Board blog: The value of your cooperative
Change in life means different things to different people.
Residents without electricity definitely experienced a change in life when their homesteads were electrified. My parents received this change after World War II.
Before that time, in order to work in the barn, we’d have to light lanterns in the house and carry them out to the barn. If we needed to go out there during a storm, the one we brought from the house often went out, and we’d have to walk in the dark and wait to light it until we were in the barn.
Homes did not always have a lamp for every room, so children would often have to share a lamp and table to do homework. Because the change in lighting was often what was noticed the most once families received electricity, the electric bill became known as the light bill.
I chose to serve on Wright-Hennepin’s board because I remember the difference electricity made in my life. I have been a WH member since November of 1954 and have served on the board since 2000.
When Wright-Hennepin first began, the cooperative had to build the entire structure that transports electricity, including putting up poles and wires. The cooperative was started because independent companies did not want to install lines that serve so few members per mile.
Today, our electric energy is generated almost exclusively in North Dakota. We have two power suppliers: Great River Energy, headquartered in Maple Grove, Minn. and Basin Electric Power Cooperative, headquartered in Bismarck, N.D.
There are also some generators in our service territory, which are usually located near substations owned by WH. These are used in emergencies when above normal demand for electricity is needed. This occurs during extreme weather conditions. High peaks in demand are used in the formulation of WH’s rates from our electric suppliers, therefore maintaining an even demand helps keep our rates competitive.
This is one reason why we offer Off-Peak programs to our members, as it helps keep our energy demand stable when heavy drawing appliances – such as air conditioners or heating systems – can be controlled during large load days. Off-Peak programs have been very successful for WH in maintaining the rates we experience.