Investing for the future at the 2024 Annual Meeting
Kalli Senske
29 October 2024
Nearly 900 member cooperative employees, directors, public officials, utility representatives, and guests attended Basin Electric’s 2024 Annual Meeting. Held August 13-15, the theme for the 63rdAnnual Meeting was “Investing for the Future,” which highlights the many ways the cooperative is investing in reliability, affordability, the membership, and employees.
Every Annual Meeting has a story to tell, and this year’s story included a lot of rain. Tuesday evening, rain started coming down so quickly that Basin Electric staff and Bismarck Event Center staff joined together to keep the water at bay and away from the registration desk.
We kicked off the Annual Meeting with a reception on Tuesday, August 13. Heavy rains made it difficult for some to join because roads were flooding across town, but those who were able enjoyed watching the storm from Basin Electric’s headquarters and mingling with other cooperative members and Basin Electric staff.
The Annual Meeting featured Alex Epstein as the keynote speaker. Epstein is a philosopher and energy expert who argues that 'human flourishing' should be the guiding principle of energy and environmental progress.
Basin Electric staff plan and execute the Annual Meeting and corresponding events. It’s a financial benefit to the membership that these skilled professionals who know Basin Electric and the energy industry coordinate all aspects of the meeting.During the Annual Meeting, Basin Electric departments and cooperative partners set up booths for attendees to visit. Attendees were able to learn, network, and get some free swag to bring home.One of the most important parts of the Annual Meeting is the business portion, which features the resolutions report, bylaws review report, a vote to approve any proposed changes, and Board of Directors elections.The primary reason we have an in-person meeting rather than virtual meeting is the invaluable opportunity to connect with other cooperative leaders from across Basin Electric’s service territory. A livestream option was also available for those who weren’t able to make the trip.The Government Relations panel featured panelists from across Basin Electric’s service territory. They discussed various issues related to their representative states including tax reform, eminent domain, Western RTO expansion, and permitting return.
At Wednesday night’s banquet, Basin Electric employees received awards for their years of service, presented by Board president Wayne Peltier and CEO and general manager Todd Brickhouse. Also shown at the banquet was a video highlighting the ways employees live out Basin Electric’s values each day. You can watch the video on YouTube: https://bit.ly/BasinElectricValues
Thursday morning, a members-only session was held. This closed-session format gives Basin Electric a unique opportunity to share information with the membership that is somewhat fluid and confidential.Even though the rain stopped, the golf courses were so wet on Thursday afternoon that the Basin Electric Political Action Committee (BEPAC) golf scramble had to be rescheduled to the following Tuesday, August 20. Ninety-one golfers were able to play a round at Hawktree Golf Club, making for a great day of golf and networking.
Basin Electric wants all interested and qualified candidates to apply for employment opportunities. If you are an applicant with a disability who is unable to use our online tools to search and apply for jobs, or who needs other assistance or accommodations, please contact us at 701-223-0441. Please indicate the specifics of the assistance needed or provide your contact information, and a Basin Electric Human Resources representative will contact you. Basin Electric is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer regarding race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, and veterans status.
