electric cooperatives

The headquarters of Dakota Energy in Huron. (John Hult/South Dakota Searchlight)

Huron electric co-op members throw support behind pro-East River board members

BY: - August 29, 2023

Member-owners of a small electric distribution cooperative in eastern South Dakota have elected three new board members after a nearly three-year legal saga that saw the former leadership attempt to break off its contract with a Madison-based power supplier. It’s the second board election in as many years in which Dakota Energy’s member-owners opted to […]

High-voltage electrical power lines. (Anton Petrus/Getty Images)

Huron power struggle sets precedent for rural electric co-ops across US

BY: - August 11, 2023

In 2019, some board members of the rural electric cooperative Dakota Energy wanted to find out if they could get a better deal for wholesale power on the private market. Rates, and electric bills by extension, had doubled in 15 years for the 2,300 member-owners who pay the Huron-based co-op for electrical service. Wholesale costs […]