B A S I N T O D AY BASIN EL EC T RIC P OW ER COOPER AT I V E
NOV EMBER | DECEMBER 2016
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M AG A ZINE
OUR MEMBERS MAKE US STRONG
#REDKETTLEREASON
CONTENTS V O L U M E 19
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NUMBER 6
ON THE COVER U.S. Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) addresses the Basin Electric membership at the start of the 2016 Annual Meeting of the Membership Nov. 9, 2016.
#COOPARMY2016
IN EVERY ISSUE 2 CEO and general manager column: Paul Sukut 4 In brief 14 Member focus: Montana members welcomed by membership 16 Feature series: A day in the life of ... Audio/visual supervisor Greg Wheeler 18 Employee highlights FEATURE STORIES 6 Cooperative unity keeps Basin Electric strong 10 Our Power, My Safety process gets personal 13 Basin Electric helps establish child care center in Mercer County CONTRIBUTORS Editor:
Cooperative employees in the BismarckMandan, ND, area got together Dec. 13 to do bell-ringing for the Salvation Army‘s Red Kettle Campaign. Volunteers are important to the Red Kettle Campaign because bell ringers can mean the difference between an empty kettle and one that raised about $30 per hour, enough to provide a family with two bags of groceries, or shelter an individual for a night. The co-op ringers posted their experiences on social media using the hashtags #RedKettleReason and #CoopArmy2016.
Andrea Blowers (ablowers@bepc.com)
Publications manager:
Mary Miller
Graphic designer:
Nicole Perreault
Photographers:
Chelsy Ciavarella, Jade Neumann & Greg DeSaye
Writers:
Andrea Blowers, Tracie Bettenhausen, Chris Gessele , Tammy Langerud, Angela Magstadt & Joan Dietz
Use your smartphone barcode scanner to view stories online. NOVEMBER – DECEMBER 2016 | 1
CEO A ND G E NE R A L M A N AG E R C OL UMN
PAUL SUKUT GIVING THANKS As I write this column, we just finished our 55th Annual Meeting of the Membership. It’s Thanksgiving, and then we take a sharp turn into the holiday season. I’ve spent the last couple columns summarizing our work in 2016. I’ve laid out the challenges we faced and continue to face. I’ve shared our plan for moving forward. We’re licking our wounds from a tough financial year, and in true co-op spirit, our membership stepped up to help. We’re going into 2017 with a strong start, and I believe our future will tell a story of bold decisions, defining moments and the next greatest thing that we as cooperatives will do. I’d like to step back, though, as I often do during the holidays, and take stock in what I’m thankful for. So, for the rest of this column, I’m setting aside the challenges, and I’m focusing on everything that is good about our co-op world. I’m thankful for an engaged membership. We admittedly put a lot of work into our annual meeting. Sometimes we’ve been told we share too much information. And yet, our membership continues to turn out year after year. They ask tough questions. They keep us in line, and they’re always first to step up, roll up their sleeves and get to work. Not every co-op can say that. I meant what I said at the meeting. Our members are Basin Electric. Without them, we don’t exist. I’m thankful for our employees. New employees and long-term. They continue to amaze me with their ideas, knowledge and eagerness to help. They solve complex problems, work long hours, and have been doing more with less as our austerity program
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continues. They’re the first to sign up and volunteer in their communities. Year after year, they coordinate angel trees across our footprint and turn out countless, generous gifts for those in need. And, they continue to pledge significant amounts of their salaries to local United Way chapters. Each year the pledges grow. It amazes me. I’m thankful for our community agencies that coordinate care and services for the underserved. It is tough, gut-wrenching work, but through them, children are fed and clothed, families are given shelter, and educational opportunities are afforded to them. I’m thankful for our elected officials. We often hear that co-ops live and die by politics. It’s true. We have congressional delegations that are accessible. Where else can you stop into a U.S. Senator’s office unannounced, be welcomed with a hug and invited in for an hour and a half visit? They continually step up, ask EPA the tough questions, invite EPA to see our facilities and meet with us, draft solid legislation and push for solutions. They also aren’t afraid to have hard conversations with us and tell us things we could be doing better. I’m thankful for our freedom. This past election cycle tested us. Yet – vitriol and anger aside – I am so grateful we live in a country where we have a voice. And, for better or worse, we choose our president. Our president then works for US. This freedom is not to be taken lightly. It’s through sacrifices, bloodshed and lives lost that got us here today. I will never take it for granted. I salute our veterans, and I thank them. As Sergeant David Rohrich, a Purple Heart recipient and husband of our employee Nichole Rohrich, said
in a video we produced earlier this year, “They gave us their tomorrows so we could have ours.” I am thankful for our farmers. Having grown up on a farm, I understand very well the hope, sacrifice, heartbreak and satisfaction that comes with farming. Simply put, farmers don’t choose this profession because of the promise of wealth. They choose it because of the promise of a rich life ... a life rich in love for the land, love for dirt and love for watching things grow. Our farmers feed this country. We should never take that for granted. I’m thankful for our board. I meet with this board monthly over the course of three long days. I receive phone calls and emails from them daily. Their commitment, diligence and engagement is unmatched. They all have busy lives and careers outside of Basin Electric. And, they all serve at their Class A and local boards. They’ve committed their lives to rural electric cooperatives. Through them, Basin Electric is governed. They work for us; not for profits. Lastly, and most of all, I’m thankful for my family. My wife Colette and my daughter Lizzie make my world go round. The sun and moon rises and sets with them, and they’ll forever be my biggest and brightest stars. I couldn’t do this without them. Not a chance. Thank you, and have a blessed and safe holiday season.
Paul Sukut, CEO and general manager
NOVEMBER – DECEMBER 2016 | 3
IN B RIE F
Western ND transmission projects on track
ND
Tioga Neset Williston Judson 345 kV
Minot
Watford City Charlie Creek
AVS Beulah
Dickinson
Bismarck
Substations Cities Corridor
Construction and reclamation efforts continue as part of Basin Electric’s western North Dakota transmission projects. Antelope Valley Station to Neset Work is under way on the Antelope Valley Station (AVS) to Neset transmission project’s final phase, a 65-mile double-circuit 345/115-kilovolt (kV) line with member cooperative Mountrail-Williams Electric Cooperative. Completion is targeted for October 2017. North Killdeer Loop The 60-mile North Killdeer Loop, also being built in western North Dakota, is an addition to the AVS to Neset transmission project. The final portion of Phase I, the Patent Gate to Kummer Ridge line and the Kummer Ridge Substation, was energized Sept. 27. A transmission cut-in connecting the Charlie Creek-to-Judson line to Patent Gate was also completed this fall.
Wyoming ITC application process closes The application process for researchers and potential tenants at the Wyoming Integrated Test Center (ITC) closed mid-December. The ITC is being built at Dry Fork Station near Gillette, WY, with the goal of advancing Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS) technologies. Dry Fork Station is operated by Basin Electric and co-owned by Basin Electric and
4 | BASIN TODAY
the Wyoming Municipal Power Agency. The Wyoming ITC issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) to identify candidates and select initial users of test bays. RFPs will be reviewed and a selection made by a technical advisory committee made up of Wyoming ITC partners including the State of Wyoming, Basin Electric, Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. Proposals were due to the Wyoming Infrastructure Authority by Dec. 12, 2016. The ITC is expected to be available in late 2017. http://www.wyomingitc.org/
Campaign raises more than $220,000 for United Way Basin Electric’s 2016 United Way employee fundraising campaign raised nearly $117,000 for United Way. With Basin Electric’s $100,000 match and more than $3,000 from various activities, the communities that employees call home will be lifted by more than $220,000. This year’s fundraising campaign ran Oct. 24-28, though employees could donate as part of the campaign until Nov. 4.
Dakota Gas Responsible Care® program recertified Dakota Gasification Company’s Responsible Care program has been recertified after undergoing an extensive external audit earlier this year. Responsible Care, a voluntary program established by the American Chemistry Council (ACC), is focused on continually improving health, safety, security and environmental (HSSE) performance. Responsible Care companies are chemical industry leaders and have achieved these successes by implementing comprehensive HSSE management systems that demand improvement beyond regulatory requirements. ®
Capitol Hill conversation focuses on regulations and funding
2017-18 Basin Electric scholarship program open for applications
Dale Niezwaag, Basin Electric senior legislative representative, took part in the Lignite Energy Council’s annual D.C. Fly-In Nov. 29-Dec. 1 in Washington, D.C. The group of 12 energy industry representatives visited with legislators from North Dakota and surrounding states and staffs from various committees about coal regulations and research and development partnerships between the energy industry and government. Specific topics included the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement’s Stream Protection Rule, and federal funding for new coal technology such as the Allam Cycle and Tundra Project. Other discussion centered on procuring U.S. Department of Energy funding for new coal technology, and possible avenues for funding after the new presidential administration takes office.
Basin Electric is offering more than 180 scholarships in the amount of $1,000 for the 2017-2018 school year. To be eligible, the student must be currently in college or entering college in fall 2017. This program is for dependent children of: • Member cooperative employees. • Member cooperative consumers. • Basin Electric and subsidiary employees. For more information about the scholarship program, contact Lance Blumhagen at 701-557-5718 or lblumhagen@bepc.com. http://bit.ly/2017-2018BEPCScholarship
FIND US ON THE WEB BasinElectric.com
Dakota Gas employees reach safety milestone
DakotaGas.com
Employees of Dakota Gasification Company’s Great Plains Synfuels Plant reached a milestone the
AT PLAIN GRE
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1 MILLION SAFE HOURS S
YN
F U ELS PL AN
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week of Nov. 21, working 1 million hours without a lost-time accident (LTA). It is notable that this accomplishment was achieved through a brown plant outage and a major ammonia plant outage. The last time the Synfuels Plant achieved 1 million hours without an LTA was in December 2012. The last LTA occurred in April 2016.
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NOVEMBER – DECEMBER 2016 | 5
COOPERATIVE UNITY KEEPS
BASIN ELECTRIC STRONG HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE 2016 ANNUAL MEETING Members and guests of Basin Electric Power Cooperative gathered Nov. 8-10, 2016, for the cooperative’s 55th Annual Meeting of the Membership held at the Bismarck Event Center in North Dakota. With Strong & United as this year’s theme, members were reminded of the strength of the cooperative throughout its history. This strength has been derived from members collectively joining together, and being forward-thinking, resilient and adaptable.
1,000 ATTENDEES 6 | BASIN TODAY
PRESIDENT CEO & GENERAL MANAGER
In the president’s message, Wayne Peltier addressed the unity of cooperatives, noting co-ops’ ability to always rise to the challenge. Peltier said that through strength in numbers, co-ops are able to take on present-day threats like the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan and a perfect storm of sorts wreaking havoc on the bottom line. He also recognized employees for their commitment to an austerity program, as well as the challenging decision of the board of directors to raise rates.
Paul Sukut, Basin Electric CEO and general manager, addressed the membership by emphasizing the core belief that Basin Electric and its membership are stronger and can go farther if the membership stays together. “ We are indeed strong. Our history has shown that,” Sukut said, “I’m confident our future will, too.”
KEYNOTE
Sukut also addressed Basin Electric’s recent innovation efforts, as the co-op has long realized a carbon-constrained environment is a reality. Basin Electric’s Dry Fork Station is the host site for the Wyoming Integrated Test Center, which will facilitate the next generation of clean carbon technology. In addition, Sukut said Basin Electric supports the Allam Cycle, a promising technology on the horizon.
Dr. Julio Friedmann, one of the most widely known and authoritative experts in the nation on carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) projects in Europe, Africa, North America and China, delivered the keynote. Friedmann discussed worldwide agreements addressing climate change. He said the Paris Agreement, signed and ratified earlier this year, was “beyond big.”
http://bit.ly/CEO-GeneralManagerPresentation
He also noted that clean fossil energy has a real future. “That future is bright and resilient if you have carbon capture and storage. That will help create jobs and make the markets if you can get the policy support to do that. We’ve got to improve policy, spend some money and invest broadly in a bunch of different things.” http://bit.ly/2016-AM-Keynote
TEXT POLLING This year attendees were invited to particpate in poll questions throughout the meeting. Following are their responses.
WHAT IS THE GREATEST THREAT TO LOW-COST ELECTRICITY?
Regulation 61%
Technology 11%
Global economy
4%
Public Perception of fuel sources 24%
WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF ELECTRICITY?
Carbon capture on coal facilities 37%
Renewable with gas peaking 48%
Distributed generation 9%
Resurgence of nuclear
6%
HOW MANY OF YOUR MEMBERS UNDERSTAND THE COOPERATIVE BUSINESS MODEL?
Most 14%
More than half 33%
Less than half 44%
Not many
9%
NOVEMBER – DECEMBER 2016 | 7
PRECONFERENCE CORNERSTONE AWARD CoBank CEO Bob Engel (center) was awarded the Cornerstone Award. CoBank is the national cooperative bank helping finance the construction of Basin Electric’s new urea facility. Wayne Peltier (left), Basin Electric board president, and Paul Sukut, Basin Electric CEO and general manager, presented the award.
14 PRESENTATIONS SENIOR STAFF UPDATES Senior staff provided reports on operational excellence; suppor ting growth and innovation; commitment to work force and coop erative; and financials. They addressed milestone events in 2016 as well as construction activities for generation and transmission projects; continued ef for ts to build for membership growth; efforts to strengthen Basin Electric’s employee base; and the cooperative’s financial status. The membership also heard from U.S. Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND); U.S. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND); and North Dakota Lt. Gov. Drew Wrigley. http://bit.ly/Operational-ExcellenceReport http://bit.ly/Supporting-Growth-and-Innovation http://bit.ly/Workforce-and-Cooperative http://bit.ly/2016-Financial http://bit.ly/Government-Action
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“Finding a path through a c a r bon - con s t r ain e d future” featured energy indus t r y ex per ts who spoke about the status of litigation against the Clean Power Plan, what a Donald Trump presidency might mean for the rule, and new technologies and projects to help utilities navigate a carbonconstrained future.
HEADQUARTERS TOUR More than 70 members took the opportunity to tour Basin Electric Headquar ters. The tour provided a look into Basin Electric’s Security and Response Services, the trading floor of Marketing and Asset Management and the construction of the Headquarters’ west building. Members also toured Basin Electric plants near Beulah, ND.
125 TOUR
PARTICIPANTS BANQUET Entertainer Tim Gabrielson engaged banquet attendees with his illusion, humor and inspiration. Audience members were invited on stage to assist, including finding an attendee’s $100 bill in an inflated balloon.
Members shared information and updates from the annual meeting via social media.
84 VIDEOS PRODUCED
PERSONAL
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By Chris Gessele “Our Power, My Safety.” Just for a second, think about those words. There are several possible interpretations, but the gist is this: It is everyone’s responsibility to be safe at work and home. It’s this safe mindset that will keep every Basin Electric employee, and those around them, safe every day. The employee-driven Our Power, My Safety (OPMS) process launched in 2013 with one lofty mission. Help Basin Electric achieve zero incidents. Two initiatives have been implemented across the cooperative, with two more in various stages of development. (See sidebar on pg. 11.) The OPMS process has truly been an employee-driven process, which means that employees have helped build each initiative and help ensure they’re formatted to meet the needs of employees at each facility. Following are the words of several employees who have been involved in the OPMS process, whether on a cooperative-wide level, or at their respective facilities.
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Dustine Simmons Warehouseperson –Leland Olds Station Team lead of CI Team #2 “Francis Brunsell, now operations supervisor, and Gordy Goetz, electrician/OPMS Steering Team lead, approached me asking if I’d be interested in an Our Power, My Safety initiative. At that time, I hadn’t heard much about it. I wasn’t quite sure what it would entail, but they said since I was a scrubber attendant on days, it would be a good fit for someone in my position at the plant. I graciously accepted and was thankful they would think of me. Little did I know it would change my whole outlook, personally and professionally. “My favorite part of my involvement has been meeting and interacting with so many new people, from my teammates on CI Team 2 to Basin employees
Safety is important to me because I care about each and every employee that I work with. I value all of our employees and after meeting so many of them, I can honestly say we have THE best people working at Basin Electric. Dustine Simmons
CI initiative #1: Inspections • Current status: The initiative was rolled out to all employees at all facilities, and CI Team 1 has sunsetted. Employees continue to perform various defined activities associated with worksite inspections. • In action: At Laramie River Station, employees have filled a database for CI inspections, according to OPMS Steering Team member Kelsey Arcocha, assistant environmental coordinator at Laramie River Station. A new database was created in July for inspections and already includes more than 300 inspection data entries.
CI initiative #2: Safety communications
from each and every facility. Also, helping our co-op affect change little by little and improve our safety culture cooperative-wide. I could go on and on, but I’ll stop there. “I heard this in a Rapid Improvement Workshop, and it rings true no matter where you work: ‘If you want to know what’s wrong in your organization, ask your employees.’ Getting our ‘boots on the ground’ employees involved in making a positive impact on our safety culture is genius. If you want a great safety culture, empower your employees to come up with a solution to your company’s top issues. For example, communication between management and front-line employees, and employees back on up to management. When everyone’s transparent, and employees and supervisors alike know what is expected of them, things flow much smoother. I believe we are helping all of this to happen via our OPMS initiatives, along with awesome employees throughout the cooperative. It’s not just one of us, it’s ALL of us. “Safety is important to me because I care about each and every employee that I work with. I value all of our employees and after meeting so many of them, I can honestly say we have THE best people working at Basin Electric!”
• Current status: The initiative has been rolled out to all employees at all facilities, and employees continue to perform various defined activities associated with improving safety meetings. • In action: While not all meetings are safety meetings, all meetings can incorporate a safety messaging element. To help facilitate that, all employees at Headquarters were asked to undergo meeting facilitation training in order to become more proficient at leading meetings and comfortable incorporating safety messages. About 95 percent of Headquarters employees have taken the training to date.
CI initiative #3: OPMS employee education • Current status: A communications team is putting a plan into action to educate employees about the OPMS process and why it matters to the cooperative. • In action: The campaign will be a combination of printed and video materials that will illustrate how the OPMS process fits with existing processes at each facility, as well as tell employee stories about the importance of safety at both work and home.
CI initiative #4: Safety metrics • Current status: Employee volunteers are signing up now, and the initiative is set to debut in early 2017. • In action: The initiative will help develop a new way to measure leading indicators that could tie to Basin Electric’s Pursuing Excellence Program.
NOVEMBER – DECEMBER 2016 | 11
Kip Pontarolo
Jeff Kopp
Shift supervisor –Laramie River Station Field technician –Great Plains Synfuels Plant CI Team #2 member “My experience with OPMS has been mostly “The last two years I have been through inspections. In the beginning, I also held safety helping new scrubber employees meetings, but my crew is not asked or encouraged to with the OPMS process, showing hold safety meetings any longer. I really think holding them the proper way to do an a safety meeting puts safety back in your court, so inspection, and how to follow to speak, and is more hands-on. through with the process of “I first engaged in the OPMS making sure the defiprocess because we were ciencies or safety told we all were going issues that were to do this as a group encountered effort; it was not have been, or really a choice. I are in the process thought and still of being corrected. do think i t ’s a “You cannot ask an great idea. I think employee to be part of this process the OPMS process without leading by example. Together gave many employwe will go out on safety and equipment ees the feeling that inspections, discussing what we found someone really cares during our inspection, writing work requests enough to correct an issue that may be needed to correct the deficiencies, that a work order will even be and filling out the OPMS Inspection Log. There are so written if necessary. many new employees that are being promoted to new “Safety is important to me because, not only do positions at such a fast rate, OPMS helps open their I want to see my family each night, but I want the eyes to all of the hazards that surround them on a daily same for others. No matter if it’s a small strain or cut basis no matter what position or a major injury, I don’t they are currently holding. want to see someone “ T he O P MS pro cess injured because we were The OPMS process empowempowers employees and not working smarter and ers employees and allows them the allows them the means for safer. They go hand in means for making important decimaking important decisions, hand. The OPMS system sions, making for a better and safmaking for a better and saferhas been very beneficial er-oriented quality of life, and conoriented quality of life, and for the most part.” tinuously improving Basin Electric’s continuously improving Basin T he Our Power, safety culture. Electric’s safety culture. My Safety process is Kip Pontarolo “I truly believe all of us personal, yet has the want to do our jobs in a safe potential to impact environment so that we can f a m i l y, f r i e n ds a n d concentrate on doing the best coworkers. Basin Elecjob possible. Keeping our employees safe and sending tric’s employees have embraced this mindset, and them home in the same condition in which they came are committed to the goal of zero incidents, both at to work is the most important part of safety to me.” work and home.
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BASIN ELECTRIC HELPS ESTABLISH CHILD CARE CENTER IN MERCER COUNTY By Angela Magstadt For working parents, finding the right child care lasting legacy in the community, so knowing the building is one of the most important decisions they will ever will still be filled with kids and life makes this a win-win situation for everyone involved.” make. Entrusting your child to someone is a huge leap of faith to begin with, but when there is a lack of child The child care facility, which will be known as the care in the area where you live, it makes going to work New Bethel Center, will operate as a co-op and parents difficult, and sometimes even impossible. whose children attend the center will be its members. The parent-members will elect a board A recent study has shown to determine the strategic direction a deficiency of nearly 300 child and educational offerings, and care spaces in Mercer County, oversee the work of the director. and according to the study, this Some of its other features will increase by more than 20 will include: percent by 2025. Because of • It will be a licensed child care Basin Electric’s dedication to community and its employees, center with an initial capacity of it took the bull by the horns 61 full-time children. and set out to remedy this • Its partners will have guaranproblem – and do it quickly. teed spots for their employees. Kayla Olson and her daughter, Adeline, attend an EnPlans for a child care ergy Capital Cooperative Child Care meeting. Olson The spots taken by employer center in Mercer County began represents Coal Country Community Health Centers parents will be paid by those on the co-op’s board. less than a year ago, and before parents, while empty spots will long, seven other area employbe paid for by the employer until they are filled or re-assigned to other employers or ers joined Basin Electric in forming a cooperative that the community. Employees of Basin Electric/Dakota would own and operate a child care facility in Hazen. Gas will have 12-15 spots. These partners include: • It will offer extended hours of operation to • Basin Electric/Dakota Gasification Company • Sakakawea Medical Center accommodate shift-working parents. • North American Coal Corporation, representing • It will offer affordable tuition in the range of the Coteau Properties Company and Coyote Creek $140-160 a week, or an hourly rate of $3.50. Mining Company • Union State Bank Operations are set to begin in the first quarter of 2017, • Knife River Care Center but there is still work to be done, including hiring staff, • Coal Country Community Health Centers renovating the site and developing a parent handbook and • Coyote Station bylaws. • Hazen Public Schools “The volunteer spirit of the Hazen community and Mercer County as a whole is pretty darn remarkable,” Huntimer says. “There has never been a licensed facility of this Energy Capital Cooperative Child Care, the size in Mercer County. Once it is up and running, we’ll have a nonprofit entity establishing the facility, has already made some great strides in its development, including model we will be able to share with our other members.” naming a board of directors and securing a location – the former New Bethel Congregational Church. “This location was just perfect,” says Erin Huntimer, project coordinations representative for Basin Electric. “Members of the church wanted to leave a
VERTICAL
HORIZONTAL
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NOVEMBER – DECEMBER 2016 | 13
M E MB E R F OCUS
MONTANA MEMBERS WELCOMED BY MEMBERSHIP By Tracie Bettenhausen
“This is a great opportunity for PRECorp. (The bylaw The votes on bylaws at Basin Electric’s 2016 amendment) helps solidify our board representation Annual Meeting were the culmination of a long haul at Basin Electric,” Easley says. “Having a very close tie for the cooperative’s newest members in Montana, with Basin is extremely important, especially as we’re and a change in membership in Wyoming. dealing with the coal mine, gas and oil customers, and The Basin Electric membership voted to amend the rural economy in Wyoming. the cooperative’s bylaws to Having the closest relationship incorporate Members 1st Power Basin offers so much. we can with Basin Electric is Cooperative as a Class A member, Not just the power supply, but helpful for all of us.” and Powder River Energy Corpoadvertising, member relations. Philip Habeck, PRECorp ration (PRECorp), Fergus Electric director, echoes the point. “I think Cooperative and Tongue River The list is long, but they have we met pretty much quarterly for Electric Cooperative as Class a tremendous amount of expera couple years (to coordinate the C members within District 10; tise they can offer us. formation of Members 1st),” he and Mid-Yellowstone Electric Cooperative as a Class C member says. “Overall, what’s good for Robert Evans st within District 8. Members 1 is Basin Electric is good for all of us, ultimately.” headquartered in Sundance, WY, Fergus Electric comes to as is PRECorp. Fergus Electric is Members 1st and Basin Electric after a time as part headquartered in Lewistown, MT; Tongue River Electric is headquartered in Ashland, MT; and Mid-Yellowstone of another generation and transmission cooperative, Electric is headquartered in Hysham, MT. as does Tongue River. All power deliveries from Basin Electric are set Robert Evans, Fergus Electric board to begin Jan. 1, 2017. president, says coming back to Basin st Members 1 Power was formally created Electric is better for members, especially because of the stability Basin Sept. 23. The cooperative board consists of three Electric brings. “We’re excited to take representatives from PRECorp, and one each from advantage of the expertise Basin Fergus and Tongue River Electric. st Electric has, to benefit our members,” he says. “And Members 1 Power’s interim CEO, Mike Easley, by us joining, we help Basin grow just a little bit.” is also the CEO and general manager of PRECorp. Evans says the benefits come not only in stable, PRECorp’s member load has been stabilizing or low-cost power, but also ancillary services. “We’ve falling over time due to a variety of factors including had our ups and downs at Fergus Electric, and we’ve the declining activity at coal mines following impending learned a lot through it. Now we are excited to become Environmental Protection Agency regulations, while part of the Basin Electric family,” Evans says. “Basin other members in Basin Electric are gaining load.
14 | BASIN TODAY
MT
ND
Fergus
Mid Yellowstone Members 1st Power Cooperative
Tongue River PRECorp
WY
offers so much. Not just the power supply, but advertising, member relations. The list is long, but they have a tremendous amount of expertise they can offer us.” Pulling together as a family means the best possible service for the member at the end of the line. “Working together to take care of the guy at the end of the line … that’s why we’re here,” Evans says. “Service involves more than just electricity. The little things you have to do to help your members make their lives easier. That’s why we’re here.” Jason Brothen, Mid-Yellowstone Electric Cooperative’s general manager (Brothen also serves as general manager for Lower Yellowstone Rural Electric Cooperative headquartered in Sidney, MT), says becoming a part of Upper Missouri Power Cooperative, a Basin Electric Class A member, is a huge step. “Mid-Yellowstone is one of the smaller co-ops in Montana, and to have a firm solid power supplier is worth its weight in gold to the membership,” he says. Claire Vigessa, Upper Missouri Power general manager, says the process has gone well. “It has been very gratifying to witness Mid-Yellowstone’s cooperative spirit and immediate member engagement at the Upper Missouri board of trustees table,” he says. “We have certainly enjoyed being part of the process in bringing a new member aboard, and to the Basin family.”
SD
Jim DeCock is coming up on his 40 th anniversary of serving as a director on the Mid-Yellowstone Electric board. Four decades in, and things are looking up. “It has been quite a ride through the years,” DeCock says. Mid-Yellowstone, like Fergus Electric and Tongue River, used to be a member of Basin Electric. DeCock says he voted against the decision to leave back then, and is today the only director left on the board who served during those tough times. “I’ll tell you what, our board is really elated, and they’re really grateful to Basin and Upper Missouri for giving us the opportunity to move into something a lot better,” DeCock says. “So the spirits at our board meetings now are pretty high. It’s been quite a change. … We’re really happy to be here.” The membership also voted to delete bylaw language that allowed PRECorp, a distribution cooperative, to become a Class A member, and have a Basin Electric board seat, as long as the distribution cooperative purchased more than 10 percent of the annual energy sales to all Class A members during any two of three consecutive calendar years.
NOVEMBER – DECEMBER 2016 | 15
F E AT URE SE RIES
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF … AUDIO/VISUAL SUPERVISOR
GREG WHEELER By Tracie Bettenhausen
Basin Electric staff has a simple goal during Annual Meeting week – make it look easy. “If it looks easy, then we’re doing our job,” says Greg Wheeler, Basin Electric supervisor of audio/visual. “If it looks difficult, they’re thinking, ‘wow, this must really be hard.’ But if everything goes well, they’re listening to the speakers and absorbing the information, and that’s what we want.” Basin Electric’s Annual Meeting begins somewhat unofficially on a Tuesday each year with a reception. But the big show in Wheeler’s world begins on Wednesday morning. To meet the division’s goal, the crew makes it an early morning. “First thing Wednesday we light up the set, because there’s always a chance something won’t work,” Wheeler says. Wheeler says they power up all the “mission-critical pieces of equipment” first. “It’s the pieces that, if they weren’t working, it would make a noticeable difference, or you may not have a show at all,” he says. “All the pieces of software need to be talking to one another, and you have to look at the convertors and the hardwares and the cables, make sure no one drove over the cables the night before.” Wheeler and the communications crew are in charge of running everything technical: the screens on the stage, with content developed by writers and media support; the large screens on stage where the presenters, PowerPoints, and videos can be seen; not to mention the stage, lighting and wiring. Wheeler inspects everything, including each light to make sure it hasn’t burnt out or gotten dim. The crew runs down the list of each presentation, checking to see that all the PowerPoints and videos are ready to play on demand. The projectors on stage are flipped on and tested; audio is checked.
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Over time, while the basics of what it takes to “The information is still going to be delivered make a large event successful remain constant – if a screen goes black or a light goes out, but lighting that lights the stage, audio that can be heard when Basin Electric puts on an annual meeting, throughout the venue – the hardware and software the expectation is that it’s going to be great,” that makes those elements work has evolved. Wheeler says. “It’s one of those careers where you can go to The presentation of annual meeting is the college and get the degree, but technology moves so culmination of work done by the communications fast,” he says. “Back when I started, everything we and creative services division starting mostly after did was separate pieces of analog-based hardware Labor Day. that had to talk to one another. Each piece of equip“Annual meeting is just a huge collaboration of talent,” Wheeler says. “The three producers ment had one job. You look at things now, and it’s here are working with the writers on the content all software-based.” and how what they write should When the annual meeting be integrated with the smaller finally arrives, Wheeler says anticiIf it looks easy, then screens on the stage. How will the pation is the overriding emotion. we’re doing our job. graphics package bring everything “You just want everything to come we produce together? We work together, to coagulate,” he says. Greg Wheeler with the writers on what video “You want everybody on your needs to be shot and who needs crew to be comfortable. Not just to be interviewed.” comfortable in their seat, but in After each video is produced, the producers a place where they’re not stressed so they can do look at length of video, music underlay, and whether their jobs.” it needs a color treatment to match other videos. The preconference did bring hardware issues “The people who own us need to know what that didn’t show up during testing. “We were the co-op is doing and what the direction is,” running around fixing stuff, but the audience Wheeler says. “Where are we going with issues shouldn’t have really known about most of them,” that will affect the day-to-day business of providing Wheeler says. electricity? What is important to Basin Electric as Wheeler says the issues like that are also fixed a whole?” easily through teamwork. “We trust one another to Wheeler’s first job in the industry was with know, this person is doing everything they can to KFYR Radio in Bismarck, ND, doing the 9 p.m. to fix this. We don’t get shook up,” he says. “Let them midnight shift. He then moved to television, where work, and let them know you can help if there’s he directed newscasts, wrote, shot, and edited anything that needs to be done. … We got through television commercials, and produced live events. the preconference and changed a few things, and He was hired at Basin Electric in 2004. we were ready to go for the business meeting.”
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A SALUTE TO BASIN ELECTRIC’S
EMPLOYEE-SOLDIERS Basin Electric has a strong tradition of supporting the military, especially its employee-soldiers. While this tradition is honored year-round, November is a fitting time to honor employees who have served and currently serve.
Basin Electric’s employee-veterans and employee-soldiers
36
ACTIVE MILITARY MEMBERS
209
VETERANS
2
CURRENTLY DEPLOYED FOR MORE THAN 1 YEAR
4
FEMALE ACTIVE MILITARY MEMBERS
5
EMPLOYEES WERE OUT ON EXTENDED MILITARY LEAVE IN 2016
2,178.5 HOURS
PAID TO ACTIVE MILITARY FOR WEEKEND DRILLS & 2-WEEK TRAINING IN 2016 This does not include hours for those serving extended military service.
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Support of military employees Basin Electric takes its role of supporting all of its employees very seriously, and it takes great strides to support its employee-soldiers at home and abroad. If they’re stationed abroad, Basin Electric tries to make their time away from home as comfortable and worry free as possible. Basin Electric’s efforts to support employeesoldiers during deployments include: • Supplementing their military pay to equal their Basin Electric salary; • Continuing benefits; • Providing technology to help them communicate with their families and co-workers; • Granting extra leave after they return from deployment; and • Providing an “open door” for family members to raise concerns that develop while their loved one is deployed. In 2016, Basin Electric began providing military time off for temporary employees serving, and added time off for military members to be part of the honor guards.
Military recognition Basin Electric has received special recognition for its strong support of its employee-soldiers: • Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award, which is the U.S. government’s highest recognition given to employers for exceptional support of their employees serving in the Guard and Reserve. (2012) • Golden Eagle Award from the BismarckMandan Chamber of Commerce (2014)
New employees Tate Baumgartner, support center representative I, started work at Headquarters Aug. 8. He was previously an IS&T security intern at Basin Electric. Anthony Mansfield started work Aug. 8 at Laramie River Station as an instrument II. He previously worked as an instrument tech for Talen Energy in Colstrip, MT.
Basin Electric journeyman lineman Brad Bierema, who was deployed to the Middle East, wears his Basin Electirc hardhat while building a tower in Kuwait.
Lineman appreciates life’s little things after deployment to Middle East Brad Bierema, Basin Electric journeyman lineman in Groton, SD, recently returned from an 11-month deployment to the Middle East. As a 13-year member of the Army National Guard, Bierema was stationed in areas located in Kuwait, Iraq and Jordan, where his unit supported and maintained the infrastructure of the Army’s theater. This was Bierema’s first time being deployed since joining Basin Electric in 2013, and he said the support from the co-op and his co-workers helped make it easier for him to be away from home. Paul Kaiser, assistant line superintendent, said Basin Electric provided an iPad to Bierema for his deployment so he could keep in touch with his family via FaceTime and his coworkers via email. “Basin Electric does a very good job of taking care of its employees, and I appreciate everything Basin Electric and my superiors have done for me,” Bierema said. When reflecting on his deployment, Bierema noted he no longer takes things for granted. “It’s the small things in life that make a difference,“ he said. “Small things we take for granted like running water, indoor bathrooms, and Internet access to talk to loved ones on a daily basis.”
Emily Rapkoch was hired Sept. 7, as a programmer at Headquarters. She has a bachelor’s degree in computer information systems from the University of Mary, Bismarck, ND, and was previously an intern at Basin Electric.
Paul Peterchuk, mechanic apprentice, started work Sept. 19, at Leland Olds Station. Before starting at Basin Electric, he was a journeyman millwright with Industrial Contractors, Inc., in Bismarck, ND. Peterchuk has associate degrees in power plant technology, process plant technology and millwright. Ryan Caya, training coordinator, started work Oct. 17 at Leland Olds Station. He previously worked at the Great Plains Synfuels Plant as an operations field technician, and at Bismarck State College as an associate professor and program manager. Caya has an associate degree in process plant technology from Bismarck (ND) State College, a bachelor’s degree from Dickinson (ND) State College and a Master of Education from Valley City (ND) State University.
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New employees Angela Magstadt was hired Oct. 24 as a staff writer at Headquarters. She has a bachelor’s degree from University of Mary, Bismarck, ND, and previously worked for the North Dakota Water Education Foundation. Andy Peterson started work at Dry Fork Station Oct. 31 as an electric and instrument technician II. The Gillette, WY, native previously worked as an electrician at Buckskin Mining Company in Gillette. Mark Engwicht, electrician, began work Oct. 31 at Leland Olds Station. He previously worked at Great River Energy as an electrician.
Neil Pratt, electric and instrument technician II, started work at Dry Fork Station Nov. 7. Prior to joining Basin Electric, he worked at Cloud Peak Energy in Gillette, WY, as an ICS technician. David Lausen started work at Dry Fork Station Nov. 7 as a electric and instrument technician I. He previously worked for Rocky Mountain Power in Gillette, WY, as an electric and instrument technician. Shane Kautzman, mechanic II, started work at Antelope Valley Station Nov. 14. The Stanton, ND, native worked as a millwright at Industrial Contractors, Inc., before joining Basin Electric.
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Matthew Weigel was hired Nov. 14 as a mechanic II at Antelope Valley Station.
Laura Walker started her position of service dispatcher Oct. 17 at Headquarters. Prior to joining Basin Electric, she worked at NISC in Mandan, ND, doing data entry. William Kennedy, mechanic/ welder II, started work Nov. 14 at Laramie River Station. He previously worked as a mechanic for Tronox in Green River, WY. Josh Pierce, laborer, began work at Laramie River Station Nov. 14. He previously worked as a field mechanic for Stallion Oilfield Services in Wheatland, WY. Cassy Lower began working at Laramie River Station Nov. 14 as a laborer. Prior to joining Basin Electric, he worked as an explosives engineer for Arch Coal at the Black Thunder Mine in Wyoming. Luke Parker, laborer at Laramie River Station, started work Nov. 14. He previously was a peace officer for the Wheatand (WY) Police Department, and also was in the U.S. Marine Corps. Amy Cheek was hired Nov. 14 as a laborer at Laramie River Station.
Service awards
Retirees Editor’s note: Expanded retirement stories were written only for those who returned their questionnaire to Basin Today staff.
Cheri Wenzel
Kevin Borner
Mark Straub
senior accounting analyst
shift supervisor
water treatment operator
40 years
40 years
Leland Olds Station
Headquarters
35 years
Antelope Valley Station
Lynn Beiswanger
Kent Dannels
Randy Hite
learning & development director
water treatment operator
water treatment operator
35 years
35 years
Laramie River Station
35 years
Laramie River Station
Headquarters
Tom Pindell
Rodney Seymour
Jerry Swanson
water treatment operator
shift supervisor
shift supervisor
35 years
Laramie River Station
35 years
Laramie River Station
35 years
Laramie River Station
Jeff Selle
Ross Pfeifer
Jody Vineyard
field technician
protection services supervisor
payroll analyst I
30 years
Dakota Gasification Company
30 years
Dakota Gasification Company
30 years
Laramie River Station
Mike Ruckman, lead electrician, retired from Laramie River Station Oct. 17, after 26 years of service. He started working at Laramie River in 1990 as an electrician II. One year later Ruckman was promoted to electrician I, and in 2012 he was promoted to lead electrician, the job he held at the time of retirement. During retirement, Ruckman plans to enjoy his family, friends and do some traveling. Keith Witt, water treatment operator at Laramie River Station, retired Nov. 1 after almost 36 years of service. Witt started working at Laramie River in 1980 as a laborer. After five months, he was promoted to utility operator, and six months later was promoted to auxiliary equipment operator. In 1988, Witt was promoted to water treatment operator. Dave Patterson, water treatment plant supervisor at Laramie River Station, said Witt was the last of the staff that worked at the water treatment plant in the 1980s, when the equipment was fairly new and before many changes were made. “He could tell you why we used to do something and why we started doing it a different way,” Patterson said. “The last several years Keith was our trainer, and I was able to talk to him about different problems we were having and how to handle them. He’s a good listener and had valuable information to share. He’ll be missed.”
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Be the light. Your energy starts here. basinelectric.com
Electric cooperatives work to keep the lights on and their members and communities warm as winter moves in. They also light up the holidays. Many electric co-ops help their communities celebrate the season by putting up their town’s decorations. They’re helping to bring goodness and light to their communities.