CEO and General Manager’s Column:
Paul Sukut Our people, this nation’s power I recently held meetings with the entire workforce of Basin Electric and its subsidiaries. It was a gratifying and eye-opening experience. I especially enjoyed my visits at Basin Electric’s facilities. I was able to go to the Leland Olds Station, Antelope Valley Station, Laramie River Station, Dry Fork Station and the Great Plains Synfuels Plant. What a humbling experience. There is nothing like stepping foot on an immaculate turbine deck, hearing the hum of the generator, and heading toward the control room where folks are monitoring this giant generation around the clock. At each meeting, employees asked me thought-provoking and sometimes difficult questions. There is no doubt we are in a state of transition. Our workforce is starting to turn over just as we are trying to keep up with the rapid load growth in the Bakken as well as the construction of a large fertilizer project at the Great Plains Synfuels Plant. In the midst of trying to develop generation and transmission solutions, we are faced with daunting regulatory challenges. And finally, we are all adjusting to new leadership at Basin Electric – most of all, me. But, in the midst of all these challenges, the shining light throughout all of Basin Electric and its subsidiaries is the very people who keep our lights on: our employees. They are forces in our communities – be it through volunteering and organizing fundraising events, or in some cases, serving in public office. They carry those same values into the workplace as they are the first to step up and ask what they can do to make Basin Electric better. While I continue to ask myself what we can do to make Basin Electric better, the one thing I have shared with all our employees is the simple reminder that we ultimately exist to serve the member. So, what does that mean to each of our employees, especially our folks at our facilities?
That means Basin Electric is always open for business. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, behind that light switch, a generator is running, and behind it stands hundreds of folks. Our power plants crank out low-cost, reliable power, which contributes to some of the lowest rates in the country. Our employees achieve this by running a safe, efficient fleet. This winter in particular reminded us of the importance of this mission. We’ve endured countless days of below-zero temperatures. Since December, our system has peaked twice. And, while we heard of power brownouts and blackouts on the coasts, the Basin Electric system continued to hum, proving that diligence and a wellmaintained fleet get the job done. Employees also raised important questions surrounding the future of this fleet, specifically, if coal is going away. We recently hosted EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy at the Great Plains Synfuels Plant, and we asked her just that. Her answer was no. She emphasized that our energy future will include an “all of the above” strategy (See page 9). We were pleased to hear that, and will be doing our part to ensure that this is true. Beyond that, I was proud to show her what our people do. We have such a good story to tell, and I want our folks to feel good about the contributions they make to our membership and this country. Yes, we have our challenges. But we have the best people equipped to get us through them.
Paul Sukut, interim CEO and general manager
March – April 2014
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