History
East River Electric Power Cooperative was organized in October 1949 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The cooperative established its headquarters in Madison, SD in November 1950, and Virgil Hanlon was named the first general manager. Headquarters was officially moved to Madison in 1951. Later that year, East River was awarded its first transmission construction loan to build the first 69 kV system in eastern South Dakota. In 1954, the first hydropower from Fort Randall Dam flowed to East River at the Armour and Wagner substations. In 1961, East River joined Basin Electric Power cooperative. Five years later Basin’s first generating plant, Leland Olds Unit 1, began operations. Later that year the city of Elk Point became the first municipal electric system to join East River. |
Virgil Hanlon served as East River's first general manager from 1950 to 1969. |
In 1968, new radio supervisory equipment was installed at the Madison headquarters. Loren Zingmark became East River’s second general manager in 1969. Two years later, East River started 24-hour dispatch service.
In May 1985, the East River Operations Center was dedicated. The U. S. Postal Service held a commemorative stamp ceremony in Madison honoring the 50th anniversary of REA. Later that year, more than 20,000 electric water heaters and 350 dual fuel heating systems were connected to the load management system.
In 1986, Robert W. Feragen was named East River’s third general manager. The next year, East River’s storage/handling facility for PCB-contaminated oil is model installation and first of its kind in South Dakota. Two years later, East River established the Rate and Margin Stabilization Fund to help stabilize wholesale rates.
In February of 1991, Jeffrey L. Nelson became the fourth general manager of East River Electric.
In 1996, East River and its member systems created the Rural Electric Economic Development (REED) revolving loan fund. The fund was established to contribute to rural development, enhance job retention and improve rural infrastructure.
East River joined as one of the founders of the Touchstone Energy program and served as one of the test markets for the branding image program in 1998. Two years later East River and its member systems provided leadership to establish the Value-Added Agriculture Development Center. |
East River was one of the developers and first users of the Touchstone Energy program. |
In the first decade of the 21st century, East River and its 25 member distribution systems are leading the way in an era of tremendous activity. The volatile prices of fossil fuels and cooperative marketing programs are increasing consumer demand for electricity. Also, the development of new agricultural processing facilities, ethanol plants, industries, rural subdivisions and suburban shopping centers in cooperative service areas are contributing to unprecendented load growth.
