Basin Today

Basin Today is a quarterly magazine sent to members, employees, and industry partners. The stories are also posted on this website. If you are interested in being added to the mailing list, contact Basin Today editor Kalli Senske.

Recent Posts

Basin Electric's largest substation built to support membership growth

  • Jenifer Gray
  • 17 May 2024

To meet the expected growth of the membership, construction of a new 19.5-acre substation is underway to replace the 345-kilovolt substation at...

How We Serve: Tax Team

  • Erin Becker
  • 17 May 2024

With teamwork being one of Basin Electric’s core values, it’s important to highlight the different departments the Tax team collaborates with, as...

When the stakes are high, Dakota Gas employees are prepared

  • Kalli Senske
  • 17 May 2024

When it comes to training, there’s no substitute for hands-on exercises to gain experience for real-world scenarios.

Distributed generation's critical role in maintaining reliable electricity

  • Lindsey Chumley
  • 17 May 2024

As Basin Electric’s membership continues to grow, one resource is proving it’s a critical piece of the cooperative’s all-of-the-above energy...

A cornerstone for peace: The International Peace Garden

  • Erin Becker
  • 17 May 2024

Both the International Peace Garden and International Music Camp are grateful for their local electric cooperative that offers reliable electricity...

How we serve: Instrumentation technicians

  • Kalli Senske
  • 20 February 2024

Instrumentation technicians at Leland Olds Station keep operations running smoothly with proactivity and diligence.

Easement brings continued long-term power and reliability to members

  • Jenifer Gray
  • 20 February 2024

Strong relationships between Basin Electric, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and Whetstone Valley Electric Cooperative provided the acquirement of a...

Scheduled outages provide reliability for members

  • Jenifer Gray
  • 20 February 2024

Scheduled outages at Dakota Gas and Laramie River Station play a crucial role in maintaining reliability and efficiency.

Energizing education at Bismarck State College and Mitchell Technical College

  • Jenifer Gray
  • 31 October 2023

Basin Electric is committed to providing reliable and affordable electricity to its members for many years to come, so ensuring there is a...

Basin Electric's strategic roadmap meets member needs, today and tomorrow

  • Lindsey Chumley
  • 31 October 2023

Basin Electric’s strategic roadmap meets member needs, today and tomorrow.

Basin Electric lineworkers form bonds on energized transmission lines and with each other during live line training

  • Angela Magstadt
  • 31 October 2023

Basin Electric’s high-voltage transmission lines carry up to 345,000 volts of electricity.

Transmission buildouts ensure continued reliability

  • Jenifer Gray
  • 31 October 2023

As energy needs continue to grow in Basin Electric’s service area, so does the need for additional generation and transmission resources.

How we serve: Warehouse team

  • Kalli Senske
  • 31 October 2023

The warehouses at Basin Electric’s generation facilities play an important role for the facilities and for the entire Basin Electric membership.

Iowa Lakes Electric member is pleased with the co-op's reliability and affordability

  • Angela Magstadt
  • 31 October 2023

In addition to the reliability and affordable cost, Baumann says he’s been very happy with the degree of personal relationships and support his...

Changes approved to Bylaws, Resolutions at 2023 Annual Meeting

  • Angela Magstadt
  • 31 October 2023

A change to Basin Electric’s bylaws was approved at the 2023 Annual Meeting of the Membership.

Basin Electric breaks ground on generation facility to power a growing membership

  • Tracie Bettenhausen
  • 31 October 2023

Pioneer Generation Station Phase IV, a natural gas-fueled, dispatchable generation facility is an important component to Basin Electric’s...

Construction begins on Pioneer Generation Station Phase IV

  • Angela Magstadt
  • 21 June 2023

Construction has begun on Pioneer Generation Station Phase IV (PGSIV), Basin Electric's newest generation project near the existing Pioneer...

Basin Electric experts explain transmission congestion

  • Angela Magstadt
  • 21 June 2023

With Basin Electric’s most recent load forecast projecting growth over the next 10 years and the clean energy transition in full swing,...

How We Serve: Environmental Controls

  • Jenifer Gray
  • 21 June 2023

Between environmental controls and the work of the scrubber operator, dispatchable generation at plants like Laramie River Station are able to...

Innovative solutions for carbon management

  • Kalli Senske
  • 21 June 2023

Basin Electric has made a responsible decision to put resources into figuring out how to capture and store carbon dioxide (CO2) to continue...

North West Rural Electric members contribute to the success of Annual Tulip Festival

  • Angela Magstadt
  • 21 June 2023

While the Tulip Festival doesn’t take place on co-op lines, the impact it has on its members is immeasurable, both financially and in terms of...

Fixed on Physics: How Basin Electric maintains reliability and stability when the laws won't change

  • Tracie Bettenhausen
  • 21 June 2023

The Laws of Physics say that at the very second electricity is being used, it must be generated somewhere. So, every time you turn on a light...

How we serve with the GIS team

  • Jenifer Gray
  • 23 February 2023

At Basin Electric, the team of GIS specialists makes sure we're heading in the right direction to provide members with reliable electricity.

From rookie to retiree: the 'transmission' of Tom Christensen

  • Angela Magstadt
  • 23 February 2023

On Dec. 30, Tom Christensen, Basin Electric senior vice president of Transmission, Engineering, and Construction, retired after nearly 40 years of...

Basin Electric to add megawatts at Pioneer Generation Station

  • Tracie Bettenhausen
  • 23 February 2023

Basin Electric is pursuing its largest single-site electric generation project since the 1980s.

Ensuring reliability: Aging substation infrastructure replacement initiative continues to make progress

  • Jenifer Gray
  • 23 February 2023

As new technology emerges it's critical to the lifespan of a substation to upgrade equipment before there's a problem. Basin Electric is on track...

Value during volatility: Protecting the membership in times of uncertainty

  • Lindsey Chumley
  • 23 February 2023

In recent years, the energy industry has been challenged by market price volatility. Because Basin Electric is dedicated to providing reliable,...

Strength and value as a generation and transmission cooperative

  • Kalli Senske
  • 30 November 2022

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

Basin Electric focuses on sustainability

  • Jenifer Gray
  • 30 November 2022

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

Battery storage system means extra reliability for NIPCO

  • Jenifer Gray
  • 30 November 2022

In 2019, Basin Electric introduced a member-owned trial battery rate allocating up to 150 kilowatts (kW) per Class C member.

How we serve with Montana Limestone Company

  • Kalli Senske
  • 30 November 2022

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

Regular maintenance means continued dependability at Laramie River Station

  • Jenifer Gray
  • 29 November 2022

Plants like Laramie River Station have a direct impact on long-term power, and that's why scheduled outages and regular maintenance are so important.

Changes to bylaws & resolutions approved at 2022 Annual Meeting

  • Angela Magstadt
  • 29 November 2022

A change to Basin Electric's bylaws was approved at the 2022 Annual Meeting of the Membership on Nov. 9.

How we serve: with distributed generation

  • Kalli Senske
  • 15 August 2022

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

South Dakota co-op and dairy have an 'udderly' good partnership

  • Angela Magstadt
  • 15 August 2022

“We don’t just want to be a business that just happens to be located there, we want to develop partnerships and relationships with the people and...

Adding major transmission infrastructure in western North Dakota

  • Tracie Bettenhausen
  • 15 August 2022

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

Reliability remains top priority after summer assessment points to possible shortfalls

  • Angela Magstadt
  • 15 August 2022

This spring and summer, reports of energy shortfalls that could potentially lead to power interruptions were featured on numerous media outlets....

Cryptocurrency - The modern-day gold rush

  • Angela Magstadt
  • 31 May 2022

Basin Electric’s service area is prime real estate for data centers and cryptocurrency developers.

Working hard and taking opportunities: Steve Johnson retiring after 40 years

  • Kalli Senske
  • 31 May 2022

Johnson’s career with the cooperative began in 1982 when he crossed paths with a former college classmate who told him that she was a budget...

A day in the life of Senior Fleet and Logistics Administrator Nathan Johnson

  • Angela Magstadt
  • 31 May 2022

Johnson says his goal is always to minimize the landed cost of a shipment, meaning what it costs to get a part or equipment to one of the facilities.

Vastness and variety set Montana co-op apart

  • Angela Magstadt
  • 31 May 2022

Central Montana Electric’s distribution cooperatives serve some of the most rural areas in Montana.

Rural America becomes even more electrified

  • Kalli Senske
  • 31 May 2022

Today, agriculture and energy are more closely entwined than ever before.

Dry Fork Station upgrades air quality controls, saves cooperative $1 million annually

  • Kalli Senske
  • 04 February 2022

Going forward, the team plans to continue looking for ways to increase efficiencies to save even more money.

Meet new Basin Electric Director Jerry Beck

  • Angela Magstadt
  • 04 February 2022

Jerry Beck represents District 11 replacing retired director Charlie Gilbert.

Dave Raatz retires after 41 years

  • Kalli Senske
  • 04 February 2022

Some of Dave Raatz’s favorite work has had to do with negotiating power sale and purchase arrangements, resource planning, and member rate design.

How Basin Electric's new partnership in Wisconsin builds on a long-term strategy

  • Tracie Bettenhausen
  • 04 February 2022

Basin Electric announced in September a partnership with Dairyland Power Cooperative of La Crosse, Wisconsin, and ALLETE, of Duluth, Minnesota, to...

Iowa's Electric Cooperatives shine the light on exemplary community service volunteers

  • Angela Magstadt
  • 04 February 2022

The Touchstone Energy Cooperatives of Iowa sponsored a new contest to highlight their cooperative commitment to community.

Cracking the code: Carbon sequestration project will benefit environment, co-op

  • Angela Magstadt
  • 04 February 2022

Basin Electric is embarking on an innovative project that will benefit the environment by sequestering and permanently storing carbon dioxide from...

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Winter 2022 (Dec-Feb)
Spring 2022 (Mar-May)
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