Greetings From Nodak Electric Cooperative

We are happy to welcome you to the Nodak website. As a cooperative, each member owns a portion of the company. We encourage all members/owners to take an active interest in the affairs of their cooperative’s business.

The cooperative is guided by a board of nine directors. The directors establish policies and operational procedures, and they meet regularly on the first Tuesday of each month. The CEO and staff are responsible for the operation of the distribution. Line maintenance crews are strategically located throughout the service area to assure prompt service.

Nodak wants each member/owner to receive the best service from their cooperative. Working together, we are able to provide our members/owners with safe, reliable and affordable electrical service.

Mission

Nodak Electric Cooperative is dedicated to being an efficient provider of quality electric service with leadership that demonstrates the highest regard for its members/owners.

Territory

Cavalier District
Mike Foerster
District Crew Foreman

Devils Lake District
Cory McKelvey
District Crew Foreman

Finley District
George Gardiner
District Crew Foreman

Grafton District
Kurt Kelley
District Crew Foreman

Grand Forks East District
Derek Sondreal
District Crew Foreman

Grand Forks West District
Matt Konze
District Crew Foreman

Michigan District
Scott Midstokke
District Crew Foreman

History

Incorporation

Nodak Electric Cooperative has a proud record of electrification. During 1939, four individual projects struggled to obtain a secure source of power and to build power lines in the rural areas of northeastern North Dakota. These projects included the Walsh Project in the Walsh County area, the Five Star Project in the Ramsey and Nelson County areas, the Red River Project in the Traill County area, and the Forks Project in the Grand Forks County area.

Because of the difficulty in obtaining a firm source of power, these four projects were merged to form Nodak Rural Electric Cooperative, which was incorporated on January 17, 1940. Later that year, Nodak Rural Electric Cooperative became one of several cooperatives in North Dakota and Minnesota that would jointly own and purchase all power requirements from Minnkota Power Cooperative in Grand Forks.

Financing

Financing for the construction of power generation and distribution lines was furnished by the Rural Electrification Administration in accordance with the Rural Electrification Act signed by Franklin D. Roosevelt on May 11, 1935.

World War II virtually brought line construction to a halt due to lack of materials and manpower. Following the war, Nodak embarked on a rapid expansion program to provide complete area coverage. Nodak changed its name to Nodak Electric Cooperative in 1989 to better represent the full clientele the cooperative served.

Approval

The board of directors of both Nodak and Sheyenne Valley Cooperative voted on March 28, 2000, to approve a merger plan between the two cooperatives. On July 11, 2000, at Nodak’s annual meeting, members voted to merge with Sheyenne Valley Electric. At Sheyenne Valley’s annual meeting, their customers also voted in favor of the merger.

Merging

As of January 1, 2001, Sheyenne Valley officially became a part of Nodak. Merging the two systems eliminated redundancies and reduced the overall cost of providing electricity to its customers. As one system, it was able to operate with less personnel, use fewer facilities and eliminate one governing board of directors.

Today

Today, Nodak provides power to over 14,000 members. Nodak’s service territory covers all or parts of Pembina, Walsh, Ramsey, Nelson, Steele, Grand Forks, Griggs, Benson, Eddy, Traill and Cass counties in North Dakota.