Co-ops focus on ‘Lasting Legacy’ at NDAREC annual meeting

by Kent Brick

Wally Rustad, North Dakota and career champion for rural electrification, accepted the NDAREC Helping Hand Award, then saluted many generations of co-op heroes in his annual meeting remarks to NDAREC

The North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives (NDAREC) looked back at its proud history and ahead toward the state’s energy future during the association’s annual meeting held last month in Bismarck.

“Our Lasting Legacy” was the theme for this 65th anniversary annual meeting of NDAREC, the state association of 21 cooperatives that generate, transmit and distribute electric power to nearly 140,000 homes, farms and businesses across North Dakota. NDAREC (which publishes North Dakota LIVING) is headquartered in Mandan.

In his report to the NDAREC membership, Dennis Hill, executive vice president and general manager, said the “Lasting Legacy” theme mirrors the proud record of electric co-op accomplishment in the state.

“We picked ‘Our Lasting Legacy’ for a theme,” Hill told the meeting attendees, “because no economic, political or social movement has had a more profound impact on the state of North Dakota than ours. From 1937 until now, our program has gone from a dream in the minds of our state’s farmers and ranchers to an economic engine that has invested about $5 billion in power supply, and about $900 million in distribution facilities. Our co-ops employ nearly 3,000 persons, and provide reliable, affordable electric power to nearly 40 percent of the state’s population. What a legacy has been handed to those of us in this room today.”

To help lead the extension of this legacy, the NDAREC membership installed a new president. During the business session, delegates elected Robert Grant, Berthold, as the NDAREC president. Grant, an NDAREC director from Mountrail-Williams Electric Cooperative, Williston, has served on the NDAREC board since 1997. Grant had been serving as NDAREC treasurer. He replaces Adolph Feyereisen, Braddock, who served as NDAREC president for the past 10 years.

In other officer elections, Ralph Birdsall, Berthold, was re-elected as NDAREC secretary. Birdsall represents Verendrye Electric Co-op, Velva, on the NDAREC board. Following the close of the business session, the NDAREC board appointed Christine Peterson, Antler, to fill the unexpired term of Grant as treasurer. Peterson represents North Central Electric Co-op on the NDAREC board. Don Link, Alexander, who represents McKenzie Electric Co-op for NDAREC, serves as the association’s vice president.

The NDAREC annual meeting featured panel presentations focusing on the current business and public policy challenges co-ops are facing.

A “Continuing the Legacy” panel featured speakers on governance, communications and economic development. Everett Dobrinski, president of Verendrye Electric, and the new chairman of the board of CoBank, pointed out that the financial markets do look at governance when they “grade” an industry. Scott Parsley, assistant to the general manager of East River Electric Power Co-op in South Dakota, noted communicating with members is what has helped co-ops earn trust and loyalty over the years. JoAnn Rodenbiker, director of business development for Northern Plains Electric Co-op, encouraged co-ops to remain active and engaged in economic development projects.

“We need to grow our communities so we can grow our cooperatives—that’s our legacy,” Rodenbiker said.

Another panel—“Political Challenges”—featured state Sen. Rich Wardner, from Dickinson; Mark Johnson, N.D. Association of Counties; Ted Case, legislative representative with the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA); and Carmen Miller with the Pew Environmental Group. Wardner described the activities of the interim legislative committee on energy development, which he chairs. Johnson said the counties will be making a push in the next session of the Legislature to carve out funding for transportation infrastructure. Case and Miller talked about the status of global climate change legislation in the U.S. Congress.

Case indicated that electric co-ops face steep challenges in developing needed new power supply resources in this period of widespread calls to deal with climate change and global warming.

“It will be a historic debate and we need to be engaged in it,” Case said.

Honoring contributions
The NDAREC membership conferred several awards to individuals for distinguished achievement in electric co-op activities. Those awards and honorees include:
• The Cooperative Leadership Award, given to Keith Berg, retiring general manager of Burke-Divide Electric Co-op, Columbus. Berg was cited for his efforts to enhance the prestige of electric co-ops, for community service and leadership, and for contributions to the electric cooperative program. His volunteer service and board leadership in community organizations spans 36 years.
• The Helping Hand Award was presented to Wally Rustad, special assistant to Sen. Kent Conrad, for serving as an important ally to electric co-ops and for his effectiveness in building coalitions. Rustad, a North Dakota native, completed a lengthy career for electric co-ops, beginning with Basin Electric Power Co-op, Bismarck, and ending as legislative director for NRECA. In separate reflection remarks to the NDAREC membership, Rustad applauded the co-op “giants” who emerged early on in North Dakota, including the likes of Leland “Chub” Ulmer, Helge Nygren, Clifton Odegard and George Cornog.
• The Community Service Award was presented to Rocky Prestangen, mechanic for McKenzie Electric Cooperative, Watford City. Prestangen was cited for dedication to emergency services in his community and surrounding counties. He’s been a first responder on the McKenzie County Ambulance Service for 12 years, a member of the volunteer fire department, and the crash and rescue and dive rescue teams.
• The Wally Beyer Rural Development Award was presented to Clayton Hoffman, co-general manager of Roughrider Electric, Hazen/Dickinson, for his significant and lasting contributions to rural development in North Dakota. Hoffman was cited for leadership within the Lewis and Clark Regional Development Council; for creation of CommunityWorks North Dakota; and for housing development for needy and rural families.
• The North Dakota LIVING Center Pages Award was presented to Burke-Divide Electric Co-op and its new general manager, Jason Brothen. This co-op was cited for most effective use of its local member information pages in the statewide magazine.
In addition KEM Electric Cooperative, Linton, and Mor-Gran-Sou Electric Cooperative, Flasher, each received special awards for having all board members complete the NRECA Credentialed Cooperative Director certificate program.

The “Lasting Legacy” theme of the NDAREC annual meeting was underscored by three separate, newly produced video presentations capturing the history of rural electrification in the state. The presentations included: “Reflections,”—thoughts from pioneer builders in rural electrification; “Building on the Foundation”—the story of N.D. co-op power supply development and of the NDAREC history; and the “Politics of Power”— a look at legislative battles fought and won by NDAREC, including fights for co-op financing, federal power and territorial integrity. Clarice Kesler, NDAREC communications coordinator, produced these presentations.

Kent Brick is editor of North Dakota LIVING. He can be reached at kbrick@ndarec.com.

NDAREC adopts full slate of resolutions
At the annual meeting, the NDAREC membership adopted a full slate of resolutions intended to express association positions on an array of public and industry issues of importance to the member co-ops. Jim Kerzman, Mott, a director for Slope Electric Co-op, New England, chairs the NDAREC Resolutions Committee. He presided over the association’s consideration and adoption of resolutions during the annual meeting business session.

With considerable societal and public policy change being considered in response to concerns over global climate change, the NDAREC membership deliberated upon and developed a significant resolution in this area. The resolution adopted by the NDAREC membership states:
Global climate change is an issue of great public concern and of scientific debate. We therefore support objective scientific study of the whole global climate change issue. We also support voluntary actions that may contribute scientific knowledge about carbon sequestration or result in the identification and enhancement of techniques for carbon sequestration.

Concern about global climate change has accelerated, leading to strong efforts to enact federal and state policies to reduce manmade emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, including carbon dioxide from burning coal. Because the electric industry in general and electric cooperatives in particular rely heavily on coal for base load electric generation, poorly designed policies would cause substantial harm to electric consumers without measurable benefits in stabilizing or reducing global warming. We must assess the costs of current proposed global climate change responsibly, we strongly endorse the following principles to guide climate change policy:

• Emission reduction requirements must be directed to all sectors of the economy.
• Emission reduction plans must be based on international understandings and agreements that ensure other nations, including both developed and developing nations, participate.
• The emission reduction targets must be achievable and timed with the advancement and commercialization of technologies.
• Emission reduction proposals, such as cap and trade plans, must include an economic safety valve, to avoid excessive financial hardships, market manipulation or large price swings.
• Fuel diversity should be encouraged to avoid reliance on a few sources of electricity, which will limit competition and create higher prices. This means nuclear energy and coal with carbon capture and storage, must be part of our nation’s energy future, together with hydropower and other renewable energy, such as wind and solar power.
• Early adopters should receive credit for efforts made in CO2 captured and sequestered before climate change policy is enacted.
• New laws and regulations should be prospective rather than retroactive in application. 

After approving this resolution, delegates signed petitions that will be sent along with this resolution to the North Dakota congressional delegation and to Gov. John Hoeven. The petitions are a further declaration of concern over the direction of climate change public policy.