Key Events Throughout Dairyland's History
1930s
1935
President Franklin Roosevelt established the Rural Electrification Administration (REA) to help bring electricity to rural America. Electric cooperatives were created and arrangements were made to purchase power from generating plants and build power lines in rural areas. At long last, farmers could have convenient sources of electricity for small electric devices.
1938
Working together, 10 northern Wisconsin electric cooperatives create the Wisconsin Power Cooperative.
1938
Wisconsin Power Cooperative’s 2,100 kilowatt (kW) Chippewa Diesel Station becomes the first cooperative generating plant in the nation.
1938
Tri-State Power Cooperative is formed by five southern Wisconsin electric cooperatives.
1940s
1941
A turbulent period during World War II—Tri-State’s 6,000 kW coal-fired station at Genoa, Wis., is completed.
1941
Just days after the bombing at Pearl Harbor, Tri-State and Wisconsin Power Cooperative merge to create Dairyland Power Cooperative.
1945
Dairyland commissioned the Vern Alden Engineering Firm to develop a long range plan—they recommend a $10.3 million construction program.
1946
The Baldwin Diesel Plant begins generating power, followed in the next year by Alma #1 and #2. The first power generated at Alma is sold to NSP.
1946
Post-war energy demands soar. Dairyland applies for a permit to construct a hydroelectric station on the Flambeau River near Ladysmith, Wis.
1947
Frank Linder leaves the REA and joins Dairyland as chief electrical engineer. In his position, he made plans for the transmission system which would later become standard for the REA.
1950s
1950s
American spirits were high and the economy was flush. Fuel prices fell and electric sales rose for Dairyland, which brought seven generating units online during the decade.
1951
Blood, sweat and tears go into building a 70-mile, 161-kilovolt (kV) transmission line, tying Genoa to Alma, a groundbreaking achievement for construction crews.
1956
Dairyland’s greatest expansion yet—a 161kV line from Alma to People’s Cooperative in Rochester, Minn. The next year, a 161kV line links Alma, Genoa and Cassville.
1960s
1960
The Upper Mississippi Valley Power Pool is created, connecting Dairyland with power suppliers as far away as Nebraska, the Dakotas and Manitoba.
1960
Alma #5 goes online at 80,000 kilowatts. Alma #4 and #5 utilize steam reheat systems that reduce fuel use and save over one-half million dollars a year.
1963
Dr. Martin Luther King is immortalized by his powerful “I have a dream” speech and President John F. Kennedy is assassinated. The next year, computers make their first appearance at Dairyland’s accounting department.
1966
MAPP (Mid-Continental Area Power Pool) is formed with Dairyland’s urging. Dairyland moves to the suburbs as more people build homes outside city limits.
1969
Dairyland’s state-of-the-art, 350,000 kilowatt Genoa Station #3 goes online. The massive base load plant generated nearly half of Dairyland’s power in the first year of operation.
1969
Apollo 11 lands on the moon, teenagers party at Woodstock and inflation soars. Dairyland has reduced the cost of delivered power by 47 percent since the late 1940s.
1970s
1971
Environmental issues are a focus. After having spent $1.2 million on air pollution control at Genoa #3, plans were drawn for a $12 million environmental modification program.
1973
Dairyland purchases the La Crosse Area Boiling Water Reactor (LACBWR) reactor for $1. The reactor’s operation and safety record was the best in the nuclear industry.
1973
The price of gasoline skyrockets from 35 cents to $1 per gallon. The price of coal increases 80 cents per ton, resulting in the first hike in delivered power cost since the ‘40s.
1974
President Nixon resigns and new President Ford says that “our long, national nightmare is over.” One year later, Dairyland’s Class A sales decrease for the first time in 33 years.
1979
Alma #6 goes online at 350,000 kilowatts and is named in honor of John P. Madgett. Better than eight years had passed from first proposal to power generation.
1980s
1981
Electrical growth in the Dairyland system is at an all-time low. Dairyland cancels plans to build a coal-fired facility planned for 1987, as the world watches the “fairy tale” wedding of Charles and Diana.
1982
Dairyland organizes a voluntary load management program. One year later, compact discs are released to the retail music world.
1986
Lower coal prices and surplus capacity contribute to the closing of the Twin Lakes diesel-fired plant. A year later, the LACBWR ceases operations.
1989
As the nation cheers the fall of the Berlin Wall, Dairyland staff move into a modern, energy-efficient new headquarters, with a state-of-the-art system operations center.
1990s
1991
At Dairyland’s 50th annual meeting address, Board President, Wayne Willink borrows from Thomas Edison’s business philosophy, “There’s a better way to do it…find it.”
1992
As Johnny Carson gives his last bow as host of The Tonight Show, Dairyland and its members explore new services, such as propane and Internet service.
1994
Dairyland creates nesting sites for the threatened Peregrine Falcon, and is rewarded by the sight of falcon young and the return of parents to the nests year after year.
1996
GEN~SYS Energy is created as a partnership between Dairyland and Cooperative Power, to maximize the value of their generation resources in the wholesale markets. Two years later, Dairyland buys out CP’s interest in GEN~SYS.
1998
Dairyland’s members create EnPower to meet their growing marketing needs. One year later, EnPower consolidates with ESI, a Minnesota venture, focusing on off-system sales.
1998
Dairyland’s demonstrates its commitment to a clean environment with the launch of the EnPower Evergreen wind generation program.
2000s
2000
After much preparation and testing, Dairyland and the electric utility industry entered Y2K quietly and reliably.
2001
The 95 MW Elk Mound Combustion Turbine power plant comes on-line. These two units are the first additions to the system since the John P. Madgett Station.
2001
The terrorist acts of September 11 cause Dairyland and the entire electric utility industry to re-evaluate and enhance security measures at power plants and other facilities.
2003
The Evergreen renewable energy program expands with additional wind generation from the McNeilus Wind Farm (Adams, Minn.).
2004
Landfill gas renewable energy is new to Dairyland this year. It is used to produce electricity at the Seven Mile Landfill Gas-to-Energy facility near Eau Claire, Wis.
2005
Dairyland closes a deal with Wisconsin Public Service Corp., to purchase a 30 percent share of the 531 MW Weston 4 supercritical coal-fired facility under construction near Wausau, Wis. The $752 million facility is scheduled to be online in June 2008.
2005
Dairyland’s first “cow power” facilities come online at Five Star Dairy (Elk Mound, Wis.) and Wild Rose Dairy (La Farge, Wis.).
2006
Dairyland is facing the near doubling of rail transportation costs, causing a 20 percent increase in wholesale energy costs. Dairyland supports legislation to correct railroad abuse and encourages increased competition for rail delivery from Powder River Basin coal mines.
2006
Private Fuel Storage, LLC, a coalition of several utilities including Genoa Fuel Tech (a Dairyland subsidiary), receives a license from the Nuclear Regulatory commission to develop an interim spent nuclear fuel storage facility in Utah.
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