Basin Electric
Basin Electric Power Cooperative is a not-for-profit generation and transmission cooperative, the largest in the United States, owned by 138 member systems across nine states serving 3 million consumers with a diversified coal, gas, wind, hydro, and solar portfolio.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1961
- HeadquartersBismarck, United States
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Basin Electric does
Basin Electric Power Cooperative, founded in 1961 and headquartered in Bismarck, North Dakota, is a not-for-profit generation and transmission (G&T) cooperative and the largest of its kind in the United States by megawatt-hour sales, member sales, operating revenue, and geographic footprint. The cooperative is owned by 138 member cooperative systems across nine states (North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Minnesota, Iowa, and others), collectively serving approximately 3 million end consumers across a 500,000-square-mile service territory. Core operations span wholesale power generation and high-voltage transmission, with revenue derived from cost-based wholesale power supply contracts with member systems and from transmission services within the Southwest Power Pool and across the U.S.–Canada border through a partnership with SaskPower.
The generation portfolio is an all-of-the-above mix spanning four coal-fired baseload facilities (Antelope Valley Station, Dry Fork Station, Laramie River Station, Leland Olds Station), natural gas combined-cycle and reciprocating engine plants (Pioneer Generation Station Phase IV, Bison Generation Station under construction, plus Lonesome Creek, Deer Creek, Groton, Culbertson, Wisdom Unit 2, Wyoming Distributed Generation), wind (Aurora, Baldwin, Brady, Campbell County, Crow Lake, Minot, PrairieWinds 1), hydroelectric from multiple U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Bureau of Reclamation dams, solar (Wild Springs Solar), oil-fired peaking (Spirit Mound Station), and recovered energy generation. Transmission infrastructure includes a Common Use System, the SPP Upper Missouri Zone, and emerging cross-border capacity, supported by 31 Dynamic Line Rating sensors across 125 miles of transmission lines for real-time capacity optimization. Two wholly owned subsidiaries — Dakota Coal Company (mine-mouth coal supply) and Dakota Gasification Company (Great Plains Synfuels Plant) — provide vertical fuel-security.
The business model is a closed, member-owned cooperative: revenues pass through at cost, margins are returned as patronage capital (cumulative ~$1.5 billion historically), and members additionally invest through the Member Investment Program ($275 million outstanding). The member segment has been augmented by a Large Load Commercial Program designed to serve hyperscale data centers and industrial facilities while ringfencing cost and risk from existing members; ~300 MW of data center load is already being served. The cooperative is currently executing the largest capital program in its history — a ten-year capital expenditure forecast of nearly $11 billion (up from $1.4 billion in 2020) — including the $4 billion, 1,490 MW Bison Generation Station (groundbroken May 11, 2026) and a Class A rate increase of approximately 10 percent effective January 1, 2026. Funding is sourced through diversified instruments including an SEC-registered debt program, a recent oversubscribed $700 million public bond, and a $1.25 billion revolving credit facility, alongside partnerships with NextEra Energy Resources, Mitsubishi Power Americas, PCL Industrial, CoBank, CFC, and Bank of North Dakota.
Basin Electric firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Basin Electric
- Legal name
- Basin Electric Power Cooperative
- Website
- https://basinelectric.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1961
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Basin Electric Power Cooperative is a not-for-profit generation and transmission cooperative, the largest in the United States, owned by 138 member systems across nine states serving 3 million consumers with a diversified coal, gas, wind, hydro, and solar portfolio.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Basin Electric industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Electric Power Generation and Transmission
- NAICS
- Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution (2211), Electric Power Transmission, Control, and Distribution (22112), Electric Power Generation (22111)
- SIC
- Electric Services (4911)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Electric Cooperatives (Rural/Member-Owned Utilities) (EUADABAC)
Keywords
Where Basin Electric is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bismarck
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices9 records
Markets served
Basin Electric business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Wholesale Power Sales: Basin Electric generates revenue through wholesale electricity sales to its 138 member cooperative systems across nine states. As a not-for-profit cooperative, revenues are used to cover costs and invest in infrastructure, with any margins returned to members as patronage capital.
- Transmission Services: The cooperative operates transmission infrastructure across its 500,000-square-mile service territory, providing transmission services to member systems and enabling power exchange between the U.S. and Canada through partnerships with SaskPower.
- Subsidiary Operations: Dakota Gasification Company (subsidiary) produces and sells synthetic natural gas and other products from the Great Plains Synfuels Plant. Dakota Coal Company operates coal mines that supply fuel to power plants.
- Member Investment Program: Members invest in the cooperative through the Member Investment Program, providing short-term capital borrowing from member cooperatives that helps support Basin Electric's financial strength and long-term stability.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Standard Wholesale Power Rate |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
Basin Electric product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Basin Electric Power Cooperative is a not-for-profit generation and transmission (G&T) cooperative that generates wholesale electricity from a diversified portfolio (coal, natural gas, wind, hydroelectric, solar, oil, recovered energy) and transmits it to its 138 member cooperative systems across nine states serving 3 million consumers. It also manages transmission infrastructure across a 500,000-square-mile service territory and operates subsidiaries (Dakota Coal Company, Dakota Gasification Company) supporting fuel supply and synthetic natural gas production.
Product overview
Basin Electric Power Cooperative is a not-for-profit generation and transmission cooperative providing electricity across nine states. The company's product portfolio is a diversified energy portfolio combining multiple generation sources: coal-fired baseload generation (Antelope Valley Station, Dry Fork Station, Laramie River Station, Leland Olds Station), natural gas-fired generation (Bison Generation Station, Pioneer Generation Station, Lonesome Creek Station, Deer Creek Station, and others), wind power through purchase power agreements, hydroelectric generation from multiple dams, solar generation (Wild Springs Solar), oil-fired peaking, and recovered energy generation. The cooperative also provides transmission services across its 500,000-square-mile service territory. Supporting programs include the Large Load Commercial Program for managing large industrial and data center loads, and the Member Investment Program for member cooperative investments.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Coal-Fired Generation
- Natural Gas-Fired Generation
- Wind Power
- Hydroelectric Generation
- Solar Generation
- Oil-Fired Generation
- Recovered Energy Generation
- Transmission Services
- Large Load Commercial Program
- Member Investment Program
Quantifiable outcome
- Serving 3 million consumers through 138 member cooperatives across nine states
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Basin Electric
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Basin Electric technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Basin Electric partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- PCL Industrial Construction Co.corePCL Industrial Construction Co. selected as general contractor for Bison Generation Station, a new $4-billion natural gas-fired power plant in Williams County, North Dakota. The 1,490-MW facility will be North Dakota's largest power plant upon completion.
- NextEra Energy ResourcescoreBasin Electric and NextEra Energy Resources signed a memorandum of understanding to explore joint development of a combined-cycle natural gas generation facility in North Dakota with planned capacity of approximately 1,450 megawatts. The project would serve as foundation for a multi-gigawatt data center campus under Basin Electric's Large Load Commercial Program. Companies submitted application to Southwest Power Pool Expedited Resource Adequacy Study process.
- Mitsubishi Power AmericascoreMitsubishi Power Americas manufacturing two state-of-the-art gas turbines for the Bison Generation Station at Savannah Machinery Works in Pooler, Georgia. Leaders from both companies participated in a formal signing ceremony underscoring their partnership built on collaboration, mutual trust, and shared commitment.
- Wyoming Integrated Test Center (ITC)coreCarbon capture pilot project at Wyoming ITC near Dry Fork Station awarded nearly $5 million through Department of Energy. The ITC is a collaborative research facility where carbon capture technologies are tested using coal-derived flue gas.
- SaskPowercorePartnership for cross-border transmission between Saskatchewan and the U.S. SaskPower is completing the Canadian portion of the transmission project while Basin Electric is the designated transmission owner for the U.S. portion. SaskPower will pay for transmission service across SPP covering the cost of the project.
- Mountrail-Williams Electric CooperativeminorPartnership on Springbrook substation project with Class C member headquartered in Williston. The partnership allowed for reduced costs and environmental impacts while building for future load growth.
- TDA ResearchcoreResearch firm partnering with Schlumberger Technology Corp. on carbon capture system deployment at the Wyoming ITC test bay. Goal is to deploy system that could capture up to 158,000 metric tons of CO2 annually.
- Schlumberger Technology Corp.corePartnering with TDA Research on carbon capture system deployment at Wyoming ITC test bay for pilot project testing carbon capture technologies.
Scale indicators16 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Basin Electric competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Oglethorpe Power Corporation: Oglethorpe Power is a generation and transmission cooperative serving 38 member electric cooperatives in Georgia, with significant owned and contracted generation capacity. Directly comparable as a member-owned G&T cooperative operating across multiple fuel types with similar wholesale business model.
- Associated Electric Cooperative: Associated Electric is a G&T cooperative headquartered in Missouri serving six member distribution cooperatives and 51 member-owner systems across three states. Closely comparable in structure, scale, generation mix (coal, gas, renewables), and member-owned cooperative business model.
- Great River Energy: Great River Energy is a wholesale electric power cooperative serving 28 member distribution cooperatives in Minnesota and surrounding states. Comparable as a member-owned G&T cooperative with diversified generation including coal-to-renewables transition strategy.
- Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association: Tri-State is a wholesale electric cooperative serving 45 member distribution systems across Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, Wyoming, and other states. Comparable as a not-for-profit G&T cooperative navigating member-owned cooperative dynamics and energy transition.
- Seminole Electric Cooperative: Seminole Electric is a generation and transmission cooperative serving 10 member distribution cooperatives in Florida. Directly comparable as a member-owned G&T cooperative, though geographically distinct, sharing the wholesale cooperative business model and member-driven governance.
- Minnkota Power Cooperative: Minnkota Power is a regional G&T cooperative serving 11 member distribution cooperatives in North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota. Directly comparable as a neighboring Upper Midwest G&T cooperative with similar member-owned structure and adjacent service territory.
Emerging players
- NextEra Energy Resources: NextEra Energy Resources is the competitive energy subsidiary of NextEra Energy and one of the world's largest renewable energy generators. Basin Electric's MOU partner for the 1,450 MW North Dakota facility, representing an emerging strategic relationship that combines NextEra's renewable/scale expertise with Basin Electric's dispatchable generation footprint.
Broad incumbents
- Duke Energy: Duke Energy is one of the largest investor-owned electric utilities in the U.S., operating regulated generation, transmission, and distribution across the Southeast and Midwest. Comparable as a major electric utility with similar all-of-the-above generation strategy, though investor-owned and vertically integrated rather than cooperative-structured.
- Southern Company: Southern Company is a major investor-owned electric utility holding company with regulated generation, transmission, and distribution across the Southeast. Comparable as a large-scale diversified electric utility with coal-to-clean energy transition challenges similar to Basin Electric's portfolio.
- Xcel Energy: Xcel Energy is a major investor-owned electric and natural gas utility serving customers across eight Midwestern and Western states including North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, and Colorado. Comparable as a diversified utility with significant Upper Midwest overlap and similar generation transition strategy.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Basin Electric social profiles
Digital presenceBasin Electric compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Basin Electric financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Basin Electric leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Basin Electric subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Basin Electric funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Basin Electric M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Basin Electric
What does Basin Electric do?
Basin Electric Power Cooperative is a not-for-profit generation and transmission (G&T) cooperative that generates wholesale electricity from a diversified portfolio (coal, natural gas, wind, hydroelectric, solar, oil, recovered energy) and transmits it to its 138 member cooperative systems across nine states serving 3 million consumers. It also manages transmission infrastructure across a 500,000-square-mile service territory and operates subsidiaries (Dakota Coal Company, Dakota Gasification Company) supporting fuel supply and synthetic natural gas production.
Is Basin Electric a public or private company?
Basin Electric is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Basin Electric founded?
Basin Electric was founded in 1961. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Basin Electric based?
Basin Electric is headquartered in Bismarck, United States, in the North America region.
How does Basin Electric make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Wholesale Power Sales are the primary driver. The others are transmission Services, subsidiary Operations and member Investment Program.
Who are Basin Electric's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Oglethorpe Power Corporation, Associated Electric Cooperative, Great River Energy, Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, Seminole Electric Cooperative and Minnkota Power Cooperative. NextEra Energy Resources is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Duke Energy, Southern Company and Xcel Energy.
Does Basin Electric have an API?
No public API is recorded for Basin Electric.
What industry is Basin Electric in?
Basin Electric's product category is Electric Power Generation and Transmission. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUADABAC, Electric Cooperatives (Rural/Member-Owned Utilities). Its NAICS code is 2211 and its SIC code is 4911.