Basin Electric and employees donate to Haiti relief

Basin Electric and its employees donate $15,000+ toward Haiti Relief

Basin Electric Power Cooperative - January 21, 2010

Basin Electric Power Cooperative - January 22, 2010

Bismarck, N.D. – Last week Basin Electric CEO and General Manager Ron Harper put out both a request and a promise to employees.

"Every Friday we hold a Jeans Day, with proceeds going to area charities," Harper said. "Last Thursday I announced the proceeds were going toward the American Red Cross' International Response Fund for Haiti Relief. I asked employees to dig a little deeper into their pockets and announced that Basin Electric would match their donations dollar for dollar."

With only a day's notice, employees across the cooperative – from Headquarters to plant facilities – responded to the effort with a collective donation of $7,518.44. With Basin Electric's match through its charitable giving program, along with donations from other North Dakota cooperative employees, the cooperative is sending the American Red Cross' International Response Fund checks totaling more than $15,500.

"Once again, the generosity of Basin Electric's people has impressed me," Harper says. "Basin Electric's community involvement is very important to me and time and time again, our people have stepped up to help their neighbors, their fellow coworkers and now a devastated country. I'm proud to work for an organization with such generous people – one that holds value in supporting causes of many shapes and sizes."

Janel Schmitz, executive director of the American Red Cross - West Dakota Chapter, says the donation is an important step in bringing much needed relief to Haiti, which was hit by an earthquake Tuesday, Jan. 12, causing catastrophic damage and loss of life. Schmitz encourages other organizations to follow Basin Electric's example.

"The American Red Cross is deeply appreciative of everyone's gift at Basin Electric in supporting relief efforts," Schmitz says. "Less than one year ago, many of us were recipients of relief provided by the American Red Cross during the spring floods. It is a testament to the people of our region that they are returning that gift with generous hearts that readily respond to those in need."

About Basin Electric Power Cooperative

Basin Electric generates and transmits electricity to 136 member rural electric systems in nine states: Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming. These member systems distribute electricity to about 2.8 million consumers.
Basin Electric's generating resources include: two coal-based power plants in North Dakota – the Antelope Valley Station, Beulah, and the Leland Olds Station, Stanton; a coal-based power plant in Wyoming – the Laramie River Station, Wheatland; three peaking stations – the Spirit Mound Station, Vermillion, S.D.; the Groton Generation Station Groton, S.D., and the Wisdom Unit 2 Station, Spencer, Iowa; nine combustion-turbine generators (natural gas) in the Gillette, Wyo., area; four wind turbines – two near Minot, N.D., and two near Chamberlain, S.D.; and 80 wind turbines near Minot, N.D. (2010). Basin Electric is also the sole purchaser of electricity from sources operated by others including: six baseload waste-heat stations owned and operated by Ormat Technologies Inc. along the Northern Border Pipeline; the output of three wind farms owned and operated by NextEra Energy Resources, Juno Beach, Fla. (These wind farms are located near Wilton and Edgeley/Kulm, N.D.; the other is near Highmore, S.D.) Basin Electric has long-term, purchase power agreements of varying capacities from the George Neal Station Unit 4 (coal-based), Sioux City, Iowa, operated by MidAmerican Energy; the Walter Scott, Jr. Energy Center (coal-based) units 3 and 4, Council Bluffs, Iowa, operated by MidAmerican Energy; the Wisdom Station (coal based), Spencer, Iowa, operated by Corn Belt Power Cooperative; peaking stations located in Spencer, Estherville, Pocahontas, and Webster City, Iowa; the Duane Arnold Energy Center (nuclear), Cedar Rapids, Iowa, operated by NextEra Energy Resources; the Municipal Energy Agency of Nebraska; and three Iowa wind farms – near Superior/Lakota, operated by Iowa Lakes Electric Cooperative; in Hancock County operated by NextEra Energy Resources and in Palo Alto County operated by Crosswind Energy, LLC. For more information, go to Basin Electric's Charitable Giving Program

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