Beltrami Electric Cooperative
Encyclopedia
Beltrami Electric Cooperative is a public utility cooperative
based in Bemidji, Minnesota
. Established in 1940, it serves as the electric distribution utility in a portion of north-central Minnesota
. Beltrami provides power to more than 16,000 member-owners within a 3000 square miles (7,770 km²) service and receives power from the Minnkota Power Cooperative
.
A finding by the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission
indicated that Beltrami Electric discriminated against residents of mobile homes on Red Lake
by charging them higher connection fees than they charged for conventional homes. The Minnesota Supreme Court
upheld the finding in a 1982 case. In 2002, following complaints from residents of the Red Lake Indian Reservation
over service disconnections and violations of Minnesota's cold weather rule
, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission
ordered an investigation into the complaints.
Utility cooperative
A utility cooperative is a type of cooperative that is tasked with the delivery of a public utility such as electricity, water or telecommunications to its members...
based in Bemidji, Minnesota
Bemidji, Minnesota
Bemidji is a city in Beltrami County, Minnesota, United States. Its population was at 13,431 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Beltrami County. Bemidji is the most major city in North Central Minnesota and the largest commercial center between Grand Forks, North Dakota and Duluth,...
. Established in 1940, it serves as the electric distribution utility in a portion of north-central Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
. Beltrami provides power to more than 16,000 member-owners within a 3000 square miles (7,770 km²) service and receives power from the Minnkota Power Cooperative
Minnkota Power Cooperative
Minnkota Power Cooperative is an electrical generation and transmission cooperative based in Grand Forks, North Dakota. It wholesales electric power to rural electric cooperatives in North Dakota and Minnesota.-Member cooperatives:...
.
A finding by the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission
Minnesota Public Utilities Commission
The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission is the consumer protection agency in the U.S. state of Minnesota charged with the regulation of public utilities such as electric and telephone service. Its commissioners are appointed by the governor....
indicated that Beltrami Electric discriminated against residents of mobile homes on Red Lake
Red Lake (Minnesota)
Red Lake is a lake in Beltrami County in northern Minnesota, USA. It is the largest natural freshwater lake in Minnesota, and the 16th largest lake in the United States. The lake is separated into two sections by a peninsula on the eastern side that almost bisects it in the middle. The community of...
by charging them higher connection fees than they charged for conventional homes. The Minnesota Supreme Court
Minnesota Supreme Court
The Minnesota Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Minnesota and consists of seven members. The court was first assembled as a three-judge panel in 1849 when Minnesota was still a territory. The first members were lawyers from outside of the region who were appointed by...
upheld the finding in a 1982 case. In 2002, following complaints from residents of the Red Lake Indian Reservation
Red Lake Indian Reservation
The Red Lake Indian Reservation covers 1,258.62 sq mi in parts of nine counties in northern Minnesota, United States. It is divided into many pieces, although the largest piece is centered about Red Lake, in north-central Minnesota, the largest lake entirely within that state. This section lies...
over service disconnections and violations of Minnesota's cold weather rule
Cold weather rule
A cold weather rule or cold weather law is a law or regulation that prohibits public utility companies from disconnecting customers who are unable to pay for the energy used to heat their homes during the winter. Such regulations may also require utility companies to reconnect customers during...
, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission
Minnesota Public Utilities Commission
The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission is the consumer protection agency in the U.S. state of Minnesota charged with the regulation of public utilities such as electric and telephone service. Its commissioners are appointed by the governor....
ordered an investigation into the complaints.