Rural Electric Co-op Scorecard

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.

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

Minnesota 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?

Electric bill explanation

Yes 91%

No 9%

How to run for co-op board

Yes 100%

How to vote in co-op elections

Yes 91%

No 9%

Energy source mix

Yes 80%

No 20%

Board meeting notes/minutes

Yes 82%

No 18%

Contact info for board members

Yes 80%

No 20%

Board meeting dates

Yes 93%

No 7%

Co-op bylaws

Yes 93%

No 7%

Inflation Reduction Act communications

Yes 64%

No 36%

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.
View the full printable version
* 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!

Every electric cooperative is based in democratic ownership and governance of the people whom they serve. Every customer a member, every member an owner. As a member-owner, your voice matters to the co-op board and staff and when you lift your voice, they will listen.

You have the power to push your co-op to address the climate crisis boldly and with close attention to living up to their cooperative potential as energy democracies. Your voice can impact what the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act can do to help accelerate the clean energy transition. Your voice can impact what local investments are made, where jobs are created, and how your community can save money.

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.