East River Electric Power Cooperative presented its Eminent Service award to Basin Electric for outstanding leadership and commitment in the area of renewable energy.
Basin Electric Board President Cliff Gjellstad accepts the Eminent Service Award from East River Electric Board President Jim Ryken during East River’s Annual Meeting.
The award, which honors individuals or organizations who have shown superior commitment toward cooperative values, was announced during East River Electric’s 60th Annual Meeting on Sept. 8 in Sioux Falls, SD.
Over the past year, the two cooperatives have joined together to play a significant role in helping to launch the nation’s first locally-owned community wind project, South Dakota Wind Partners, LLC, (SDWP). SDWP would involve a 10.5 megawatt extension to the PrairieWinds SD 1 project, a 151.5-megawatt project soon to be under construction in central South Dakota.
“This (SDWP) would not have been possible without the exceptional effort made by Basin to develop the contractual framework for designing and building the project, securing the necessary wind easements, transmission rights and regulatory and environmental permits and agreeing to purchase the output from this project,” said Jim Ryken, East River board of directors president.
In November 2001, Basin Electric and East River Electric partnered to establish the first Basin Electric wind project near Chamberlain, SD.
By the end of 2011, Basin Electric will have more than 700 megawatts of renewable energy capacity in its generating portfolio.
The video below shows the dedication of the PrairieWinds ND 1 projects near Minot, ND.
Basin Electric: Live Wire 
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