USND is an organization of shareholders with the common interest of investing in one or more of North Dakota's investor owned energy utilities -- MDU Resources Group; Xcel Energy, formerly Northern States Power; or Otter Tail Corporation. While Otter Tail provides electric utility services, MDU and Xcel provide both electricity and natural gas in their trade areas.

Membership is open to any person who owns one or more shares of stock in any one of the three utility companies. USND is organized to provide a unified voice for these shareholders in public policy matters that could have an impact on the value of utility shares.

Our mission is "To establish and maintain a positive, credible and independent voice regarding matters affecting investors in utility companies operating in North Dakota".

Why is this organization necessary?

Over the last several years the utility industry has been experiencing the changes and challenges of deregulation. Starting with the deregulation of the natural gas industry, action is now moving along to deregulate electric utilities. Currently, some 24 states have either established a deregulated retail electricity market place or are in the planning stages. Since electric cooperatives and municipal electric systems are not required to offer open access to their consumers, deregulation is not universal in the states in which it is present.

North Dakota does not permit direct access for electrical consumers today, but might in the future. And, if deregulation comes to our state, USND will be there standing up for your rights. If you are not now a member, and if you are a shareholder in one of North Dakota's three investor-owned utilities, you can register on line, at www.usnd.org by clicking the "join now" option on the home page.

Further, there are many other issues that could impact the value of your utility investments, and USND will participate in those discussions as well. 

There are more questions than answers about the utility issue future. One thing is for certain, however, and that certainty is the utility industry of tomorrow will be very different than the utility industry of today. 

To help protect your investment, join the Utility Shareholders of North Dakota today! Click here to sign up now!