Basin Electric system reaches new all-time member billing peak in August

For the first time since 2013, Basin Electric set a new all-time high member billing peak in the summer due to new loads in the system.

Jen Feigitsch, Basin Electric member revenue specialist III, said final billing determinants completed for August 2022 show Basin Electric hit a new all-time-high member billing peak of 4,375 megawatts (MW).

Feigitsch said Basin Electric’s August 2022 member peak sale level surpassed the all-time-high member sale level by 4 MW, set in January 2022 at 4,371 MW. It surpassed the previous summer peak by 55 MW.

Basin Electric usually sets all-time peaks in the winter rather than summer, according to Becky Kern, Basin Electric vice president of Resource Planning and Rates. “While temperatures across our service area have been hot, an all-time high peak in the summer is unusual for Basin Electric,” Kern said. “We have incremental new sales to members in Minnesota and new loads in western North Dakota that are the primary drivers behind this new all-time peak. Because of this, we will likely reach another new all-time high member billing peak this winter.”