Basin Electric Power Cooperative-The Daily Ledger

Basin Electric Power Cooperative is a wholesale electric generation and transmission cooperative based in North Dakota that provides electricity to 3 million customers in nine U.S. states. The roots of the cooperative go back to 1960 when Leland Olds and ten power suppliers created Giant Power Cooperative. Giant Power was first going to be a generation and transmission cooperative, but to keep electricity cheaper for rural customers, Basin Electric Power Cooperative was started in 1961. Today, Basin Electric's power sources include coal, natural gas, hydroelectric, wind, waste heat, and nuclear. The current CEO and General Manager is Todd Telesz. A subsidiary of Basin Electric, Dakota Gasification Company, operates the Great Plains Synfuels Plant, which captures and sequesters nearly 50% of its carbon dioxide emissions in a system developed during the Carter administration. In 2005, the membership of Basin Electric passed a resolution requiring 10 percent of electricity demand to be provided by renewable forms of energy. At the end of 2009, Basin Electric finished construction on a 77 turbine wind energy project.

Member cooperatives

Direct purchasing

Grand Electric Cooperative - Bison, South Dakota

KEM Electric Cooperative - Linton, North Dakota

Minnesota Valley Cooperative Light & Power Association - Montevideo, Minnesota

Minnesota Valley Electric Cooperative - Jordan, Minnesota

Mor-Gran-Sou Electric Cooperative - Flasher, North Dakota

Powder River Energy Corporation - Sundance, Wyoming

Roughrider Electric Cooperative - Hazen, North Dakota

Rosebud Electric Cooperative - Gregory, South Dakota

Wright-Hennepin Cooperative Electric Association - Rockford, Minnesota

G&T

Central Power Electric Cooperative - Minot, North Dakota

Central Montana Electric Power Cooperative - Great Falls, Montana

Corn Belt Power Cooperative - Humboldt, Iowa

East River Electric Power Cooperative - Madison, South Dakota

L & O Power Cooperative - Rock Rapids, Iowa

Northwest Iowa Power Cooperative - LeMars, Iowa

Rushmore Electric Power Cooperative - Rapid City, South Dakota

Upper Missouri G&T Electric Cooperative - Sidney, Montana

Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association - Denver, Colorado

Class D Members

Flathead Electric Cooperative - Kalispell & Libby, Montana

Wyoming Municipal Power Agency - Lusk, Wyoming

States served by Basin Electric

Colorado

Iowa

Minnesota

Montana

Nebraska

New Mexico

North Dakota

South Dakota

Wyoming

Subsidiary companies

Basin Telecommunications Inc. Basin Cooperative Services Dakota Gasification Company Dakota Coal Company Montana Limestone Company Prairie Winds ND 1, Inc. Prairie Winds SD 1, Inc. Souris Valley Pipeline Ltd.