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%
- No 27%
How to run for co-op board
- Yes 61%
- No 39%
Energy source mix
- Yes 52%
- No 48%
Board meeting notes
- Yes 36%
- No 64%
Director/manager salaries
- Yes 9%
- No 91%
Co-op bylaws
- Yes 84%
- No 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
|
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!
More Ways to Advocate for Improvements
Write directly to your co-op managers and board of directors
Share a copy of your co-op’s report card with neighbors and other co-op members
Contact local news outlets in your area
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