On the Cover

Liberty, the newest 

dragline owned by BNI 

Coal.

Inside the Young Station 

control room – the “nerve 

center” of the plant.

The Young 2 turbine 

generator.
1

The Milton R. Young Station is located four miles east and three miles south of Center, 

N.D.

capac ity, began producing electricity in 

1977. It is owned by Square Butte Elec tric 

Cooperative and operated by Minnkota. 

Square Butte was formed by the Minnkotaasso ciated cooperatives to meet the 

increasing elec trical demand of their 

consumer-owners and to provide electricity 

to Minnesota Power, an investor-owned utility 

based in Duluth, Minn.

Named for the late senator from 

North Dakota, the Milton R. Young Station 

consistently ranks among the lowest cost, 

coal-fi red power plants in the United States.

An abundant, low-cost coal supply from 

the nearby mine, owned and operated by 

BNI Coal, has played a key role in the plant’s 

success.

T

he Milton R. Young Station, a minemouth, electric generating plant located 

near Center, N.D., is a primary source 

of electrical generation for Minnkota Power 

Cooperative.

Headquartered in Grand Forks, N.D., 

Minnkota provides adequate, reliable and 

affordable electric energy to 11 associated distribution cooperatives, three in eastern North 

Dakota and eight in northwestern Minnesota.

The Young Station consists of two units. 

Young 1, which began producing electricity in 

1970, is owned and operated by Minnkota. It 

has the capacity to produce 250,000 kilowatts 

(kW) of electricity and is a main source of 

generation for more than 110,000 cus tomers 

served by the associated co operatives.

Young 2, with a 455,000-kW generating 
2

Young 1

Faced with a need for additional power, 

Minnkota began researching in 1959 the idea 

of building an electric generating plant in 

western North Dakota. In 1964, offi cials from 

Minnkota met with then North Dakota Senator 

Milton R. Young to discuss the idea. A year 

later, Minnkota applied for a loan to the Rural 

Electrifi cation Administration (REA) in Washington, D.C.

The REA ultimately announced the 

approval of the loan on July 12, 1966. 

Construction soon started on the 15-story 

steel structure as well as Nelson Lake, which 

provides cooling water for plant operations. 

The Milton R. Young Station is located on the shores of Nelson Lake, which provides cooling water for the electrical generating station. The lake, formed by an earthen dam across 

Square Butte Creek, covers 660 surface acres and is a popular recreational site.

The

Milton R. Young 

Station
3

Young 2

Young 2 of the Young Sta tion, completed 

in 1977, has a nameplate rating of 438,626 

kW and a net maximum output of 455,000 kW. 

Known as the Square Butte power project, 

Young 2 was a concerted effort to meet the 

growing load requirements of Minnesota Power 

and the 11 Minnkota member-owner cooperatives.

Under the arrangements, Minnkota and 

the associated cooperatives formed the Square 

Butte organization to facilitate the project’s 

fi nancing, and to ob tain options for Minnkota to 

acquire power from the new station. 

Total construction cost of the plant, which 

began commercial operation in 1970, was 

$44.9 million.

The plant’s turbine-generator unit was 

manufactured by General Electric and has a 

nameplate rating of 234,550 kW. Its cyclonefi red boiler was manufactured by Babcock & 

Wilcox. Young 1 has a net maximum output of 

250,000 kW. It consumes approximately 4,400 

tons of lignite coal daily, or about 1.5 million 

tons annually.

When the Young Station was dedicated 

in 1971, it incorporated many innovations at 

the time, including a cyclone boiler, allowing it 

to overcome the challenges of using lignite, a 

low Btu, high moisture and low sulfur coal.

To provide cooling water for the facility, 

Nelson Lake was created in 1968 by a dam 

built across Square Butte Creek. The earthfi lled dam, 45 feet high and 1,500 feet long, 

created a 415-surface-acre impoundment.

Electricity generated by Young 1 fl ows 

over a 214-mile, alternating current 345,000-

volt transmission line to the Maple River 

substation near Fargo, N.D.

From that point, it is distributed to a subtransmission system to serve the needs of 

customers who receive their power from the 

11 Minnkota-associated cooperatives.

Currently, the output from Young 2 is 

purchased under contract by Minnkota and 

Minnesota Power of Duluth, Minn. Minnkota 

began exercising options in 2006 to increase 

its share of the Young 2 generation from 30 to 

50 percent by 2009.

Electricity generated by Young 2 fl ows 

over a direct current, 465-mile transmission 

line to Duluth, where it is con verted back to 

alternating current. 

The energy supplied by Young 2 powers 

farms, schools, businesses, taconite producers, paper and pulp mills, and other industrial 

facilities, as well as many residential homes.

The construction cost of Young 2, which 

resulted in the expansion of Nelson Lake to 

660 surface acres, was $251.7 million. Its 

cyclone-fi red boiler was also manufactured by 

Babcock & Wilcox. Westinghouse supplied the 

turbine-generator unit. Young 2 consumes approximately 8,500 tons of lignite daily, or about 

2.8 million tons annually.

Plant manager of maintenance Tom Anseth, left, and plant manager of operations Stu Libby coordinate 

production at the Milton R. Young Station, which consistently ranks as one of the lowest-cost, coal-fi red 

electric generators in the United States.
Environmental controls

Minnkota is committed to maintaining a 

clean and healthy environment now and long 

into the future. Emission control equipment 

at the Young Station has enabled Minnkota 

to meet North Dakota’s strict environmen tal 

standards.

Air quality

Approximately $100 million has been 

spent on emission control equipment and 

subsequent up grades to comply with the 

nation’s Clean Air laws. Each of the two units 

is equipped with electrostatic precipita tors 

for removal of ash from the boiler’s exhaust 

gases.

Precipitators have a removal effi ciency in 

excess of 99 percent to meet the Federal Environmental Emission Standard of 0.1 pound 

of particulate per million Btu in put.

To comply with environmental regu lations, 

Young 2 was equipped with a scrubber to remove sulfur dioxide from the exhaust stream. 

The scrubber con struction costs and modifi cations total approximately $79 million.

The scrubber consists of two absorber 

towers, each 170 feet high and 40 feet in 

diameter. The towers meet the opera tional 

needs of Young 2, ensuring long-term availability.

The plant’s emissions are monitored 

continuously by plant employees and equipment to ensure that emission requirements 

are being met.

Environmental enhancements

In the next several years, Minnkota will be 

installing new emission control equipment at 

the Young Station to comply with the nation’s 

Clean Air laws. Signifi cant reductions of sulfur 

dioxide and nitrogen oxides will be achieved. Emission control systems, such as the sulfur dioxide scrubber on Young 2, help maintain a clean air 

environment for all residents of the region to enjoy.

4
Other on-site water discharges, such as 

rain and snow runoff, are handled through 

settling basins. This water is tested as well. 

So, before any water at the plant site returns 

to Nelson Lake, it is treated and determined to 

be environmen tally compatible.

Sludge disposal

Three permanent burial cells are used to 

separate the scrubber sludge and water. The 

fi rst of three burial cells was put into operation 

in 1997.

The scrubber sludge is sent to the cell, 

where water and solids separ ate and the water returns for reuse in the scrubber system. 

The solids remain in the cell.

The cells are lined with clay and then 

monitored to assure no leakage of water 

through the sludge material into the underground water supply.

When the fi rst cell is full of solids, the 

water will be removed and the cell will be 

permanently covered with clay and native soil. 

At that point, the sludge will be piped to the 

second disposal cell and the process will be 

repeated.

Prior to its return to Nelson 

Lake, water used in the electric 

generation process is tested and 

treated. Here, Chris Pozarnsky, 

laboratory technician, prepares a 

water sample for analysis.

A new scrubber having a removal effi ciency of 90-95 percent will be installed 

on Young 1 in 2011. The current Young 2 

scrubber system will be upgraded in 2010 to 

increase its removal effi ciency to 90 percent. 

The installation/upgrade of controls will result 

in annual reductions of approximately 19,000 

tons of sulfur dioxide from Young 1 and an 

additional 6,000 tons of sulfur dioxide from 

Young 2.

Nitrogen oxides will be reduced in two 

phases. The fi rst phase will require the installation of Over-Fired Air (OFA) on both units. 

It is anticipated that nitrogen oxides will be 

reduced by approximately 37 percent per year 

(3,100 tons) on Young 1 and approximately 40 

percent per year (6,000 tons) on Young 2. The 

installation of OFA on Young 1 is scheduled in 

2009 and on Young 2 in 2007. In the second 

phase, additional reductions will be made in 

the years 2010 and 2011, pursuant to a Best 

Available Control Technologies (BACT) determination for nitrogen oxides.

The cost for these environmental enhancements is estimated at more than $135 

million.

Water quality

Approximately 

$25 million has been 

spent at the Young 

Station on waste water treat ment facilities 

to ensure compliance 

with the Clean Water 

Act. All water used in 

the plant processes 

and designated for 

return to Nelson Lake 

is tested and treated 

until its quality meets 

all prescribed standards.

The fi rst sludge disposal pond, which was put into operation in 1997, measures approximately 1,500 

feet by 800 feet at the top and is 75 feet deep. A total of three ponds will be created over a 30-year time 

frame.

5
C

reating electricity is as simple as moving a magnet past a wire. However, the 

actual production process at the Young 

Station is much more complex.

Control room

The entire generating process is monitored and controlled from the Young Station 

control room – the mechanical and electrical 

nerve center of the plant. From here, operators 

monitor the boilers, turbine generators and 

other plant equipment used in the production 

of electricity 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Advanced instrumentation and control 

systems enable station operators to view and 

The control room is the nerve center of the Young Station. Computers allow operators like Jim Klein to monitor and control plant equipment used in the production of electricity.

The production 

of electricity

6
7

control the current status of plant processes 

without having to leave their locations. Monitors display levels, fl ows, temperatures and 

electrical outputs. Should an abnormal condition occur, an alarm will sound alerting the 

operator to the source of the trouble.

Lignite coal fuels 

cyclone-fi red boilers

The Young Station’s fuel source – lig nite 

coal – is mined and transported from the 

nearby BNI mine to the plant site and dumped 

into the primary crusher, which reduces the 

three-foot size chunks of coal into eight-inch 

pieces. Next, the coal passes through the 

secondary crusher, further reducing its size to 

11⁄4-inch pieces. 

The coal is then directed to active storage 

facilities, where it awaits transport into the 

plant. When needed, the coal is conveyed to 

storage silos, and, as required, moved by conveyor belt through the fuel condi tioner/crusher, 

where it is crushed to 1⁄4- inch size pieces on its 

way to the boiler cyclones. 

To increase British Thermal Units (Btus) 

and reduce eventual slag on boiler surfaces, 

the coal is transported through coal transport 

lines from the fuel conditioners/crushers using 

high-velocity, 750-degree air. This process 

removes as much moisture as possible from 

the coal before it goes into the cyclones. Here 

it is mixed with heat ed air and combustion occurs, resulting in a temperature of up to 3,000 

degrees Fahrenheit.

The combustion process in the boiler produces heat, which boils water in vertical pipes 

along the walls and top of the boiler, turning 

it to steam. The exhaust gas from the boiler 

is cleaned by the plant’s emission control 

devices and is then vent ed to the atmosphere 

through the stack. The plume visible above 

the stack consists mostly of con densed water 

vapor.

The cyclone furnace was developed 

to burn low-grade coal in a cyclonic action 

to overcome ash slagging on heat transfer 

surfaces.

Not all coal is suitable for cyclone-fi r ing. 

The ash formed by the coal when burned must 

have a moderately low ash- melting temperature to fl ow freely. Much of the lignite mined 

near the Young Station has this characteristic.

Lignite coal contains about 38 percent 

moisture and 10 percent ash. Fifty per cent 

of the ash produced during combus tion is 

called bottom ash and is removed as a molten 

slag that fl ows out the bottom of the boiler. 

After the coal is crushed, it is conveyed to storage piles for use at the Young Station.

Lignite coal is transported 

in 180-ton haulers from 

the nearby BNI mine to 

the plant site, where it is 

dumped into underground 

hoppers and moved along 

feeder chains to the 

primary crusher.
Water systems

Water drawn from the adjacent Nelson 

Lake is screened to keep fi sh and debris out 

of the plant cooling system. In the generation 

process, this water is primarily used for condensing the steam that has passed through 

the turbine.

Water treatment facilities near the plant 

fi lter and treat the water, removing solid materials. Treatment facilities within the plant further 

condition water that will be used in the boiler. 

The boiler water must be pure to prevent 

mineral deposits and corrosion from building 

up on the inside of the boiler tubes, which can 

result in overheating and subsequent tube 

failure.

Turbine generator

The high-pressure, superheated steam 

produced in the boiler may reach more than 

1,000 degrees Fahrenheit. It travels at a rate 

of 10,000 miles per hour through the turbine, 

causing its blades to spin at 3,600 revolutions per minute (rpm). The spent steam then 

leaves the turbine, is cooled and condensed 

back to water, and pumped back into the 

boiler. After being reheated, the entire cycle is 

repeated.

The spinning turbine blades rotate a 

shaft, which turns a large magnet in the 

adjacent generator. As the magnet passes stationary wire coils in the generator, an electric 

alternating current is produced.

Because of their sensitivity, each of the 

turbine generators is mounted on its own foundation and fl oor. This guards against vibration 

from other plant equipment and structural 

shifting that might affect its operation.

8

The remaining 50 percent travels through the 

boiler as fl y ash. An electrostatic precipitator captures in excess of 99 percent of all fl y 

ash before the ex haust gas is released to the 

atmosphere. 

Sulfur dioxide (S02) is produced in the 

combustion process. A scrubber on Young 2 is 

operated to maintain compliance with federal 

and state emission limits as well as federal 

ambient air quality standards. A lime and fl y 

ash mixture is sprayed into exhaust gases as 

they rise through an absorption tower. The 

Each of the two units at the Young Station has a turbine 

generator. Inside each generator, a huge spinning magnet 

surrounded by coils of copper wire creates a magnetic fi eld 

which, in turn, creates a fl ow of electricity. 

result ing lime, fl y ash and sulfur dioxide slurry 

mixture is transported to a disposal pond. 

When solids in the slurry have settled to the 

bottom, the water is returned and re used in 

the scrubber system.
Transmission system

The electricity generated is sent to the 

main transformers on the plant site and 

stepped up to a higher voltage. It then moves 

to a switchyard where it enters the transmission grid through high-voltage transmission 

lines.

However, there is a vast difference in the 

method by which electricity is delivered from 

the two units at the Young Station.

The electricity 

produced in Young 

1 is stepped up 

to 230,000 volts 

and ultimately to 

345,000 volts before it is sent over 

a 214-mile alternating current (AC) 

transmission line 

to the Maple River 

substation near 

Fargo, N.D.

From this 

point, the voltage is 

stepped down and 

the electricity is delivered to substa tions in the 

Minnkota service area. At this point, the electricity is sold to the 11 distri bution cooperatives 

who distribute the power on their own lines to 

their customers.

DC transmission

A unique feature of Young 2 is the longdistance transmission of electricity by direct 

current (DC), rather than the traditional alternating current system that Young 1 uses.

Electricity produced in Young 2 is stepped 

up to 230,000 volts by the main transformer. 

The electricity travels to the Square Butte 

switchyard, and fi nally to the direct current 

terminal, where it is converted from 230,000 

volts AC to +/- 250,000 volts DC.

9

The power then fl ows over a DC transmission line to Duluth, Minn., a distance of 465 

miles. At the fi nal destination point, an inverter 

station changes the DC electricity back to AC 

for distribution in the Minnesota Power service 

area and for delivery back to the Minnkota 

service area.

The cost of the two AC/DC converter 

terminals was approximately $49 million. The 

ter minals use high-voltage, high-current thyristors for the conversion process. The Square 

Butte DC line was the fi rst built in the United 

States for moving large power blocks over long 

distanc es using solid-state thyristors.

Direct current transmission is less costly 

on the 465-mile stretch because it requires 

only two conductors, rather than the three 

re quired for an AC line. Also, less right of way 

is required for the placement of each transmission line structure, with a correlating reduction 

in landowner inconvenience.

DC is ideally used in this situation, where 

the energy needs to travel long distances with 

no transmission taps along the route.

Electricity generated by Young 2 fl ows over a 465-mile direct current transmission line to Duluth, Minn., 

where it is converted back to alternating current.

Electricity generated by Young 1

travels 214 miles along an 

alternating current 345,000-volt 

transmission line to the Maple 

River substation near Fargo, N.D.
10

BNI Coal

In the early 1960s, Minnkota obtained coal 

reserves for the Young Station that covered 

about 16,000 acres in Oliver County, N.D., 

containing 155 million tons of lignite. These 

leases were assigned to the prede cessor of 

BNI Coal. 

The company continued to lease additional land, which now totals more than 50,000 

acres. The land contains an estimated 350 

million tons of lignite dedicated to the Young 

Station.

With more than 60 years of operating 

experience in the lignite industry, BNI has the 

distinction of being the lowest-cost producer 

to a major lignite user in the state. BNI began 

operating in 1930 as Baukol-Noonan, with operations near Noonan, N.D. In 1988, BaukolLiberty, an electric dragline 

with a 77-cubic yard bucket, 

removes overburden from the 

coal seam. Its boom length 

is 355 feet or longer than a 

football fi eld.
Noonan became a wholly-owned subsid iary of 

Minnesota Power.

BNI has coal supply agreements with 

Minnkota and Square Butte until 2027. 

Minnkota’s contract has an optional 15-year 

extension clause. 

Each year, BNI supplies the two units at 

the Young Station with about 4.3 million tons 

of coal, which is equivalent to approximately 

200 mined acres per year.

The mining and 

permitting process is a 

long and laborious one. 

Volumes of pre-mining 

data are compiled and 

sub mitted to the North 

Dakota Public Ser vice 

Commission for review.

After permit approval, large rocks are 

removed from the area 

to be mined and dams 

are constructed to control runoff and sediment. 

Once scrapers remove the topsoil and subsoil, 

the soils are segre gated and stockpiled or 

directly spread on prepared areas. 

Large electric walking draglines remove 

the overburden from the coal seam. BNI operates two drag lines, one with a 77-cubic-yard 

bucket and the other with a 65-cubic-yard 

bucket.

Two coal seams are found 25-140 feet 

below ground level and average about 14 feet 

in total thickness. Tracked dozers rip the coal, 

which is loaded into 180-ton coal haulers with 

an electric loading shovel or front-end loaders. The coal is then transported to the coal 

crusher at the plant site. 

When mining is completed, BNI replaces 

the overburden and shapes and contours 

the area to its fi nal topography. The sub soil 

and topsoil are replaced, surface rocks are 

removed and the area is reveg etated according to the approved plan.

Reclamation

Minnkota and BNI are dedicated to properly reclaiming all the land disturbed by the 

mining of lignite coal for the Young Station. 

Sound land use and reclamation practices 

are em ployed at the Center-based BNI mine. 

Converting lignite to electric energy requires 

only a temporary disturbance of the land.

North Dakota has one of the best reclamation laws in the nation, which is administered and enforced by the North Dakota 

Public Service Commission.

All phases of reclamation are conducted 

with the approval of the PSC. Every acre 

mined is restored to better than original condition. Before bond release, BNI must statistically prove that the land is reclaimed to a level of 

production equal to or greater than that which 

existed prior to mining. 

Depending upon vegetation establishment, the reclaimed areas are man aged by 

BNI and the landowner in a joint effort. However, the land must re main under a performance 

bond for a minimum of 10 years from the date 

of initial seeding. BNI’s land reclamation costs 

are approximately $20,000 per acre.

11

Jeff Forsberg, director of 

safety for BNI Coal, works 

closely with BNI employees 

to ensure a safe working 

environment.

After the coal is harvested, BNI restores the land to its original or better condition with native plant 

species re-established. Grazing antelope shown here are one example of how generating electricity is 

compatible with the environment.
N

elson Lake is a 2.5-mile-long, manmade reservoir created in 1968 with a 

45-foot high, earth-fi lled dam. The 415-

surface-acre lake grew to 660 surface acres 

in 1977 when Young 2 came on line and the 

impoundment was made eight feet higher.

The site for the lake, created by an 

earthen dam across Square Butte Creek, was 

selected because the Young Station requires 

a large supply of water for cooling, boiler 

makeup and other station uses in the power 

production process. 

To better manage lake levels, Minnkota 

is able to augment the normal water supply 

from the Square Butte Creek watershed with 

12

Nelson Lake, the cooling reservoir for the Young Station, is a popular recreational area for fi shing, swimming, boating and water-skiing. It is home to some of the state’s largest 

crappies and largemouth bass, including record-size catches.

Nelson Lake
Nelson Lake Statistics

■ Dam Construction: Earth fi lled; 53 feet high, 2.5 miles long.

■ Volume of Dam: 382,000 cubic yards fi ll.

■ Service Spillway: Two 215-foot con duits containing two 

10-by-10-foot gates, one two-by-fi ve foot gate, one six-inch 

gate.

■ Spillway Construction: 35,000 cubic yards steel-reinforced 

concrete.

■ Size of Lake: 660 acres; 10,500 acre feet.

■ Watershed Area: 137 square miles.

■ Watershed Runoff: 9,000 acre feet per year, average.

13

Golfi ng on the nine-hole, grass-greens course adjacent to Nelson 

Lake is a popular pastime.

Missouri River water. Minnkota operates a 

pumping station on the south bank of the 

Missouri River and runs a 13-mile, 30-inch 

diameter pipe line from the river to the lake. 

This is especially benefi cial during drought or 

low runoff periods.

The warm water discharged from the 

Young Station means Nelson Lake rarely 

freezes, making it unique among North 

Dakota’s lakes for fi shing and year-round 

water sports. Because of the warmer water 

temperatures, Nelson Lake is a popular recreational area for fi shing, swimming, boating 

and water-skiing enthusiasts. It is home to 

the state’s largest crappies and largemouth 

bass, including record-size catches. The lake 

also has many bluegills, sunfi sh, bullheads, 

northern pike and perch. 

Public areas along the lake are used for 

camping, boating, picnics and other recreational purposes. Minnkota granted the North 

Dakota Game and Fish Department an easement ensuring public access to Nelson Lake. 

This was necessary before the lake could 

be placed under the Game and Fish Department’s fi sheries management program. 

The nine-hole Square Butte Creek Golf 

Course is adjacent to Nelson Lake. Minnkota 

leased the land for the course to the city of 

Center and Oliver County park boards. It was 

developed through a cooperative effort of 

community-spirited organizations and individuals, businesses and govern ment entities.

Nelson Lake’s warm water makes it an ideal site for the North Dakota Association for the Disabled 

(NDAD) to hold their annual “Escape to the Lake” event.

Nelson Lake is a 

popular spot for 

fi shing enthusiasts 

of all ages.
The community 

of Center

B

efore Minnkota’s arrival on the scene, 

Center, like many small com munities 

in North Dakota, owed its ex istence to 

agriculture, the primary industry of the region. 

Since the early 1970s, the Center area has 

also been home to the Young Station. The 

small, rural community, ap proximately 40 

miles northwest of the capital city of Bismarck, 

is the county seat of Oliver County.

Center is a community with a population 

of nearly 700, one-third of the county’s 2,400 

residents. Center and the Oliver County area 

are home to almost one-third of the 152 employees work ing at the Young Station.

Center maintains a full-time dentist, and 

the Coal Country Community Health Center 

in the downtown area remains staffed by 

physicians from a Bismarck clinic. The community has the protection of a vol unteer fi re 

department and an ambu lance service, which 

operates out of the clinic.

A civic center and the county court house 

are two other examples of Center’s fi ne community facilities. The civic center, constructed 

in 1981 and expanded in 1991, includes a 

community room suit able for dances and other 

large gather ings, a library, a racquetball court, 

city offi ces, and additional meeting rooms for 

14

The school system, which includes 

an elementary school and a high 

school with an indoor swimming 

pool, is another asset of the Center 

community.
15

public use. The courthouse and the senior 

citizens center play an active role in the community as well. 

The school system is another strong point 

of the community. The elementary school was 

built in 1956 and the high school in 1967, with 

additions in 1978 and 1981. Center residents 

are proud of their elementary and high school 

with its indoor swimming pool, which was built 

in 1980. The pool was fi nanced with bonds, 

a federal grant and a loan from the state coal 

impact fund. The city operates the facility for 

the public, making it available to the school’s 

physical education program.

The city is home to several busi nesses, 

including a bank, a cafe, two taverns, two 

beauty shops, a gas station with a convenience store, a machine shop, a cabinet 

craftsman shop, a crafts store, a grocery store 

and an automotive repair shop. 

The establishment of an 80-acre in dustrial 

park on the southwest edge of town is an 

example of Center’s eco nomic development 

efforts. The indus trial park houses a machine 

shop, rental storage facilities, a construction company, a North Dakota Department of 

Transportation shop and a trucking company.

The population of 

Center enjoys a thriving 

community, thanks to 

a quality work force 

and ongoing energy 

development in the region.
BELTRAMI

NORTH STAR

ROSEAU

PKM

RED

LAKE

WILD

RICE

RED

RIVER

CLEARWATER -

CASS POLK

COUNTY

NODAK

CAVALIER

Bagley

●

Halstad

●

Grafton ●

Warroad ●

Roseau ●

Park River ●

● Stephen

● Warren ● Baudette

● Fosston

● Hawley

● Thief 

River Falls

16

Municipal Utilities 

Bagley Public Utilities

Bagley, Minn.

Baudette Municipal Utilities

Baudette, Minn.

Fosston Municipal Utilities

Fosston, Minn.

 Grafton Municipal Utilities

Grafton, N.D.

Halstad Municipal Utilities

Halstad, Minn.

 Hawley Public Utilities

Hawley, Minn.

Park River Municipal Utilities

Park River, N.D.

 Roseau Municipal Utilities

Roseau, Minn.

 City of Stephen Municipal Utilities

Stephen, Minn.

Thief River Falls Municipal Utilities

Thief River Falls, Minn.

 Warren Municipal Utilities

Warren, Minn. 

 Warroad Municipal Utilities

Warroad, Minn.

Distribution Cooperatives

Beltrami Electric Cooperative

Bemidji, Minn.

Cass County Electric Cooperative

Kindred, N.D.

Cavalier Rural Electric Cooperative

Langdon, N.D.

Clearwater-Polk Electric Cooperative

Bagley, Minn.

Nodak Electric Cooperative

Grand Forks, N.D.

North Star Electric Cooperative

Baudette, Minn.

PKM Electric Cooperative

Warren, Minn.

Red Lake Electric Cooperative

Red Lake Falls, Minn.

Red River Valley Cooperative Power Association

Halstad, Minn.

Roseau Electric Cooperative

Roseau, Minn.

Wild Rice Electric Cooperative

Mahnomen, Minn.

NORTH 

DAKOTA

MINNESOTA

In addition to meeting the 

electric power supply needs of 

the 11 member-owner distribution cooperatives, Minnkota is 

also the operating agent for the 

Northern Municipal Power 

Agency (NMPA), an organization 

of 12 municipal utilities in the 

same region. Together, the 

distribution cooperatives and 

municipal utilities serve more 

than 125,000 customers.

Associated systems

SQUARE BUTTE

ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE

P.O. Box 13200 • Grand Forks, N.D. 58208-3200

Headquarters:

P.O. Box 13200 • Grand Forks, N.D. 58208-3200

Phone 701-795-4000

Milton R. Young Station:

P.O. Box 127 • Center, N.D. 58530-0127

Phone 701-794-8711

www.minnkota.com