West River Electric Association

08/13/2026

We invite you to the 4th Annual Ag Appreciation event to recognize some outstanding individuals and business that have made lasting contributions to their communities and the agriculture industry. This is our chance to say ‘thank you’ for their unwavering commitment. 🌾🐮🐷🌽

A complimentary meal will be served from 5pm - 5:45pm, with a short program to follow. Enjoy FREE fair entrance* and be entered into a drawing to receive one of two, two-pack PREMIER passes to an event at the fair.

*Must enter on LaCrosse Street and present ticket at the gate entrance for free fair entrance. Tickets can be found in your local Cooperative Connections Magazine or online at https://www.elevaterapidcity.com/events/2026/08/24/special-events/ag-appreciation-event/
We hope to see you August 24th!

08/12/2026

🚨 BREAKING NEWS: Your A/C would like a word with the kids. 😂

With the extreme heat we’ve been experiencing lately, your A/C is already putting in some serious overtime. Even if you never touched your thermostat, your energy use can still increase.

Think about it this way: If your thermostat is set to 72° and it’s 100° outside, your A/C has to work much harder to maintain that 28-degree difference than it would on an 85° day.

And every time that front door swings open? More cool air escapes — and more hot air makes its way inside — than you might think. That means your A/C has to work even harder to get your home back to the temperature you’ve set. So, in the words of parents everywhere:

“IN OR OUT! We’re not cooling the whole neighborhood!”

A little awareness can go a long way toward helping your A/C, and your energy use, during these extremely hot days.☀️

08/12/2026

8/12 UPDATE 5:31am: As the sun begins to rise and a new day is upon us, the new poles have been set and power has been restored to members in Elm Springs area. We had about 10 linemen working through the night to reset about 10 poles up there. Thank you all for your patience as the restoration process was completed.

UPDATE 11:18pm: Crews were able to get a majority of the members back on by rerouting the section of line that came directly from the Wall substation. There are a handful still out that they will have on soon. Once they have that completed they will be headed to help the crew by Elm Springs. While we are so thankful for the rain, safety is our top priority at WREA. Please continue to be patient as crews work through the night to get those poles replaced.

UPDATE 10:35pm: Our Elm Springs crew checked in and reported 8 more down poles on top of just the 1 they originally thought. That particular section of line is unable to be re-routed so the roughly 35 members East and Northeast of Elm Springs will be in an extended outage as the night goes on. We appreciate your patience as our guys work as safe and as efficiently as possible.

UPDATE 10:13pm: Crews have found an additional 8 broken/down poles. They are working to get the system rerouted to get members back on as fast as possible. This process takes time and close monitoring to ensure safety for the system and our crews. We do not have an ETA at this time. We will continue to update here as they come in.

UPDATE 9:32pm: Crews are headed out to begin the restoration process. We have one crew headed to fix the down pole near Elm Springs. The other crew is patrolling the line to find the issue causing all of circuit 2 from the substation to be off. Thank you for your patience and continue to stay safe!

8:56pm: We are aware of the outages coming in down in the Wall area with the storm that is rolling through. We are also getting reports of some poles down.

Crews have been dispatched and are monitoring the Scada system. For safety, they are going to wait before they head out to start the restoration process. Members, please stay away from down poles and wires. We appreciate your patience and check back here for updates.

08/11/2026

Today is National 811 Day! Whether you're planting a tree, installing a fence or starting any project that requires digging, play it safe and contact 811 first. A quick call or online request can help locate underground utility lines, preventing service interruptions, costly repairs and serious injuries.

811 services are free and simple to use. Dig smart and dig into safety before your project begins.

08/10/2026

Need some new-to-you new wheels?🛻💨

West River Electric has the following vehicles and trailers for sale by sealed bid until 5pm, Friday, September 18, 2026. All items are sold “as is” and WREA reserves the right to reject any and all bids. Vehicles and trailers can be seen at our Rapid City office and bids can be submitted online at https://www.westriver.coop/vehicle-bids or dropped off at any WREA office. Bids will be opened at the September 21, 2026 Board Meeting.

Item #303: 2014 Toyota Tundra 5.7L V8 4x4 | 204,566 mi
Item #219: 2013 Toyota Tundra 5.7L V8 4x4 | 181,406 mi
Item #315: 2015 Titan Flatbed 8’ x 26’ | 6’ stationary with 20’ tilt | 82” inside wheel wells
Item #230: 1994 Felling Pole Trailer

08/06/2026

⚡️2026 Operation Round-Up Recipient Spotlight⚡️

The Club for Boys is an afterschool and summer program for boys ages 6-17 years old that focuses on life skills, physical activity and much more. One thing they pride themselves on is offering nutritional snacks and meals to the boys after school. In 2025 alone 60,292 meals and snacks were served, allowing the boys the opportunity to receive a healthier snack/meal.

This year, The Club for Boys was awarded $1,000 to help fund those nutritional snack options and help keep the tummies full.🍎🍓🥕🥦

This donation was made possible by the 1,199 members who round up their electric bill each month. Their contributions and support are what helps our communities and local non-profits thrive. If you are not involved with Operation Round-Up, we encourage you to check it out and consider donating to the fund to keep our communities thriving. Learn more at https://www.westriver.coop/operation-roundup.

08/04/2026

📢 Psst... this is one list you actually want to be on. It could put money back in your pocket!😎

The August Cooperative Connections issue includes members who have unclaimed Capital Credits from 2019.

Take a quick peek at the list here: https://www.westriver.coop/capital-credits-101

👀 See your name? Give us a call and we'll help you claim your Capital Credits.

07/27/2026

The weather has been real warm lately and our power supplier, Basin Electric Power Cooperative shares an example of what the energy market looks like when it is "hot, hot, hot!"☀️ An all-of-the-above energy strategy is important when it comes to reliability and extreme temperatures like what we have been experiencing.

Hot! Hot! Hot! When it’s hot out, we get most of our electricity from coal and natural gas. When the wind picks up, it can take up a piece of the pie… and cool our toes off too. An all-of-the-above energy strategy assists in reliably and affordably serving our members during all types of weather. This is an example of how the energy market looks on a day like today.

07/25/2026

It’s never too early to start thinking about school! Christine R. and Adam D. are over at the Base for a Back To School event today ✏️ 📕 if you are able, swing down and see them and grab some school supplies while you’re there!

07/24/2026

We had a great time with the Black Hills Home Builders Association!🌟