North Dakota power outages by utility
8 North Dakota utilities report outage minutes to EIA. The state median is 128 minutes a year; the range runs from 24 to 262.
Ranking by outage minutes
North Dakota, SAIDI without major event days, 2024; lower is better; 8 utilities.
| Rank | North Dakota utility | Owner type | North Dakota home accounts | SAIDI min | Interruptions (SAIFI) | SAIDI with storms | North Dakota storm share | Price ¢/kWh |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cass County Elec Coop Inc | Cooperative | 51,968 | 24 | 0.39 | 24 | 0% | 12.45 |
| 2 | Verendrye Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | 14,336 | 37 | 0.70 | 37 | 0% | 10.70 |
| 3 | Montana-Dakota Utilities Co | Investor Owned | 79,354 | 79 | 0.95 | 83 | 6% | 11.72 |
| 4 | Nodak Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | 20,803 | 108 | 1.02 | 108 | 0% | 12.08 |
| 5 | Mountrail-Williams Elec Coop | Cooperative | 11,405 | 147 | 1.12 | 282 | 48% | 7.24 |
| 6 | Dakota Valley Elec Coop Inc | Cooperative | 5,721 | 187 | 1.62 | 223 | 16% | 12.01 |
| 7 | McKenzie Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | 5,382 | 210 | 1.61 | 257 | 18% | 7.86 |
| 8 | Northern Plains Electric Coop | Cooperative | 10,393 | 262 | 1.90 | 262 | 0% | 10.65 |
North Dakota outage minutes by owner type
In North Dakota, 50% of 397,839 home accounts sit with the 8 qualifying utilities out of 15 in the file. North Dakota customer-weighted SAIDI is 85 minutes against a median of 128, and 5 of 8 North Dakota utilities exceed the U.S. median of 99. Counting major event days adds a median 3% to SAIDI.
| North Dakota owner type | North Dakota utilities | North Dakota home accounts | North Dakota median SAIDI | North Dakota weighted SAIDI | North Dakota median SAIFI | North Dakota storm share | North Dakota median price ¢/kWh |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cooperative | 7 | 120,008 | 147 | 89 | 1.12 | 0% | 10.70 |
| Investor Owned | 1 | 79,354 | 79 | 79 | 0.95 | 6% | 11.72 |
By owner type, Investor Owned utilities have the lowest median SAIDI in North Dakota (79 minutes, 1 of 8) and Cooperative the highest (147 minutes, 7 of 8).
North Dakota utilities that stand out
| Why it stands out | North Dakota utility | North Dakota owner type | North Dakota accounts | North Dakota SAIDI min | North Dakota SAIDI rank | North Dakota SAIFI | North Dakota SAIDI with storms | North Dakota price ¢/kWh | North Dakota price rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| the most reliable | Cass County Elec Coop Inc | Cooperative | 51,968 | 24 | 1 of 8 | 0.39 | 24 | 12.45 | 8 of 8 |
| the least reliable | Northern Plains Electric Coop | Cooperative | 10,393 | 262 | 8 of 8 | 1.90 | 262 | 10.65 | 3 of 8 |
| the largest | Montana-Dakota Utilities Co | Investor Owned | 79,354 | 79 | 3 of 8 | 0.95 | 83 | 11.72 | 5 of 8 |
| the most storm-driven | Mountrail-Williams Elec Coop | Cooperative | 11,405 | 147 | 5 of 8 | 1.12 | 282 | 7.24 | 1 of 8 |
| the most improved | Dakota Valley Elec Coop Inc | Cooperative | 5,721 | 187 | 6 of 8 | 1.62 | 223 | 12.01 | 6 of 8 |
Does a higher price buy fewer outages?
Each dot is one of 8 North Dakota utilities.
North Dakota, 2024: 8 rows
| Home price, cents per kWh | SAIDI, minutes a year | |
|---|---|---|
| Cass County Elec Coop Inc | 12.45 | 24 |
| Verendrye Electric Coop Inc | 10.70 | 37 |
| Montana-Dakota Utilities Co | 11.72 | 79 |
| Nodak Electric Coop Inc | 12.08 | 108 |
| Mountrail-Williams Elec Coop | 7.24 | 147 |
| Dakota Valley Elec Coop Inc | 12.01 | 187 |
| McKenzie Electric Coop Inc | 7.86 | 210 |
| Northern Plains Electric Coop | 10.65 | 262 |
8 rows from EIA-861 survey.
CSVNorth Dakota utilities, change in their own SAIDI
First to last year each utility reported, best change first.
| Rank | North Dakota utility | North Dakota years | North Dakota SAIDI first | North Dakota SAIDI last | North Dakota change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dakota Valley Elec Coop Inc | 2015 to 2025 | 116 | 50 | -57% |
| 2 | Cass County Elec Coop Inc | 2015 to 2025 | 38 | 24 | -38% |
| 3 | Verendrye Electric Coop Inc | 2015 to 2024 | 59 | 37 | -38% |
| 4 | Northern Plains Electric Coop | 2015 to 2025 | 269 | 188 | -30% |
| 5 | McKenzie Electric Coop Inc | 2017 to 2025 | 152 | 111 | -27% |
| 6 | Nodak Electric Coop Inc | 2015 to 2025 | 132 | 104 | -21% |
| 7 | Mountrail-Williams Elec Coop | 2022 to 2025 | 121 | 116 | -4% |
Analyst note
Storm share stands out in North Dakota: a median 3% of SAIDI comes from major event days, rank 38 of 40. Of 8 North Dakota utilities with 1,000+ home accounts that report SAIDI, Cass County Elec Coop Inc is lowest at 24 minutes a year and Northern Plains Electric Coop highest at 262, a 10.7 to 1 spread. The state median is 128 minutes, +28% against the U.S. median reporter. Over each utility's own record, Dakota Valley Elec Coop Inc improved most (116 to 50 minutes, -57%, 2015 to 2025) and Mountrail-Williams Elec Coop changed the other way (121 to 116, -4%); 7 of 7 fell. Home price and outage minutes line up at r = -0.41 across 8 North Dakota utilities: the pricier ones report fewer minutes. That is North Dakota's pattern, not a cause.
Questions on North Dakota outages
How much do major storms add to North Dakota outage time?
A median 3% of SAIDI across the reporters, rank 38 of 40 states.
Which North Dakota utility has the fewest outage minutes?
Cass County Elec Coop Inc: 24 minutes a year, SAIDI without major events, 2024.
Which North Dakota utility has the most?
Northern Plains Electric Coop: 262 minutes a year in 2024.
What is the typical SAIDI in North Dakota?
The median of 8 reporting utilities is 128 minutes, +28% on the U.S. median reporter.
Do cheaper North Dakota utilities have more outages?
Across 8 utilities r = -0.41, so the link is negative: higher price goes with fewer outage minutes.
How much of North Dakota outage time comes from storms?
At Mountrail-Williams Elec Coop 48% of all-event SAIDI is major event days.
How reliable is the largest North Dakota utility?
Montana-Dakota Utilities Co serves 79,354 home accounts and reports 79 minutes, rank 3 of 8; weighted by customers the state figure is 85.
Do North Dakota co-ops and investor-owned utilities differ?
2 owner types report in North Dakota: Cooperative 7 utilities with 120,008 home accounts, Investor Owned 1 utility with 79,354 home accounts.
What share of North Dakota home accounts do these utilities serve?
50% of 397,839 accounts, 8 of 15 utilities; 5 are above the U.S. median of 99 minutes.
More on North Dakota
- North Dakota state hubprices, map, utilities