Apr 15, 2025 | Latest News
East River Electric’s 61st annual fundraiser to support LifeScape was a success, raising over $37,000. LifeScape is an organization that promotes independence for over 2,500 children and adults with disabilities throughout South Dakota. The event was held as an online auction and an online raffle. Many local businesses generously donated items to the auction and cash to the LifeScape organization.
“The online auction and raffle were very successful and every year, I am amazed at how our employees step up for this very worthy cause. Commitment to Community is a cooperative value, and our employees strive to demonstrate it every day,” said East River CEO/General Manager Bob Sahr. “My thanks go out to all the East River employees who assisted with this event. We also want to extend a heartfelt thank you to all the local businesses and member cooperatives that donated items to the auction and money to LifeScape. Our fundraiser was a success because of your generosity!”
East River’s annual fundraising efforts have helped provide for the very best in medical care, therapy, education and other services for the children at LifeScape. Several local children and people from around the region are served by LifeScape.
The East River Employees Committee donated $1,000, a total matched by East River Electric at $1,000. In the 61 years since the East River fundraiser began, more than $500,000 has been raised to help LifeScape provide services to children and adults in rural South Dakota.
Mar 21, 2025 | Latest News
Crews from East River Electric Power Cooperative are supporting Northwest Iowa Power Cooperative (NIPCO) in the aftermath of a severe storm that caused significant damage to the region’s electrical infrastructure. East River Electric received a call Wednesday, March 19, requesting storm assistance and the cooperative quickly responded by organizing a team of linemen as well as specialized equipment to support restoration efforts.
An eight-person crew, including Travis Rude (crew foreman), Ryan Himley, Jordan Kisor, Erik Nesheim, Ethan Krier, Jace Jones, Cory Schwinger, and Eli Fanning will join their Iowa counterparts, as well as other co-ops providing mutual aid in Salix, Iowa, just south of Sioux City and plan for up to two weeks of work to restore the damaged infrastructure.
“Our neighbors at NIPCO have always been there for us, and we are proud to return that support in their time of need,” said East River Electric CEO and General Manager Bob Sahr. “I cannot thank our employees enough for their willingness to step up on short notice. This reflects the cooperative spirit of mutual aid and a united commitment to community.”
The conditions awaiting the crew are challenging. The storm has left poles downed and the river bottom area they will be working in is muddy and difficult to navigate, but they will do whatever is needed to help get systems up and running again while ensuring that safety remains a top priority.
Cooperation among cooperatives is one of the principles that guide East River Electric. By stepping up and providing mutual aid, East River employees can assist in recovery efforts, helping NIPCO’s members regain power as quickly and safely as possible.
Mar 11, 2025 | Latest News
Jordan Pedersen of Madison is the recipient of a $1,000 scholarship from Basin Electric Power Cooperative based in Bismarck, N.D. He is the son of Maria Anderson and Steven Pedersen and Abby Reverts-Pederson.
Basin Electric awards over 170 scholarships per year to children of member cooperative employees and children of member cooperative consumers across the region. Pedersen’s mother, Maria, works as a project coordinator in project services at East River Electric Power Cooperative in Madison, a Basin Electric member.
Jordan will attend South Dakota State University in Brookings to pursue pre-chiropractic. Throughout his years at Madison High School, Jordan was involved in football, baseball, powerlifting, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and the National Honor Society. He was also an “A” honor roll student. In his spare time, he likes to play baseball and golf, enjoys the outdoors, volunteering at his church with A/V equipment and teaching the youth programs and engaging in anything that makes him productive. Because Jordan firmly believes in physical health and wellbeing, he frequents the gym.
“I am proud to be part of a rural electric cooperative family because I know that East River Electric cares about keeping their customers’ lights on, they care about the community, and they care about keeping electricity rates as low as possible. These three things improve the quality of life not only in the Madison community, but communities across eastern South Dakota,” said Jordan.
“Jordan has shown himself to be a leader in the classroom, on the field, and across the community. He is very deserving of this award and has a bright future.” said East River Electric CEO/General Manager Bob Sahr. “We will wish him well as he embarks on college.”
Since the scholarship program began, over 5,000 students in the Basin Electric system have benefited from this program. Recipients are selected based on academic record, potential to succeed, leadership, and participation in school and community activities, honors, work experience, a statement of education, and career goals and an outside appraisal by a teacher or adviser.
Nov 25, 2024 | Latest News
East River Electric Power Cooperative recently presented service awards to 23 employees with years of service ranging from five to 45 years.
“Congratulations to the 24 recipients of this year’s service awards. I want to express my gratitude to each one of you. The dedication you have shown to East River and your craft is truly extraordinary. Your commitment has played a significant role in shaping East River into what it is today. The number of employees we celebrated exemplifies the true nature of commitment to our workforce.” said East River CEO/General Manager Bob Sahr.
Billing Analyst, Michelle Burggraff, one of this year’s service award recipients, began working at East River 35 years ago. “East River Electric has a high standard for the services that are provided to its members. This high standard carries over into the workforce and East River recognizes it and acknowledges this by giving credit where credit is due. Employees are given a voice through the various committees within the company. The table is pretty much open if you want, or feel the need, to discuss anything with your supervisor or HR. Some days seem long and challenging; believe me, the years pass very quickly. I would advise anyone to take advantage of any opportunity that comes your way so that you may continue to learn and succeed. East River supports the advancement of their employees, which is a huge plus,” said Burggraff.
Paul Lambert, project coordinator, celebrated 45 years at East River. “It is nice that East River carves out some time to formally recognize the employees for their service to the cooperative. Spouses and family members often make a huge sacrifice in supporting the efforts required and it is appreciated that there is acknowledgement for their contribution.
East River celebrated the years of service awards with a luncheon held at the Dakota Prairie Playhouse.
A listing of the awards is as follows:
- Five years: Anne Hall, Kelsey Stone, Melissa Daughtrey, Ethan Roth, Haiden Schmidt, Mitch McNary, Kutler Leighton, Jon Aus
- Ten years: Jennifer Buchholtz
- Fifteen years: Nate Oines, Jennifer Gross, Adam Hansen, Eric Nesheim, Colton Sanderson, Linda Roth
- Twenty years: Jarad Deters
- Twenty-Five years: Jeff May, Chad Nowstrup, Brian Wilkens, Dustin Arthur, Tim Brown
- Thirty-Five years: Michelle Burggraff
- Forty-Five years: Paul Lambert
Oct 22, 2024 | Latest News
South Dakota linemen returned Thursday from the Southeastern U.S. after helping restore power for thousands of people affected by Hurricane Helene.
The 18 linemen from five rural electric cooperatives—East River Electric Power Cooperative, Sioux Valley Energy, Bon Homme Yankton Electric Association, Oahe Electric Cooperative, and West River Electric Association—left Oct. 2 to join line crews from around the country working to repair the devastated power grid.
During their restoration efforts, South Dakota’s linemen assisted Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative in Pickens, South Carolina, where crews faced more than 64,000 meter outages and over 800 broken poles after the storm. The linemen were then called to Wrens, Georgia, where Jefferson Energy Cooperative worked to build back after a total system outage.
“Tropical storm Helene tested our cooperative unlike any other natural disaster in our 84-year history, and we needed every ounce of help we could bring in to restore power to the 90% of our membership that lost power in this storm,” Blue Ridge Electric CEO Jim Lovinggood said.
South Dakota’s linemen stayed at basecamps with dozens of other utility workers from all across the country. The workers camped in several large, army-sized tents, but with the linemen’s busy schedules, nobody spent much time there anyway.
“We’d get up at about 5:30, head to the chow hall for breakfast at 6 o’clock, get to our trucks and do our service checks, load up material, and then head out to the job,” recalled West River Electric lineman Zach Hansen. “Then about 7 o’clock or 7:30 p.m., we’d head back to the yard for supper from 8 o’clock to 10 o’clock. Then we’d hit the sack for the next day.”
Hansen said that each time the crew repaired damaged infrastructure, they’d first need to start the labor-intensive process of clearing through debris and trees toppled by Helene’s heavy wind gusts.
“When we have blizzards and ice storms in South Dakota, it’s hard work—and you’re trying to stay warm,” Hansen explained. “But out here, there’s a lot more chainsaw work and fixing wire breaks. It’s not just straight miles of lines lying down like we’re used to at home.”
By Oct. 9, fewer than 1,000 meters in Blue Ridge Electric territory remained offline and the South Dakota crews were dismissed to begin the 1,200-plus mile journey home.
But as the South Dakota convoy—which included bucket trucks, skid steers and ATVs—moved homeward to reunite with their families, another call came in.
The call was from Jefferson Electric in Wrens, Georgia, where still more than 10,000 homes and businesses remained without power nearly two weeks after the storm. Just like before, South Dakota’s rural electric cooperatives answered the call.
“When our line superintendent called me that morning and asked me how we felt about going to Georgia, I said, ‘well, we’re right here, so we might as well go in and help,’” Bon Homme Yankton lineman Gunnar Dally said. “If they need help, we’re more than willing to come.”
The stop in Wrens delayed the linemen’s return home by about a week, but the appreciation from the communities helped keep spirits high.
“When we were on breaks, there were people stopping to thank us for helping,” Dally said. “A lot of them were very surprised when we said we were from South Dakota.”
Bon Homme Yankton Electric Manager Stephanie Horst thanked Dally and the 17 others who volunteered to travel, saying their selfless actions reflect their deep strength and dedication to community.
“We’re deeply thankful for their service and we reflect on the profound impact they’ve made—not just in restoring power, but in bringing hope and relief to communities in need,” Horst said. “Their efforts truly embody the heart and soul of our cooperative family.”
Sioux Valley Energy Vice President of Engineering and Operations Ted Smith thanked his eight linemen for volunteering for a challenging restoration mission while also commending the rest of his co-op crew.
“We also need to recognize the line workers that stayed behind taking on extra duties for their teammates,” he said.
Hansen recognized another subset of heroes: the families.
“The unsung heroes of storm jobs are the people we leave behind,” he said. “My wife is at home with six kids taking care of the ranch while I’m gone. If we didn’t have those people, we couldn’t go out and do the things we needed to do. They are the real heroes.”
SDREA General Manager Steve Barnett thanked the linemen for volunteering to help with the storm restoration efforts and for embodying the values of South Dakota’s rural electric cooperatives.
“These 18 linemen gave up time at home with their families to help people in need they’ve never met in a place they’ve never been,” Barnett said. “Their selfless actions reflect what we stand for as a family of cooperatives, as South Dakotans, and as fellow Americans. We thank them for their work, their spirit and their dedication to keeping the lights on—at home, and in South Carolina and Georgia.”
