Stay Basin! Work/life balance, good pay, and great people

Basin Electric appreciates its employees and works hard to retain its workforce. The cooperative understands employees, with their combined knowledge, insight, and hard work, are the ones who make the difference. 

Joe Villegas has been working at Dry Fork Station since 2015. He started as a utility operator before moving into his current position as scrubber operator in 2017. Originally from Chihuahua, Mexico, he has been living in Gillette, Wyoming, for the past 27 years. Prior to working at Dry Fork Station, Villegas was a field mechanic for North Star Energy and Construction. 

Villegas earned an associate degree in power plant technology from Casper College in 2012. He had been trying to get hired at a power plant so when he saw the job posting at Dry Fork Station he applied. “I heard great things about Basin Electric and this job was perfect,” Villegas says. “It was in my hometown and close to family.” 

As a scrubber operator, Villegas makes hydrated lime and uses it to control the SO₂ from the flue gas before it goes out to the stack. His team also gets rid of ash and checks and runs the equipment in the scrubber. He also checks the equipment during his rounds and makes adjustments such as changing filters, setpoints, and starting or stopping equipment as needed throughout the day. 

“I really enjoy the people that I work with, and everyone is always willing to help,” he says. “I’ve learned a lot from my coworkers, and everyone is always willing to share their knowledge and help you become better at what you do.” 

In addition to his coworkers and a great benefits package, he says one of the best parts of working at Dry Fork Station is having a lot of days off which provides a healthy work and personal life balance. “I have a five-week rotating schedule, and out of those five weeks I work 18 days and have 17 days off,” Villegas says. “Having several days off each month is something that I didn’t have before I started here. I can spend time with my family, provide for them, and enjoy life.” 

In his free time, Villegas likes to travel and spend time fishing. He also has a passion for horses. “My main hobby is horse racing,” he says. “I grew up around horses and there are horse trainers on both sides of my family. We breed and run quarter horses in Wyoming every year from May to October.” 

Villegas plans to stay at Dry Fork Station until he retires. “All of my family lives in the Gillette area and I really enjoy my job, so I don’t have a reason to leave,” he says. 

Villegas recommends Basin Electric to his family and friends because of the good pay, the great benefits package, and the chance to have a healthy work/life balance. “I enjoy coming to work and I believe everybody should, if not you’re in the wrong place.”