Basin Electric’s 2025 Annual Meeting of the Membership was held on Aug. 13-14 in Bismarck, North Dakota. The meeting included updates from senior leadership, discussions on the energy industry, a banquet, and a members-only meeting. This year, the meeting was attended by 743 member cooperative employees, directors, public officials, utility representatives, and guests.
Taking a break, a bee pauses to watch the sunset in Bismarck, North Dakota. Around it, the fields are brushed with the soft gold and amber of autumn, a reminder of the season’s quiet transition. Just as the bee pauses to gather strength before continuing its work, Basin Electric embraces this season of change, preparing, maintaining, and ensuring that every connection hums with reliability, reminding us that patience, hard work, and energy keep our communities thriving through every season.
EVERY ISSUE
2 CEO column: Infrastructure built on cooperative strength
4 In brief 10 Member focus 12 How we serve 17 Employee highlights
6 Infrastructure milestone: Pioneer Generation Station Phase IV
8 A cooperative legacy: Mark Foss reflects on 47 years of service
14 2025 Basin Electric scholarship winners
16 Basin Electric leaders join Mitsubishi for signing ceremony
Guest Editor: Jenifer Gray (communications@bepc.com)
Graphic designer: Joy Schnabel
Photographers: Joy Schnabel, Juan Thomas, Greg Wheeler
Writers: Erin Becker, Jenifer Gray, Dana Hager, Alison Kirsch, Kalli Senske, Andrew Weeks
Scan the QR code with your cell phone to view stories online.
August 18, 2025, was a historic day for Basin Electric. Pioneer Generation Station Phase IV (PGSIV) became fully operational, and we began initial site grading for Bison Generation Station.
Together, these generation stations will increase our dispatchable generation by more than 40%.
Congratulations go to the PGSIV project team, who can take great satisfaction and pride in a job well done. Their hard work resulted in the successful completion of this 580-megawatt (MW), $805 million project on schedule and under budget. These investments, like every investment we make at Basin Electric, are consistent with our mission and obligation to our members to provide reliable and affordable power produced in a safe and environmentally responsible manner. Electricity is the foundation that powers family homes, businesses, farms, and industries across our region. That’s why infrastructure investment matters – it ensures we can continue to meet today’s needs while preparing for tomorrow.
The need for new infrastructure has never been greater. National electricity sales have grown by about 1% annually this century, while our members’ unit sales have increased more than 5% per year. Meeting that demand requires thoughtful planning and significant investment, all while navigating higher costs for materials, workforce challenges, and regulatory requirements.
THE INFRASTRUCTURE WE BENEFIT FROM TODAY IS THE RESULT OF SIMILAR PRUDENT INVESTMENTS MADE YEARS AND EVEN DECADES AGO, SO BALANCING RELIABILITY AND AFFORDABILITY IS NOTHING NEW
Todd Brickhouse, Basin Electric CEO and general manager
To meet this demand and satisfy our obligation to our members, Basin Electric is undertaking one of the most ambitious capital build-out plans in our history. Our ten-year capital expenditure forecast has grown from $1.4 billion in 2020 to nearly $11 billion today. Such growth and investment require careful balancing between engineering, reliability, affordability, and financial considerations.
As evidenced by PGSIV and the substantial number of transmission projects completed this past year, we are making remarkable progress putting steel in the ground. With that progress, however, comes significant costs. These investments are essential to keep our system reliable, and to fund these investments today, our rates are somewhat higher than they otherwise would be. The infrastructure we benefit from today is the result of similar prudent investments made years and even decades ago, so balancing reliability and affordability is nothing new for Basin Electric. At the same time, we are maintaining our strong financial profile, which allows us to fund these investments cost-effectively.
Today’s headlines are filled with stories about the technology industry’s insatiable need for electricity, whether it be artificial intelligence, social media, or cloud computing. This has led to a common misconception: that our capital expenditure growth is being driven by data center demand. While we currently serve roughly
300 MW of data centers, our large capital investments are driven by traditional member load.
As requests for service grew from 25 to hundreds and eventually to thousands of megawatts, we recognized the need to develop a business model to serve these loads. Accordingly, we spent the first half of 2025 developing a large load business model with our members. This model shifts much of the development, financing, and operational risk from Basin Electric and our members to the large loads themselves, thereby insulating our members from additional rate pressure, stranded assets, and other risks.
When we talk about infrastructure, it is easy to think only of steel, concrete, power lines, and the dollars and cents to pay for them. But at Basin Electric, we know these projects are about more than what gets built in the ground — they are about people. The electrons Basin Electric produces are the raw materials of a modern economy, empowering communities and enabling people to pursue their varied work, business, and personal interests. Reliable and affordable energy is a key building block of higher standards of living, allowing our members to thrive.
TODD BRICKHOUSE CEO and general manager
Basin Electric celebrates ribbon cutting for Pioneer Generation Station Phase IV
Basin Electric held a ribbon cutting ceremony on Oct. 15 to celebrate the completion of Pioneer Generation Station Phase IV, the largest single-site electric generation project built in North Dakota in over 40 years.
The addition of the approximately 580-megawatt natural gas-fueled facility, located northwest of Williston, brings the total capacity of Pioneer Generation Station to more than 800-megawatts. The site combines combustion turbines and reciprocating engine units, giving Basin Electric flexibility to respond to traditional member load growth and demand while ensuring long-term grid stability. Burns & McDonnell served as the engineering, procurement, and construction lead on the project.
https://bit.ly/PGSIV-RibbonCutting
Basin Electric board of directors authorize rate increase
In September, the Basin Electric Board of Directors authorized a Class A rate increase of $6 per megawatt-hour, or approximately 10%, beginning Jan. 1, 2026.
“We understand that many of our members are seeing costs rise on everyday purchases, and unfortunately, electricity is no exception,” Andy Buntrock, vice president of Strategic Planning and Communications, said. “Since 2016, we’ve been fortunate to maintain flat or even declining rates, but growing pressures have made an increase unavoidable.”
Member input gathered through months of collaboration and open communication played a key role in shaping Basin Electric’s proposed increase. “We would like to thank our members for all their hard work and patience as we work through this process,” Buntrock said. “Their
input was very important to us and helped us pull together a plan that will help us move forward.”
https://bit.ly/2026rateincrease
After years of planning, construction, and teamwork, Pioneer Generation Station Phase IV (PGSIV) is now officially complete, marking a major milestone in Basin Electric’s commitment to delivering reliable electricity to its members.
The new natural gas-fueled generation facility is a combination of combustion turbine and reciprocating engine units that provide dispatch flexibility while addressing near-term load growth and long-term grid stability in the Bakken region. Located near the existing Pioneer Generation Station northwest of Williston, North Dakota, PGSIV is Basin Electric’s largest generation project built in North Dakota since the 1980s. It will generate approximately 580 megawatts of electricity.
https://bit.ly/PGSIVComplete
Basin Electric’s 2025 Annual Meeting of the Membership was held on Aug. 13 at the Bismarck Event Center in Bismarck, North Dakota. The meeting was attended by 743 member cooperative employees, directors, public officials, utility representatives, and guests.
The theme for Basin Electric’s 64th Annual Meeting was “Powering Progress.” This theme reflects the cooperative’s ongoing advancements in transmission and generation projects, as well as strategic technology upgrades that position it for future growth and enhanced service reliability.
Todd Brickhouse, Basin Electric CEO and general manager, emphasized the vital role of progress in advancing the cooperative’s mission. “The electrons we produce and distribute are the raw materials of a modern economy, and our electrons are the key ingredient to higher standards of living,” he said.
https://bit.ly/2025AnnualMeetingRecap
Over the next two years, Basin Electric will repower its cooperative-owned wind turbines in North and South Dakota in support of its all-of-the-above energy strategy. This includes the 80 turbines that are part of the PrairieWinds 1 and Minot Wind projects near Minot, North Dakota, and the 108-turbine Crow Lake Wind project near White Lake, South Dakota.
With the existing blades starting to reach the end of their useful life in 2030, it was determined that repowering would be the best option. Upgrading the turbines with new technology and equipment will improve performance, allowing them to produce more electricity at a lower wind speed.
https://bit.ly/ImproveWindPerformance
Basin Electric’s LOS-to-Tande transmission project begins
Construction began in early June on the foundations for a new 345-kilovolt transmission line that will span 162 miles across northwest North Dakota.
Once completed, the Leland Olds Station-to-Tande transmission line will connect the Leland Olds Station near Stanton to the Tande substation near Tioga.
Tyler Bosch, construction coordinator at Basin Electric, said watching the first foundations of a transmission project be poured are typically lowkey events, but it is exciting to see a new project get underway.
Bosch said the new transmission line, once complete, will benefit northwest North Dakota, providing reliable transmission for the region.
“We’ll burn through these foundations through the summer and fall,” he said. “Once the foundations are in, the next step will be putting up the structures.” The 15-month construction project is scheduled for completion in October 2026.
https://bit.ly/LOStoTandeProject
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By Jenifer Gray
After years of planning, construction, and teamwork, Pioneer Generation Station Phase IV (PGSIV) is now officially complete, marking a major milestone in Basin Electric’s commitment to delivering reliable electricity to its members. This project is more than just steel and turbines; it’s a symbol of progress, resilience, and innovation. With the plant now online, Basin Electric is powering homes, businesses, and communities with greater efficiency and flexibility than ever before, positioning its system to meet growing demand while supporting a reliable energy future.
The new natural gas-fueled generation facility is a combination of combustion turbine and reciprocating engine units that provide dispatch flexibility while addressing near-term load growth and long-term grid stability in the Bakken region. Located near the existing Pioneer Generation Station northwest of Williston, North Dakota, PGSIV is Basin Electric’s largest generation project built in North
Dakota since the 1980s. It will generate approximately 580 megawatts of electricity.
Gavin McCollam, Basin Electric senior vice president and chief operating officer, says the successful completion of the PGSIV project – on time, under budget, and with a great safety record – is exactly what the team strives for every single time. “They skillfully met every challenge, and the end result aligns with our mission to provide energy to rural America.”
Operations, maintenance, and reliability were central to the facility’s design. “Our team made sure systems were designed with necessary space and isolation points to allow maintenance to be completed safely while minimizing outage requirements,” explains Dana Jensen, Basin Electric senior electrical engineer. “Backup equipment was provided on critical systems to allow the plant to continue operating if those key components were to fail or require
maintenance.” These design choices help ensure the plant’s performance, resilience, and long-term reliability.
The success of the project also came down to teamwork. Every task relied on people collaborating, sharing expertise, and supporting one another to reach key milestones. “I valued the chance to work on a complex, schedule-driven project with the dedicated teams from Basin Electric and Burns & McDonnell, where we tackled challenges together and brought the project to a successful finish,” says Jim Lund, Basin Electric senior mechanical engineer.
Exciting milestones throughout the project include:
• Groundbreaking ceremony on Sept. 11, 2023
• Arrival of six Wärtsilä reciprocating engines, each weighing approximately 450,000 pounds (Jan. 2024)
• Delivery of the 700,000-pound generator and 470,000-pound simple-cycle combustion turbine (Feb. 2024)
• Completion of the 345-kilovolt back feed for turbine commissioning
• Commercial operation of the reciprocating internal combustion engine (April 11, 2025)
• First fire of Unit 4 (June 20, 2025) and Unit 5 (April 14, 2025) combustion turbines
• Turnover of the administration building and control room to the operations team
• Commercial operation of Unit 5 combustion turbine (June 16, 2025)
• Commercial operation of Unit 4 combustion turbine (Aug. 18, 2025)
With a budget of $805 million, the project drew subcontractors and craft professionals from across the country, peaking at close to 500 workers on-site and totaling over 1.6 million work hours. Now in operation, the facility has employees on-site 24 hours a day.
The completion of PGSIV represents far more than an operational achievement; it is a testament to Basin Electric’s dedication to its members and the communities it serves. “I’m incredibly proud of the team for successfully delivering what was essentially two projects in parallel, blending multiple technologies into the existing facility,” Matt Ehrman, vice president of Engineering and Construction, says. “The facility is ready to provide reliable power for our members for many years to come.”
By investing in infrastructure that strengthens reliability and enhances flexibility, the cooperative is ensuring that its system remains strong and adaptable for years to come. This milestone sets the stage for continued growth and innovation, reinforcing Basin Electric’s role in delivering safe, affordable, and sustainable energy for the future.
Basin Electric’s new Large Load Commercial Program, adopted in June, is designed to protect existing members from the rising costs associated with potential large loads (ex: industrial facilities, data centers, etc.).
This program:
• Protects Basin Electric members: Insulates existing members from the costs and risks of serving non-traditional new loads.
• Establishes fairness: Applies consistent rules for all new load and delivery point requests across our membership.
• Safeguards financial strength: Reduces the risk of stranded assets, protects Basin Electric’s credit rating, and supports responsible capital investment.
• Enables flexibility: Provides a clear process that supports growth while keeping member interests first.
Contact us: newload@bepc.com
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By Jenifer Gray
Picture this: it’s 1978. An about-to-graduate third-year law student walks into a room for a job interview with Basin Electric’s general counsel, unsure if it’s the right fit—or if he’ll even be considered for the job.
Fast forward nearly five decades, and that same hopeful law student is now preparing to close the chapter on a remarkable 47-year career with the cooperative.
Mark Foss, who served as Basin Electric’s senior vice president and general counsel from 2015 until August 2025, could never have imagined the path that began with that interview all those years ago, but he wouldn’t trade a single moment of the journey. Mark reflects on what kept him coming back, year after year, and why his time at the cooperative was so meaningful.
What kept you motivated?
Over my career with Basin Electric, I’ve done a lot of things that I never dreamt I’d be able to work on. In many
instances, we were the first to do something, and we were figuring out how to accomplish it, how to structure it. There’s real excitement to that.
What’s one project you’re especially proud of?
The Antelope Valley Station leveraged leases. In 1984, Antelope Valley was going commercial, Basin Electric had 1,000 megawatts (MW) of load, and 2,000 MW of generation. It was a time of very high interest rates. Putting that transaction together, we accomplished several industry firsts. We completed six leveraged leases, each involving an undivided interest in a power plant, which was something that had never been done before. For the first time, we also integrated both tax-exempt debt and commercial paper into the lease financing structure. The savings from that transaction did quite a lot to get Basin Electric through a challenging chapter in its history.
It was a long, drawn-out process before the internet existed, so everything took more time and effort. For nearly a year, I flew out every Sunday night to New York or Washington, D.C. and returned home every Friday.
What are some important lessons you’ve learned over the past 47 years?
I worked for Kent Janssen, former Dakota Gas chief operating officer, for several years. There were two things he always said. The first is to make a decision and act quickly on it. Do a thorough analysis, and then do something. His line was: you can always recover from the wrong decision, but you may never recover from failing to make one.
His second bit of advice was that you can’t be afraid to do the hard thing in business. Bad things happen. It’s human nature to try and ignore them. You need to take action – sometimes an action that you’d rather not take. But he always said, do the hard thing.
What’s one of the most memorable moments in your career?
Kent Janssen, Paul Sukut, former Basin Electric CEO and general manager, and I spent a week in Fargo, North Dakota, mediating a contract pricing dispute Dakota Gas and the Department of Energy had with the pipeline company affiliates of the original owners of the Great Plains Synfuels Plant. These guys were tough customers. They were all people from very large companies who had a lot riding on these negotiations. We finally reached a settlement, and as we drove home from Fargo on a cold winter night, knowing the other side agreed to a $700 million settlement, we were feeling pretty good.
What will you miss most about coming to work?
I’ve always had good relationships with people I work with. Basin Electric is a family. You come to the office in the morning, and it starts with a hello from Shawn, the front desk receptionist at Basin Electric Headquarters, and it continues with lots of hellos all the way up to my office. I’ll miss that contact every day.
What are you looking forward to in retirement?
I’m really looking forward to having a bit more time and not feeling so rushed. I love to work out and ride my bike, but often I have to cut that short because I need to get to work. Another thing is that, especially over the last decade in this position, I never felt comfortable being gone for more than a week at a time. In retirement, I won’t have to worry about how long I’m away.
My wife, Sharon, and I have grandkids in Bismarck and nearby on a ranch north of New Salem, so I get to see their activities often. But we also have three grandkids in Fargo, North Dakota, that I don’t get to see as much. Being retired will give me the chance to spend more time with them too, without worrying about getting back for work, a meeting, or a trip.
Do you have any hobbies you’re excited to pursue?
Sharon tells me that in retirement I will be taking over the cooking duties. I’ve been eating her cooking for a number of years, so it’s time for me to pay her back.
Summarize your career in one sentence.
I stuck with it.
By Erin Becker
Rural America was vastly different in 1935. Less than 10% of homes had indoor plumbing, with families trudging outdoors to use an outhouse, hauling water to a washbasin for a bath, and scrubbing laundry until their hands were raw. Most rural households didn’t have a telephone but instead shared a party line with neighbors, and the radio was a lifeline to the world, delivering news and entertainment long before television. Perhaps the most shocking aspect was that fireplaces or woodburning stoves were the sole source of heat during the harsh, bitter winters on the prairies.
The passing of the Rural Electrification Act in 1935 marked a significant milestone in bringing electricity to rural America and improving the quality of life. It gave rise to rural electric cooperatives across the Great Plains in areas where electricity was needed most. One of these cooperatives was Federated Rural Electric Association (Federated).
“When Federated began in 1935, we shared an office with Federated Cooperative Oil Association,” Scott Reimer, Federated’s general manager, says. “Our first manager, Paul Ferguson, was hired in 1936, and Federated began creating its legacy.”
Federated, a Class C member of Basin Electric with headquarters in Jackson, Minnesota, celebrated its 90th anniversary at its 2025 annual meeting with a pancake supper for members, live entertainment by dueling pianos, and prizes awarded to attendees.
The anniversary provided an opportune time to reflect on a 90-year journey marked by both challenges and opportunities.
“During the 1940s, material and manpower were short, limiting growth,” Reimer says. “After World War II, new service applications poured in. Federated then purchased the Wilder Electric Cooperative in 1946, and
In 1936, a team breaks ground on Federated’s first power line.
added approximately 100 miles of rural line purchased from the city of Fairmount.”
Federated weathered the 1980s farm-economy crisis, with rising interest rates, drought, and falling crop prices, which significantly impacted its members. Shortly after, the hog barn boom occurred, increasing electricity demand in Federated’s service territory. The early to mid-2000s spurred new load growth with the addition of a soybean processing plant and ethanol plants.
While Federated was growing and evolving, so too was its power supply. The first electricity to its members was provided by the local towns’ power plants, with Federated building its own plant in 1950. Hydro and coal-fueled electric generation joined the mix shortly after.
“Today, 80% of our energy comes from Basin Electric Class A member L&O, 5% from Great River Energy, and 15% from the Missouri River hydropower,” Reimer states.
Through it all, one thing has remained the same—the drive to serve their members.
“Local, reliable, and affordable service continues to be what drives us, whether for electricity or broadband internet,” says Reimer. “Member service and safety are paramount.”
When looking toward the future, Federated has exciting projects on the horizon.
“Next year, Federated will remodel its 1970s headquarters to replace the roof and aging plumbing, add necessary technology, and reorganize the office for more employees to serve electric members and broadband patrons,” Reimer says. “We are also monitoring the addition of wind and solar generating resources, as well as the development of a 765-kilovolt transmission line.”
Living in an era where light comes on at the flick of a switch, hot water flows by turning a lever, and communication and news arrive on our hand-held devices, the hardships of the 1930s are hard to comprehend. Federated’s 90-year journey reminds us how far rural communities have come and how they’ve weathered the tests of time.
Hunter Eslinger does routine checks on pipelines at Dakota Gas in early July near Beulah, North Dakota. He says the most important part of his job is ensuring the integrity of the pipelines, that products at Dakota Gas are ‘delivered in a safe, reliable, and cost-effective way through the pipeline.’
By Andrew Weeks
When Hunter Eslinger interned at Dakota Gasification Company (Dakota Gas) in 2015, he never imagined it would lead him to a career as a pipeline engineer, a role he had never even considered. Yet, it seems fate had that path planned for him all along. He joined the company full-time in early 2019. Now with more than six years under his belt, Eslinger’s confidence has grown, as has his perspective about the important role that pipeline engineers play in the energy industry.
That’s not bragging. Rather Eslinger, who is the sole pipeline engineer at Dakota Gas, a subsidiary of Basin Electric, says those who serve in the role at facilities across the country are important because they’re a key component to making sure pipelines remain safe, efficient, and compliant with regulations.
The role of pipeline engineer has many responsibilities, he says, but the priority is integrity management. “That entails a wide variety of different tasks, but for the most
part it’s making sure that what goes into the pipe stays in the pipe.”
In Dakota Gas’ case, that means carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and synthetic natural gas. The company’s pipelines and the products delivered through them include a 205-mile pipeline that delivers CO2 to customers in Canada, and an approximately 7-mile system of pipelines that deliver CO2 to six geologic sequestration wells located north of Dakota Gas. The facility also transports synthetic natural gas via 35-mile and 3-mile pipelines to the Northern Border Pipeline near Hebron, North Dakota, and the neighboring Antelope Valley Station, respectively.
Over the course of his work, Eslinger has gotten to know the pipelines well. He even helped design the system that delivers CO2 for sequestration—something he says might be a “once in a lifetime opportunity.” In all, he helped create a piping and instrumentation diagram, the design and bid package, reviewed contractors’ proposals, and
helped with onsite construction coordination. “It was a very rewarding project to be a part of,” he says, “from inception to finished project to seeing it put in the ground.”
Not bad for a guy who didn’t initially have the role of pipeline engineer on his career radar. Looking back, however, it’s easy for him to see the opportunities that led him in that direction. Opportunities started while Eslinger was still in school studying mechanical engineering at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks. He interned at the Great Plains Synfuels Plant during the construction of the facility’s urea plant in 2016, noting most of his work “involved verifying that the equipment being installed matched the piping and instrumentation diagrams.” He also interned as a mechanical engineer in 2018 at the Falkirk Mine near Underwood, North Dakota, where he worked on a project to replace a coal silo feed conveyor.
In his role today, he says he must be adaptable because the job is fluid. He doesn’t know what a typical work week might mean, because no two days are the same. However, they often start the same by reviewing that day’s priorities list. He typically checks to see what the maintenance and operations teams are working on and troubleshoots with them, if needed. He also frequently meets with the operations and planning teams to ensure projects are on track. Usually, there are several projects going on at once.
His role has enhanced Eslinger’s multitasking skills, while keeping top of mind the primary responsibility of the job: to ensure the safe functioning of the pipeline and transfer of products.
“It’s important that we ensure the products here at Dakota Gas are delivered in a safe, reliable, and cost-effective way through the pipeline,” he says. “My responsibility for pipeline integrity is a commitment to the members that I will ensure our pipelines always remain safe and reliable.”
Although Eslinger didn’t originally consider pipeline engineering as a career—it’s been a good fit, he says—there was one thing he’s always wanted, and that was the opportunity to make a difference. He says he believes he got into a good field where he can do just that.
“I went into mechanical engineering for a variety of things I could pursue, and pipeline engineering was only one of them,” he says. “For me this job is all about making sure we’re doing things right, that we’re maintaining the integrity of the pipeline. I don’t ever want to be responsible for a negative reaction, because that would not only impact us but could affect the industry as a whole.”
Disclaimer: As of Sept. 8, 2025, Eslinger moved into a new role as the compliance supervisor at Dakota Gas.
Hunter Eslinger, pipeline engineer at Dakota Gas
Olivia Anderson , daughter of Ryan (Headquarters) and Staci Anderson, is studying music at University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota.
Jordan Atwood, daughter of Chris (Laramie River Station) and Aubrey Atwood, is studying biology at Black Hills State University in Spearfish, South Dakota.
Delaney Aurich, daughter of Scott (Laramie River Station) and Megan Aurich, is studying accounting at Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne, Wyoming.
Ethan Doll is the son of Kent (Headquarters) and Lisa Doll. He is studying computer engineering at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in Rapid City.
Adam Friez, son of Angie (Headquarters) and Chris Friez, is studying business economics at University of North Dakota in Grand Forks.
Twenty-five $1,000 scholarships were awarded to children of Basin Electric and subsidiary employees to further their education this fall. Recipients were chosen for their participation in school and community activities, academic excellence, work experience, and career goals.
Jacob Goettle, son of Chris (Headquarters) and Kristy Goettle, is studying mechanical engineering at North Dakota State University in Fargo.
Colten Halvorsen is the son of Jason (Wheatland TSM) and Allison Halvorsen (Laramie River Station). He is studying electrical engineering at University of Wyoming in Laramie.
Carson Heth, son of James (Dakota Gas) and Holly Heth, is studying welding technology at North Dakota State College of Science in Wahpeton.
Alexis Huntimer, daughter of Randy (Dakota Gas) and Amanda Huntimer (Leland Olds Station), is studying pre-med biology at University of North Dakota in Grand Forks.
Briska Johnson is the daughter of Abon (Gillette TSM) and Heidi Johnson. She is studying biology at George Fox University in Newberg, Oregon.
Kyten Johnson, son of Abon (Gillette TSM) and Heidi Johnson, is studying computer science at University of Wyoming in Laramie.
Grant Lang, son of Ryan (Headquarters) and Beth Lang, is studying welding at Bismarck State College in Bismarck, North Dakota.
Noah Martel, son of Brandon (Leland Olds Station) and Jessica Martel, is studying electrician technology at Bismarck State College in Bismarck, North Dakota.
Ben Nasset is the son of Bob (Headquarters) and Jessica Nasset. He is studying electrical engineering at North Dakota State University in Fargo.
Dylan Nelson, son of Joe (Laramie River Station) and Diane Nelson, is studying engineering at Central Wyoming College in Riverton.
Isaac Peterson is the son of Colleen (Headquarters) and Eric Peterson. He is studying finance at University of North Dakota in Grand Forks.
Clarissa Reynolds, daughter of Chris (Dry Fork Station) and Starla Reynolds, is studying information systems data engineering at Utah State University in Logan.
Sydney Rogness , daughter of Tim (Dakota Gas) and Corrie Rogness, is studying nursing at North Dakota State University in Fargo.
Sofia Schantz, daughter of Rick (Dakota Gas) and Tina Schantz, is studying nursing at Bismarck State College in Bismarck, North Dakota.
Aliya Selensky is the daughter of Tera (Headquarters) and Donovan Selensky. She is studying business management and marketing at University of North Dakota in Grand Forks.
Alexis Selensky , daughter of Tera (Headquarters) and Donovan Selensky, is studying communication sciences and disorders at University of North Dakota in Grand Forks.
Cali Steffan, daughter of Todd (Dakota Gas) and Jennifer Steffan, is studying elementary education at Valley City State University in Valley City, North Dakota.
Jenica Twete is the daughter of Jeremy (Headquarters) and Brandi Twete. She is studying cybersecurity at Bismarck State College in Bismarck, North Dakota.
Garret Wallender, son of Phil (Dakota Gas) and Jennifer Wallender, is studying mathematics at North Dakota State University in Fargo.
Tyson Wick is the son of Angie (Antelope Valley Station/Leland Olds Station) and Aaron Wick. He is studying business management at Bismarck State College in Bismarck, North Dakota.
By Andrew Weeks
Leaders from Basin Electric joined Mitsubishi Power Americas executives on Aug. 21 to celebrate a key milestone in the cooperative’s largest power generation investment to date. Eight Basin Electric representatives traveled to Savannah Machinery Works in Pooler, Georgia, where Mitsubishi will manufacture two state-of-the-art gas turbines for the forthcoming Bison Generation Station in northwest North Dakota.
With a $4 billion investment and a planned capacity of 1,490 megawatts, the natural gas-fueled Bison Generation Station in Williams County will be the largest power plant in North Dakota and the centerpiece of Basin Electric’s generation portfolio. Construction is set to begin in 2026 with commercial operation targeted for 2030. The project marks Basin Electric’s most ambitious step yet toward delivering reliable, affordable electricity to its 139 member cooperatives.
As part of the visit, leaders from Basin Electric and Mitsubishi Power held a formal signing ceremony at the manufacturing facility, underscoring their partnership built on collaboration, mutual trust, and a shared commitment to delivering reliable power to the cooperative’s member-owners.
“Bison Gen will be the flagship generation of North Dakota and Basin’s fleet,” Basin Electric CEO and General Manager Todd Brickhouse says. “It demonstrates our commitment to meeting the future needs of our membership.”
Chief Operating Officer Gavin McCollam emphasized the cooperative’s history of successful generation projects. “Basin has a long history of building generation,” he says. “It takes a lot of pieces coming together to make it a success, and external partners are a priority. We took great care to select Mitsubishi as a partner in this project.”
Mitsubishi Power Americas President and CEO Bill Newsom says the company took pride in the collaboration. “We are honored to help Basin Electric deliver reliable power to its members. The Bison Generation Station reflects a time of dynamic growth and creates opportunities for trusted teams and partners to achieve shared success.”
The event concluded with a traditional Japanese Daruma ceremony, where leaders filled in one eye of a Daruma doll—a symbolic gesture representing their shared goal and commitment to seeing the project through to completion.
GAS EMPLOYEE
By Andrew Weeks
Ever since his mother-in-law was diagnosed with a rare blood disorder, Hunter Fears has seen some of the challenges of dealing with a life-threatening illness. Her diagnosis was one of the trigger points that made him want to donate hematopoietic stem cells, a type of cell found within bone marrow. Since he was unable to donate to his mother-in-law due to timing, his donation on July 28, 2025, went to a young man in South Dakota.
For Fears, who lives in Hazen, North Dakota, and works as a shift maintenance technician at Dakota Gasification Company, a subsidiary of Basin Electric, this was his first time donating anything other than blood.
“I chose to donate because I believe if you have the chance to save someone’s life, you take it,” he says. But what really made it personal for Fears was seeing his mother-in-law battle her disease. “I have seen firsthand how much strength it takes to face something like that. Her journey reminded me that behind every patient is a family, a story, and people hoping for more time together. Donating is a way I can be a part of giving someone else that hope. It’s a small sacrifice on my part to make a lifechanging impact.”
Bone marrow is a soft, spongy tissue found inside most bones and is essential to life; it is where red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets are produced. Certain types of cancer and blood disorders—such as aplastic anemia, leukemia, and myeloproliferative neoplasms— can damage bone marrow and impair its ability to produce healthy blood cells. People diagnosed with these conditions often need healthy cells or even bone marrow itself donated by others.
There are different types of cells a person can donate. The hematopoietic stem cells that Fears donated are immature cells found in bone marrow and peripheral blood that can develop into all types of blood cells: red, white, and platelets.
For those who have considered donating cells, Fears says there is nothing to worry about and describes the process as being similar to donating plasma, only being a little more intricate and taking a few hours longer. Basically,
blood is drawn from one arm, stem cells are separated out, and the rest of the blood is returned to the other arm.
“Once collected, my stem cells are infused into the patient’s blood stream through an IV,” he explains. “These cells then find their way to the patient’s bones, settle in the marrow, and start making healthy blood cells.”
For donors, the human body naturally replenishes both bone marrow cells and hematopoietic stem cells within a few weeks after donation. However, individuals are typically limited to donating no more than twice—once via bone marrow and once via peripheral blood stem cell or lymphocyte donation—to minimize strain on the body and preserve a healthy reserve of stem cells for potential future medical needs.
“The donation went great. My donation time was very quick because of the higher count of stem cells I had. I was also able to donate plasma,” Fears shared a few days after the donation. “I still believe it is an amazing thing to do for somebody in need. A small amount of pain and a little bit of my time could bring someone a lifetime of happiness.”
As with donating blood and plasma, Fears did not know who received his donation, only that it was “a younger male,” he says. “Other than that, I can’t learn anything about him until a year or so after he’s received the donation.”
Fears encourages others to donate if their health and circumstances allow. He went through DKMS, an international nonprofit that helps save the lives of patients with blood cancers and blood disorders—but there are other ways to register and give.
“All you have to do is register at dkms.org,” he says about donating with this organization. “They will send you a free mouth swab kit that you send back to them and you will have the chance to save a life!”
Gary Koehler, electrical and instrumentation technician at Dakota Gas, retired on July 7 after 40 years with the cooperative.
Kurt Kordonowy, pipeline field technician at Dakota Gas, retired on Aug. 1 after 40 years with the cooperative.
“Great company, great peo ple,” Kordonowy says. “I am very grateful for my time at Dakota Gas. I will miss everyone very much. I want to thank everyone I ever worked with during my employment.”
“Kurt was jus t an absolute joy to be around,” Kurt Dutchuk, pipeline superintendent at Dakota Gas, says. “I will miss his sense of humor the most. He could always bring a smile to everyone’s face. He made the best out of every job with a good story to go with it. He would always get the job done and would get it done in a positive, fun atmosphere.”
Patty Cogdill, protection services supervisor at Dakota Gas, retired on Aug. 5 after 40 years with the cooperative.
“The experience I gained during my career is valued every day going forward,” Cogdill says.
“Patty was a dependa ble, knowledgeable employee,” Kurt Dutchuk, pipeline superintendent at Dakota Gas, says. “She had a long, dedicated career with Dakota Gas in the protection services department, and she excelled at her job and responsibilities.”
In retirement, the Burlington, North Dakota, native plans to build a retirement home—an exciting project that will keep her busy for quite some time. She also looks forward to spending more quality time with her extended family, exploring new destinations through travel, and simply enjoying the chance to relax and recharge. She hopes to devote time to volunteer work, likely involving animals—a cause she’s especially passionate about.
Ron Vessa, electrical and instrumentation technician supervisor at Dakota Gas, retired on September 2 after 15 years with the cooperative.
Floyd Bryant, 59, passed away May 15 at Campbell County Health in Gillette, Wyoming. Bryant had worked for the cooperative as a lead station operator at Dry Fork Station for 15 years.
John Gagnon, 51, passed away on July 21. Gagnon was a wind technician at North Dakota Prairie Winds and had worked for the cooperative for 10 years.
“John was dedicated to his position and made sure he always got the job done,” Patrick Hurt, Basin Electric supervisor, operations and maintenance at North Dakota PrairieWinds 1, says. “He was a great employee and will be missed, but never forgotten, by everyone at the site.”
Kayla Hieb, vice president of Human Resources at Basin Electric, was listed as one of the Top 50 Women Leaders of North Dakota for Women We Admire’s 2025 award.
Women We Admire’s annual list celebrates outstanding women across North Dakota who exemplify excellence in leadership in a variety of industries.
“I am honored to have received this award amongst other women across the state of North Dakota,” Hieb says. “Throughout my career, I have had the privilege to work with incredible leaders and team members from whom I have had the opportunity to learn and grow. Ultimately, the teams that I have led through the years deserve to receive the accolades as they have created the success that we have shared.”
