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Co-ops Answer the Call for Help in North Dakota

Tuesday | May 3, 2022
All News

For Immediate Release

Contact: Billy Gibson, Director of Communications, SDREA
billy.gibson@sdrea.coop
225.405.4910

Several South Dakota electric cooperatives answered the call for assistance to restore power after a pair of late winter storms dumped up to five feet of snow in western and north central North Dakota last week.

A team of 26 linemen and their equipment were dispatched Monday morning from West River Electric, Grand Electric, Northern Electric, Lacreek Electric, Butte Electric and West Central Electric. The linemen were assigned to help repair the infrastructure of Burke Divide Electric Cooperative, headquartered in Columbus, N.D.

The co-op reported that more than 1,700 poles and roughly 80 miles of power lines were damaged in the blizzard conditions. As of Monday afternoon, more than 800 BDEC members were still without power, and officials estimated that full restoration would likely take several weeks.

Supply shortages, logistical challenges and thick mud created by rain and melting snow could impact the timeline of the recovery effort.

Mark Patterson, manager of loss control services at the South Dakota Rural Electric Association (SDREA), is assisting in coordinating the state’s emergency response as the system honors its mutual aid agreement with cooperatives in North Dakota and throughout the region.

“We’re always on standby to help a fellow cooperative in need. It’s one of the things that sets cooperatives apart,” Patterson said. “This has been an unusual weather event, but we’re always prepared to respond. We never let our guard down because you never know what Mother Nature has in store. It’s a privilege for us to be in a position to help the members of Burke Divide rebuild their system after this destructive blow to their power infrastructure and their community.”

Overall, the storms impacted 14 electric cooperatives in the area and downed more than 4,000 poles and hundreds of miles of distribution and high-voltage transmission lines, as well as utility substations where snow drifts reached eight feet.

The South Dakota linemen will join more than 100 fellow co-op linemen in North Dakota, along with independent contractors, equipment suppliers and other emergency responders.

Additional Resources:

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Contact Info

South Dakota Rural Electric Association
P.O. Box 1138
222 West Pleasant Drive
Pierre, SD 57501

Phone: 605-224-8823
Email: info@sdrea.coop

About Us

The South Dakota Rural Electric Association is devoted to unifying, promoting and protecting the interests of member electric cooperatives in South Dakota by providing leadership, training, communication, legislative representation and other member services.

 

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  • Home
  • About Us
    • Seven Cooperative Principles
    • Cooperative Members
    • Our Associate Members
    • Board of Directors
    • Employment Opportunities
    • About Touchstone Energy
    • Staff
    • Contact Us
  • Co-op Connections
    • Magazine Archive
    • Cooperative Connections Recipes
    • Cooperative Connections Event Calendar
  • For Members
    • Calendar
    • Communications
    • Events and Trainings
    • Loss Control
    • Resource Management
    • Members-Only Site
    • Winter in July
    • Line Patrol Charity Form
  • Legislative Services
    • Get Involved/Legislative Gatherings
    • Legislative Contacts
    • Legislative App
  • For Consumers
    • Co-op Connections Savings
    • Safety Quiz
    • Touchstone Energy Savings
    • Locate Underground Utilities
    • Youth Tour
  • News/Media
    • Press Releases
  • Outage Map