Nodak Electric Cooperative uses multiple methods such as annual maintenance programs, automated technologies and strategic initiatives to enhance reliability, reduce labor time for our crews and lessen outage times. 

Oil Circuit Reclosures (OCRs)

Oil circuit reclosers (OCRs) act like a circuit breaker, protecting distribution lines in the case of a temporary fault or short. The OCR opens to halt the fault and closes again immediately, causing a small “blink” in electricity. If the line anomaly continues, the OCR will shut off (remain open), resulting in an outage.

Winter Maintenance

In January, line crews will begin driving around our service territory to inspect overhead lines and look for potential hazards that could be dangerous or affect reliability. Some of these hazards include cracked, broken and leaning poles, trees hanging dangerously close to power lines, frayed wires and blown arrestors.

Summer Maintenance 

In the summer months, line crews and local contractors perform pole inspections, vegetation management and preventive right-of-way trimming.

Seven Service Centers

Nodak Electric Cooperative has seven local service centers. It was a deliberate decision to have these centers throughout our nine-county service territory in order to maintain a local presence in these communities, while also working to reduce the time it takes for our lineworkers to respond and restore electricity.

Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI)

In addition to meter readings, Nodak Electric Cooperative’s AMI system provides real-time data that helps us detect faults and other potential problems on the electric grid. This system supports increased reliability for you, our member-owners.