North Star’s MyMeter platform will soon be discontinued, ending after September 30, 2026.

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If you need assistance setting up SmartHub or have any questions, please contact our office at 218-634-2202.  We’re happy to help!

Thank you for your understanding and for allowing us to continue serving you.

By Mac McLennan, Minnkota Power Cooperative President & CEO

Minnkota Power Cooperative is preparing for one of the most important power supply planning periods in its history – and our members are at the heart of our decision-making process.

As the wholesale power provider for North Star Electric Cooperative and 10 other member cooperatives across eastern North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota, Minnkota is responsible for making sure reliable, affordable and sustainable electricity is available not only today, but decades into the future.

That responsibility is becoming more complex. Electricity demand is growing. Power markets are changing. Environmental requirements continue to evolve. New technologies are creating opportunities, but also new challenges. At the same time, members continue to expect dependable electric service they can afford.

Minnkota takes the job of managing these issues seriously. The path ahead is being shaped by extensive planning, detailed analysis and a long-term commitment to the members and communities we serve.

Our approach is an all-of-the-above energy strategy. That means we’re working to strengthen the coal, wind and hydro resources we already have in place, while adding new resources that make our system more diverse, flexible and reliable.

One important step already in progress is the development of the Flickertail Wind Farm near New Rockford, North Dakota. Minnkota has entered into a purchase power agreement to receive energy from the 370-megawatt wind project, which is expected to be completed in 2028. When complete, Flickertail will more than double Minnkota’s current wind energy portfolio.

Because wind energy output changes with weather conditions, Minnkota also needs resources that can respond when electricity demand is high or when other resources are producing less. That’s why we’re closely evaluating the addition of natural gas generation in North Dakota.

This effort is connected to the development of the Bakken East natural gas pipeline, which is planned to move natural gas from the oilfields of western North Dakota to the eastern side of the state. Natural gas generation can start up, ramp down and adjust output to help match electricity supply with demand across the region. Minnkota is still determining the right technology, location and size for this potential facility, but current planning is focused on having it available in the early 2030s.

At the same time, Minnkota’s existing coal-based resources at the Milton R. Young Station in western North Dakota continue to provide tremendous value. This facility produces dependable, around-the-clock electricity and supports the reliability our members expect. That’s why Minnkota continues to pursue Project Tundra, an effort to add carbon capture technology at the Young Station. If implemented, Project Tundra would capture CO₂ emissions from the power plant and help position it to meet potential future environmental regulations.

Project Tundra is being advanced by a technology developer with the significant help of state and federal funding. Importantly, the project is being structured with limited required capital investment from Minnkota, minimizing financial risk to the membership. If a decision is made to move forward, the facility could be online prior to the end of the decade.

These power supply decisions are being made for Minnkota’s legacy members, including the homes, farms, schools and businesses served by North Star. You are the foundation of our system, and your needs remain at the center of our planning.

That same member-first approach also guides how Minnkota evaluates electric growth. New large electricity consumers can bring opportunity to our region, but only if they are served in a way that protects existing members and strengthens the overall system. That’s the standard Minnkota is applying to the data center being developed near Harwood, North Dakota.

The data center will cover the costs for its dedicated infrastructure up front and pay its own way for all its energy needs. The agreement is designed to ensure this new load does not shift costs to existing members. In fact, the revenues from this data center project can help cover a portion of the costs tied to future power supply investments Minnkota is already pursuing.

With each of these projects now in motion, the work is moving from planning to action. The decisions ahead are significant, but necessary to keep power reliable. As a not-for-profit cooperative, Minnkota’s focus remains on the people and communities we serve. That focus will continue to guide the decisions being made today for the power needs of tomorrow.

Data centers are a part of our future. So much of our daily lives now depend on digital infrastructure, from storing information in the cloud to using AI to make our days more productive. Our reliance on data centers is only growing, and the United States has an opportunity to harness all the benefits that come with that development. 

Are we ready for it? 

Yes, data centers need a lot of electricity to work their magic. But if we’re able to create a system of sustainable, reliable and financially fair power to support them, just look at the power our nation – and our local communities – receive in return. 

Economic benefits 

• U.S.-based data centers create high-paying technical jobs in rural communities where such opportunities wouldn’t otherwise be available. 

• Companies from outside of the region (even outside of the U.S.) may be attracted to set up operations near data center-rich areas, boosting and diversifying the local economy. 

• Data centers can actually stabilize local electric rates, as the data center carries more of the burden of the fixed costs of maintaining the area’s electric infrastructure. 

National security benefits 

• Hosting data domestically allows greater control over government and military data. 

• Having data centers nearby offers stronger cybersecurity oversight. 

• Ultimately, local data centers help us gain resilience in times of geopolitical tension. 

Rural industry benefits 

• Data center-driven AI is supporting higher levels of patient care in rural health care systems by allowing providers to do more with less. 

• AI is also leveling up the precision of agriculture, enhancing local yields and creating safer farm environments. 

• Weather forecasting also benefits from AI, an effect that ripples out to flood control, aviation, agriculture, unmanned aerial systems and other industries important to North Dakota and Minnesota. 

We need to be ready for the promise of data centers. We need REAL POWER NOW. 

REALPOWERNOW.COM 

At the Capitol: Working to keep your power affordable and reliable power 

The 2026 Minnesota legislative session has wrapped up at the Capitol, and there’s plenty for cooperative member-owners to know about how the session affected the energy that powers your home, farm or business. 

It was a session shaped by divided government. With a tied House, a one-seat Senate majority and an election looming in November, every bill needed bipartisan agreement to move. Even so, Minnesota’s electric cooperatives made important progress on the issues that matter most to member-owners. The session delivered a meaningful step forward on nuclear energy and stopped several costly proposals before they could become law. 

A step forward on nuclear energy 

After three decades of standing still, Minnesota took its first real step forward on nuclear energy. 

Lawmakers approved a state nuclear energy study, the most significant movement on the issue since Minnesota’s nuclear moratorium was put in place in 1994. The moratorium itself remains on the books, but the study reflects a growing recognition at the Capitol that nuclear power deserves a serious look as the state works toward its carbon-free electricity goals. 

The study itself will examine the costs, benefits and tradeoffs of nuclear energy in Minnesota, including its potential role in supporting affordability, reliability and emissions reductions. Its findings will give lawmakers a stronger foundation for deciding whether to lift the moratorium next year. 

Holding the line on costly new mandates 

Just as important as what passed is what didn’t. 

Several proposals introduced this session would have added new costs, new mandates or new layers of regulation onto Minnesota’s electric cooperatives. None of them became law, and that outcome wasn’t an accident. 

Throughout the session, Minnesota’s electric cooperatives worked to educate legislators about how mandates from St. Paul affect locally governed, not-for-profit cooperatives differently than they do large investor-owned utilities. Bills touching on solar policy, affordability mandates and utility operations all stalled before reaching the finish line. Cooperative priorities like net metering reform also saw little movement, leaving important work for future sessions. 

That distinction matters because cooperatives are governed by the members they serve. Decisions about your electricity are made by neighbors you can talk to, not regulators in St. Paul. One-size-fits-all mandates often raise costs, undermine that local democracy and add bureaucracy without delivering real benefits to member-owners. Stopping bad policy rarely makes headlines, but it remains critically important to the members we serve.