How we serve: Transmission

Employees at Basin Electric understand their roles as stewards of service to the members of the cooperative. The “How We Serve” series highlights an employee and their work group and explains how they serve our members every day.

Jeremy Severson has worked at Basin Electric for 20 years and during that time has held various positions including as an electrical engineer on the Transmission Services team, manager of Transmission Services, and manager of Transmission Rates. He began his journey as vice president of Transmission in February 2023. 

Severson is actively involved in several groups mainly as a representative for Basin Electric. These include the Reliability Advisory Council for the Midwest Reliability Organization, the Members Committee for Southwest Power Pool (SPP), the Economic Studies Working Group for SPP, the North American Transmission Forum (NATF) Members Committee, the Planning and Modeling team for NATF, and the Cooperative G&T Transmission & Operations Group. Apart from his professional commitments, he also serves on the board of the local Salvation Army.

Severson shares more about his role and the relationships he has with his team, and how together their purpose has strengthened Basin Electric’s commitment to serving its member-owners.

As vice president of Transmission, Severson leads a team responsible for the planning, maintenance, and rate recovery of Basin Electric’s transmission assets. “Our primary focus is on ensuring the efficient operation and reliability of our transmission system, which is critical for delivering electricity to our members,” he says.

The Transmission Systems Maintenance (TSM) division serves as the backbone of Basin Electric's transmission operations, ensuring the operational integrity and reliability for its transmission and communication assets. “The TSM team dedicates itself to the day-to-day operation and maintenance of our transmission facilities, including routine inspections, equipment maintenance, and emergency response,” Severson says. “Our goal is to maintain the continuous and reliable flow of electricity to our members, even in the face of unforeseen challenges.”

In addition to TSM, the Transmission Services team adopts a proactive approach to ensure the long-term health and viability of the transmission network. This involves extensive planning, compliance studies, and adherence to regulations set by organizations like NERC (North American Electric Reliability Corporation) and Transmission Service Providers (SPP, Common Use System, and the Basin Electric West Side Transmission System). “We engage in comprehensive long-term planning to accommodate the evolving energy landscape, aligning our transmission assets with future needs and regulatory standards,” Severson says.

Finally, the Transmission Rates team is responsible for ensuring proper rate recovery for the transmission assets. This encompasses developing, maintaining, and administration of the transmission tariff structures. By managing rate recovery, the team ensures the financial sustainability of Basin Electric’s transmission assets while maintaining affordability for its members.

Collectively, these three teams work harmoniously to support Basin Electric’s essential transmission functions, guaranteeing the reliable delivery of electricity and facilitating the cooperative's long-term objectives, aligning with industry standards and member needs.

Looking to the future, Severson’s team has several goals. These include identifying and executing transmission projects needed to serve growing member load, developing a wildfire response plan, identify facilities and projects that will increase grid resilience, and support generation interconnection into the region. The team is also gearing up for the implementation of FERC Order No. 881 by executing ambient and dynamic line rating technologies and upgrading Basin Electric’s aging infrastructure to enhance system efficiency and responsiveness. 

“These two decades have not only been a professional journey into the intricacies of transmission planning, policy, and ratemaking, but a personal passage filled with remarkable experiences, relationships, and a deeper understanding of the electric grid's importance to every person in this country,” Severson says. “I'm grateful for the opportunities and lessons this industry has provided and eagerly anticipate the next chapter and evolution of the grid.”