Are Minnesota electric co-ops informing their member-owners about basic policies – and how to have a voice?

Are Minnesota electric co-ops informing their member-owners about basic policies – and how to have a voice?

We evaluated the websites of all 44 rural electric co-ops in Minnesota on whether or not they post nine basic pieces of information.

3 Top Takeaways

%

don’t post information on how to vote in co-op elections

%

don’t post dates for upcoming board meetings

%

don’t post board member contact information

More Findings

Do co-ops post the following basic information?

Electric bill explanation

  • Yes 73% 73%
  • No 27% 27%

How to run for co-op board

  • Yes 61% 61%
  • No 39% 39%

Energy source mix

  • Yes 52% 52%
  • No 48% 48%

Board meeting notes

  • Yes 36% 36%
  • No 64% 64%

Director/manager salaries

  • Yes 9% 9%
  • No 91% 91%

Co-op bylaws

  • Yes 84% 84%
  • No 16% 16%

The Full Report Card

What each co-op posts on its website – or doesn’t

Read more about the nine topics we evaluated, and click on a co-op name to view its individual report card. View the printable version

Co-Op
name
Electric bill
explanation
Energy source
mix
Director/manager
salaries
Bylaws
Board member
contact info
Board meeting
dates
Board meeting
minutes/notes
How to run for
co-op board
How to vote in
co-op elections


Co-Op
name

Electric bill
explanation
Energy source
mix
Director/manager
salaries
Bylaws
Board member
contact info
Board meeting
dates
Board meeting
minutes/notes
How to run for
co-op board
How to vote in
co-op elections
Agralite
M M M M M N N N N
Arrowhead
M M M N M N M M M
Beltrami
N N N N N N N N N
Benco
N M M M N M M M M
Brown County
N M M M M N N N M
Clearwater-Polk
N M M M M N M M M
Co-op Light & Power
N M M N N M M M M
Connexus Energy
N N M N M N M M N
Crow Wing
N N M N N N N N N
Dakota Electric
N N N N N N N N N
East Central Energy
N N M N N N N M M
Federated
N N M N N N M M M
Freeborn-Mower
N N M N N M M N N
Goodhue County
N N N N N N N N N
Itasca-Mantrap
N N M N M M M N N
Kandiyohi
N M M N N N M N M
Lake Country
N N M N N N N N N
Lake Region
N M M N M N N N M
Lyon Lincoln
N N M N M M M N M
McLeod
N N M N N N M N N
Meeker
N M M N M M M M M
Mienergy
N N M N N N N N N
Mille Lacs
M N M N N N N M M
Minnesota Valley Electric
N M M N N M N M M
Minnesota Valley Light & Power
M M M N M M M M M
Nobles
N N M N N N M N N
North Itasca
M M M N N M M N M
North Star Electric
M M M M M M M M M
People’s Co-op
N M M N N M M N M
PKM
N N M N N N N N N
Red Lake
N M M N N M M M M
Red River Valley
N N M N M M M N M
Redwood
M M M N M M M M M
Renville-Sibley
N N N N M N N N N
Roseau
M M M M M N M M M
Runestone
N M M N N M M N N
Sioux Valley
N N M N N N N N N
South Central
M M M N M M M N M
Stearns
N N M N M N M M N
Steele-Waseca
M M M M M M M M M
Todd-Wadena
M M M N N N M N N
Traverse
N N M N N N N N N
Wild Rice
N N M N M N M N M
Wright-Hennepin
N N M N M N N N N

Demand Co-op Information!

Look at your electricity bill.
Is it from a rural electric cooperative? Yes?
This means you are a rural electric co-op member-owner!

You have a say in everything from co-op leadership, to billing, to energy sources and more.

But wait! How do you find out how to take part in co-op governance and decision making?
It’s 2019 — so your co-op’s website, of course!

You go to their website, but to your surprise there’s not a lot of helpful information available.

You, a co-op member, need access to complete and transparent information to fully participate in the co-op YOU co-own. However, ONLY THREE co-op websites in Minnesota meets our transparency test!

Add your name to our petition and demand that ALL Minnesota rural electric co-ops websites cover the information included in the Minnesota Rural Electric Co-op Report Card!

Take Action - Sign Our Petition Today

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47 signatures

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More Ways to Advocate for Improvements

Write directly to your co-op managers and board of directors

Tell them about the report card results, and urge them to make improvements. (Here’s a sample letter.)

Share a copy of your co-op’s report card with neighbors and other co-op members

Encourage them to visit the website and take action too. (Click on your co-op’s name in the Report Card to view and share your co-op’s individual results).
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Contact local news outlets in your area

Ask them to do a story to help inform people about the report card results. Consider writing a letter to the editor for your local paper. (Here are some letter to the editor tips).

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