Basin Electric strengthens cooperative collaboration at AREGC

More than 250 cooperative and industry professionals gathered June 1–4 in Branson, Missouri, for the 75th Annual Association of Rural Electric Generating Cooperatives (AREGC) Conference, continuing a long tradition of addressing the electric generation industry’s most pressing challenges.

Basin Electric has long been involved with AREGC and played a key role this year by developing the conference’s technical program. Designed for professionals who operate and support cooperative power plants, the program offered a forum to share challenges, explore solutions, and learn about emerging technologies.

“Basin Electric worked closely with this year’s host, Associated Electric Cooperative Inc., to develop the technical program—sending the call for abstracts, selecting experts and designing the program, and ensuring sessions ran smoothly throughout the conference,” Sarah Bitz, Basin Electric event coordinator, says.

The conference rotates annually, with one cooperative serving as host and another leading the technical program. Basin Electric has made a two-year commitment to the event and will take on the role of host cooperative next year in Rapid City, South Dakota.

“We will manage all logistics outside of the conference agenda, including registration, communications, sponsorships, vendor booths, and much more,” Bitz says.

Basin Electric has hosted the conference in the past—most recently in 2005 and prior to that in 1968. As one of the nation’s largest generation and transmission cooperatives, the organization views its role in supporting events like AREGC as both important and fitting.

“One of the key strengths of being a cooperative is our shared belief that we’re stronger together,” Bitz says. “This conference provides the opportunity to embrace that mindset—connecting, collaborating, and learning from one another.”