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

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

In the energy industry, one thing is certain – change. Basin Electric aims to not just adapt to change, but to anticipate it to ensure the cooperative’s future aligns with the ever-evolving needs of its members. Basin Electric dedicated the past year to strategically planning for the future, keeping its commitment to serving its members at the heart of the plan.

In November 2022, the Basin Electric senior leadership team and board of directors began their effort to revamp the cooperative’s strategic plan. Basin Electric brought in ScottMadden Management Consultants to assist in refining the process. The efforts included acceptance of a new mission statement and employee values in June, which were assembled with the help of the cooperative’s BE Leaders group, a cross-sectional team of employees.

“We are united as a team as we pursue this new mission statement and values. They provide a unifying sense of purpose and speak to what we’re trying to accomplish for our members,” Todd Brickhouse, Basin Electric interim CEO and general manager, says. “As Basin Electric makes its way forward, the mission and values will serve as a reminder that a cooperative is owned by its members and it is, therefore, a responsibility of the cooperative to provide them with the power they need at a reasonable cost.”

Andy Buntrock, Basin Electric vice president of strategic planning and communications, says, “We have made incredible progress implementing the new mission statement and employee values. They are not just words on paper, they are the compass guiding our cooperative’s actions, fostering a culture of unity and purpose.”

Another important part of this year’s strategic planning efforts included the development of three cooperative-wide goals for 2023 – safety, reliability, and affordability.

Brickhouse shares the importance of setting these goals. “As the largest generation and transmission cooperative in the country and one of the largest electric utilities, we have an obligation to ourselves, to our members, and to our industry to do things safely, reliably, and affordably,” he says.

At the Basin Electric Annual Meeting and Members-Only Meeting in August, staff spoke about the measurement and management of each of the goals.

In addition to the new mission statement, values, and cooperative-wide goals, strategic planning efforts included several strategic planning sessions with directors, the senior leadership team, and other staff presenters. The most recent meeting was held in June at Basin Electric’s Headquarters in Bismarck, North Dakota. The next meeting is scheduled for November.

Buntrock says Basin Electric hosts these meetings to have ongoing conversations as the utility industry evolves, disseminate timely information, and ensure transparency with the membership.

For 2024, directors and the senior leadership team have named “Foundation for the Future” as the overall goal with the strategic objectives including: safety, reliability, load growth and rate design, affordable and stable rates, people focus, financial performance and agility, portfolio strategy, and DGC plan. These objectives will be met through initiatives developed by each individual department.

While strategic planning is never complete, Buntrock says with the strategic planning accomplishments this year, Basin Electric’s path forward is clearly defined. “Our values are who we are, our mission is our shared purpose, our objectives are hoaffordable and stable rates, w we are getting the work done, and our goal is what we’re striving for together,” he says. “This past year has set the stage for a bright future, grounded in our commitment to our cooperative’s mission and values.”