POWERING TOMORROW: Roughrider Electric serves Medora projects

North Dakotans have strong roots that run deep throughout communities across the state. This summer, southwestern North Dakota proudly showcased its character, highlighting both historic landmarks and new development, while visitors traveled to Medora for the unveiling of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library. 

Roughrider Electric Cooperative played a key role in supporting the progress of this growing and dynamic region. The cooperative ensured reliable electric service for new construction and lodging facilities, while also enhancing the dependability of service for existing members throughout the area. 

Laying the groundwork 

Roughrider Electric was made aware of the potential projects in early 2023. During the following months, Roughrider Electric’s operations and engineering personnel gathered to review data and discuss details of the project to ensure a well-thought plan long before the equipment hit the dirt. 

“When a new load comes onto our system, we have to ensure that we can serve it with the reliability that our members have come to expect from Roughrider Electric,” says Shawn Olson, operations manager. “For this project, planning started in late fall 2023.” 

Due to the increased electric services needed to serve the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library, new lodging and campground, Roughrider Electric planned to ensure its system could consistently support the increased load. 

To plan for the growth, Roughrider Electric conducted system upgrades on the Knutson Substation, which is co-owned with Goldenwest Electric Cooperative. Much of the work included upgrades to aging equipment and materials, such as substation equipment and replacing underground cable. Olson notes much of the underground cable installed from the Knutson Substation to Medora was installed in the early 1980s and was due for an upgrade. 

During this time, the cooperative also began making construction plans and ordering materials. Materials were ordered in the spring of 2024 to allow ample production and delivery time, since material lead time is about 52 weeks. An essential part of the planning process was working with members and landowners to secure easements. 

“We had great responses from everyone we worked with in the area,” Olson says. “From the contractors to federal services and our landowners, everyone was excellent to work with.” 

Breaking ground 

Theodore Roosevelt once described Medora’s landscape this way: “The Badlands grade all the way from those that are almost rolling in character to those that are so fantastically broken in form and so bizarre in color as to seem hardly properly to belong to this earth.” 

Roughrider Electric crews had to work through much of this rough-and-rugged terrain. 

“One of my first thoughts was the challenge of the tough terrain,” Olson says. 

The challenge is not new to Roughrider Electric and didn’t stop crews from moving forward. Mother Nature was also on the cooperative’s side, and the mild winter and spring allowed crews to begin the project earlier than normal. 

Groundbreaking for the project began on March 18, 2024, and was completed on April 24, 2024. Roughrider Electric crews, along with the contractors from 3C Construction and Precision Underground, coordinated with each other to finish the project. 

“We had two plow crews going, which was a key part in getting this project completed ahead of schedule,” Olson says. 

Strengthening the system 

When planning the project, it was crucial to Roughrider Electric to provide reliability to all its members and projects throughout the area, not just for now, but also to meet any expected load growth in Medora for the foreseeable future. Olson looked forward to seeing the upgrades in this area. 

“I was excited to see us to be able to replace the old underground that was starting to fail and install all new larger conductors,” Olson says. “The equipment now has more capacity to provide reliable service to all of Medora.” 

Safety of employees and its membership is a top priority at Roughrider Electric, so when the opportunity came to retire aged overhead power lines, Olson welcomed the idea. 

“We were able to retire old overhead line, which reduces the risk of potentially starting fires in the national grasslands,” Olson says. 

The cooperative difference 

Olson reiterated Roughrider Electric is committed to providing safe and reliable service, and supporting load growth in the Medora area is a key part of that responsibility, both now and over the long term. 

“Roughrider is proud to be a part of the growing Medora community. This project and all of its updates will help provide safe, reliable power into the future,” Olson says.