Mor-Gran-Sou Electric Cooperative
Mor-Gran-Sou Electric Cooperative is a member-owned electric cooperative in North Dakota with offices in Flasher, Fort Yates and Mandan. It has provided electric service to members in Morton, Grant and Sioux counties since 1948.
The cooperative is governed by a nine-member board of directors who are elected by the membership.
Mor-Gran-Sou serves more than 6,000 members by providing electrical service to 8,196 meters. With 242 miles of transmission line and 3,577 miles of distribution line, Mor-Gran-Sou powers one of the most sparsely populated areas in the country, with an average of just 2.17 consumers per mile of power line. This compares to a national average for rural electric cooperatives of six consumers per-mile-of-line, and a national average of investor-owned utilities of 35 consumers per-mile.
Mor-Gran-Sou’s power suppliers are Basin Electric Power Cooperative and Western Area Power Administration.
Learn more about Mor-Gran-Sou Electric Cooperative at http://www.morgransou.com/.
Slope Electric Cooperative
Slope Electric Cooperative is a member-owned electric cooperative in North Dakota with headquarters in New England and a service center in Bowman. It has provided electric service to members in Adams, Bowman, Hettinger and Slope counties since 1945.
The cooperative is governed by an eight-member board of directors who are elected by the membership.
Slope Electric serves 1,919 members by providing electrical service to 4,017 meters. It purchases power through Upper Missouri Power Cooperative in Sidney, Mont. Its power suppliers are Basin Electric Power Cooperative and Western Area Power Administration.
Learn more about Slope Electric at https://www.slopeelectric.coop/.
KEM Electric Cooperative
KEM Electric Cooperative is a member-owned electric cooperative in North Dakota with headquarters in Linton and a service center in Steele. It has provided electric service to members in Emmons, Kidder, Logan, McIntosh and Burleigh counties since 1944.
The cooperative is governed by a seven-member board of directors who are elected by the membership.
KEM serves 2,184 members by providing electrical service to 3,894 meters. With 117 miles of transmission lines, 2,124 miles of distribution lines and 645 miles of underground lines, KEM powers one of the most sparsely populated areas in the country, with an average of just 1.35 members per mile of power line. This compares to a national average for rural electric cooperatives of six consumers per-mile-of-line, and a national average of investor-owned utilities of 35 consumers per-mile.
KEM’s power suppliers are Basin Electric Power Cooperative and Western Area Power Administration.
Learn more about KEM Electric at https://www.kemelectric.com/.
Innovative Energy Alliance Cooperative
Innovative Energy Alliance (IEA) Cooperative is a management and shared services cooperative owned by four electric distribution cooperatives in North Dakota including Roughrider, Slope, Mor-Gran-Sou and KEM Electric Cooperatives, as well as the WDUS Holdings, LLC, family including 3C Construction, LLC; West Dakota Utility Services; and Maintenance Solutions Cooperative.
The alliance was created to share resources and reduce costs, and streamline procedures and gain efficiencies. It allows the respective boards of directors to retain local control.
In the cooperative spirit of working together for the greater good, the alliance serves as a secondary layer of employees who assist Roughrider with specialized projects.
For information on the alliance visit https://iea.coop/.
West Dakota Utility Services
West Dakota Utility Services, or WDUS, is an independent business owned by Roughrider, Slope and Mor-Gran-Sou Electric Cooperatives. Their certified technicians service utility vehicles, farm machinery, and other trucks and equipment that need hydraulic repairs or N.D. Department of Transportation certification. They also repair welders, engines and utility tools including crimpers and hydraulic tamps. Also a distributor, WDUS can also order hydraulic tools and generators.
If you have a vehicle or tool that could use a hydraulic inspection or repair, call 701-663-4365 or email ghauff@3cconst.com or ddyk@wdus.coop
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3C Construction
3C Construction is a cooperative-owned business that employs linemen who travel across the service areas of Roughrider, Slope and Mor-Gran-Sou Electric Cooperatives, plowing cable and assisting with projects as needed. From larger jobs like plowing miles of cable, to smaller jobs like pole change-outs, cut-overs and terminating, 3C linemen help reduce the time spent on cooperative projects by providing more manpower and equipment. They are also available for hire outside of cooperative business.
Basin Electric Power Cooperative
One of Roughrider’s power providers, Basin Electric Power Cooperative generates and transmits wholesale bulk electric power to customers primarily in its 140-member rural electric located in Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming.
Basin Electric’s largest subsidiary, Dakota Gasification Company, owns and operates the Great Plains Synfuels Plant near Beulah, N.D., which gasifies lignite coal and captures some of the carbon dioxide emissions (CO2), and sends them to produce several value-added products.
Basin Electric owns 4,208 megawatts (MW) and operates 5,189 MW of electric generating capability. Its electric generation facilities are located in North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, and Iowa. Most of Basin Electric's baseload capacity comes from coal. Peaking facilities are oil or natural gas-based.
For information visit https://www.basinelectric.com.
Upper Missouri Power Cooperative
Roughrider’s power supplier, Upper Missouri Power Cooperative was organized in 1957 to serve the transmission needs of electric cooperatives in eastern Montana and western North Dakota. Today, Upper Missouri provides service to 11 distribution cooperatives including Roughrider and Slope Electric Cooperatives.
Its member-systems serve 74,834 meters to farms, ranches, homes and businesses in 37 counties, representing 54,762 square miles. The service area spans east to west from Hysham, Mont., to the Missouri River near Washburn, N.D., and from the Canadian border to the South Dakota/Montana borders.
Upper Missouri is a cooperative, governed by a board of 11, represented by one trustee from each member-system.
On behalf of Roughrider and Slope Electric Cooperatives, Upper Missouri purchases power from Basin Electric Power Cooperative and Western Area Power Administration.
For information visit http://www.uppermo.com/.
Western Area Power Administration
One of Roughrider’s power providers, Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) is one of four power marketing administrations within the U.S. Department of Energy, whose role is to market and transmit wholesale electricity from multi-use water projects. Its service area encompasses a 15-state region of the central and western United States, where its more than 17,000-circuit-mile transmission system carries electricity from 57 hydropower plants operated by the Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the International Boundary and Water Commission. WAPA also markets power from the Navajo Generating Station coal-fired plant near Page, Ariz.
WAPA sells its power to federal and state agencies; cities and towns; electric cooperatives including Roughrider; public utility districts; irrigation districts and Native American tribes. They, in turn, provide retail electric service to millions of consumers in the West.
For information visit https://www.wapa.gov/Pages/Western.aspx.
North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives
The North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives (NDAREC or “Statewide”) is the trade association for the state’s five generation and transmission co-ops and 16 distribution co-ops including alliance members Roughrider, Slope, Mor-Gran-Sou and KEM Electric Cooperatives.
With headquarters in Mandan, N.D., Statewide provides a variety of services including communications, government relations, safety training, professional development, economic and rural development, and more. Its vision is an indispensable network of member-cooperatives that enriches the lives of their consumers and the communities in which they live.
NDAREC produces the North Dakota Living magazine; the industry publication for North Dakota’s electric cooperatives. Its center pages feature local cooperative and community news.
For information visit www.ndarec.com.
National Rural Electric Cooperative Association
The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association is a national service organization that represents more than 900 consumer-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperatives, public power districts, and public utility districts in the United States. The Arlington, Va.-based national service organization oversees cooperative employee benefits plans; carries out federal government relations activities like lobbying; conducts management and director training; and spearheads communications, advocacy, and public relations initiatives. In addition, it coordinates national and regional conferences and seminars; offers member cooperatives advice on tax, legal, environmental, and engineering matters; and performs economic and technical research. For information visit www.electric.coop.
Touchstone Energy Cooperatives
Touchstone Energy Cooperatives is a national brand of more than 700 member-owned electric cooperatives dedicated to serving their members and communities with integrity, accountability, innovation and commitment to community across 46 states. Touchstone Energy co-ops collectively deliver power and energy solutions to more than 30 million members every day. Across the country, local Touchstone Energy co-ops work to improve members’ quality of life by taking a leadership role in community and economic development projects, forging strong partnerships with business members, as well as generously donating time, energy and resources to their local communities.
Roughrider Electric is your local Touchstone Energy Cooperative.
For information visit www.touchstoneenergy.com/.
CoBank
CoBank is a national cooperative bank that provides loans, leases, export financing, and other financial services to agribusinesses and rural power, water, and communications providers in all 50 states. It is a member of Farm Credit System, a nationwide network of banks and retail lending associations chartered to support the borrowing needs of U.S. agriculture and the nation’s rural economy. As a member of Farm Credit System, its mission is to serve as a relevant and dependable provider of credit and other value-added financial services and support to agriculture, rural infrastructure, and other similar businesses for the benefit of rural America. For information, visit www.cobank.com.
National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation
As the only lender created and owned by the electric cooperative network, the National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation (CFC) provides capital and industry-leading financial products to America’s 900-plus not-for-profit, consumer-controlled electric cooperatives, and rural utility systems. CFC operates from its corporate headquarters in Dulles, Va., with more than $27 billion in total assets. In March 2020, at its organizational meeting following the 51st CFC Annual Membership Meeting in New Orleans, four new directors were seated on the 23-member board of directors elected from and by the electric cooperative members served by CFC. Slope Electric Cooperative Board Director Anthony Larson was elected to serve a three-year term in District 6, representing the states of Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. For information visit www.nrucfc.coop.
USDA Rural Utilities Service
USDA Rural Utilities Service (RUS) provides infrastructure improvements to rural communities, including water and waste treatment, electric power, and telecommunications services. All of these services help to expand economic opportunities and improve the quality of life for rural residents. The Electric Program provides funding to maintain, expand, upgrade, and modernize America’s rural electric infrastructure. The loans and loan guarantees finance the construction or improvement of electric distribution, transmission, and generation facilities in rural areas. The Electric Program also provides funding to support demand-side management, energy efficiency and conservation programs, and on-and off-grid renewable energy systems. Our members utilize loans on behalf of RUS. For information, visit https://www.rd.usda.gov.
Maintenance Solutions Cooperative
Maintenance Solutions Cooperative (MSC) provides maintenance and technical solutions for Roughrider, Slope, Mor-Gran-Sou and KEM Electric Cooperatives. One example of MSC employee work includes building and maintaining the metering systems within substations.
Southwest Power Pool
Southwest Power Pool (SPP) is a regional transmission organization (RTO): a nonprofit corporation mandated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to ensure reliable supplies of power, adequate transmission infrastructure, and competitive wholesale electricity prices on behalf of its members. Due to interconnection with Basin Electric Power Cooperative and after an approval process through FERC, Roughrider and Mor-Gran-Sou Electric Cooperatives joined the SPP. With this membership, they allow other utility providers to use their transmission system. For information, visit https://spp.org.
Mid-West Electric Consumers Association
Mid-West Electric Consumers Association promotes and protects the interests of federal power customers and their consumers within the Missouri River Basin. Mid-West members purchase power from the Western Area Power Administration, the federal agency responsible for marketing the electricity generated at federal multi-purpose projects operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the United States Bureau of Reclamation within the Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Program. For information, visit https://meconsumers.com.
National Information Solutions Cooperative
The foundation of SmartHub, National Information Solutions Cooperative (NISC) is an information technology company that develops and supports software and hardware solutions for its member-owners who are primarily utility cooperatives and telecommunications companies across the state and nation. NISC is an industry leader that provides advanced, integrated IT solutions for consumer and subscriber billing, accounting, engineering and operations, as well as many other leading-edge IT solutions. As a cooperative, NISC is owned by the users of its systems, who reside in all 50 states, American Samoa, Palau and Canada.
One of its six operating business locations is in Mandan, N.D., and it receives electric service from Mor-Gran-Sou.
For information visit www.nisc.coop.