Mark your calendar with our Littlefork and Baudette Member Appreciation Open House dates! They will be held on Tuesday, June 21, in Littlefork, and Wednesday, June 22, in Baudette, each day from 11 am to 2 pm. The linemen will be grilling brats for lunch, and we will have door prizes for both kids and adults! Hope to see you there!
The 2022 Knowledge Scholarship competition has been completed! Congratulations to these winners!
$1,000.00 – Bryanna Wichner from Littlefork-Big Falls School
$400.00 – Destiny Piekarski from Littlefork-Big Falls School
$400.00 – Mackinley Imes from Lake of the Woods School
$400.00 – Mya Ballard from Roseau Community School
$400.00 – Chase Steinback from Indus School
North Star Electric Cooperative, Inc. is looking to hire two (2) 1,000 hour temporary apprentice lineworkers for our summer and fall construction and maintenance season on our overhead and underground distribution system.
Qualifications include:
North Star Electric serves over 5,500 members with over 1,450 miles of line in beautiful northern Minnesota, with much of our service area bordering Canada along the Rainy River. Our members are located in Lake of the Woods, Koochiching, Roseau, and St. Louis counties. One position is located in Baudette, MN, and the other position is located in Littlefork, MN.
To learn more about the northern Minnesota area, specifically Baudette, which is also known as the Walleye Capital of the World, visit https://gethookedforlife.com.
Our values are integrity, accountability, innovation, and commitment to community. If you have similar values, a strong work ethic, and are a qualified candidate, please apply. An application form can be downloaded from application-for-employment.pdf (northstarelectric.coop). Applications will be accepted until 4:00 p.m., April 15, 2022. Please call Tim Pelach at North Star Electric Cooperative (218-634-2202) with questions.
Please mail, fax or e-mail application and resume to:
North Star Electric Cooperative, Inc., PO Box 719, Baudette, MN 56623
Fax number: 218-634-2203 E-mail – tim.p@northstarelectric.coop
North Star Electric Cooperative, Inc. is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
North Star Electric Cooperative, Inc. is looking to hire a full-time qualified journeyman or advanced-apprentice electrical lineworker. Requirements include successful completion of an accredited lineworker school. Must have experience with overhead and underground electric distribution power lines, including line construction, line maintenance, troubleshooting, and rubber gloving voltages of 7,200 and 14,400. A valid Minnesota driver’s license with a CDL is required. Our values are integrity, accountability, innovation, and commitment to community. If you have similar values, a strong work ethic, and are a qualified electrical lineworker, please apply.
This position is located in Littlefork, Minnesota, with a no more than 20-minute drive time from home to office. This position includes current union compensation and an excellent benefit package. A pre-employment physical and drug screenings are required.
Application form can be downloaded from application-for-employment. Applications will be accepted until 4:00 p.m., June 13, 2022. Please call Tim Pelach at North Star Electric Cooperative (218-634-2202) with questions.
Please mail, fax or e-mail resume and application to:
North Star Electric Cooperative, Inc.
PO Box 719
Baudette, MN 56623
Fax number: 218-634-2203
E-mail – tim.p@northstarelectric.coop
www.northstarelectric.coop
North Star Electric Cooperative, Inc. is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
Minnkota and its members expect active off-peak load control season spurred by volatile energy markets
Last winter, a polar vortex event sent energy market prices soaring. Fewer resources across the country were able to generate electricity in the historic cold, and demand was high for the few resources that that were generating enough to sell into the electric grid.
Utilities are experiencing those high market prices again – but it’s not because of a single major weather event this time. It’s the climbing cost of natural gas.
“Natural gas is one of those resources that typically help manage the variability in electricity generation, and we’re seeing prices that are significantly higher than what we’ve seen in the past 10-15 years,” explained Todd Sailer, senior manager of power supply & resource planning for Minnkota Power Cooperative (North Star Electric Co-op’s wholesale power provider). “We’re seeing prices double and triple what they were last year, or even over the last couple of years.”
While the energy markets soared for only 7-10 days in February 2021’s polar vortex, Sailer says this volatility could last throughout the winter season, or longer. That’s good insight for cooperative members on the demand response – or off-peak – program, which allows the co-op to temporarily interrupt service to a participant’s off-peak loads (electric heating, large-capacity water heaters, electric vehicle chargers, etc.) in exchange for a lower electric rate.
“The projection is that these high prices will likely drive our demand response more than we’ve seen in the past years,” Sailer said.
Minnkota’s energy marketers are preparing for 200 hours of off-peak electric heating load control this winter, but Sailer says that could rise if natural gas prices continue to climb. He also notes that load control could be spread out over more days and not always coincide with major weather events.
“If we have days of low intermittent resources in the region, like wind power, the expectation is that the markets will respond and you’ll see higher markets, which will result in more off-peak control,” he said.
Ultimately, the cooperative will deploy off-peak load control when it needs to protect itself from buying high-price energy from the market. This system was established years ago to avoid building more generation facilities for peak need that only arises a few days out of the year. That, in turn, keeps rates low for consumers. By being a part of the off-peak load control program, consumers can also take advantage of an even lower electric rate without any disruption in comfort.
As we enter the winter, Sailer urges those who are a part of the off-peak program to make sure they have adequate backup fuel supply. When the cooperative runs its load control tests before the peak of the cold season, confirm that all parts of your heating system are running smoothly.
“It’s not just natural gas – it’s propane, it’s all fuel sources that have seen an increase in cost. Which leads to people reliant on their off-peak system,” Sailer said. “Members should be making sure their system works.”
Our 2021 Annual Meeting will be held on October 1, 2021, at the Lake of the Woods School in Baudette. The Annual Report to be presented at the meeting may be viewed here.
This year, our annual meeting will be drive-in style! Registration begins at 4 pm, when you can also pick up your free gift and hot dinner provided by West of Border. Enjoy your dinner in your car, while you wait for the 4:45 pm meeting to begin, which we anticipate to be short. One $500 energy bill credit prize will be drawn for, as well as a Fitbit Versa 2 smartwatch, an Apple iPad, and a $100 coloring random winner for kids birth through age 18. We hope to see you there!
The last two years have shown consumers how volatile pricing can be – from gas to building supplies to vehicles. Most recently, propane prices have skyrocketed, leaving some people planning for a costly heating season. If you’re looking for something rock solid, take advantage of an air-source heat pump on your co-op’s off-peak electric heating program for your next system replacement or new home.
For the last decade, our low off-peak electricity price has remained stable, protecting you from the harsh, sometimes pocket-emptying cost swings of propane. With the off-peak electric program, you still have the choice to utilize a backup fuel source when it’s very cold, and you have more control over your monthly expenses. It’s the comfort and security you’ve been longing for.
What is the demand response – or “off-peak” – program?
The demand response program is voluntary for our members, and it has become a popular way to save on heating and cooling by reducing your exposure to variable propane prices. Participants allow our power supplier, Minnkota Power Cooperative, to remotely turn off electric heaters and other interruptible loads in exchange for a discounted retail electric rate. This enables Minnkota to more effectively manage its existing power resources and avoid adding new, costly electric generating resources.
Save money with an air-source heat pump
Because of their advanced efficiency, the cost to run an air-source heat pump (ASHP) often falls well below the cost of propane-only heat. The difference grows when propane prices rise, which can happen without much notice. North Star offers hundreds of dollars in rebates to help offset the cost of installing a qualified ASHP. In addition to protecting you from unpredictable fuel prices, ASHPs maintain the same comfort you expect without the need to endlessly monitor fuel levels. Electric heat doesn’t run out, so you can avoid more seasonal refills and messy maintenance. Plus, less reliance on fossil fuels means fewer emissions inside and outside your home.
