Minnkota Messenger

Stronger together
Minnkota Power Cooperative and its member-owners have extended their wholesale power contracts.

Minnkota Cares raises $3,947 for local causes
The Minnkota employee giving fund filled up with donations as donors filled up with ice cream.

The lineworkers of the lake
The many challenges of Roseau Electric Cooperative's waterlocked Northwest Angle territory are overcome with grit – and a lot of gratitude.

The quest for continuous improvement
Minnkota hosted its first industry peer review in June, welcoming energy experts from across North America.

Energy for every season
Minnkota and its energy marketing team are prepared for the regional energy market’s new four-season approach to resource planning.

Rising to the occasion
Minnkota’s Emergency Rescue Team recently used its unique rope training to safely lower an injured contractor from a 40-foot scaffold.

Highway 75 hero
This winter, a Red River Valley Co-op Power lineworker showed courage and calm while assisting an expectant mother following rollover crash.

Andrew Freeman Competition team takes the cake
Minnkota Power Cooperative has recognized the UND engineering students behind the “Batter Shaker” as its annual innovation contest winners.

Minnkota receives communications honors from NRECA
Minnkota's Communications department has been recognized for its 2022 work in video marketing, animation and photography.

Teamwork at its height
Photos from a recent sky-high transmission project illustrate the challenges overcome by Minnkota’s dedicated line crews.

Hairnets and helping hands
Minnkota hosts third Feed My Starving Children event at its Grand Forks headquarters.

A cut above the rest
The new Bemidji Steel Company facility has helped to put a laser focus on the benefits of doing business in Beltrami Electric Cooperative territory.

Powering the journey ahead
Minnkota held its 83rd annual meeting on March 31, on the cusp of incredible industry transformation.

From 10-gallon hats to 10,000 lakes
Texas native Mike Wade is bringing his vast industry experience to Wild Rice Electric Cooperative as their new CEO.

Putting the power in powersports
Arctic Cat is strengthening its legacy in Thief River Falls with diverse employee opportunities and continual product innovation.

The full picture of reliability
Infrared camera technology serves an important role in Minnkota’s multipronged preventative maintenance plan.

Nation’s electric grid could face winter challenges
A recent NERC assessment says risks grow with the retirement of coal and nuclear generation.

Major outage insight
Minnkota’s Young Station team has successfully navigated another lengthy maintenance outage with planning and teamwork.

Locally grown leadership
As PKM Electric Cooperative CEO Mike Schmidt retires, protégé Jeff Rustad will become the co-op's new leader in 2023.

2023 rates projected to be stable for sixth straight year
Minnkota Power Cooperative will keep its wholesale electricity rates flat amid national and global economic instability.

Family, farming, and feeding carb cravings
Three Farm Daughters has created a pasta empire within Nodak Electric Cooperative’s rural footprint.

Pecking disorder
A transmission line rebuilt by Minnkota Power Cooperative will be protected from woodpecker-caused challenges.

A circle of benefits from Minnesota milk
State-of-the-art Waukon Dairy is producing gallons of opportunity in Wild Rice Electric Cooperative territory.

Living great in the 218
Greater Bemidji’s relocation program is attracting telecommuters to Beltrami Electric Cooperative’s service area.

Food for the community, food for the soul
The Rural Access Distribution (RAD) Cooperative is combatting North Dakota grocery store closures with some small-town collaboration.

Harnessing the grit of the grass
A Red River Valley Co-op Power business member is using native landscaping to improve the ecology of the prairie.

Minnkota, NRECA CEOs publish op-ed on reliability
Minnkota CEO Mac McLennan and NRECA CEO Jim Matheson published a joint opinion column focused on projected grid challenges and what can be done to maintain electric reliability.

Sounding the alarm on grid reliability
National grid operators and regulators are warning that North Dakota and Minnesota may be at risk of power outages this summer.

‘A culture of compliance’
Minnkota has logged another successful NERC audit thanks to the cooperative's strong leadership and proactive planning.

Community and cooperative connector
Marty Tetrault has taken another step into service as Cavalier Rural Electric’s newest general manager.

Bringing the heat in the glass industry
Fargo’s Cardinal IG glass plant has found growing power in its partnership with Cass County Electric Cooperative.

Minnkota Communications team collects national awards
Minnkota was recently honored with two NRECA Spotlight on Excellence awards for its digital and written communication efforts in 2021.

Resilient By Design
On April 1, Minnkota held its first in-person annual meeting in nearly three years. The meeting’s theme, Resilient By Design, recognized how Minnkota persevered through the pandemic, volatile energy market conditions and rapid industry change.

A bear of a line project
Minnkota’s Power Delivery crews need to overcome many challenges to complete work on a unique northern Minnesota landscape.

The wrath of the Red
Twenty-five years after the historic 1997 ice storm and flood, current Minnkota employees reflected on the natural disasters that tested the resilience of the cooperative.

A place for volts and vitamins
Minnkota joins community partners to host Grand Forks Feed My Starving Children MobilePack event for a second year.

Ahead of the herd
IDEA Competition winner MUSKOX has taken snow blower innovation by the horns in northwest Minnesota.

Grid operators, regulators forecast reliability risks
The evolving energy transition represents challenges and opportunities for Minnkota and the industry as a whole.

The ice (and nice) is stronger here
Brutal winter conditions won’t keep the community of Warroad, Minn., from a second year of Riverbend Skate Path fame.

The Digi-Key difference
A major facility expansion will allow an electronics distribution company to thrive within its rural Minnesota community.

Minnkota shows grit and growth during GridEx
A nationwide exercise has become one of the best ways for employees to prepare for the worst.

‘Keep calm and outage on’
Milton R. Young Station employees have once again used a major planned outage to keep Unit 1 strong and reliable.

The lineworker treatment
Clearwater-Polk Electric Cooperative recently created a dream experience for a young power enthusiast diagnosed with leukemia.

Reliable power for reliable packages
The FAR1 Amazon Fulfillment Center has become the latest Cass County Electric Cooperative member in a growing Fargo community.

Fresh power in the old power plant
A new Grand Forks research facility is unearthing an energy future in Minnkota’s energy past.

Hard hats and fire helmets
Red Lake Electric Cooperative boasts six employees on the local volunteer fire department.

Minnkota celebrates Drive Electric Week with co-op partners
Two EV ride-and-drive events drew crowds to electric cooperatives in Bemidji and Roseau, Minn., during National Drive Electric Week.

Collaborate, innovate, cultivate, repeat
The Fargo-based Grand Farm initiative is leveraging local and global partners to electrify the future of agriculture.

Minnkota and CoBank team up to “Share Success”
Minnkota Power Cooperative and Square Butte Electric Cooperative donated $20,000 to local programs as a part of CoBank's matched giving program.

Successful sessions
Minnkota and its cooperative members are celebrating major energy legislation recently passed in North Dakota and Minnesota.

Substation communication revolution
Minnkota's system-wide deployment of distribution automation technology is rapidly enhancing response and reliability.

Compton ready to answer the call
North Star Electric Cooperative’s new general manager is committed to transparency and accessibility.

From zero to EV
Auto dealers and co-ops are merging new models, more chargers and incentives to accelerate electric vehicle growth in the north.

Student engineers recognized in annual Freeman Competition
Minnkota continued its support of up-and-coming innovators with the 2021 Andrew Freeman Design Innovation Competition.

Built for service
Roseau Electric Cooperative is expanding its fiber-to-the-home network to more rural members and the City of Roseau.

Recipe for success
Clearwater-Polk Electric Cooperative’s Deanna Lefebvre has been chosen to lead as the next general manager.

Clear leadership
Bruce Bjerke has retired after 15 years as Clearwater-Polk Electric Cooperative’s general manager.

We power on
Minnkota Power Cooperative and Square Butte Electric Cooperative annual meetings reflect on a 2020 navigated with resiliency.

Power over the market
Minnkota's energy marketers combined the cooperative's reliable resources and demand response program to avoid a cold-weather crisis.

Popping into business
A North Dakota farm family has built a packaging company to support the local economy, give back to the community and create a generational legacy.

Minnkota Jeans Day Fund gives big on Giving Hearts Day
Minnkota's Grand Forks employees used an annual February giving event to make their donations dollars go further.

Finding injection perfection
The latest Project Tundra simulations show promising properties for CO2 injection and storage near Minnkota's Milton R. Young Station.

North Star's guiding light
After a 43-year cooperative career, North Star Electric’s Ann Ellis is setting a new course – retirement.

Buyer beware
Minnkota has strengthened its supply chain to navigate COVID-19 and new cybersecurity standards.

Advocacy from afar
Virtual meetings have kept Minnkota engaged with lawmakers in advance of important legislative sessions.

Syncing the sound
From innovative engineering to flawless work in the field, Minnkota is working to enhance and improve its demand response system.

Dolan to lead Wild Rice Electric
Wild Rice Electric Cooperative’s new CEO brings more than two decades of co-op experience.

A legacy of loyalty
Wild Rice Electric Cooperative CEO Steve Haaven has retired after 47 years of service to members.

Minnkota board approves 2021 budget
Average wholesale rates are projected to remain stable as Minnkota’s rate structure change is implemented.

For the heat of the hunt
This October, a national cocker spaniel competition found a host home on the shore of Minnkota’s Nelson Lake.

A positive charge
Minnkota’s chief money maven Karen Thingelstad is preparing for retirement after an impressive 27-year cooperative career.

Cooperation for travel electrification
Minnkota’s member cooperatives are building out a network of electric vehicle fast chargers to help connect the service area.

Electric bus makes the grade
West Fargo Public Schools has experienced transportation savings and benefits after a year with an electric addition to the fleet.

Powered-up park patrol
Fargo Parks and Fargo Police are enjoying the benefits of an electric patrol motorcycle, supported in part by Cass County Electric Cooperative.

The precipice of power potential
North Dakota’s Capitol Hill cohort communicated proud support of Project Tundra during a recent tour at Minnkota's Milton R. Young Station.

One flight, endless opportunity
Minnkota Power Cooperative is reaching new heights with its LiDAR-based survey program.

Resiliency to improve reliability
With COVID-19 precautions in place, Minnkota crews have continued through a full docket of projects – and the work is paying off for members.

Dinos, drive-ins and democracy
This summer, PKM Electric Cooperative spun its pandemic precautions into a unique annual meeting engagement.

Minnkota lineworker Kemnitz receives Lifesaver Award
This summer, lineworker Ryan Kemnitz stood strong under pressure and potentially saved a life in the Bemidji, Minn. area.

Cooperative spirit shines during annual meetings
Minnkota Power Cooperative and Square Butte Electric Cooperative shared an unprecedented day of distanced reports, votes, accolades and farewells.

Cooperative blood
Retirement isn’t the end of the electric line for the Thronson family, as three sons carry on the cooperative tradition.

Project Tundra progress continues amid pandemic
The carbon capture initiative is finding the support and partners needed for ultimate success.

The business of caring
Co-op member companies altered operations and gave generously to fulfill the region’s pandemic needs.

Co-op values conquer COVID-19
Minnkota’s member cooperatives used their resources and ingenuity to safely and effectively serve their communities through the pandemic.


Substation creation transformation
3D design software is giving Minnkota opportunities for more efficient engineering and construction.

Every dimension of development
A 3D printing entrepreneur is finding community support in printing a future for Bemidji businesses.

Data from the depths
New 3D geophysical survey results will help clear another hurdle for Project Tundra's future.

Congestion control
Demand response is key to managing rush hour on the region’s electric system.

Minnkota employees top $50,000 in giving
Minnkota employees' Jeans Day Fund has reached a milestone, touching dozens of charities over the decade.

Polar vortex reflections
Many regional energy entities learned lessons from the cold weather Maximum Generation Event of January 2019.

Power of coal-laboration
Minnkota and BNI Coal have been building a stronger relationship around optimizing plant and mine practices – and it’s paying off.

All in for the outage
Milton R. Young Station leaders leverage team coordination and adaptability for safe and successful planned outages.

A decade in review
Minnkota will celebrate 80 years of power generation and transmission in 2020, but the past decade has been among the most dynamic in the cooperative’s history.

A northern connection
Baudette’s LakeWood Health Center is one of more and more northern Minnesota facilities that are incorporating telemedicine into their care.

Keeping it clean
In Fosston, Minn., a small-town soap company is finding big opportunities with online sales and marketing.

Strengthening cybersecurity
Digital defense takes people power at Minnkota, from education to implementation.

Power delivery crews finish rebuild projects
Minnkota's crews dodged rain and cold this fall to bring life to more modern substations and transmission lines.

Bringing broadband home
Roseau Electric Cooperative’s NorthStream Fiber aims to provide a high-speed internet connection for unserved and underserved Minnesotans.

Repurposing wood
The owners of Buffalo Coulee Wood Products bring lumber to life near Cummings, N.D.