Founded in 1976, Northern Municipal Power Agency (NMPA) is the wholesale energy supplier for 12 participating municipal utilities located in eastern North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota. Headquartered in Thief River Falls, Minn., NMPA supplies the electric needs of more than 15,000 consumer meters in the same geographic area as the Minnkota member-owners.
Minnkota and NMPA operate together in what is referred to as the Joint System. This arrangement, which has been in place since 1981,essentially combines the revenues, expenses and wholesale electric rates for the two power suppliers.
NMPA owns a 30% share of the 427,000-kilowatt Coyote Station located near the town of Beulah in western North Dakota. NMPA also owns a load-ratio share (approximately 15%) of the Minnkota transmission system. Minnkota also serves as operating agent for NMPA.
