Our Members

Map of w4's in Minnesota

Under the successful and proven cooperative business model, 明尼苏达州的电力合作社是当地所有的，由他们服务的消费者管理，由选举产生的董事会管理，这些董事会同时也是该组织的消费者. In a cooperative, the member-owners have equal voting rights (one member, one vote) and a vital and valued voice.

Electric Cooperatives operate at a close-to-cost, 为明尼苏达州农村和郊区的企业和消费者提供有竞争力的能源成本.

Minnesota’s electric cooperatives

明尼苏达州的电力合作社是相互独立的, 而是共同为全国85%的农村地区提供电力.

  • Are home to 44 distribution cooperatives, 由六代和传播合作社提供服务
  • Employ about 2,974 people
  • Serve 855,002 meters or about 1.7 million of Minnesota’s 5.1 million residents
  • 这个中等规模的合作社有8296名成员，规模从1878人到132,289人不等
  • Supply over 16,683,413 MWh per year, which is about 22.9 % of Minnesota’s electricity
  • Operate the largest distribution network in the state, with more than 135,258 miles of electric lines
  • Average 6.6 consumers per mile of distribution line. According to current national statistics, 所有其他公用事业(包括投资者所有的和市政服务)平均每英里32个客户.

Seven cooperative principles

大多数合作社努力坚持七个合作原则, which combine to help build trust between the co-op, its members and the community. Download 7 Cooperative Principles.


  • 1. Voluntary and open membership

    Cooperatives are voluntary organizations, 开放给所有能够使用他们的服务并愿意接受会员责任的人, without gender, social, racial, political or religious discrimination.

  • 2. Democratic member control

    合作社是由其成员控制的民主组织, 谁积极参与制定政策和决策. 当选的代表对全体会员负责. In primary cooperatives, members have equal voting rights (one member, 以民主方式组织其他各级的合作社.

  • 3. Members’ economic participation

    成员公平地缴纳合作社的资本，并民主地控制其资本. 通常至少有一部分资本是合作社的共同财产. Members usually receive limited compensation, if any, on capital subscribed as a condition of membership. 成员将盈余分配给下列任一或全部目的:发展合作社, possibly by setting up reserves, part of which at least would be indivisible; benefiting members in proportion to their transactions with the cooperative; and supporting other activities approved by the membership.

  • 4. Autonomy and independence

    合作社是由其成员控制的自治、自助组织. If they enter into agreements with other organizations, including governments, or raise capital from external sources, 它们这样做的条件是确保其成员的民主控制和保持其合作自治.

  • 5. Education, training, and information

    Cooperatives provide education and training for their members, elected representatives, 管理人员和雇员，以便他们能够有效地为其合作社的发展作出贡献. They inform the general public, particularly young people and opinion leaders, about the nature and benefits of cooperation.

  • 6. Cooperation among cooperatives

    合作社最有效地为其成员服务，并通过当地的合作加强合作社运动, national, regional and international structures.

  • 7. Concern for community

    While focusing on member needs, 合作社通过其成员接受的政策为其社区的可持续发展而努力.

资本信贷:作为合作社成员的诸多好处之一

As cost-based utilities, electric co-ops don’t earn a profit; they use the term margin for the remaining revenue after all debts have been paid. 资本信贷反映每个成员在合作社中的权益和对合作社的出资. 利润率不同于投资者拥有的公用事业公司向股东支付的股息, who may or may not receive service from the utility. 州电力合作社平均每年向消费者返还2600万美元.

Co-ops 有两个主要的资金来源来融资在电力方面的长期投资 utility infrastructure: debt and equity. Debt is money borrowed from outside sources. Equity is money invested by co-op member-owners. Equity investments 合作社成员所做的称为资本信贷.

Cooperatives 法律允许将资本信贷分配资金用于:

  • Payment 按其要求，合作社长期债务的主要部分 mortgage agreements
  • Adding new power lines in developing areas
  • Upgrading outdated infrastructure

Capital 如果该合作社的会员在未来的某一天还欠会员的钱 财务状况足以将一部分股权返还给 member-owners, a decision made by the co-op’s board.

Concern for community

Minnesota 电力合作社是其服务的社区的一个组成部分. With 超过80年的经验，提供经济可靠的服务， 合作社是改善经济健康状况的现成交付系统 他们的董事会和员工居住的乡村和郊区社区 work.

 明尼苏达州电力合作社的经济发展努力是联邦农村电气化计划最初目标的延伸，该计划旨在为所有公民提供高质量的生活，无论他们住在哪里. 在使用美国农业部颁发的农村经济发展贷款和赠款方面，明尼苏达州的电力合作社通常在50个州中名列前茅.

Cooperatives 积极吸引和帮助扩大现有业务. They often 承担项目，改善基础设施，如宽带和改善 quality of life. 他们是一个社区经济发展和 通过向美国农业部提供无息贷款来刺激就业 Rural Development Service.

Community outreach

Many 明尼苏达电力合作社的志愿者和奖学金 项目，包括Operation Round Up®，GreenTouch和更多.

The Operation Round Up®计划汇集了来自同意的成员的基金 把他们的电费凑到下一美元，通常不超过50美元 cents per month, or an average of $6.00 per year per customer bill. In the first ten years, members gave more than $4.8 million to local charities through Operation Round Up®. The GreenTouch项目是明尼苏达州的Touchstone能源公司的合作伙伴 cooperatives and the Minnesota state park system. The state’s electric co-ops 捐了32万美元给明尼苏达自然资源部 帮助资助国家公园向导和青少年公园博物学家项目.