center in Gillette, Wyoming, as a way to show their...
Mandan, North Dakota, native Tavis Freidt started at Basin Electric five months ago and finds joy in coming to work every day.
Family is a core component of being a cooperative. That’s why employees’ children ages 9 to 13 were invited to Basin Electric’s Headquarters for...
Employees at Basin Electric understand their role as stewards of service to the members of the cooperative. The “How We Serve” series highlights an...
Each year, Basin Electric hosts Family Night events for employees at its various locations, but this year, the Family Night event for Headquarters...
The purpose of the Key Accounts Conference was to bring together the key players in various electric cooperative communities and empower them with...
Basin Electric has several connections to a new film, End of the Rope. The film was shot in North Dakota where several Basin Electric employees and...
In honor of National Lineman Appreciation Day, we asked Basin Electric’s lineworkers to tell us the best parts and the craziest parts of their...
Procurement's persistence and utilization of industry contacts helped avoid approximately $10 million in lost revenue.
Basin Electric appreciates its employees and works hard to retain its workforce. The cooperative understands employees, with their combined...
Basin Electric’s geographic information systems (GIS) team is charged with organizing project information which allows users to manage the course...
On May 5, 1961, 69 people from several states gathered at the Patterson Hotel in Bismarck, ND, to sign Articles of Incorporation for Basin...
Basin Electric is dedicated to providing reliable, affordable, and responsible electricity to its members.
As new technology emerges it’s critical to the lifespan of a substation to upgrade equipment before there’s a problem.
Throughout his four-decades-long career, Christensen worked in Resource Planning, Transmission, and Marketing and Power Supply before being hired...
Life prior to electricity was difficult for both the farmer and his wife. The book, The Next Greatest Thing, detailed how the Country Life...
The Member and External Relations team at Basin Electric were faced with last minute changes when the winter member managers conference, usually...
According to the 2023 Basin Electric Member Load Forecast, 92% of Basin Electric's distribution cooperative members are growing.
Human Resources focuses on the development of employees by keeping them trained, engaged, and productive, with an eye on continuous improvement.
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...
Basin Electric prides itself on its culture and commitment to its employees, making new hires feel welcome and appreciated from Day 1.
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 hosted a tour with the Aurora (South Dakota) Volunteer Fire Department to grow their working relationship and prepare them in...
Basin Electric recently made donations to community youth organizations in South Dakota through the member match program.
Employees at Basin Electric understand their role as stewards of service to the members of the cooperative. The “How We Serve” series highlights...
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 made a $75,000 donation to Missouri Slope Areawide United Way, resulting in the reopening of the emergency homeless shelter during...
A few years ago, the team at Dakota Gasification Company was tasked with obtaining what’s called ISO 9001 certification, a metric that ensures...
Unlike other energy providers whose rates may only include energy, Basin Electric's rates include many other essential services.
Montana Limestone Company is a relatively small operation that has a big impact on Basin Electric and its membership.
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.
The NIPCO-owned Lawton Substation, located within its service area, is home to a 975-kilowatt Tesla® Megapack® .
Basin Electric coordinates all outages to make sure there’s no disruption in power.
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.
Employees at Antelope Valley Station, Leland Olds Station, the Great Plains Synfuels Plant , and Basin Electric's Security and Response Services...
The following is an excerpt from an article in RE Magazine featuring Dee Anne Norris, CEO of Renville-Sibley Cooperative Power Association, a Basin...
At Basin Electric, sustainability is the commitment we make to our members to meet their needs, while ensuring future generations will thrive.
"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...
Resource Planning & Rates is responsible for the management of Basin Electric’s long-term origination and resource planning activities which...
Find videos of the presentations on our website, and on our YouTube channel, 2022 Annual Meeting playlist.
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)...
Employees at Laramie River Station came together to save their community pool from closing down for the rest of the summer.
Watch Basin Electric's Annual Meeting live.
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 has been looking into purchasing an electric vehicle (EV) for use as a fleet vehicle for several years.
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...
Employees at Basin Electric understand their role as stewards of service to the members of the cooperative. The “How We Serve” series highlights...
“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...
Joan Dietz received the award during LEC's annual meeting on Sept. 28.
Basin Electric recently partnered with Class C member Powder River Energy Corporation (PRECorp), headquartered in Sundance, Wyoming, on two...
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 community-minded values of the new Garfield Dairy near Bryant, South Dakota, make it an ideal member for an electric cooperative with the same...
The “How We Serve” series highlights employees and their work group and explains how they serve our members every day.
Reliability means something different to an electric utility than it does to a clean energy advocate.
The Southwest Power Pool (SPP) conducted an Integrated Transmission Planning study and in 2021 determined the need for extensive new transmission...
This year, Hill County Electric offered its first ever Teacher Appreciation Award in an effort to help retain these educators that are so critical...
"Basically everything we do affects the membership. What's good for the membership is good for us."
In 2019, departments at Basin Electric overcame challenges and worked together to develop a new member billing software called MemberBilling.
Reports of energy shortfalls that could potentially lead to power interruptions left people feeling uneasy this spring and summer.
Basin Electric hosted the South Dakota Rural Electric Association’s Youth Excursion, including 14 high school students sponsored by electric...
In 1997, an old Basin Electric safety inspection vehicle was found for sale in a newspaper ad by a family from Shreve, Ohio.
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...
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 provided a member match donation of $2,500 with Class C member San Isabel Electric to a non-profit, entirely volunteer-run...
Cryptocurrency is a digital form of currency that doesn’t come from central authorities such as governments or banks. Bitcoin, the first form of...
Powder River Energy Foundation and Basin Electric have joined forces to make a $10,000 donation to Climb Wyoming, fostering workforce development...
“I work with employees at our facilities to find out when they need the equipment they ordered, then with trucking companies to coordinate...
"It is missions like these that really show the true value of the cooperative aircraft."
“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 Class C member Northern Electric Cooperative presented SPURS Therapeutic Horseback Riding Center in Aberdeen, SD with a $2,000...
In honor of Military Appreciation Month, employees at Basin Electric’s Headquarters participated in Trooper Toss – a fundraising event for Injured...
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...
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...
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...
Even with assistance from Basin Electric and other local cooperatives, it took Burke-Divide nearly three weeks to get power back to all residences.
The quick actions of Operations, Electrical and Instrumentation, and Protection Services helped minimize damage and prevent injuries.
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.
When historic blizzard, Silas, hit western and central North Dakota starting April 12, the Security and Response Services (SRS) team anticipated...
Employees collected about $10,000 in June 2021 that went to a special fund at Abused Adult Resource Center -- New Directions Education and...
Tami Lynn Arndt, administrative assistant at Laramie River Station, has always loved animals.
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...
The Bismarck Tribune runs a weekly feature title "Eminently Quotable."
Basin Electric’s newest director, Jerry Beck, joined the Basin Electric board in December.
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...
In a largely male-dominated industry, she says she never let being in the minority bother her.
Worker shortages mean some trucking companies are declining to accept jobs moving freight into states like North Dakota and Wyoming.
Basin Electric has generation and transmission facilities on both sides of the grid, and also has access to the DC ties.
Core Values Awards are given each year to celebrate notable individuals in the fleet industry who demonstrate the values that are integral to the...
Robert Frank and Jay Lundstrom are responsible for the load forecasting for Basin Electric's membership. The load forecast is the main tool used...
Dave Raatz, senior vice president of Asset Management, Resource Planning, and Rates, retires after 41 years.
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...
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...
Will rural residents be ready to go electric when EV trucks hit the market?
East River Electric does its part to benefit a community organization that provides therapies and equipment for differently abled children and...
It took a collaborative trio to power the Wyoming CarbonSAFE project at Dry Fork Station.
In a recent survey, 90% of members said they were interested in renewable energy and learning ways to be more energy efficient.
Robert Feragan, Basin Electric Cornerstone Award winner, former manager of East River Electric, former Rural Electrification Administrator, and...
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 donated to 176 children whose names were placed on “angel trees” at five Basin Electric locations.
Kim Fischer says she delivers meals to anyone who is sick in the area
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...
Paul Sukut says the cooperative business model and principles give both staff and directors a solid foundation to lean on.
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...
Dakota Growers’ two sister plants (in Minnesota and Virginia) don’t have the cooperative advantages the North Dakota plant does as a member of...
Researchers recently deployed a series of microseismic sensors as part of the ongoing baseline monitoring operations for the Wyoming CarbonSAFE...
All the information you need from Basin Electric's 2021 Annual Meeting of the Membership.
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...
The Air Force wanted to simulate a downed aircraft in a body of water, and another plane needed to drop rescue supplies.
They say that the greater the challenge, the greater the sense of accomplishment. Many in the military community have encountered situations that...
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.
The shift to producing an increased amount of DEF has had a significant financial impact for Dakota Gas .
Candy for a Cause raised almost $8,000 for charity and provided a way for employees to show their appreciation for each other.
She says working for the members and employees of Basin Electric was an honor.
East River Electric’s annual “mountain oyster” feed has raised nearly $850,000 over the past 57 years to help fund Lifescape’s mission.
Malsom and his team work to maintain substations and communication sites that cover about 18,000 square miles of service territory in eastern South...
From environmental impacts to new ways to generate power, Basin Electric has a long history of prioritizing innovation and taking chances. Here’s a...
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 Mike Martin spent his vacation volunteering in Macedonia. One of the main projects he helped with was getting clean water...
Wright-Hennepin Cooperative Electric Association installed two projects that help their members show their environmental values in a way that works...
Ryan Anderson, aviation manager, was an intern with Basin Electric on September 11, 2001 – the day there were four coordinated terrorist attacks...
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...
Coming back in 2021, the garden decided it enjoyed that work-from-home life.
Jason Halvorsen, mechanic operator-journeyman for Basin Electric’s Transmission System Maintenance (TSM) division based out of Wheatland, Wyoming,...
Electric cooperative members heard about the Southwest Power Pool (SPP), perhaps for the first time, as their power was cycled off by transmission...
In May of 1978, Basin Electric's solar heating project began operation. Construction to install the solar collector plates began in October 1977.
Working in the energy industry was not initially on Zachary Wager’s radar, despite his father working at Dry Fork Station in Gillette, Wyoming....
Basin Electric members in eastern Montana and western North Dakota suffered catastrophic damage during summery storms June 10-11.
On May 27, the first response team participated in training facilitated by SIM-ND, a mobile medical education system that uses high-fidelity human...
Spirit Mound is a peaking power plant, meaning it runs about a dozen times a year, usually during periods of extreme hot or cold weather.
When some energy providers saw massive increases in their February electricity bills, Basin Electric members could rest easy.
In mid-February, employees from Basin Electric’s Transmission System Maintenance (TSM) division stepped up for what became a marathon battle in the...
Though it seems like forever, it was just a few short months ago that a winter storm caused an electricity shortage across the central United States.
Basin Electric's Security & Response Services team assisted co-ops from North Dakota to Texas during the extreme winter weather event in February.
In February, the Synfuels Plant was producing natural gas that was desperately needed. Cold weather shut in many gas producers, but not the...
Touch A Truck offered children an up-close, hands-on opportunity to explore heavy machinery, safety vehicles, and other cool trucks, as well as ask...
Basin Electric donated $10,000 to American Red Cross for the wildfire relief efforts in North Dakota and South Dakota. The donation will be used to...
Basin Electric made a $25,000 to Heaven’s Helpers RePurpose Store in Bismarck, North Dakota. The store accepts donations of a wide range of useful...
The number of people served by the Great Plains Food Bank have been up substantially since the pandemic began, some areas seeing as much as an 80%...
Three cooperatives came together to equip a North Dakota long-term care facility with tools needed to care for its residents and staff during the...
Leroy Schecher was the last living member of the group who signed the papers to incorporate Basin Electric. He died on Mar. 27.
As part of the environmental field operations, soil sample composition is intended to establish a baseline of the test site prior to any carbon...
Dozens of pounds of deer sausage were hanging in the balance, and Lisa Carney had to think fast or the whole stash would be smoked.
The iPads allow patients to see familiar faces and hear voices clearly without hindrance from full protection from head to toe.
The grant helps bring the films to thousands of students across the country.
The funds helped purchase 40 Chromebooks for the schools. Along with other donations the schools received, this was enough to provide all students...
The family, members of Whetstone Valley Electric Cooperative of Milbank, South Dakota, placed third in Touchstone Energy’s annual #WhoPowersYou...
Basin Electric matched the PRECorp funds, resulting in $35,200 in grant awards to help feed the hungry across five northeast Wyoming counties.