The Minnkota Current is an online platform for sharing the latest Minnkota Power Cooperative news. However, readers will find much more than news here; they’ll experience stories of innovation, cooperation and giving from communities around our service area.

The Minnkota Current is also the online home of Minnkota Messenger, a bimonthly print publication sent to members, community leaders and others who are interested in keeping up with the latest cooperative happenings.

Minnkota Power Cooperative is a not-for-profit electric generation and transmission cooperative headquartered in Grand Forks, N.D. Formed in 1940, Minnkota provides wholesale electric energy to 11 member-owner distribution cooperatives located in eastern North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota. These members serve nearly 135,000 consumer accounts in a 34,500 square-mile area, including many of the region’s homes, farms, schools and businesses.

Minnkota also serves as operating agent for the Northern Municipal Power Agency (NMPA). Headquartered in Thief River Falls, Minn., NMPA supplies the electric needs of 12 associated municipals that serve more than 15,000 consumer accounts in the same geographic area as the Minnkota member-owners.

Minnkota is committed to delivering safe, reliable, affordable and environmentally-responsible electricity. The primary source of electric generation for the Minnkota member-owners is the Milton R. Young Station, a two-unit, lignite coal-based power plant located near the town of Center, N.D. Minnkota owns and operates Unit 1, while also operating Unit 2 on behalf of Square Butte Electric Cooperative. Square Butte is owned by the cooperatives associated with Minnkota.

Minnkota’s electric generation portfolio includes energy purchased from three North Dakota wind farms and hydroelectricity purchased from the Garrison Dam in central North Dakota.

In order to deliver power, Minnkota operates and maintains a robust set of electric transmission infrastructure, including more than 3,340 miles of transmission line and 249 substations.