Great Rebates

Add comfort and energy efficiency to your home with help from Nodak Electric Cooperative!

Rebates are available to help you upgrade your heating and cooling system, water heater and chargers for electric vehicles. Nodak Electric offers these rebates to encourage load development, load retention and wise use of energy.

Electric Heating

Water Heaters

Electric vehicle chargers

All systems must be new equipment and controlled on Nodak’s off-peak program. A check will be issued to participating members after a visit from a Nodak technician.

Please call our Energy Services team at 701-746-4461 or 800-732-4373 if you have any questions about off-peak or the rebate program.

New Veterans Memorial Park in Grand Forks pays tribute to Armed Forces. 

When Al Palmer looks over the new Veterans Memorial Park in Grand Forks, each display has a story to tell, a person to remember and a sacrifice that should never be forgotten.

A retired Air Force General, Palmer takes the opportunity not only to reflect on his 38-year military career, but also on the service provided by his father, father-in-law, uncle and other family members whose names appear on individual blocks in the park.

“It provides an opportunity to go and spend time with your loved ones,” Palmer said. “It’s nice to know you can go there, look at their names, and remember them for their service and sacrifice.”

More than 1,000 people gathered and hundreds more watched online as the park was dedicated and officially opened on the 20th anniversary of 9/11. Palmer chaired a committee that drove the 6.2-acre space from dream into a reality.

Project ideas had been in the works for more than a decade, but gained traction in 2017 when the committee, in true military fashion, set a regimented schedule for meetings and developed a board of director structure. With a strong team assembled, they agreed there would be no salaries or per diems – every dollar would go to the park, which is located at the intersection of 24th Avenue South
and 34th Street.

Over 1,200 businesses and organizations were contacted to support the $2.5 million project. The first major breakthrough came from the Engelstad Foundation, which provided $250,000. Donations flooded in from there, ranging from a few dollars to tens of thousands.

Nodak Electric Cooperative supported the project through a $1,000 donation, while its wholesale power provider, Minnkota Power Cooperative, contributed $2,000.

“As cooperatives, we’re committed to the communities we serve,” said Mylo Einarson, Nodak Electric president and CEO. “It is important for our local communities to have a place where we can properly recognize our military service members and veterans for their commitment and sacrifice. Veterans Memorial Park is an important reminder of everything they’ve done for our country.”

The centerpiece of the park is a 40-foot-long, 6-foot-high Memorial Wall made of granite. The wall is laser-etched with 156 images explaining the role of American veterans from the first wars to the present day. A nearby touchscreen kiosk is available to provide more information on each image and its significance.

Granite benches and large pillars recognizing each military branch surround the Memorial Wall. At night, the display is illuminated and the images on the wall shine brightly through the darkness. Other attractions include a Northrop Grumman Global Hawk and a General Atomics Reaper, while a B-52 model should be installed in late fall or early spring.

Palmer is quick to deflect credit for the completion of the project and recognizes numerous individuals for their unique roles. Those same individuals decided to name the park’s Visitor Center after Palmer. “I broke down and cried,” Palmer said. “My grandkids can come here and see that and remember their grandfather. It’s very, very personal.”

Following the dedication, the Veterans Memorial Park committee will disband and officially turn operations over to the Grand Forks Park District. Palmer said the project leaders will still be active in advocating for the park and raising funds for future additions. His biggest goal is to get an F-16 to display on site.

“I don’t know of anyone in the Upper Midwest who has something like this,” Palmer said. “It’s a destination center for Grand Forks. And there is still room for us to grow.”

As jackets and mittens leave the closets this fall, be ready to cut the chill and your energy bill with these money-saving tips for autumn:

• Set your thermostat no higher than 68 degrees when you are home and lower the temperature when you go to bed or when you are not at home. This saves money and keeps you warm.
• During the day, open shades and curtains to allow solar heating. Close them at night to retain the day’s heat.
• Bundle up your home. Weatherize your home by caulking and weather stripping all doors and windows. Also use locks on your windows to make them tighter and draft resistant. Reducing air leaks could cut 10% from an average household’s monthly energy bill. The most common places where air escapes homes are: floors, walls, ceilings, ducts, fireplaces, plumbing penetrations, doors, windows, fans, vents and electrical outlets.
• Have your heating system serviced by a professional once a year.
• Check furnace filters. Be sure to clean or replace your heating and cooling system’s air filter. At a minimum, change the filter every three months; a dirty filter clogs the system, making the system work harder to keep you warm.
• Insulate or increase the amount of insulation in your attic, basement and outside walls. Also cover through-the-wall air conditioners to prevent cold air from leaking into your home.
• Don’t block your radiators or heating vents with furniture or draperies. Keep your radiators, registers and baseboard heaters free of dirt and dust. Close vents and doors in unused rooms.
• Close the fireplace damper when not in use.
• Turn your water heater down to 120 degrees to save money on your energy bill.

Want more ways to save? Take the home energy savings tour and see how little changes add up to big savings at www.TogetherWeSave.com.

Tune your furnace for fall

You can save energy this fall and winter by having your furnace serviced. Electric, gas and propane furnaces can go approximately three to five years between service calls and longer, if you change the filters regularly. Oil furnaces need to be serviced once a year, because they get dirty and need annual adjustment.

Changing filters regularly is one of the key maintenance tasks to keep any type of furnace running efficiently. Make sure you know where your furnace’s filter is located and what size it is. Inspect it periodically, and replace it when it is dirty. How frequently you need to change the filter depends on the amount of dirt in the house and around the furnace and also how much time the furnace runs.

Duct air leakage is one of the largest energy-wasters in your heating system. Heating contractors can check your ducts for air leakage and seal the largest leaks. Contractors start by sealing the larger joints near the furnace, and then work out toward the branch ducts as access allows. Believe it or not, duct tape is not a good choice for sealing ducts because its adhesive usually fails after a short time. Duct mastic, available in cans or buckets, is an effective and permanent material for sealing air leaks in ducts.

Get entered in for your chance to win an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C. with the Nodak Dakota Electric Cooperative Youth Tour.

June 19-24, 2022
Washington, D.C.

ESSAY QUESTION:

If you were asked to help promote your cooperative’s annual membership meeting, what ideas do you have for increasing attendance among young member-owners and students?

Please provide specific examples for unique communications strategies, scheduling and special activities for member-owners and their families.

• To enter the essay-writing contest, you must be a sophomore or junior in high school.
• You and your parents or guardian must be served by Nodak Electric Cooperative.
• If you have any questions, please contact Gretchen Schmaltz, Nodak Electric, at 701-746-4461 during regular business hours.
• The deadline is Dec. 10, 2021. You can email entries to Gretchen Schmaltz at gschmaltz@nodakelectric.com or mail a hard copy to: Youth Tour Essay Contest, 4000 32nd Ave. S., PO Box 13000, Grand Forks, ND 58208-3000.

Check out the essay contest guidelines at ndyouthtour.com

With grid challenges coming into focus, our local power leaders are working to chart a path forward. 

In the wake of devastating outage events over the past year – from a heatwave that crippled California’s electric grid to a February deep freeze that left Texas without power for days – leaders of Minnkota Power Cooperative (Nodak’s power provider) have been communicating the importance of grid reliability and resiliency with the nation’s top regulators and policymakers. As the electric utility sector navigates one of its most transformational periods, questions remain on how ambitious environmental goals may affect affordable and dependable service. 

“It is an exciting time for our industry, but it can also be daunting,” Mac McLennan, Minnkota president and CEO, told members of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy during a June 23 hearing. “We all want to push for it to be a better product – more reliable, more resilient, affordable for every household and as clean as possible. To reach these goals, we need to work together.” 

About 42% of Minnkota’s generation capacity comes from carbon-free sources such as wind and hydropower. Although Minnkota has added a significant amount of renewable energy, coal remains a critical resource to ensure reliability. 

North Dakota energy leaders, policymakers and regulators discussed lessons learned from recent national outage events during the Midwest Energy Summit on June 8 in Fargo, where McLennan participated in a panel focused on grid reliability. 

While North Dakota is looking for solutions to ensure its residents have 24/7 power, it is part of two multi-state grids where the decisions of other entities have enormous impacts. Minnkota participates in the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) market, where renewables currently account for about 10% to 12% of the grid’s resources. MISO Executive Director of External Affairs Brian Tulloh said challenges begin to emerge as that percentage increases. 

“We begin to see, at above about 30% renewable energy penetration, significant stability issues in the grid,” Tulloh said, referencing MISO’s Renewable Integration Impact Assessment. 

Grid stability challenges quickly become an issue of public safety and security, North Dakota Public Service Commission Chair Julie Fedorchak said. “What I took away from the February event was if we don’t have power, our society quickly becomes pretty unmanageable,” she said. 

Minnkota also recognizes the need to make reductions in carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions. The cooperative and its members are currently evaluating Project Tundra – an effort to install carbon capture technology at the coal-based Milton R. Young Station near Bismarck, N.D. 

Stacey Dahl, Minnkota senior manager of external affairs, provided an overview of Project Tundra during a June 3 meeting with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan. Regan said the Biden administration has a “positive viewpoint” of carbon capture technology. 

“There’s no doubt there’s huge potential,” he said of carbon capture during his visit. “And right here in North Dakota we’re seeing leadership.”

Have you been curious about electric bicycles (or e-bikes) cruising around your community? If you’re wondering how they work or why you would even want one, you’re in good company – we’ve heard the same questions from our members. We decided to check in with the Grand Forks Scheels store to learn more about this newly trending technology. 

John Vojacek, Scheels service shop manager and e-bike expert, says his store has carried battery-powered bikes for more than six years. However, they’ve become more mainstream in the past year or so as people begin experiencing the wide range of benefits for every age and activity level. Vojacek loves hearing stories from customers whose lives have been enhanced by a little electric pedal assistance. 

“One gentleman who winters in Arizona, he would sit on his porch and every morning he’d watch a bike group go by – just a simple coffee ride,” he recounted. “He said there was no way he could keep up, but now with an e-bike, he can ride with that group down to the corner to get coffee. It’s exciting, on our side, to know that we can help folks fit in or keep up.” 

E-bikes have three levels of classification. Class 1 e-bikes give electric pedal assist only, with the motor simply amplifying the rider’s pedal power up to 20 mph. Class 2 e-bikes have the same 20-mph cutoff, but they are also allowed to have a throttle, allowing the motor to fully propel the rider forward. Class 3 are higher-performing e-bikes, with a drive system that will assist pedaling up to 28 mph. 

Scheels usually stocks Class 1 and Class 3 models, with prices ranging from around $1,500 for the Electra Townie Go up to $3,150 for the popular Verve 3 Trek. There are models on the market that are more expensive (some up to $7,000 or more), and there are also some that are less. However, Vojacek urges potential buyers to seek out a store with an e-bike-trained service staff (like Scheels) or a knowledgeable independent bike shop to ensure you are purchasing a safe and durable bike with a UL-listed battery. 

“E-bikes in Europe are huge, and have become one of the main ways people get around. That technology is now making its way over here, and they already have all of the kinks worked out. They’re super reliable and super easy to use,” he said. 

E-bike batteries can typically be charged from depleted to full power in three hours, giving 30-80 miles in assisted range, depending on performance setting. Some daily commuters (who arrive to work sweat-free) will plug in their bike or battery pack at their desk and have a full charge for the ride home. The effective range of the battery does decrease slightly in colder temperatures, but the batteries are water resistant for off-roading experiences that take a rider through puddles or rain. 

“If you’ve never ridden one before, come in and take one for a test ride. We always see guests with a ‘perma-grin’ when they get back, because they’re so much fun to ride,” Vojacek said, adding that they are a great way to work toward health goals. “It makes it enjoyable to get out and ride. If you enjoy the activity, you’re going to do it a lot more than if it’s a chore.” 

Our Scheels expert doesn’t yet have an e-bike at home – but he’ll soon be one of the many taking a seat. “I have two young boys that are into racing BMX right now. When they get into high school, there’s no way I’m going to be able to keep up with them on a bike, so an e-bike is going to be my jam,” he said with a chuckle.

Recently energized Berg substation elevates opportunities for Nodak Electric Cooperative

On April 16, several teams assembled at the Grand Forks site of Berg substation, the newest to be integrated into Minnkota Power Cooperative’s system of more than 255 substations across North Dakota and Minnesota, and the latest to join Nodak’s division of more than 50 distribution substations. After months of planning and construction, it was time to bring life to the lines and metal. 

The anticipation? Electrifying.

“Everybody wants it to be perfect,” said power delivery substation engineer Kara Laframboise as she and other power pros from Minnkota and Nodak performed their final checks. 

When power began to flow through Berg substation that day, it became the next link in a regional electric grid that rapidly has become more connected, intelligent and reliable – due in large part to the deployment of distribution automation (DA) technologies. 

“With distribution automation, it’s not your typical substation anymore,” said Blaine Rekken, Nodak Member/Energy Services manager. “Our members should know that we’re actively working to advance our substations. Berg is the newest with this technology, but we’re also working with Minnkota, our power provider, to retrofit many of the older ones.”

Distribution automation uses state-of-the-art telecommunications equipment to allow control center operators to access more grid information remotely. Operators can see an issue as it happens – such as low or high voltage, blown fuses, overloads, etc. – and then either resolve the problem themselves or send the correct crews to the site immediately. Before DA, the control center had to rely on the “guess and check” method of dispatching crews, which could lead to longer outage times.

“This technology is going to create a more reliable system and safer environment,” said Minnkota System Operations superintendent Reed Daws. “If we deem something is wrong in a sub, we can de-energize it while we wait for someone to get there, and they can go in safely and see what’s going on. Instead of losing high-investment equipment like transformers, we might be able to de-energize them and save them. In the end, it’s going to be very valuable, not only on the financial side, but also keeping people with safe, reliable power.”

“Minnkota is putting more DA into more substations to make them smarter,” Rekken said. “Our collective goal is to provide power, and to do it with the least amount of disruptions. This is one of the ways we’re doing it.”

The new Berg substation is not only a smart substation – it’s a necessary one. The sub is energized for extra capacity for a growing Grand Forks area, relieving pressure on the existing system. It will also add needed redundancy and the ability to move power from one substation to another in the event of an outage. That means minimal outage times for members.

“We’re continually seeking ways to increase reliability. Our members are always at the forefront of our minds,” Rekken said. “When we add new substations, our members usually don’t see that – along with all of those other innovative things that happen behind the scenes. But we want to celebrate those advancements, because they help us meet our mission of providing the highest-quality electric service.”

Scammers will threaten you with everything from shutting off your power to your home to legal action. Don’t fall victim to these types of scams. 

Our employees will never show up at your door to demand payment. Never give personal information to an unknown caller or visitor. Our representatives have access to the details they need to service your account. Demands for immediate payment by wire transfer, cryptocurrency, gift cards or cash reload cards should immediately raise red flags. 

During summer months, run large appliances that emit heat (like clothes dryers and dishwashers) during the evening when it’s cooler. This will minimize indoor heat during the day when outdoor temperatures are highest. 

Clearing trees and overgrown vegetation is vital to provide safe, reliable power to our members.

We clear certain areas in our service territory, known as rights of way, to: 

• Keep power lines clear of tree limbs
• Restore power outages more quickly 
• Keep crews and members of our community safe
• Reduce unexpected costs for repairs

Vegetation management improves service reliability for you – our members!