Moorhead Public Service (MPS) purchases the power you use everyday from outside resources. Despite recent increases in cost, these resources have proven to be the least cost for customers.

Purchased Power

Western Area Power Administration (WAPA):

MPS purchased approximately 50 percent of its power from hydroelectric dams along the Missouri River in western North Dakota. One of the largest dams run by WAPA is the Garrison Dam, located about 75 miles north of Bismarck, North Dakota. The Garrison Dam is one of the largest rolled, earth-filled dams in the world. Constructed as a part of the Pick-Sloan Plan for development of the upper Missouri River Basin, construction of the nearly $300 million dam was completed in the fall of 1954.

 Western Area Power Administration [http://www.wapa.gov]

 U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service [http://www.fws.gov/garrisondam/]

The Garrison Dam, located North of Bismarck, North Dakota

Missouri River Energy Service (MRES):

Another approximately 50 percent of the power used by the businesses and residents of Moorhead comes from MRES. MRES is a joint action agency consisting of a group of 60 municipally-owned electric utilities. With a joint action agency, each member cooperates with the other in an effort to achieve success in the operation of electrical systems.

MRES Generation Resources:

• Laramie River Station, coal-fired generation producing 281 MegaWatts (MW)
• Exira Power Plant, combustion generation producing 140 MW
• Watertown, MN Power Plant, combustion generation producing 52 MW
• Worthington, MN Wind Farm, producing 3.7 MW
• Marshall, MN Wind Farm, producing 18.7 MW
• Odin, MN Wind Farm, producing 20 MW
• MRES has dedicated diesel generation owned by MRES members and dedicated to MRES through municipal capacity agreements.  These facilities amount to over 108 MW of available power.

Laramie River Station near Wheatland, WY

Exira Power Plant, Audubon County, IA

Wind turbine located outside Worthington, MN

Capture The Wind^®

MPS is proud to be one of the first utilities in the state of Minnesota to build their own wind turbines, producing clean, renewable energy right here in Moorhead. MPS generates approximately 1 percent of its power needs through the two 750-kilowatt turbines.  The turbines are located in northeast Moorhead near the junction of 28th Street and 15th Avenue North. MPS began producing electricity from wind on May 14, 1999, and produced its millionth kilowatt-hour of electricity on February 12, 2000.