B A S I N T O D AY BASIN EL EC T RIC P OW ER COOPER AT I V E
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M AG A ZINE
BRAVE M A RCH | A PRIL 2016
FOR KIDS
Honoree Kayden Crissler drops the puck at the Bismarck Bobcats hockey game during Brave the Shave night March 4. See more photos from the 2016 Brave the Shave campaign beginning on page 10.
CONTENTS V O L U M E 19
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ON THE COVER Caity Davies (left) and Victoria Brocker braved the shave together during the Guns n’ Hoses event March 8 at The Pond at Lucky Duck’s in Bismarck. The Guns n’ Hoses event was part of the 2016 Brave the Shave campaign that featured police officers and firefighters shaving their heads to support kids fighting cancer. IN EVERY ISSUE 2 CEO and general manager column: Paul Sukut 4 In brief 20 Feature series: A day in the life of ... Director Charlie Gilbert 22 Member focus: Conservation via cooperation 25 Employee highlights FEATURE STORIES 6 Be the light 10 Beautiful and bald 14 Life on the line 19 Allam cycle showing potential in carbon-constrained world CONTRIBUTORS Editor: Andrea Blowers (ablowers@bepc.com) Publications manager:
Mary Miller
Graphic designers:
Nicole Perreault & Nichole Rohrich
Photographers:
Chelsy Ciavarella, Jade Neumann & Greg DeSaye
Writers:
Tracie Bettenhausen, Tammy Langerud, Chris Gessele, Dain Sullivan & Joan Dietz
Use your smartphone barcode scanner to view stories online. MARCH – APRIL 2016 | 1
CEO A ND G E NE R A L M A N AG E R C OL UMN
PAUL SUKUT CO-OPS TURN CHALLENGES THAT STRENGTHEN RURAL
I write this as we are near the end of a mild winter. It’s been an unusual year. We’ve had little to no snow in the upper Midwest. Burn bans are already in place. Weather has been unseasonably warm. And, gas prices continue to linger below $2. While these prices certainly make road trips more affordable, the sudden and rapid drop in commodity prices has taken a toll on so many industries in the heartland. Basin Electric continues to buckle down and stay laser focused on operational excellence, austerity measures and careful and deliberate business decisions. Through these ups and downs, we’ve managed to see some sunlight. In an unprecedented decision, the U.S. Supreme Court in February granted Basin Electric’s Motion to Stay the Clean Power Plan until litigation is concluded. This was a giant win for rural America. We now have the time to plan that we didn’t have before. And, while Justice Anthony Scalia’s death now adds another element of uncertainty, we must not focus on the ‘what ifs,’ but rather, on what is possible. We’re not sitting idle. We continue dialogues with our states and congressional delegations, not only elevating our concerns with the rule, but developing viable solutions. I mentioned in my last column that our long-term strategic planning efforts surround mitigating swings
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INTO LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS AMERICA
in commodity prices, technology advancements and preparing for a future with even more carbon constraints. All three of these initiatives work together – all aimed at insulating Basin Electric against external influences, and in fact, strengthening our position in the national energy picture. Through these uneasy times, however, we must not take for granted our strength as a cooperative family. I will never tire of speaking on this topic. Spread across nine states, we wield grassroots influence and political power. I watched what the cooperatives in Iowa were able to accomplish during the presidential caucuses. Wearing their green shirts and armed with one and only question – “What is your plan for safe, reliable and afforable electricity?” – the co-op representatives came out in numbers again and again. Candidates took notice and listened, and in some cases, specifically mentioned electric cooperatives in their rallies. That is one slice of our cooperative family. Imagine if we could replicate that across our nine states. The good news is that we’re trying, and we’re engaged in a number of efforts to tell our story. It is through these efforts that we will work through challenges like the Clean Power Plan.
The Clean Power Plan will no doubt be a part of our history book. I hope, though, that our history book tells a story of how cooperatives not only beat it, we DID something about it. We diversified our energy portfolio. We talked to our consumers. We acknowledged our carbon-constrained reality and reduced our carbon footprint while keeping coal a part of our energy picture, increasing end-use efficiencies, making enhanced oil recovery a viable reality, and strengthening rural America. Does this sound overly optimistic? Perhaps, but I don’t think so. I believe we can get this done. We’re in the early stages of developing a plan that will get us down the road. We’re talking. We’re listening. We’re acting. Cooperatives are rooted in innovation. We also solve problems for our communities. Today, we have a number of challenges. We’re not sitting still. We’ll get there. And we will be stronger than ever.
Paul Sukut, CEO and general manager
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IN B RIE F
Integrated Test Center progresses at Dry Fork Station
The record-based brief is directed at the EPA’s substantive and procedural misapplication of the Clean Air Act. The EPA’s brief was due March 28 and the petitioners’ reply brief was due April 15. Oral argument in D.C. Circuit Court is scheduled for June 2. http://bit.ly/BasinElectricCPP
Dakota Gas 2016 Responsible Care goals
A critical component of the Integrated Test Center (ITC) arrived March 16 at Dry Fork Station, near Gillette, WY. The guillotine damper, weighing in at 5,300 pounds, will be installed into the carbon steel duct during a routine maintenance outage, giving ITC researchers the ability to open and close the duct when they need flue gas from Dry Fork Station. The ITC is a $21 million public-private partnership that will provide space for researchers at Dry Fork Station, owned by Basin Electric and Wyoming Municipal Power Agency, to develop commercially viable uses for carbon dioxide emissions from coalbased power plants. The X Prize Foundation will provide $10 million in prizes to the researchers who can find the most innovative carbon dioxide solution for coal and natural gas. http://bit.ly/DryForkITC
Basin Electric joins petitioners in Clean Power Plan argument Basin Electric was among a host of state and industry petitioners that contended the Clean Power Plan by signing a merits brief and records-based briefs filed Feb. 19 in the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. The merits brief argues that in promulgating the Clean Power Plan, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has illegally expanded its regulatory authority beyond what was intended by Congress in the Clean Air Act, and that the Clean Power Plan is an unconstitutional attempt to coerce states into carrying out federal energy policy.
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Dakota Gasification Company’s 2016 plans for continuous improvement were presented to the Dakota Gas board of directors at its March meeting. Dakota Gas manages its safety, health, security and environmental responsibilities by following the Responsible Care Management System® process. Responsible Care uses a philosophy of plan, do, check and act, whereby activities are planned, carried out, and then evaluated for their effectiveness. Each year, Dakota Gas publishes a Responsible Care Performance Report that highlights the efforts Dakota Gas is undertaking to go beyond those requirements, and summarizes the progress made over the previous year. http://bit.ly/2016ResponsibleCare
Board approves audit results and margin allocation The Dec. 31, 2015, financial statements of Basin Electric, Dakota Coal Company, Dakota Gasification Company and Souris Valley Pipeline Ltd. were presented to directors at the quarterly board audit committee meeting held March 15. These financial statements are prepared by Basin Electric’s controller division staff and audited by the accounting firm Deloitte & Touche.
Each of the 2015 audited financial statements received unqualified or clean opinions. Basin Electric and its subsidiaries reported consolidated margin and earnings of $8.1 million for 2015. Also, at the March meeting, the board voted to approve the allocation of Basin Electric’s 2015 before-tax margin of $49.4 million to patrons.
Major equipment at Dakota Gas’ urea project Construction on Dakota Gas’ urea facility project continues to progress, as major pieces of equipment are being set in their final places. On March 20, RUST Constructors set the pool reactor at the Great Plains Synfuels Plant, taking advantage of lowwind conditions and the majority of craft workers off-shift. The vessel, the project’s heaviest at 250 tons, was fabricated by Stamicarbon in Ternitz, Austria. The lift took about 20 minutes. The urea project completion is scheduled for second quarter 2017.
Electric received several proposals by organizations to purchase power out of the cooperative’s Wyoming resources through the reverse RFP. Basin Electric issued the RFP to see what power supply is available to purchase on the surplus market. The cooperative has a need in several areas, the Midcontinent ISO, Southwest Power Pool and in Montana, particularly in the 2020 time period and beyond. Ultimately, this information will be used in long-term planning for resources. Staff is evaluating the proposals, which also include wind and solar power available.
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Basin Electric receives proposals for power supply Basin Electric issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for power supply proposals Feb. 11 in both the eastern and western interconnections, as well as a reverse RFP for power supply out of Basin Electric’s Wyoming resources. The deadline for proposals was March 8. Becky Kern, Basin Electric director of utility planning, said the cooperative received 85 proposals totaling more than 9,000 megawatts of power supply. Basin
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BE THE LIGHT HOW BASIN ELECTRIC EMPLOYEES SHINE IN THEIR WORK By Tracie Bettenhausen There are people among us who shine a bit brighter. They carry a positive presence, find new ways to get work done, or bring new understanding through empathy, and they deserve recognition. A new ad campaign is being developed by Basin Electric with the line “Be the light.” The ads will show how Basin Electric and its members can be the light in communities and homes like only a cooperative can. In addition, a blog feature will begin on Basin Electric: Live Wire by the same name, focusing on employees. Take a few moments to learn about the people of Basin Electric in a more personal way.
Effie Carr When Effie Carr used to conduct new employee orientation sessions at Antelope Valley Station, she made sure she told every group one thing. “I said, ‘These are the best days of my life, not necessarily in this order: marrying my husband Mark; having my
“Change doesn’t bother me so much. In fact, I like it. I like to be realistic too, though. I think change should make sense.” Effie Carr senior administrative assistant
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two kids; seeing Elvis Presley perform live, and getting hired at Basin Electric,’” she says, counting them off on her fingers. Carr is funny, and shows up like a ray of sunshine and a breath of fresh air rolled into one. She started her career at Basin Electric working in the construction office at Antelope Valley Station. Thirty years later, she moved to Headquarters when John Jacobs was named vice president of Operations. “Change doesn’t bother me so much. In fact, I like it. I like to be realistic too, though. I think change should make sense,” she says. “For example, the new workspaces. I think they are great. I like the open concept and more efficient use of space – it is the way the office world is moving.” She thinks her more mellow attitude comes from experience. “With time, I just have a perspective where I try to think about what’s important. Many things are not worth fussing over,” she says. Carr says she’s task-oriented, constantly setting goals and accomplishing them in an orderly fashion. In her work, getting things done means others can do their jobs more efficiently. “Everything you do, you should do it well. And I think it’s important to be willing to take on any task,” she says. “Service for others makes you feel good. If you want to help children build self-esteem, don’t just tell them, ‘You’re great.’ Teach them to do things for others. I think it’s the same for all of us.” Her hope for Basin Electric is that employees keep finding new ways to work together. “We tend to compartmentalize and I think the more we can work with people outside our groups, the better. I consider myself so fortunate that I worked at the Antelope Valley Station and at Headquarters. It helps to see things from different perspectives,” she says.
Jason Krebsbach Jason Krebsbach came to Basin Electric about a year ago and learned much of the workload he would get right away would be to help guide the Headquarters expansion project. Having worked at both large and small architectural firms in Minnesota and North Dakota throughout his career, Krebsbach had a good idea what to expect. “In this area, architectural firms take work doing anything and everything, from church projects to water treatment plants,” he says. “When you’re working on a church, it’s almost like building a house. But instead of needing to please a family, you need to find a way to please a congregation of 300 people. This Headquarters project is not too different.” Krebsbach says the current Headquarters building has been a good reflection of Basin Electric and its mission. “From an architect’s perspective, this is a very humble, practical building and it has made sense for Basin Electric for many years,” he says. “Basin Electric does what it does well and efficiently. We do not try to be flashy about it.” Krebsbach’s work at Basin Electric focuses on the interior workspace, which can be touchy. “I’ve only been here a year, and I understand we’re trying to change the way some people have worked for 30 years in some cases. That can be difficult. It comes down to establishing trust with people,” he says. “So far I’ve gotten the best traction when I’ve been able to visit with people one-on-one and answer their questions.” The change he mentions is that new workspaces are open concept, meaning no more
“I want people to understand this change is an investment in our workforce and our future. This change will pay dividends over time.” Jason Krebsbach architect II
office walls and doors. “We have people on our steering committee who started Day 1 saying, ‘No, I will not give up my office,’ to doing a full-180, after they’ve learned all the benefits of the open concept space,” he says. Krebsbach feels pride when he’s able to explain the concept well enough for people to understand, and even change their mind about the changes. “I heard a quote once that I kind of made my mantra. George Bernard Shaw said, ‘Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything,’” he says. “I want people to understand this change is an investment in our workforce and our future. This change will pay dividends over time.”
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“You can make your job whatever you want it to be. … We are encouraged to get involved. It’s fun to have reasons to go talk to people.” Mike Wanzek senior electrical engineer
Mike Wanzek When Mike Wanzek and his family decided to leave Minneapolis, MN, and a career with Great River Energy to move to Bismarck, ND, Wanzek didn’t jump into the corporate workforce right away. He took what turned out to be almost two years away from a desk job and worked for his brother-in-law’s landscaping business. “I didn’t plant any trees,” Wanzek says. “But I worked on office projects and a variety of other things that needed to be done.” But opportunity struck, thanks to relationships he’d developed during his years in the electric co-op business. In 2014, he learned Basin Electric was hiring. “I was wrestling with that. Is this where I’m meant to be?” he asked himself. “Or do I get back into what I’ve done for most of my career?” Today, Wanzek is adamant he wouldn’t have come back into this career with a Bismarck business other than Basin Electric. “I appreciate the way a cooperative works. I was happy to be in the co-op world again,” he says. He says he likes a little bit of timeline-induced stress at times and always enjoys the opportunity to work with others. Wanzek says he feels proud to work at the co-op. “There is so much community support. It’s fun to see the Basin Electric logo on sponsorship signs everywhere,” he says. “Another thing that’s great here is that you can make your job whatever you want it to be,” Wanzek says. “There is so much opportunity to get into
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things … work projects, committees, volunteering (Our Power, My Safety Headquarters Implementation Team, BE Involved, Wellness Committee). I like what I do and I like our group. I also like that we are encouraged to get involved. Basin is full of great people.”
Joe Leingang Joe Leingang is known for his gift of gab and ability to turn a presentation for the Basin Electric board into an artful blend of information and entertainment. Because of that, we introduce Leingang through the most effective means possible: a lightly edited soliloquy he gave when asked to explain why he is proud to work for Basin Electric. “I worked here early in my career and then left for several years, to work in Arizona. … But I was always looking back at Basin Electric with great affection. “There are many avenues where Basin shows itself to be excellent. From public affairs to communications to transmission, there isn’t anybody who can touch us. “Pick the topic. Operating power plants – that’s one thing that really made me proud when I worked here early in my career. We were darn good operators, and we still are. Our forced outage rates, our safety rates, you name the number, heat rates. We’re good at it. In my position, the work we do to make sure the products that are needed – coal, lime
“It seems to me, Basin, in its DNA, we are intentional about being excellent at everything we do.” Joe Leingang director of fuel and transportation, Dakota Coal Company
and limestone – that work is essential and we get it done. And then joining Southwest Power Pool. That was such a massive and complicated undertaking, but we did it with aplomb. “It seems to me, Basin, in its DNA, we are intentional about being excellent at everything we do, even if it’s as small as a garden or a daycare. (slaps his knee) I just get wound up about it.”
“You get better results when you show compassion. People will open up to you.” Nicole Perreault supervisor of graphics
Nicole Perreault Nicole Perreault has been called “The Nice Jillian Michaels.” She is certainly as motivating as the television personality, but Perreault has a training style more bent on empathy than on decibel levels. She has been blogging on an internal blog called BE Well and running Basin Boot Camp for several years now, and works as a fitness instructor and personal trainer at the Missouri Valley Family YMCA in Bismarck, ND, in addition to her full time job at Basin Electric. Perreault says when clients complain about not having the time to work out, she helps them figure out a schedule. “If you decide working out or eating right is a priority, you will make it happen. Everyone has a busy schedule,” she says. “Plan your workouts for the week. Take a spin class on Monday if you know Tuesday is a busy evening. People do better if they have a plan
and a routine. Also, don’t expect perfection. There will be days where you don’t work out or eat healthy, the important thing is getting on the right track the next day. Don’t let one bad day turn into a bad month.” The work on the BE Well blog and Basin Boot Camp eventually turned into a cooperative-wide Wellness Committee. Perreault says employees reap benefits from living healthier lives, and so does Basin Electric. “I know when I’m working out, I’m in a better mood, I sleep better at night. It boosts my immune system, so I’m not getting sick all the time,” she says. “You never hear someone say, ‘I started working out and eating better, and I feel like crap.’” Perreault says despite her commitment to fitness, it’s not always easy for her either. “I can definitely relate to people when they don’t feel like working out,” Perreault says. “There’s days I don’t feel like teaching, but I have to because I’m on the schedule. In a way, I’m almost in a better situation because it forces me to workout. I don’t have the option of skipping that work out.” Beyond physical wellness, leadership roles have helped Perreault transition into being a supervisor. “A lot of times, people just need support and encouragement. Especially when they’re new to a situation. You want to be welcoming,” she says. “You get better results when you show compassion. People will open up to you, and you’ll have a better working relationship.” Perreault encourages leadership training and professional development as much as she encourages walks and healthy eating. “I see Basin Electric going in the right direction.”
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Beautiful AND BALD
Taner Ohlsen laughs as his son, Dash, a Brave the Shave honoree, shaves his head during the flagship event in Bismarck, ND, March 11 at the Missouri Valley Family YMCA. http://bit.ly/BTSFamilyFund
By Dain Robert Sullivan It’s easier to take a leap of faith with a friend by your side. How about almost 500 friends? That’s how many individuals took part in the 2016 Brave the Shave campaign, the region’s largest fundraiser on a mission to help kids live healthy lives. By shaving their heads or cutting hair, participants and donors have raised more than $360,000 in 2016. There are many memorable images from the year’s Brave the Shave events: the bright smile of a 9-year-old girl who posed for pictures with friends and family after donating her hair and shaving bald; the streaks of green clothing zipping across a gymnasium for the Get Your Green On! Zumbathon; and the joyful tears of two women who triumphantly held hands as locks of their hair fell to the floor during the Guns n’ Hoses event. There are perhaps too many beautiful moments to mention. Each one mirrors the incredible kindness communities showed toward Brave the Shave honorees and their families in 2016.
Honoree Jillian Nordsven rings a cowbell in the name of fighting childhood cancer at the Bismarck Bobcats hockey event held March 4.
Basin Electric’s Nicole Perreault helps lead the Get Your Green On! Zumbathon® for the 2016 Brave the Shave campaign. The Zumbathon was held March 6 at the Missouri Valley Family YMCA. 10 | BASIN TODAY
http://bit.ly/BTSZumba
Honoree Mason Bethke shares a smile while ringing a cowbell on the ice as the players shave their heads during the Bismarck Bobcats event.
April Mettler chose to shave her head during the flagship event at the Missouri Valley Family YMCA in Bismarck to help support a local family whose child is battling cancer.
Honoree Grace Bittner shaves the head of her dad, Cory, during the flagship event March 11 at the YMCA in Bismarck.
Tim Long, a Bismarck Motor Company employee, (right) chuckles as he holds hands with a buddy during the Kupper event held at Bismarck Motor Company March 9. Honoree Mia Thinnes shaves the head of Bismarck School Resource Officer Mark Otterness during the Guns n’ Hoses event March 8 at The Pond in Bismarck, ND. http://bit.ly/BTSGunsHoses
Caity Davies (left) and Victoria Brocker share triumphant smiles after braving the shave during the Guns n’ Hoses event.
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Highland Acres students brave the shave during their event at Highland Acres Elementary School in Bismarck March 18.
Before shaving her head, Brave the Shave honoree Cassie Miller poses with Miss North Dakota Delanie Wiedrich.
Brave the Shave honorees were given starting lineup recognition to kick off the flagship event in Bismarck.
Grace Lang, a third grader at Liberty Elementary in Bismarck, ND, shaved at the flagship event March 11.
Brookings Blizzard hockey player Tim Faulkner smiles while shaving his head at the Brookings, SD, event March 14. http://bit.ly/BTSBrookings
RAISED MORE THAN
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$360 THOUSAND
Cody Thiel (right), maintenance field technician at Dakota Gasification Company, and his 3-year-old son Crosby shaved together during the Mercer County event March 17 at Leland Olds Station.
Brave the Shave honoree Cully Oothoudt received his superkids honoree medal as did all the honorees at the flagship event in Bismarck.
Morgan Fisher, a student at Bismarck High School, was inspired to brave the shave at the flagship event at the YMCA. http://bit.ly/BTSLadies
Find more information about the 2016 Brave the Shave campaign at bravetheshave.coop.
482 PARTICIPANTS
The Jacobsen family all shaved together during the Highland Acres event March 18. Holding hands (from left) are dad, Lars; daughter, Elleana; and mom, Emily. Son, Haaken, (wearing the hat in the background) had already shaved.
Honoree Jasmine “Jazzy� Anderson watches as her dad, Justin, shaves his head during the flagship event. http://bit.ly/BTSFlagship MARCH-APRIL 2016 | 13
LIFE ON THE LINE By Tammy Langerud
Lance Ottmar, Basin Electric lead lineman, wraps up a handline at a worksite near Sterling, ND. 14 | BASIN TODAY
Imagine starting the work day by strapping on 45 pounds of bulky, clanky gear; climbing a wood pole or steel structure 50 to 300 feet tall; and then working the rest of the day perched high above ground. Oh, and by the way, you’re working with an energized power line. Now add a dose of blustery wind, snow, and below-freezing temps, or, the blistering summer sun and 100-degree temps. Welcome to the world of a lineman. April 11 was Lineman Appreciation Day, a day to recognize linemen for their role in keeping the power on. Linemen are silent heroes, working behind the scenes on a daily basis, sometimes in extreme weather conditions and sometimes at odd hours of the day. North Dakota’s warmer-than-normal late winter months have been kind to Basin Electric’s linemen. And when your office is 50 to 300 feet in the air, a mild winter is a welcome relief. Dustin Gullickson, lead lineman at Logan Transmission System Maintenance (TSM) south of Minot, ND, and Lance Ottmar, lead lineman at Mandan (ND) TSM, can vouch for that. The balmy winter temperatures – by North Dakota standards – have allowed their crews to break up their sometimes monotonous winter activities and repair lines, a task normally saved for spring, summer and fall. Gullickson and his crew of Erick Nelson and Brian Lakoduck maintain mostly wood H-structures If a line goes down, of 115-kilovolt (kV) and the power can’t get from 230-kV lines, totaling 300 Basin Electric’s power miles of line from north plants to our members. central North Dakota to the Dustin Gullickson Canadian border. Ottmar and his crew of John Bahm and Wayne Bentz maintain steel structures with 320 miles of 230-kV and 345-kV lines in central and south central North Dakota.
Always work to be done No matter the time of year, there’s work to be done. The “glory work of a lineman,” as Gullickson refers to the tasks of pole climbing and line maintenance, happens mainly in the spring and early fall. “We try to get out there (to poles located in fields) before farmers put in their crops and after they harvest,” Gullickson says. “So our timeframe to get our work done is pretty minimal.” “The majority of the winter months are spent inspecting power lines and poles, looking for issues to repair in the summer,” Ottmar says. This typical winter activity, called ground patrol, is an annual in-depth inspection of each line and structure. In the seat of a heated snow machine or side-by-side ATV, linemen travel from pole to pole along the line. With binoculars in hand, they look at the structure, paying attention to the hardware and glass. Power lines are also inspected through an aerial line patrol three times a year. A pilot flies an airplane parallel to the power lines, usually at 80 to 90 feet off the ground. During the flight, one lineman watches the top portion of the line to make sure static dampers aren’t broken. A second lineman looks at the glass and conductors, and the third monitors trees on the ground for right of way issues. Linemen are also responsible for inspecting and maintaining the co-op’s right of way areas around power lines and structures. Tree patrols are conducted in the spring and fall to make sure trees and shrubs aren’t in the way of power lines or showing potential to fall onto a line. Linemen are certified arborists, trained on proper cutting and falling techniques of a tree. This skill is put to use in the warmer months when they trim or fall trees and shrubs. Gullickson says tree patrol is an important task, not just from a compliance standpoint, but also because
most major U.S. blackouts have been caused by downed trees located in right of way areas. The findings of all the patrolling activities are documented into a software system, housed on a laptop in their pickup – a lineman’s mobile office. The information is then reviewed in the early spring as crews plan their maintenance schedule for the summer.
BASIN ELECTRIC’S
TSM
Williston Logan Mandan
LINEMEN LOCATIONS
ND
Groton Gettysburg
Gillette
SD WY
Stegall
NE
Working outside Ask Gullickson and Ottmar why they chose to be lineman, and both have the same response: “I like working outside.” Unfortunately, weather in the Midwest isn’t always a steady 75 degrees and sunny. So while working in the outdoors attracts people to this career, the harsh winters and dog days of summer can be challenging. “Sometimes you wish you had an office job,” Gullickson admits.
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WHAT IS ONE THING PEOPLE WOULD BE SURPRISED TO LEARN ABOUT THE JOB OF A LINEMAN? “The amount of behind-the-scenes work we do to keep the power on. There are a lot of day-to-day activities that may seem like you’re not doing much, but everything you do is to keep the power on.”
Lance Ottmar, lead lineman, Mandan TSM
“The barehand aspect (working on a live power line) of being a lineman for Basin Electric. A lot of people see it on the Discovery Channel, and they say, ‘Wow! You actually do that? You barehand 230,000 or 345,000 volts!’”
Dustin Gullickson, lead lineman, Logan TSM
says. “We actually spend more time with each other Ottmar says that linemen dress for the weather than we do with our family. So, we’ve got to either in winter (and some even grow Grizzly Adam-esque get along or fix the problem. Plus you gotta have fun, beards). “When you start putting coveralls and winter which we do.” boots on, it gets clumsy,” Ottmar says. “It’s a lot nicer in the summertime when you don’t have to mess with Safety and training a must that extra weight.” Both linemen note that Basin Electric is best at Safety is behind everything a lineman does. providing good clothing to make working in the cold “We want to make sure everyone goes home in the weather as comfortable as possible. “But 30 below same condition they came to work,” Gullickson says. is 30 below,” Gullickson says. “On those days we’ll “It may be easier to take a short cut, but that’s when do ground patrol.” you get hurt or injure somebody. It’s just not worth it.” Like any day working on the line, safety in regard Standard operating procedure before any job is to weather conditions is important. to test the equipment, tools and rope. This ensures everything is in “If you get to the point where frostWe want to make sure safe working condition, along with bite is a factor, we’ll rotate in and everyone goes home in ensuring moisture – something that out of the vehicle,” Ottmar says. the same condition they came doesn’t mix well with electricity – is “There’s no sense hurting a guy for to work. not in ropes that will be used. the work.” Then the lead lineman walks As lead linemen, Gullickson and Dustin Gullickson the crew through a job review, in Ottmar are the working foremen for which they’ll recap the upcoming their respective three-person crew. task, planned procedures, and also They plan their crew’s jobs and verify completion of activities like testing equipment procedures for the week, get appropriate equipment or the use of proper clothing and gear. ready and do monthly paperwork. However, both agree Changing OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health that it’s teamwork and trust that gets the job done. Administration) safety regulations also play a role in “There are many different scenarios you have keeping linemen safe. Ottmar and fellow linemen to account for and do safely,” Ottmar says. “There’s who work on steel structures can no longer climb a lot of thinking on your feet. A book can’t teach you them freehand. Last year they started using a double everything; a lot of it has to come from experience – lanyard, which they hook onto the steel structure while and working with guys you’re with and knowing that climbing. This provides 100 percent fall protection. they know what they’re doing. There’s a lot of trust Training is also important, and Basin Electric lineand communication involved.” “I always tell the guys, ‘we’re family,’” Gullickson men train twice a year. One training focuses on working
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Before starting a job, Dustin Gullickson (center), Basin Electric lead lineman, reviews the task with Journeyman Linemen Brian Lakoduk (left) and Erick Nelson (right).
on wood poles; the other focuses on steel structures. Because linemen have to be certified in all aspects of their job, like operating a crane or cutting trees, they receive training to maintain those certifications. The tools they use working for a generation and transmission co-op are larger and heavier than those used by distribution co-ops. So the weight and torque of using tools like their grips, 6-ton hoists and a 7-footlong hot stick, combined with years of climbing poles and structures, eventually takes a toll on the body. “It’s the nature of the job,” Ottmar and Gullickson both say. “It’s just something you deal with.”
Safe, reliable, affordable electricity Basin Electric’s linemen play an important role in the co-op’s mission to provide affordable, reliable, safe electricity to its members. “If a line goes down, the power can’t get from Basin Electric’s power plants to our members,” Gullickson says. While the inspection duties of a lineman’s job can be monotonous, it plays a crucial part in ensuring reliability. “We don’t want issues to arise,” Ottmar says. “That’s why we do ground patrols and try to stay on top of maintenance. That way the lines are in good shape. So if a storm comes through, the lines hold up to it and the power stays on.”
BASIN ELECTRIC LINEMEN BY THE
NUMBERS 27 FULL-TIME 2,269 LINEMEN MILES 45POUNDS WORK FROM 7 4 STATES 50 300 FEET ABOVE GROUND 1LINEMAN MAINTAIN
WEAR
OF TRANSMISSION LINE
OF GEAR WHEN CLIMBING
OUTPOSTS ACROSS
WORK
TO
IS CURRENTLY ON ACTIVE
MILITARY DUTY
MARCH – APRIL 2016 | 17
HOT STICK: Made of insulated fiberglass, hot sticks help linemen safely work on energized power lines. They are extendable up to 40 feet.
LANCE OTTMAR Job: Lead lineman Experience: 16 years as a lineman, 8 years with Basin Electric Common height climbed: 95 to 105 feet On climbing poles: “You get used to it.”
TOOLS: Attached to the end of the hot stick to help linemen perform various tasks. This tool is a high voltage detector, which linemen use to make sure the power line is de-energized before installing personal protective grounds.
Basin Electric linemen work on both wood and steel structures. So, having the right gear for the job is essential.
WOOD POLE
STEEL STRUCTURE DOUBLE LANYARD: Worn when climbing steel structures, linemen hook the double lanyard onto the structure for 100 percent fall protection.
HARDHAT: A must for all linemen, this insulated hat protects the head from blows and falling objects.
HARNESS: Worn when linemen climb or ride in the bucket, the harness has a loop at chest level, providing a way to hook onto the bucket for safety, rappel from the bucket, or lower a lineman in a rescue situation. EQUIPMENT BELT: Features clips, loops and D rings for linemen to carry tools commonly needed in the bucket, on the ground or in the air.
BUCKSQUEEZE: Provides fall protection when working on wood poles and is designed to grip the pole if linemen start to fall.
GAFFS: Sharp steel spikes that are strapped to boots to climb poles safely and efficiently. Only the tips sink into the wood.
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EQUIPMENT BELT: Features clips, loops and D rings for linemen to carry tools commonly needed in the bucket, on the ground or in the air.
FIRE RESISTANT (FR) CLOTHING: To protect linemen from a possible electric arc, they must wear FR jeans, shirt, and jacket (in cold weather) at all times. A long-sleeve FR shirt must be worn during all seasons, even in the sweltering heat. LEATHER GLOVES: Provide protection from high voltage, and cuts, abrasions or punctures from tools.
POSITIONING STRAP: Once linemen get to where they want to work on the structure, they’ll unhook one side of the strap and wrap it around a portion of the steel structure and rehook it to their belts. Now they can safely work, using both hands.
HANDLINE: Featuring a pulley block and steel clips, the handline is used to hoist materials to the lineman while working on a power line. This handline is 250 feet long to accommodate the pole heights climbed by Basin Electric linemen. BOOTS: These boots, specific for climbing wood structures, are 14 inches tall to protect linemen from gouging themselves in the leg. CLIMBERS: Strapped on just below the knee, these contoured leg shanks hold gaffs in place on linemen’s boots. They are padded for comfort and support.
CONDUCTIVE BOOTS: Worn when climbing steel structures, these boots prevent linemen from getting a shock as they climb closer to the power line.
GEAR NOT SHOWN: DITTY BAG: A canvas bag used to carry bolts, nuts or other materials for the job. TOOL POUCH: Holds tools like pliers and wrenches.
ALLAM CYCLE SHOWING POTENTIAL IN
CARBON-CONSTRAINED WORLD By Chris Gessele The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan has raised more questions than answers since the rule’s finalization in August 2015. Regardless of the court’s ultimate decision on the rule’s legality, Basin Electric’s leadership understands the cooperative must evolve to continue growing in a carbon-constrained world. One technology that is flashing economical carbon-reduction potential is the Allam Cycle. The vision for the Allam Cycle consists of gasifying lignite coal to produce synthetic natural gas, which would then be used along with oxygen and carbon dioxide (CO2) to drive a turbine generator. This working fluid is then cooled through a heat exchanger and water is separated from it to create a nearly-pure CO2 stream. The CO2 stream is pressurized and a majority of the flow is fed back to the combustor as the working fluid to begin the cycle again. The remaining part of the CO2 flow is collected and put into a pipeline without increasing the power plant’s cost of producing electricity. The technology could provide Dakota Gasification Company another source of marketable CO2 to be used for enhanced oil recovery or other purposes, and provide Basin Electric a more efficient and CO2 emission-free way of generating electricity using lignite coal. Jim Sheldon, Basin Electric senior research and design engineer, heads the cooperative’s Horizons Committee. The group is responsible for monitoring and disseminating information regarding major environmental issues and new technologies – one being the Allam Cycle. “This cycle uses CO2 as the working fluid instead of water, which we currently use in our coal plants. The first advantage is the dramatic efficiency gain using CO2 since it stays in the vapor phase instead of changing from liquid to vapor and back,” Sheldon says. “Secondly, the combustion products in this cycle can be sent directly to a turbine to generate electricity.”
To research further development of Allam Cycle technology and its use with lignite coal, Basin Electric; the Energy & Environmental Research Center; 8 Rivers and ALLETE, Inc., along with ALLETE subsidiaries BNI Coal and Minnesota Power, were granted $1.48 million toward the total $3.18 million one-year research project. Basin Electric and ALLETE have also each committed to contributing matching funds and in-kind services supporting the work. A first-of-a-kind plant using natural gas will start up in Texas in 2017, along with a more in-depth study using lignite to make synthetic natural gas in North Dakota. Basin Electric will monitor the technology’s development and participate in the North Dakota study. “If the first-of-a-kind plants prove out the initial work, this technology could be an economical means of using coal in a CO2- and emissions-constrained future,” Sheldon says.
WHAT’S SAID IN D.C. U.S. Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) mentioned Dakota Gasification Company and the Allam Cycle during a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing March 3 in Washington, D.C. Hoeven’s conversation about commercially viable carbon capture technology with U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz begins at 2:15:03, and the Allam Cycle is mentioned at 2:20:10. Watch it here: http://bit.ly/ccDC2016
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F E AT URE SE RIES
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF … DIRECTOR
CHARLIE GILBERT By Tracie Bettenhausen Learn to tell a story. One of people who pull together to build a better life. People who started out building power lines and power plants, and eventually began building the path to accessible child care, stronger leaders and cleaner energy. Charlie Gilbert, Basin Electric director representing District 11, Corn Belt Power Cooperative headquartered in Humboldt, IA, tells that story every chance he gets. “We don’t like bragging,” Gilbert says. “Co-ops have a fantastic story, we do great things for rural America and for our membership, but I don’t think people know about us.” Gilbert’s cooperative story started when he was a boy growing up on a farm near Iowa Falls, IA. His father served on the board of the local grain co-op, and eventually Gilbert did, too. He left home for college, coming back to take on the farm after graduation, planting corn and soybeans. In 1997, he began serving on the electric co-op’s board, Midland Power Cooperative, headquartered in Jefferson, IA. The electric co-op was served by two generation and transmission cooperatives, Corn Belt Power and Central Iowa Power Cooperative (CIPCO), due to a previous merger. (The cooperative merged again in 2013 with Humboldt County REC, but retained the name Midland Power.) “On the Midland board, it was tradition that you had a representative on both Corn Belt Power and CIPCO,” Gilbert says. “There was an opening on the Corn Belt Power board in 2000, and I put my name in the hat and was elected.” Corn Belt Power became a member of Basin Electric in 2009. Gilbert was chosen to represent the newest Class A member on Basin Electric’s board of directors. It was through all this transition – learning the ways of a cooperative during mergers, and meeting the people of a cooperative as members join – that Gilbert realized the story makes all the difference.
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but is that what is best for Basin? That’s a fine line to “For many other new Basin Electric directors, they’ve walk. When you’re at the Basin board, you’d better be grown up with Basin. They know who Basin is. They wearing a Basin hat and sometimes it’s not the popular have a good handle on the many different parts. They thing back home.” just have to learn some director stuff,” he says. “When Gilbert says solar power is an issue that’s going to Corn Belt became a Basin Electric member, I didn’t, and keep coming to the Basin Electric board. “Basin Electric most people at Corn Belt really did not know Basin. ” wants to do the right thing on solar. The question is, what Gilbert sees one of his biggest roles is to help as a is the right thing? Hopefully we can help define that, and communicator. He sends a detailed report to Corn Belt if enough of the membership is leaning one direction, Power’s directors, staff and managers following every not just Iowa, we can move in that direction,” he says. Basin Electric board meeting. Gilbert is proud Basin Electric management makes “I use screens we see in our meetings, without it a priority to demonstrate “we are a co-op; acting like going into anything confidential. This last meeting, for a co-op and doing things like a co-op.” He says that’s example, I spent about a page-and-a-half talking about especially important considering a workforce that Leland Olds Station,” Gilbert says. “People hear Leland has turned over largely in the last Olds Station, and if you’re in Corn several years. Belt you think, ‘It’s a power plant, Whether today or 20 years When Gilbert explains the so what?’ I did a little research on from now, I have confidence we will cooperative model to someone, he the 50 years of history, what it keep doing the right things and making reaches for a personal example. He costs to run, and pictures of it.” the right decisions, because we’re used to own some stock in Alliant, Gilbert says these reports doing it for people first. an investor-owned utility. “When help answer questions he gets Charlie Gilbert Alliant makes a decision, who as a Basin Electric director. ”The are they responsible to? It’s easy, Leland Olds Station is fantastic, they’re responsible to the ones who one of our workhorses for many own them. I want my dividend every year. So they need years. We have so many rules and regulations coming to make decisions so they can generate dividends and at us and we just spent $45 million on ash control pay their stockholders,” Gilbert says. “Whereas a co-op equipment. What’s going to happen to the place? A lot is owned by our membership, the ones that pay our bills, of people would say, ‘Hey, it’s 50 years old.’ But no, it’s the ones that we serve. The decisions we make are for one of our workhorses, it’s a low-cost source of power, their benefit. And if it’s not a good fit for our member, and it’s good for our membership.” maybe it’s a wrong decision.” Doing the right thing for Basin Electric’s members Gilbert loves this story, working for the people is what guides Gilbert’s votes. He says it’s important who built the co-op. “Basin Electric has the skills and to remember which hat he’s wearing. Take generation ability to do things right,” he says. “Whether today or fuel choice, for example. “Iowa pushes solar, but when 20 years from now, I have confidence we will keep I’m on the Basin board and wear the Basin hat, I’m doing the right things and making the right decisions, thinking about what’s best for Basin,” he says. “Yes, all because we’re doing it for people first.” the people back home want me to push such and such,
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M E M B E R F OCUS
C NSERVATION VIA ENERGY AUDIT HELPS SOUTH DAKOTA BUSINESS By Chris Gessele
(From left) Chad Reisenauer, Basin Electric director strategic planning and member support, and West River Electric Association Marketing Manager Veronica Kusser joined forces to help save Wall Drug money on electricity. 22 | BASIN TODAY
It all started with free ice water. Ted and Dorothy Hustead opened Wall Drug in Wall, SD, in the 1930s. Looking for a way to translate some of the passing traffic into business, the Husteads began promoting free ice water to road-weary travelers. More than 80 years later, the free ice water is still flowing – and Ted and Dorothy’s grandson, Rick Hustead, is looking for ways to help the business thrive long into the future. Wall Drug gets its energy from West River Electric Association, a Class C member of Basin Electric. Hustead approached Veronica Kusser, West River marketing manager, about the possibility of an energy audit to help identify ways for the business to conserve energy and save money. “With the Clean Power Plan we’re in an energy conservation period where we’re asking our membership to cut back on usage, and it’s important for us to be there for them,” Kusser says. Kusser called Chad Reisenauer, Basin Electric director of strategic planning and member support, to provide another set of eyes and some equipment needed to do a thorough audit. Reisenauer, a certified energy manager through the Association of Energy Engineers, joined Kusser and several other West River employees to conduct the energy audit of Wall Drug on Jan. 25 to identify where energy was being used inefficiently. “You can do anything from a quick walk-through audit all the way to getting blower doors and load meters out and really trying to pinpoint energy usage,” he says.
COOPERATION CONSERVE ENERGY AND SAVE MONEY
Reisenauer, Kusser and West River Electric employees Willy Nohr, Robert Baker and Adam Daigle walked through Wall Drug with clipboards, counting light fixtures and recording the number and style of bulbs. Reisenauer then used a light meter to measure lighting levels and an infrared camera to find possible air leaks. The light meter measures lighting level and color in degrees Kelvin. Those readings are generally higher above display cases and items for sale, Reisenauer says, and a bit lower in hallways. The infrared camera forms images using infrared radiation. “Blue’s cold, red’s hot; in the winter we wander around looking for blue stuff,” Reisenauer says. “Really we’re just looking for efficiency. Here, we found a couple different areas where we can
An infrared camera uses infrared radiation to check for areas of high temperature differential inside buildings.
maybe drop 10-15 percent off the bill on an annual basis, if they follow through on recommendations and taking seasonal factors into account.” This program is really what On average, Reisenauer co-ops are all about: We’re helping conducts about 50-75 audits each other to the betterment of the per year. In addition to energy membership. It’s just Basin Electric audits, Basin Electric provides helping our members be stronger services, such as strategic organizations. planning, to member cooperaChad Reisenauer tives and their members. “This program is really what co-ops are all about: We’re helping each other to the betterment of the membership. It’s Basin Electric helping our members be stronger organizations,” Reisenauer says. “Other cooperatives might not have the manpower or expertise, so Basin Electric can provide both.” Wall Drug generally employs about 60 people, according to Hustead, though ramps up to about 200 people in the summer months. About 85 percent of Wall Drug’s annual business is conducted in about seven months. “It’s not easy to be profitable as a seasonal business; you’ve really got to watch everything closely,” Hustead says. “With a 76,000-square-foot store, a lot of lights, a lot of electricity, energy efficiency is a big concern. Energy’s a precious commodity and if there are any obvious savings we can make we’d sure like to try.”
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(From left) Chad Reisenauer, Basin Electric director of strategic planning and member support, joined West River Electric Marketing Manager Veronica Kusser in a lighting audit of Wall Drug.
Kusser says West River Electric’s relationship with its members and Basin Electric is representative of the cooperative culture. “It’s very important that we be here for our members and have the answers,” Kusser says. “We try to stay as educated as possible, whether that be through NRECA (National Rural Electric Cooperative Association) or Basin Electric, whatever help we can get to assist us in being good energy managers for our members. It’s a great asset to be able to call Basin Electric’s very knowledgeable staff to come
and help educate our members, as well as members across the area.” Hustead says West River Electric has been there for him and his business whenever he’s had a question. That relationship helps make it possible to host 20,000 people on a busy summer day. And, he says with a smile, “We hope that they each get a glass of ice water.” Watch the video of the cooperatives’ efforts to help Wall Drug save money on electricity. http://bit.ly/WallDrugSD
FOR MEMBER COOPERATIVES Basin Electric offers programs and services to assist member cooperatives in their conservation and efficiency efforts, including the following: • CEM-certified staff can assist with – or member cooperatives can borrow specialized equipment to conduct – commercial, industrial and residential energy audits. • Basin Electric schedules training for member cooperatives to assist in their efforts to promote energy efficiency.
EFFICIENCY
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• Basin Electric provides a discount to member cooperatives that buy compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) in bulk to market to their member consumers.
• Since 1994, Basin Electric has been promoting innovative, efficient electric technologies. The Efficiency and Technology Display Program lets you see and feel firsthand how innovative electrical products work. • Basin Electric offers funds to member cooperatives for their advertising efforts promoting energy efficiency.
E M P L OY E E HIG HL IG H T S
EMPLOYEES HONORED WITH LIFESAVER AWARD Leland Olds Station employees accepted the Lifesaver Award from North Dakota Safety Council (NDSC) representatives Feb. 4. (Front row, from left) Chuck Clairmont, NDSC executive director/CEO; Murray Snyder, first response team; Amanda Huntimer, first response team; and Darrel Hellman, NDSC board president. (Middle row, from left) Myles Hafner, first response team; James Porter, first response team; Kris Schmidt, first response team; and Jake Schmidt, first response team. (Back row, from left) Monte Sailer, first response team; Devin Renner, Leland Olds Station operator; Kasey Lesmann, first response team; and Todd Isaak, first response team. Not pictured: Tracy Johnson, Leland Olds Station operator; and Michelle Tipton, Straight from the Heart AED trainer.
Basin Electric employees at Leland Olds Station were honored for their lifesaving actions at the North Dakota Safety Council’s (NDSC) 43rd annual Safety & Health Conference Feb. 4 at the Bismarck (ND) Event Center. Leland Olds Station’s First Response Team was awarded the NDSC Lifesaver Award, which is presented annually to individuals who have acted above and beyond the call of duty to assist or rescue another individual. The team practices medical and rescue skills twice per month. In March 2015, they put those skills to the test. That spring, a truck driver went into cardiac arrest and collapsed while offloading fuel oil at Leland Olds, said James Porter, Leland Olds safety coordinator. The plant’s first response team responded and performed CPR and used one of the plant’s automated external defibrillators, reviving the man before the ambulance arrived. Todd Isaak, mechanic I and member of the Leland Olds Station First Response Team, said when the page went off and the team gathered, everyone clicked. “Everyone knew their job and did it well,” Isaak said. Myles Hafner, System Protection Supervisor at Beulah Transmission System Maintenance, and volunteer emergency medical technician with the Mercer County and Killdeer (ND) ambulance services, happened to be at Leland Olds at the time of the accident. He was asked to assist with the rescue, and
when he arrived on scene the Leland Olds Station First Response Team was performing the actions “correctly, calmly and competently.” “If the truck driver’s collapse had not been witnessed and the team so well trained, this incident would have had a more tragic ending,” Hafner said. The team is able to succeed when called upon because of the strong safety culture employees have built at Leland Olds Station over the years. “Because of the safety culture, we have many employees that have volunteered their time, in addition to their normal job task, to train to help make the plant safer,” Porter said. “Our plant manager, Jamey Backus, has been a big supporter of the first response team and knows the value the team brings to the safety of the plant. Because of his continued support and the fact that the first response team is trained and prepared for almost any emergency situation, I feel it sends a strong message that plant safety is always first.” According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 38 workplace fatalities in North Dakota in 2014. “Safety is a mindset and a way of life. It’s doing the right thing when nobody is looking,” Porter said. “The ultimate goal in safety is to make sure everyone goes home every day, always.” Employees at Leland Olds Station have received several honors for working safely, including the NDSC’s Safety Excellence Award for a zero-accident incident rate in 2014.
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E M P L OY E E HIG HL IG H T S
New employees Ed Faircloth, painter/insulator/ maintenance II, started work Feb. 8 at Laramie River Station. He has an associate degree from Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne, WY, and previously worked in maintenance for Laramie County School District #7. Toby Gerhardt began work at the Great Plains Synfuels Plant Feb. 8 as a process operations field technician. Originally from New Salem, ND, he previously worked for Nabors Drilling in Williston, ND. Amanda Fox started work at Laramie River Station Jan. 11 as a laborer. The Pennsylvania native previously was a pharmacy technician at South Street Pharmacy in Wheatland, WY.
Corbin Souza began work Jan. 11 at Laramie River Station as a laborer. He previously worked for Cyclone Drilling.
Gary Allen began work Jan. 11 at Laramie River Station as a laborer. He previously worked as a planter operator for CERT Operations.
Adam Mickelsen, process operations field technician, started work at the Great Plains Synfuels Plant Feb. 8. The Kenmare, ND, native has an associate degree in power plant technology from Bismarck (ND) State College. Tyler Braisted, laborer, started Jan. 11 at Laramie River Station. Previously, he worked as a ranch hand at Lone Tree Ag.
Nate Harter began work at the Great Plains Synfuels Plant Jan. 25 as a process operations field technician. Originally from Bismarck, ND, he previously worked for South Central Regional Water District in Bismarck. Matt Parker, laborer, started work Jan. 11 as a laborer. He previously worked for the State of Wyoming in Guernsy. Casey Larson was hired Jan. 25 as a control systems engineer at the Great Plains Synfuels Plant. The Fargo, ND, native has a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from North Dakota State University, Fargo.
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Reed Nash, protection services specialist, began work at the Great Plains Synfuels Plant Feb. 22. He previously worked for Rock Pile Energy Services, Dickinson, ND, and has experience in firefighting and HazMat operations. Casey Fischer, laborer, started Jan. 11 at Laramie River Station. His previous employer was Stallion Oilfield Services, where he was a crew foreman.
Dallas McCormack was hired as a laborer Jan. 11 at Laramie River Station. He has an associate degree in power plant technology from Casper (WY) College.
Anton Soebbing-Volk began work Feb 8. at the Great Plains Synfuels Plant as a reliability engineer. The Oakes, ND, native has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks. Tracie Kelly, lab tech II, began work Jan. 25 at Laramie River Station. Previously, Kelly was employed by the City of Clinton, IA, as a water quality analyst. Jill Rummel, account analyst II, started work Jan. 11 at Headquarters. She previously worked as a staff accountant for KLJ in Bismarck.
William Owen was hired Jan. 11 as a laborer at Laramie River Station. The Rolling Hills, WY, native previously worked as a welder/mechanic/inspector at GE Oil & Gas in Casper, WY. Kevin Espinoza, laborer, was hired Jan. 11 at Laramie River Station. He previously worked at North Antelope Rochelle Mine in Wright, WY, as an operator.
Ken Dolan started work March 2 at Headquarters as director of enterprise risk management. The Chicago, IL, native previously was the assistant treasurer/enterprise risk manager at MDU Resources Group in Bismarck, ND. Jordan Reisenauer, laborer, started work March 7 at Antelope Valley Station. The Bismarck, ND, native has an associate degree in power plant technology from Bismarck (ND) State College. He previously worked as an operator at Anheuser-Busch in Moorhead, MN. Skye Little Soldier started work March 7 at Antelope Valley Station as a laborer. Previously, he worked as an instrument technician for Alliance Pipeline in Valley City, ND. David Lundstrom, lab technician, started work March 7 at Antelope Valley Station. The Hazen, ND, native previously worked as a lab technician at Flint Hills Resources in Rosemount, MN. Benjamin Barnes, storekeeper, started work March 7 at Laramie River Station. The Fort Collins, CO, native previously worked as a locomotive fuel service technician for Savage Services. Travis Harvey was hired Jan. 11 as a laborer at Laramie River Station.
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E M P L OY E E HIG HL IG H T S
Service awards
Darby Schlichenmayer
Gary Anderson
Danny Martin
Timothy Mason
John McKenna
lead mechanic
Headquarters
Laramie River Station
lead combustion turbine maintenance technician
field technician
member support analyst
assistant coal & water supervisor
John Volk
Allen Cochran
Troy Lay
Dave Martinez
Don Moede
field technician
lead yard equipment operator
auxiliary operator
control room operator
maintenance scheduler
35 years
30 years
Dakota Gasification Company
35 years
30 years
35 years
Laramie River Station
35 years
30 years
Dakota Gasification Company
Wyoming Distributed Generation
30 years
Laramie River Station
30 years
Laramie River Station
30 years
Laramie River Station
Laramie River Station
Shirley Niemczyk
Craig Hunnel
Cindy Becker
Mark Michelson
Clinton Wald
administrative assistant III
lineman
administrative assistant III
purchasing agent II
senior engineering document specialist
30 years
Laramie River Station
30 years
Transmission System Maintenance – Gettysburg (SD)
25 years
Headquarters
25 years
Headquarters
Headquarters
Kerry Neuberger
Jarvis Schmidt
Terry Stoner
Gene Giesen
field technician
area planner
field technician
supervisor, SRS physical security/compliance
20 years
Dakota Gasification Company
20 years
Dakota Gasification Company
20 years
Dakota Gasification Company
20 years
Headquarters
Mike Sailer
Darvin Schmidt
shift supervisor, gas production
supervisor, shift maintenance
30 years
Dakota Gasification Company
28 | BASIN TODAY
20 years
Dakota Gasification Company
25 years
Retirees Editor’s note: Expanded retirement stories were written only for those who returned their questionnaire to Basin Today staff.
Ricky Ahlschlager, maintenance superintendent at the Great Plains Synfuels Plant, retired March 11 after 32 years of service. The Slayton, MN, native attended welding trade school in Canby, MN, before starting his career with HJ Kaiser as a general foreman. He began working at the Synfuels Plant on April 23, 1984, in the weld shop. In 1989, Ahlschlager was promoted to the weld shop supervisor. In July of 1998, he became the shift/shop maintenance superintendent, the position he was in when he retired. “While in this position, I was very active in the effort to improve the gasifier reliability,” Ahlschlager says. “I was the first maintenance person to travel to South Africa’s Sasol plant in an effort to learn better gasifier maintenance practices. The trip proved to be very beneficial as we adopted some of their maintenance practices. We also learned that we needed to install a new belted gasifier jacket design. This change greatly improved the online operating percentage for each gasifier.” Ahlschlager says he is very proud of the main shop equipment and highly skilled people that work in the shop. “Our shop is second to none,” he says. “We can build or repair almost any equipment needed to keep the Synfuels Plant in operation.” Ahlschlager was also very involved with overseeing the shift maintenance crews. “The shift maintenance crews are a very talented group of people,” he says. “This group does all the maintenance work on the gasifiers. They also help and respond to any plant-wide needs.” Ahlschlager says he was most proud of the can-do attitude of the nine supervisors who worked with him. “They were always able to respond to any issue the plant had. We were a good team. They are a large part of the good memories that I leave here with. I also appreciate the support given to me by upper management. It was a great place to work.” Ricky and his wife, Holly, plan to travel to Arizona in the winter months and continue to live in Beulah the rest of the year. Ahlschlager plans to do a lot of traveling, fishing, golfing and hobbies in his retirement.
Jim Privratsky, protection services specialist, retired from the Great Plains Synfuels Plant February 24 after nearly 33 years of service. The Beulah, ND, native worked as a process operations field technician for more than 13 years at the Synfuels Plant before moving to the protection services department. Privratsky says he enjoyed working at the plant since day one. Over the years, he taught many EMS, HazMat, CPR and fire training classes. “I enjoyed teaching classes at the plant,” he says. “It meant a lot to me and gave me a good feeling inside after completing every class.” Privratsky plans to take it easy in retirement, run ambulance services in Wilton, ND, and Riverdale, ND, and continue teaching classes. He will also continue to learn, as he is studying for his paramedic license. Greg Uhring, lead electrician at Laramie River Station, retired Jan. 22 with 25 years of service. He started in 1991 as an electrician II. A year later, he was promoted to electrician I. In 2014, he was promoted to lead electrician, the job he held until retirement. Before working at Laramie River Station, he was employed by IBEW Local 322 in Casper, WY, as a journeyman electrician. During retirement, Uhring plans to travel to visit his five kids and five grandchildren.
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PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE PAID BISMARCK, ND PERMIT 224
1717 EAST INTERSTATE AVENUE BISMARCK, NORTH DAKOTA 58503-0564 701-223-0441 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER
Be the light. Electricity brings light to the darkness. You depend on it. And we work to ensure it’s there when you need it. It’s the assurance that you can provide light to comfort those that matter most to you.
Your energy starts here. 30 | BASIN TODAY
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