North Dakota Living

An interim legislative committee tasked with studying the impact of large loads on the electric grid convened for the first time Aug. 27 in Ellendale.

Legislators on the interim Energy Development and Transmission Committee toured the Applied Digital campus in Ellendale and heard presentations from several electric and data center industry professionals and local and state officials.

While the study looks at the impact of all large energy users on the electric system, data centers have emerged as a primary concern.

To celebrate the International Year of Cooperatives, North Dakota Living hops across the pond to northern England for its recipe inspiration this month. Here, poor cotton millworkers pooled their scarce resources to access basic goods at a lower price and created the first modern cooperative business, the Rochdale Equitable Pioneers Society, in 1844.

North Dakota’s presidential disaster declaration request from June’s severe storms and tornados has been approved.
The N.D. Department of Emergency Services learned Sept. 11 President Donald Trump approved Gov. Kelly Armstrong’s request, unlocking critical federal assistance to help cover the costs of repairs to public infrastructure and recovery assistance.

“This much-needed disaster aid will help our state’s communities and utilities recover from one of the most powerful summer storms in recent history,” Armstrong said.

It’s the International Year of Cooperatives!

This is only the second time the international declaration has been made by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly. The first was in 2012.

The yearlong celebration seeks to promote cooperatives and raise awareness of their contributions to overall social and economic development.

• Do not shoot at or near power lines or insulators.

• Familiarize yourself with the location of power lines and equipment on land where you shoot.

• Take notice of warning signs and keep clear of electrical equipment.

• Do not place deer stands on utility poles or climb poles. Energized lines and equipment on the poles can conduct electricity to anyone who comes in contact with them, causing shock or electrocution.

McKenzie Electric Cooperative members Corey and Rachel Meuchel are growing greens and community at Meadowlark Acres in rural Arnegard. The 15-acre garden plot opens to the public this month. Families are invited to walk through the rows of produce and pick their own to take home. It is the fruit that blossomed from Rachel’s brain cancer diagnosis in 2023, which you can read about here.

The N.D. Public Service Commission approved plans Aug. 7 for what will become North Dakota’s largest single power plant. Basin Electric Power Cooperative will invest nearly $4 billion to build a 1,490-megawatt (MW) natural gas-fueled combined-cycle power plant near Epping in Williams County.

The plan calls for two 745-MW units to be built in two sections, with the first generating power in 2029 and the second in 2030. Once completed, it will be one of the largest electric generation projects in Basin Electric’s history.

Electric cooperatives across the country are urging members to stay alert as utility-related scams continue to evolve. Fraudsters are becoming more aggressive and more convincing – using impersonation, false urgency and digital deception to extract payments or personal information.

A new bipartisan bill in Congress would streamline the Federal Emergency Management Agency and speed up delivery of crucial disaster relief funds. The Fixing Emergency Management for Americans (FEMA) Act of 2025 also preserves the agency’s Public Assistance (PA) program, which provides critical funding for electric cooperatives to restore power and rebuild their systems after natural disasters.

A historic June 20 storm brought thunderstorms, extreme winds, large hail, tornados and even a derecho – a term reserved for the most intense, widespread and long-lasting severe thunderstorms. Wind gusts were recorded up to 101 mph 5 miles northwest of Linton, 99 mph in northern Kidder County and 94 mph near Elgin. Tornados touched down across the region, including a fatal one that killed three people in rural Enderlin. Another storm-related death occured in Stutsman County.

It was the most deadly tornado North Dakota has seen in nearly five decades.