Dakota Electric Association recently hosted a commercial member meeting on the topic of cyber security. Lizabeth Lehrkamp, special agent (SA) with FBI cyber security, discussed the various threats businesses — and even the nation — face and how to protect against such attacks. Marc Child, information security program manager from Dakota Electric’s wholesale power supplier, Great [...]

Communication with member owners, outstanding reliability even with a tough winter and solar initiatives were a few of the topics discussed at Dakota Electric Association’s annual meeting, held in the social hall at St. Michael’s in Farmington on April 24. President and CEO Greg Miller discussed challenges faced while trying to provide affordable, reliable electricity. Regarding [...]

Dakota Electric Association recently awarded Mark Ceminsky, Farmington, the Township Leader of the Year award. Each year, Dakota Electric seeks to recognize outstanding leadership with the award, and Dakota Electric directors Margaret Schreiner and Paul Trapp attended a recent Dakota County Township Officers Association meeting to present the award to Ceminsky. Ceminsky has been a Eureka [...]

Dakota Electric Association wants to remind members to beware of any suspicious phone calls from people asking for personal financial information. Utilities across the country are seeing increased incidences of scams targeting residential and business customers. Local police have reported an increase in scams in our area. Individuals claiming to be utility employees or collection agency [...]

Dakota Electric Association is seeking educators who desire to learn about the energy industry from June 16-19. The Lignite Council is offering the seminar again in 2014 due to overwhelming positive feedback it has received from past participants. Teachers of all grade levels are accepted, and Dakota Electric, along with its power supplier, Great River Energy, [...]

Five local high school students were recently selected to receive a trip to Washington, D.C., sponsored by Dakota Electric Association. The winners are Rhett Carlson, Apple Valley High School, Jay Casella, Eagan High School; Aaron Mamer, Hastings High School; Anna Marie Rutz, Farmington High School; and Grant Udelhofen, Apple Valley High School. The students will participate [...]

Students attending Dakota County Technical College’s electrical line worker program will have new tools to work with later this year. Dakota Electric Association recently donated $8,000 from unclaimed capital credits to DCTC for its educational program that trains future line workers. Dakota Electric board members Paul Bakken, Jack DeYoe, Janet Lekson and Margaret Schreiner and President [...]

UPDATE: Crews are working to restore the last couple dozen out of power as of about 8 a.m. this morning.   FARMINGTON, Minn. (12:30 a.m., Feb. 21, 2014) — As of 12:30 a.m., Dakota Electric Association had approximately 400 consumers without power. Dakota Electric crews will be working through the night to restore those out of [...]

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Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) selected Dakota Electric Association to participate in a solar study that seeks to implement a solar business model that will provide value to both utilities and those who seek to install solar. Dakota Electric, along with Steele Waseca Cooperative Electric, Owatonna, both Great River Energy cooperatives, were selected to participate in the [...]