jschramm@minotdailynews.com
Verendrye Electric Cooperative members experienced rolling blackouts Tuesday morning because of a strain on the power grid caused by bitter cold temperatures in several states.
Verendrye spokesman Tom Rafferty said the the 14-state Southwest Power Pool (SPP) has been unable to keep up with the electrical demand from wholesalers, such as the Western Area Power Administration (WAPA), a federal power marketing agency that provides power to Verendrye’s seven-county area. As a result, it has been necessary to drop some electrical load to stabilize the grid and avoid larger problems.
The North Dakota Public Service Commission reported many utilities in North Dakota were experiencing controlled outages due to low temperatures, high demand for energy and low amounts of renewable generation, including wind and solar, throughout the region.
Feb 16, 2021
Verendrye Electric Cooperative members experienced rolling blackouts early Tuesday morning because of a strain on the power grid caused by bitter cold temperatures in several states. The blackouts will continue until further notice. They are expected to last between 45 to 60 minutes at a time.
The Southwest Power Pool (SPP), which operates the grid that includes N.D. and 13 other states, declared an emergency alert and implemented rolling blackouts to restore stability to the grid. Rolling blackouts are a step taken to avoid bigger problems with the electrical grid.
SPP works with wholesale energy distributors to implement the blackouts. Verendrye is a retail energy provider and has no control over which areas have their power interrupted and when. If your power goes out, you do not need to notify us unless it is longer than an hour.
Jan 19, 2021
The new Minot Area Chamber Economic Development Corporation elected board officers at its organizational meeting. Jonn Knecht of American Bank Center was selected to serve as the first chair for the new organization.
“It is an honor to be selected as the chair of the new organization. I’ve served on both the former Minot Area Chamber of Commerce and Minot Area Development Corporation boards and see many advantages in kicking off the year as one.” Knecht said. “It’s now time to roll up our sleeves and get to work. We owe it to the investors and members to look for ways to be as effective and efficient as one organization. I am looking forward to serving with the new board and the staff to serve our region.”