BENSON -- The city of Benson is using its generator after storms in western Minnesota and the Dakotas.
One of the city's energy providers, Missouri River Energy Services of Sioux Falls, S.D., called at 4 p.m. Monday asking the city to start its generator, city manager Rob Wolfington said.
The generator was producing 12 megawatts of electricity and was scheduled to be used until 7 p.m. Tuesday. Then, the city was to start it again at 7 a.m. today.
Benson's generator is needed to help alleviate power shortages after Monday's storm downed transmission lines in western Minnesota and the Dakotas, Wolfington said.
The city itself did not experience any power outages, he said.
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On a winter day, the city of Benson uses about 4 megawatts of electricity. The rest of the generator's electricity is being used in nearby areas, Wolfington said.
He does not know how long the generator will be needed.
