Co-ops are modernizing their energy supply and how they communicate with their members. Here’s a look at how well Minnesota’s electric co-ops demonstrate online transparency.
How Rural Electric Co-ops are Evolving
CURE's Engagement Moved Co-ops in the Right Direction
Over the past five years, Minnesota's 44 co-ops have made significant strides in the way they communicate with members. The graph below shows that the total number of RECs reporting "yes" has gone up in every category.
No Data Found
Most Improved
- NorthStar Electric (+9)
- Lyon-Lincoln (+8)
- Red River Valley (+7)
- BENCO (+6)
Coop Light & Power (+6)
Runestone (+6)
Perfect Scores
Connexus
Crow Wing
Dakota Electric
Kandiyohi
Lake Country
Lake Region
Lyon-Lincoln
MN Valley Electric (Jordan)
Red River Valley
Renville-Sibley
Sioux Valley
What's New?
- The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 provides significant funding for co-ops to modernize their energy supply. Are they talking to their members about this huge opportunity?
- Co-ops know how important transparency is. Our new scorecard asked co-ops to share this information with us and two-thirds of them delivered.
What We Learned in 2023
93%
showed improvement since our last scorecard
93%
post dates & times for upcoming board meetings
27%
posted director or manager salaries
More Findings
Do co-ops post the following basic information?
How Does Your Co-op Stack Up?
The Full Scorecard
Read more about the ten topics we evaluated, and click the print button to view/print its individual report card.
* indicates that co-op participated by self-reporting.
| CO-OP NAME | Electric bill explained | Energy source mix | Director/ manager salaries | Bylaws | Board member contact info | Board mtg dates | Board mtg minutes/ notes | How to run for co-op board | How to vote in co-op elections | IRA Comms |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agralite* | ✓ | ✓ | X | X | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Arrowhead* | X | X | X | ✓ | X | ✓ | X | ✓ | ✓ | X |
| Beltrami | ✓ | ✓ | X | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| BENCO* | ✓ | X | X | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Brown Co.* | ✓ | ✓ | X | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Clearwater Polk | ✓ | X | X | X | X | ✓ | X | ✓ | X | X |
| Connexus Energy* | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Co-op Light & Power* | ✓ | ✓ | X | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Crow Wing Power* | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Dakota Electric Association* | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| East Central Energy* | ✓ | ✓ | X | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Federated Rural Electric Association* | ✓ | ✓ | X | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | X | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Freeborn-Mower* | ✓ | ✓ | X | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | X |
| Goodhue Co. Co-op Electric* | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | X |
| Itasca-Mantrap Cooperative Electric Association* | ✓ | ✓ | X | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | X |
| Kandiyohi Power Cooperative* | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Lake Country Power* | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Lake Region | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Lyon-Lincoln | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| McLeod Co-op Power* | ✓ | ✓ | X | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Meeker | ✓ | X | X | ✓ | X | X | X | ✓ | ✓ | X |
| MiEnergy Cooperative* | ✓ | ✓ | X | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mille Lacs | ✓ | ✓ | X | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Minnesota Valley Electric Co-op* | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Minnesota Valley Light and Power | ✓ | X | X | ✓ | X | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | X |
| Nobles Cooperative Electric* | ✓ | ✓ | X | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | X |
| North Itasca Electric | ✓ | X | X | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | X |
| North Star Electric Co-op* | ✓ | ✓ | X | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| People's Energy Co-op* | ✓ | ✓ | X | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| PKM | ✓ | ✓ | X | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Red Lake Electric Co-op* | ✓ | ✓ | X | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | X | ✓ | ✓ | X |
| Red River Valley | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Redwood | X | X | X | ✓ | X | X | X | ✓ | X | X |
| Renville-Sibley Co-op Power* | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Roseau | X | X | X | X | X | ✓ | X | ✓ | X | X |
| Runestone Electric Association* | ✓ | ✓ | X | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Sioux Valley Energy* | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| South Central | ✓ | ✓ | X | ✓ | X | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | X |
| Stearns Electric Assoc.* | ✓ | ✓ | X | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Steele-Waseca Co-op Electric* | X | X | X | ✓ | X | X | X | ✓ | X | X |
| Todd-Wadena Electric Co-op* | ✓ | ✓ | X | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Traverse | ✓ | ✓ | X | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | X |
| Wild Rice | ✓ | ✓ | X | ✓ | X | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | X |
| Wright-Hennepin Cooperative Electric Assoc.* | ✓ | ✓ | X | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
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You're a Co-op Member Owner.
Your Voice Matters!
Electric cooperatives are based democratic ownership and governance by the people they serve, with every customer being a member and every member an owner. Your voice as a member-owner matters to the co-op board and staff. You can influence co-op decisions on how to boldly address the climate crisis and maximize cooperative potential as energy democracies. Your input can shape how co-ops implement the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, as well as local investments, job creation, and community savings.
When member-owners have the tools and information they need to make smart, forward-thinking decisions, our co-ops are better for it. CURE’s goal is to help provide co-op member-owners with the tools and information they need to engage with their electric cooperative and build energy democracy. Over the last 5 years, we have helped change the conversation around electric cooperatives and helped thousands of member owners across Minnesota and the USA change their cooperative for the better.
Join the movement for cooperative democracy and build an energy future that prioritizes people and the planet.
Keep up to date on our latest REC work & learn how you can have a voice.
REC Resources
