Below is a summary of Wayne Peltier's Board of Directors President's message at the 2024 Basin Electric Annual Meeting.
Wayne Peltier, Basin Electric board president and District 9 representative, started the 2024 Basin Electric Annual Meeting by first focusing on the meeting’s theme, Investing for the Future. “I’m reminded of the responsibility we have not only to ourselves but to the generations that will follow in our footsteps,” he said.
At Basin Electric, investing for the future is more than a financial strategy, it’s a testament to our commitment to progress and prosperity. It’s the foundation for a future that’s sustainable, reliable, and prosperous. Since day one, Basin Electric has developed generation for rural America, and will continue to do so today and into the future.
Peltier touched on the cooperative’s investments over the next 10 years saying Basin Electric is expected to invest as much as $8 billion in the utility system. This is in addition to the $470 million invested in 2023, which was the highest single year of capital expenditures since 2015.
After highlighting a few of the cooperative’s projects such as Pioneer Generation Station Phase IV, Wild Springs Solar, the Great Plains CO2 sequestration project, and a major transmission buildout in northwest North Dakota, Peltier focused on the members.
“Basin Electric is dedicated to the members it serves, and it is end-use consumers who drive the direction of our co-op. Two prime examples are the Resolutions and Bylaws Committees, which are made up of representatives of each of our 11 districts,” he said. He went on to thank the members of these committees for their hard work over the past year. Regarding the board of directors he said, “Every Basin Electric board member is an end-use consumer and governs knowing that the decisions they make will impact not only themselves, but also their friends and neighbors.”
Peltier closed by acknowledging employees. “There is no question that we wouldn’t be where we are today without all of our employees’ hard work and dedication to the membership. I know I speak for the entire board when I say we couldn’t be happier with our staff and their leadership.”
