Northern Lights • August 2006 �

NORtheRNAugust 2006

L i g h t s

Beltrami Electric Cooperative

Looking out for youPages 2-3

�  Northern Lights • August 2006

Rich Riewer, Manager of Engineering

Northern Lights (USPS 016488), Vol. 53, No. 8 is published monthly by Beltrami Electric Cooperative Inc., 4111 Technology Drive N.W., Bemidji, Min-nesota 56619-0488. Subscription rate $5. Periodicals postage paid at Bemidji, MN 56601.

Postmaster: Please send address corrections to Beltrami Electric Cooperative Inc., P.O. Box 488, Bemidji, Minnesota 56619-0488.

Office Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday – Friday

Customer Service: 218-444-2540 or 1-800-955-6083 

www.beltramielectric.com

Board of DirectorsPresident  Lyle Robinson, District 9 (Minnkota Director)

Vice President  Frank Zentek, District 5

Secretary  Arnold Christianson, District 7

Treasurer  Terry Diffley, District 8

Directors: Emmet Weidenborner, District 1, (Square Butte Director); Lea Perkins, District 2; Adrian De- Vries, District 3; Jack Swenson, District 4; Randy C. Johnson, District 6

 General Manager  Lynette Nieuwsma

Editor  Jared Echternach

NORtheRNNORtheRNL i g h t s

Gopher State One Call 1-800-252-1166

Anyone who is planning to dig is required by law to notify the state of their intentions at least 48 hours in advance.

All digging requires the 48-hour notification so that buried telephone line, television cable, pipelines, electrical lines, water lines and sewer lines can be located to ensure that none will be severed or damaged.

Minnesota State Electrical Inspectors Beltrami and Clearwater Counties

Mark Smythe 218-751-0487 or fax 218-751-3900

e-mail: masmythe@paulbunyan.net smytheelectricinspections.comCass and Hubbard Counties

Bob Orgon 218-556-3829 or fax 218-333-0451

These are the inspectors covering the area served by Beltrami Electric. They can be reached by phone Monday through Friday between 7 and 9 a.m. or by fax or e-mail as indicated.

On the cOver: Beltrami Electric’s manager of engi-neering Rich Riewer downloads data from the new Turtle River substation. The data provides valuable informa-tion on power quality and reliability, and identifies ways your cooperative can improve service.

I would like to take this opportunity to explain some of the things we are doing at your cooperative to enhance service reliability and add value to 

your service. In this particular article, we will focus on minimizing power outages and blinks.  

One of the measures we take to minimize outage occurrences and outage duration is to sectionalize our distribu-tion system. This means that we break our electrical system into smaller parts so that in an event where a tree hits an overhead line, we can isolate and mini-mize the outage area. 

Sectionalizing is ac-complished by using many different devices. One of the devices, a recloser, senses if there are problems on the line and responds within seconds. When a recloser detects a problem on the line, it begins a series of open and close intervals after which if the problem clears itself (for example, if a tree brushes an overhead line), the line will remain energized. If the problem persists at the end of the open and close intervals, the device will lock out, de-energizing the line. All of these devices must coordinate 

with each other to effectively isolate an outage area.

Many events may cause a problem on a line. For overhead lines, it may be trees or animals. For underground lines, it may be a dig-in. The same basic concepts are used to sectionalize overhead and 

underground lines, or a combination of both.  

High-tech substationsAnother step your co-

operative has taken to im-prove outage information is to update the substations with intelligent controls that allow us to download vital data from our substa-tion reclosers. This allows us to analyze previous outages or blink data that may help track down the 

cause of a problem that is difficult to de-termine by patrolling a line. Most of this data is extracted at the substation using a laptop computer and includes information such as the date and time of the blink or outage, its duration and magnitude, and its approximate location. The data helps crews resolve outages and blinks more efficiently and assists our engineers in identifying problem areas that can then be addressed in our work plan.  

As technology improves, we will be able to download data from many differ-ent sources through a high-speed commu-nications network. The ability to connect to intelligent devices in the field, much like a computer network, will allow us to analyze and interpret data much more efficiently.

As always, if you have questions or ideas of how we can add value to your service, please stop in or give us a call. 

“One of the measures we take to minimize outage occurrences and outage duration is to sectionalize our distribution system.”

Enhancing service reliability

The following guest column replaces the manager’s column this month. As occasional guest column writers, staff will highlight various ways we are adding value to your service and your membership. We’d like to take this time to thank you for your patron-age and we hope this information helps shed light on how we are looking out for you, our member-owners.

Guest Column

Northern Lights • August 2006 �

The Turtle River substation came online in �006. The new substation relieves load off of the Northern, Long Lake and Blackduck substations and improves service reliability to members in that area.

OCR technician Larry Schmidt inspects a recloser. The devices sense problems on the line and help minimize the frequency and duration of outages.

Oil circuit reclosers (OCRs), are used to minimize outage occurrences and duration by sectionalizing line. The devices sense if there is a problem on the line and respond in seconds by opening and closing temporarily until the problem clears, such as a tree brushing the line. If the problem persists, the device locks out, de-energizing the line.

4  Northern Lights • August 2006

Auto PAy

  Eliminates check writing and late fees.

  Saves time and postage.budget billing

  Reduces fluctuation in your electric bills.

  Makes budgeting for your electric use much easier!

Voltz attends Youth Tour

Leif Voltz, a Bemidji High School senior, represented Beltrami Electric as part of the Youth Tour spon-sored by the co-op. Voltz joined hun-dreds of high school students as they met with legislators and witnessed first hand the day-to-day op-eration of the federal government. Voltz posed for a photo op with congressman James Oberstar (photo at left) and congressman Collin Peterson.

Offer limited to eligible members while supplies last. CFLs must be picked up at

Beltrami Electric, 4��� Technology Drive, N.W.

Enroll in your cooperative’s Auto

Pay or Budget Billing programs and receive 4 Compact Fluorescent Lamps

(CFLs) - A $15 value - absolutely FREE!

Northern Lights • August 2006 �

In 2002 Beltrami Electric’s wholesale power supplier, Minnkota Power Co-operative, Grand Forks, N.D., imple-

mented its Infinity Wind Energy program installing two turbines in North Dakota that turn wind into watts. The turbines, located in Valley City and Petersburg, have produced an average of 2.8 million kilowatt-hours annually over the past four years for members enrolled in the subscription-based program. Since wind-generated electricity is more costly and less reliable than traditional electrical genera-tion, such as that produced by Minnkota Power’s lignite-fired Milton R. Young Station, those who participate in the wind energy program have elected to pay a premium of $1.50 per 100 kilowatt-hour block of wind energy. This is in addition to their regular monthly electric bill.

Reliability realitiesWhile wind is free, the costs to 

produce wind-generated electricity are higher than traditional lignite-fired gen-

eration. The intermittent nature of wind also poses reliability problems and the turbines must be backed up by an energy source that can be called upon at any time – such as lignite-fired generation. As a re-sult of the wind’s intermittent nature, the turbines operate at approximately 35-40 percent capacity. In other words, the wind just isn’t blowing all the time and at the required speeds to produce the ‘round-

the-clock electricity our members expect.

Heavily subsidizedWhat allows wind 

energy programs to pencil out is the federal subsidy 

granted for wind generation. This subsidy of 1.8 cents per kilowatt-hour helps offset some of the increased costs associated with wind energy. One of the ongoing challenges is that the U.S. Congress must approve program subsidies and for the past two years has only approved fund-ing at approximately two-thirds of the promised level.   

On the horizonMember interest in wind power and 

their willingness to pay the added cost are the primary reasons Minnkota cre-ated the Infinity program. As a result of a recent settlement with the Environmental Protection Agency and to make a good-faith effort toward reaching Minnesota’s 10 percent renewable energy objective, Minnkota is looking at additional sources of wind energy for the future.    

Subscription changesMembers who want wind energy to 

be part of their retail purchase power needs are utilizing the output of both turbines. Subscriptions are available to members who agree to pay the additional costs for wind energy. Improved per-formance, continued federal subsidies, and the increased cost of energy on the wholesale market have allowed Minnkota to reduce the cost of each 100-kilowatt-hour block of wind energy to $.50. This change was effective in July.

“It’s not that the cost of wind has gone down, rather that the value of en-ergy in the market has gone up,” said Al Tschepen, Minnkota’s vice president of Planning and Systems Operations.

If you would like to participate in the Infinity Wind Energy program, please contact the cooperative at 218-444-2540 or 1-800-955-6083. Each block of wind energy you purchase will cost an addi-tional $.50 on your electric bill.

2005 Monthly Statistics900-kw Wind Turbines – Valley City, N.D., and Petersburg, N.D.

Jan. Feb. March April May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.

Energy production - mwh

Average wind speed - mph

Capacity factor - %

Peak output - kw

Availability - %

207 207 253 296 274 209 163 181 212 260 260 204

206 224 238 302 253 203 169 199 222 259 311 173

16 15 16 20 18 16 15 15 16 17 19 15

19 17 16 20 18 16 15 16 17 19 21 16

31 34 38 46 41 32 24 27 33 39 40 30

31 37 36 47 38 31 25 30 34 39 48 26

954 888 913 839 865 830 644 738 859 858 932 942

959 860 877 814 830 799 750 712 723 845 947 882

99 99 100 100 95 100 89 95 100 100 97 97

95 99 100 100 98 98 93 98 99 96 99 100

ValleyCity

Petersburg

ValleyCity

Petersburg

ValleyCity

Petersburg

ValleyCity

Petersburg

ValleyCity

Petersburg

Realities of windA closer look at your cooperative’s wind energy program

6  Northern Lights • August 2006

ClassifiedsNorthern Lights

Classified ads rulesFor sale and wanted items only. No rental, business, service, real estate or personal ads. Please limit your ad to 10 words. Limited to one for sale ad and one wanted ad per issue. Ads are published on a first-come, first-served basis and are free to Beltrami Elec-tric members. The ad deadline is the first of the month to be included in the next issue. For example, an ad received June 1 would be included in the July issue due out the end of June. An ad received June 2 would be included in the August issue due out the end of July. Ads are preferred via e-mail at info@beltramielectric.com, but may be submitted by mail, phone or in person at the cooperative. All telephone numbers are pre-sumed to have a 218 area code unless otherwise noted.

For Sale:Clean beds $50 ea.; used lumber, doors, windows 224-2486

’03 100th anniv. Harley Sportster 883, low mi., mint cond., must sell; Minnkota bow-mount trolling motor $65 759-0080

KitchenAid mixer w/attachments $100; Brother word processor, like new $50 835-6988

Free to good home, ½ chow and ½ Lab pups, some black, some brown 835-7682

Fuel oil furnace from mobile home $200; 250-gal. fuel oil tanks $50 444-8629

19” Emerson TV, cheap; behind mower leaf picker-upper, never used, pd. $279 negotiable 854-7235 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

’98 Dodge 4x4 PU, AT, fully loaded, very clean, 127K, many extras, Reese hitch, chrome steps, bed liner, toolbox $6,500 obo 467-3322 or 368-0398

Purebred Lab pups, avail. 7/18 444-8322

KitchenAid convection oven/range, Maytag fridge, both almond $350/both 444-5243

’92 Chevy K1500 PU, high mi., new tranny $1,000/make offer 444-7616

’80 Fiat X-19 Bertone, good shape, runs, drives fine, $1,500 obo 751-6930 or 556-2583

Steel door; int. oak door; oak sq. & rd. table; oak coffee table; 2 oak desk chairs; oak sewing rocker; bi-fold door; exercise bike; walker; steel mesh end gate; homemade quilts 243-2702

Rifle, .270, left hand bolt w/rings, shells, exc. cond. $450 243-2200

Shoremaster alum. boatlift, 1,800 lb. $750 651-238-1591

Shih Tzu pups, black, B&W, parents on site F $250 ready 7/15 751-8732

Stair chairlift for handicapped people, like new, Cheney brand; 4 older minivans $600-$1,100 760-1221

’74 518 Cat skidder, dual arch trappel, winch, spare tire reversible fan, good cond. $15,000 835-6410

16’ tri-hull speed boat w/70 hp. Merc., trlr., boat- lift $1,800; 4 single-pane windows 65”Hx46”W, 43”x20” vertical opening w/screens 335-6809

Sailboat, exc. cond., 14’ 755-1081

’98 Ford Escort wagon, 5 sp., AC, tilt, cruise, 142K, $2,100 335-7976

Weider Multi-Flex Fitness Center w/multiple rub-ber band resistance exercise stations $15; 1st Act drum set w/symbols, base drum, etc. minus snare drum $70 751-4902

Papered appaloosa, 7-yr.-old female, never bred 243-2083

55-gal. barrel, plastic or metal $7 ea. 751-9505

Purebred Norwegian elkhound pups, born 4/22/06, vet checked, 1st shots, wormed 751-1522

’94 32 ½’ Jayco camper, qn. bed, sofa sleeper, sleeps 6, full bath, microwave, fridge 586-3714

20’ sq. bale elevator; sm. stock trlr.; Hammermill; 14’ fiberglass boat w/trlr.; John Deere tractor; ’67 Ford PU 243-2733 after 5 p.m.

’00 Honda Valkyrie, red/black, 1540cc., 2 wind-shields, 2 seats, saddlebags, extra chrome, 6,200 mi., exc. cond. $9,250 333-3608 after 5 p.m.

Maytag heavy-duty elec. dryer, 6 cycles, almond, runs well $100 751-2739

’51 Farmall Super C, wide front, loader $3,500 835-4596

’90 F250 XLT Lariat 4x4 Supercab, AT, 7.5 liter, 1-ton drivetrain, new tires, gooseneck ball, 146K, $1,500 760-3089

Phillips Magnavox Web TV Internet units w/wireless remote keyboard; HP Deskjet 400 series compat-ible printer, all hardware, cables, instructions included $100 335-6838

5 combination storm & screen slider windows, 53 ½” H x 60” W $25 ea. 243-2818

Hay, 4’ rd. bales, you haul or will deliver for charge 751-7815 lv. msg.

Coleman Vertex 7500w space saver generator, 120/240 volt, low hrs., elec. start, auto idle fuel saver, 7.5 gal. tank, 14.5 HP overhead valve Briggs engine $950 obo 444-8304

17’ Core Craft fiberglass canoe $200 obo 243-2536

14’ ’93 alum. Sea Nymph w/Evinrude 35, very good cond. $1,800 835-8055

’94 Alumacraft Trophy 17’ w/90 hp. Yamaha, trlr., Minnkota Auto Pilot trolling motor, Garmin Fish-finder, great cond. $6,900; 2400 lb. Vibo alum. lift w/canopy $1,400 224-3517 wknd. 763-252-2697 weekdays

64x digital zoom Sharp camera, all access. $200 335-6970

Martin compound bow, 315 fps, illuminated sights, Tiger Tuff Claw launcher, used 3 seasons; 2’wheel trlr., extra wheel, spare tire, 52”W x 8’, hauls 4-wheeler nicely 547-3128

’69 Ford stake, dump truck F500 $3,500 335-6635

7’ x 16’ garage door w/opener, all hardware incl. $75; sm. gas stove $25; humidifier, almost free 444-6331 after 5 p.m.

Hand-tooled, high-back, heavy-duty western roping saddle; bike rack, holds 4; Troy-Bilt tiller; ’90 Chevy conv. van; Nordic Trac; lawn mowers; x-country skis 444-3856

2-wheeled wheelbarrow, used once $50; 2 used skylights 36”x72”, curb-mount plexi-dome, alum. frame $50 ea. 751-1143 or 766-6380

Hospital bed 760-1289

Galbranson Spinet piano $300 firm; oversized oak entertainment center $250 751-8436

Old antique wood heater stove, pretty good shape 444-4325

Canning jars, Kerr and Ball, wide or reg. mouth, jelly, pints, qts., gal. $3/doz. 467-3253

’02 Yamaha 250 Virago v-twin, black, 2,700 mi., exc. cond., 80 mpg, $2,000 obo 586-3226 or 556-0039

Purebred reg. French alpine buck from good lines, nice markings; tea, teapots, cups, gift baskets, tea party access., elec. wheat grinder 224-3688

Exotic pets, adult bearded dragon, adult water dragon, 2 adult geckos, adult corn snake, looking for caring owner, all animals include cages & many access., $80-250 negotiable 243-3036

Buzz saw 586-3588

’87 K5 Blazer, 350 AT $2,500 obo 755-9706

Chihuahua pups $400 ea., 2F, 2M 243-2331 lv. msg.

16’ Lund Rebel, 50 hp. w/steering column, live well, trolling mtr, trlr., etc, great cond. $5,900 obo; 12x16 fully insulated, heated, lights, storage/addition bldg. you move $4,900 obo 760-3737 lv. msg.

’71 Companion camper, stove, bath, sleeps 4, great cond. $1,100 obo 467-3330

Schwinn elec. treadmill, incline, digital readouts $125; gravity rider $15; Toro self-propelled lawn mower w/bag $195; Generation 3 Kirby vacuum w/lots of attachments $180 444-6583

50 gal. portable fuel tank $75; ’91 Chevy Beretta, 4 cyl., good motor & tranny $400 obo; ’75 Ford ¾ ton, 360, 4 sp. 4x4, good motor & drive line $400 obo 854-7339

1st crop lg. rd. hay bales, exc. horse hay; IH 915 combine, engine recently overhauled 751-0408 lv. msg.

Collection of lg. seashells, some are rare and hard to find, collecting for years 751-5978

5 hp. garden shredder-mulcher, good cond. 243-2145

Must sell ’05 F150 Lariat Crew, 8,600 mi., buy outright for $27,000 way below book, or take over 12 mo. lease for $389/mo., 15,300 mi. remain on lease; must sell ’97 Mazda 626 Lx, 30+ mpg, sunroof, 5 sp. good cond. $2,900 obo 751-1703 or 556-9774

’92 Jeep Cherokee Laredo, 4WD, new tires, brakes, 150K, exc. cond., ready to use, price reduced 333-3661

Very nice PU camper, 11 ½’, ’85 Realite, 3-way fridge, qn. bed, furnace, shower, stove w/oven, ready to use, price reduced 751-3235

Clean bed sets $45-$99; riding lawn mowers $99-$295; used lumber, sheeting, doors, windows 368-8278

Purebred seal point Siamese kittens; young guin-eas, several colors; young black bantams; white leghorn bantams 586-2839

14’ camper, sleeps 4, good cond. $1,000 obo 763-263-8474

Oliver Eletrac, runs great, use on farm or logging, best offer 507-289-2904 or 507-259-5117

’99 F150 XLT, loaded, topper, hitch, 94K, 6 cyl. 5 sp. $6,500 759-9217

Washer & dryer $40 ea.; chest freezer $60; 2 little girl’s bikes, 1 brand new $20 & $30 586-2298

Century Fold’nGo w/bassinet and canopy $45 751-0988

’90 Friendship MH, 14x70, 2BR, 2BA, W/D, D/W, AC, exc. cond. 586-2856

’01 48’ enclosed car or toy hauler, GVW 24,000, heavy duty $12,300; ’96 Harley Custom Softail, one-of-a-kind chopper, guy frame, yellow $12,900; ’98 Yamaha 700cc Mountain Max sled $2,400 751-8357

Lg. rd. 5’x6’ alfalfa-clover-Timothy mix bales, 1,200-1,400 lbs., no rain, exc. quality 487-5327 or 766-0725

Shower stall $75; Whirlpool tub $250 obo 759-4691

8 hp. Kemp chipper shredder, on 4 wheels w/hitch, like new $700 320-630-4580

Wanted:

Riding mowers, tillers, outboards, wood splitters, trlrs., cash paid 224-2486

Full-sz. cello, intermediate to advanced instru-ment 444-5243

Lg. area rug, approx. 8x10, good cond. 368-3639

Lawn tractors, ATVs, tillers, snow blowers, etc. that need repair 586-3465

Old barn wood for crafts 224-3384

Trlr. for 20’ pontoon boat; 4-place snowmobile trlr. 444-8304

Book titled “How to Make Beautiful New Rugs from Old Blankets”; greeting cards and old magazines in any cond. 224-2722

Log splitter; newer treadmill; ZTR-type lawn mower 751-7276

Goat stanchion, hoof trimmers, misc. goat-care items 224-3688

Boat trlr. for 14’ fishing boat 444-4992

Old hay or straw for orchard mulch, moldy or damp OK 224-3405 or 243-2145

Riding mowers, tillers, outboards, run or not, cash pd. 368-8278

Used paving bricks 335-3994

Addresses Needed:Lisa Lemke-Stebakken

All proceeds will go to the United Way of Bemidji Area.

Friday, August 25 Turtle River Golf &

Entertainment CenterFor more information or to

register call 218-444-2540 or 800-955-6083 or visit

www.beltramielectric.com

Register Now

Register Now

Northern Lights • August 2006 �

Board Meeting Highlights

Corner Cupboard: Frosty Mint Ice Cream PieClassifiedsIngredients:Pie Shells

1 (18.25 oz.) box chocolate mint, devil’s food or dark chocolate cake

¾ cup chocolate fudge frosting

¾ cup water

¼ cup vegetable oil

Filling

6 cups mint chocolate chip or your favorite ice cream, softened

Directions:Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease bottom and side rims of two 9-inch

pie pans or round cake pans. In a large bowl, blend all pie shell ingredients at low speed.

Spread half of mixture in bottom of each pan. Do not spread up sides of pan. Bake for

25 to 30 minutes. Do not over-bake. Cakes will collapse to form shells. Cool completely.

In a large bowl, blend ice cream until smooth. Spread evenly in center of each shell leav-

ing a ½-inch rim. If desired, heat remaining frosting just until softened. Drop by spoonful

on top of ice cream and swirl with knife. Freeze at least two hours. After two hours, if

planning on storing in freezer, make sure to wrap each airtight to avoid freezer burn.

When ready to serve, let stand and thaw enough to cut into servings.

A:Q:

Ask the Expert!

218-444-3902 or Toll-Free

877-751-3902 4111 Technology Dr NW, Suite 203

Bemidji, MN 56601

Personal emergency monitoring allows you to call for help by pressing a button. Northern Safety & Security offers this service through our LifeCall program. The LifeCall program involves installing a personal emergency panel in your home or apartment. The panel is connected to your phone line and is activated by pushing a button that is worn either as a wristband or pendant. Once the panel is activated, the response center is able to speak directly with you to find out what type of help is needed. If, for any reason, the response center is unable to speak with you, they will send help anyway.

What is personal emergency monitoring and is it available through Northern Safety & Security?ERIC EICHSTADT

NSS Technician

Beltrami Electric’s board of directors con-ducted its monthly meeting June 28, 2006. All directors were present. Also present were gen-eral manager Lynette Nieuwsma, Sid Sletten and Kay Olson.

The following reports were given:•  The manager made her monthly report, in-

cluding discussion on the multi-cooperative contract with Minnesota Safety, revisions to various BEC policies and a review of the safety committee minutes. She also reviewed the updated organizational charts.

•  Sid Sletten presented the May financial and statistical report and reviewed the work order inventories.  

•  Emmet Weidenborner reported on the Square Butte board meeting. 

Also discussed were:•  Revisions to policy 306 regarding new 

services.•  Seminars and the Energy Issues Summit.  •  The Region VI meeting.   The following actions were taken:•  BEC policies 108 regarding selection of em-

ployees; 230 regarding fraudulent use of cur-rent; 401 regarding pension and insurance; 402 regarding vacation; and 415 regarding family and medical leave; were revised. 

•  Non-union wage increases were approved.•  The manager discussed the possible imple-

mentation of a wage administration plan and policy for employee positions at the cooperative.

•  A three-year contract with Minnesota Safety Inc. was approved.

•  Donations to the Beltrami County Fair and Hubbard County Fair 4-H animal auctions were approved.

The August board meeting will be held Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2006.

8  Northern Lights • August 2006

4111 Technology DR NW PO Box 488 Bemidji, MN 56619-0488 218-444-2540 • 800-955-6083 www.beltramielectric.com

Members tour plantApproximately �� co-op members participated in the June power plant tour hosted by Minnkota Power Cooperative, Beltrami Electric’s wholesale power supplier. Members toured Minnkota’s headquarters in Grand Forks, N.D., the Garrison Dam on the Missouri River, the Milton R. Young Station, and the nearby lignite mine owned and operated by BNI Coal.