Basin Electric: Live Wire is a blog that features some of the people stories and interesting background information you can't get anywhere else. This blog was started in 2008 on the Wordpress platform and moved here in 2021. Find our archives at basinelectric.wordpress.com. If you have story ideas, you can email editor Kalli Senske.
This past June marked 10 years that Lindsey Schutt, of Hazen, North Dakota, began her career with Basin Electric, where she works as an...
Forty-three members representing co-ops from all nine states in Basin Electric’s service territory attended energy audit training on Oct. 29-30 at...
If a raptor or other bird connects with a transmission line, depending on the size, they may be electrocuted and/or damage the transmission line....
Interns contribute to our workforce in countless ways. On July 25, our past and present interns reflected on their experiences at Basin Electric.
As our summer interns head back to the classroom, they reflect on their experience working for Basin Electric.
The International Peace Garden and International Music Camp are grateful for their local electric cooperative that offers reliable electricity...
By ensuring the financial health, compliance, and future success of Basin Electric, tax analysts are an essential asset to Basin Electric’s member...
To meet the expected growth of the membership, construction of a new 19.5-acre substation is underway to replace the 345-kilovolt (kV) substation...
As Basin Electric’s membership continues to grow, natural gas generation is proving it’s a critical piece of the cooperative’s all-of-the-above...
The member load forecast starts and ends with the members. Data is provided by them to produce a forecast result that is then reviewed and approved...
Safety and teamwork are two values of Basin Electric, which is why the Dakota Gas fire/rescue team attended an advanced training program.
Electrical upgrades at a power plant can significantly enhance both reliability and safety.
The need for transmission projects can arise from various factors, including the aging condition of facilities requiring refurbishment or the...
Darrell Slavick, Basin Electric construction coordinator III, is responsible for day-to-day oversight of contractor activities, and any...
Safety training at Laramie River Station serves as a continuous reminder of how important safety skills are, on or off the job
With over two years under her belt at Basin Electric, ReNee Kline has found a job that checks all of her boxes.
As a commitment to the communities in which its members and employees live and work, Basin Electric recently donated $5,000 to the Sertoma Club for...
Finding a job that suits your pace of life can be a difficult task. Thankfully, Joe Ashurst found his at Basin Electric.
Employees at Basin Electric understand their roles as stewards of service to the members of the cooperative. The “How We Serve” series highlights...
Michael Petera teamed up with the University of Wyoming's STEM Education Outreach Office to provide education activities for third grade students.
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.
