The Company is a regulated energy delivery and construction materials and services
business, which was incorporated under the laws of the state of Delaware in
1924. Its principal executive offices are at 1200 West Century Avenue, P.O.
Box 5650, Bismarck, North Dakota 58506-5650, telephone (701) 530-1000.
Montana-Dakota, Great Plains, Cascade and Intermountain comprise the natural
gas distribution segment. Montana-Dakota also comprises the electric segment.
The Company, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Centennial, owns WBI Holdings,
Knife River, MDU Construction Services, Centennial Resources and Centennial
Capital. WBI Holdings is comprised of the pipeline and midstream segment and
Fidelity, formerly the Companys exploration and production business. Knife
River is the construction materials and contracting segment, MDU Construction
Services is the construction services segment, and Centennial Resources and
Centennial Capital are both reflected in the Other category.
General Montana-Dakota provides electric service at retail, serving 142,948
residential, commercial, industrial and municipal customers in 178 communities
and adjacent rural areas as of December 31, 2016. For more information on the
customer classes served, see the table below. The principal properties owned
by Montana-Dakota for use in its electric operations include interests in 13
electric generating facilities and three small portable diesel generators, as
further described under System Supply, System Demand and Competition, approximately
3,100 and 4,800 miles of transmission and distribution lines, respectively,
and 74 transmission and 316 distribution substations. Montana-Dakota has obtained
and holds, or is in the process of renewing, valid and existing franchises authorizing
it to conduct its electric operations in all of the municipalities it serves
where such franchises are required. Montana-Dakota intends to protect its service
area and seek renewal of all expiring franchises.
The Companys natural gas distribution operations consist of Montana-Dakota,
Great Plains, Cascade and Intermountain, which sell natural gas at retail, serving
922,408 residential, commercial and industrial customers in 335 communities
and adjacent rural areas across eight states as of December 31, 2016, and provide
natural gas transportation services to certain customers on the Companys systems.
For more information on the customer classes served, see the table below. These
services are provided through distribution systems aggregating approximately
19,400 miles. The natural gas distribution operations have obtained and hold,
or are in the process of renewing, valid and existing franchises authorizing
them to conduct their natural gas operations in all of the municipalities they
serve where such franchises are required.
The nonregulated business of this segment owns and operates gathering facilities
in Montana and Wyoming. In total, facilities include approximately 800 miles
of operated field gathering lines, some of which interconnect with WBI Energys
regulated pipeline system. The nonregulated business provides natural gas gathering
services and a variety of other energy-related services, including cathodic
protection, contract compression operations, measurement services, and energy
efficiency product sales and installation services to large end-users. In November
2016, the Company entered into an agreement to sell its ownership in the Pronghorn
assets, which included a 50 percent undivided interest in a natural gas processing
plant, both oil and gas gathering pipelines, an oil storage terminal and an
oil pipeline in western North Dakota.
General Knife River operates construction materials and contracting businesses
headquartered in Alaska, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana,
North Dakota, Oregon, Texas, Washington and Wyoming. These operations mine,
process and sell construction aggregates (crushed stone, sand and gravel); produce
and sell asphalt mix and supply ready-mixed concrete for use in most types of
construction, including roads, freeways and bridges, as well as homes, schools,
shopping centers, office buildings and industrial parks. Although not common
to all locations, other products include the sale of cement, liquid asphalt
for various commercial and roadway applications, various finished concrete products
and other building materials and related contracting services.