What Sioux Valley Energy does

Sioux Valley Energy is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric distribution cooperative founded in 1938, headquartered in Colman, South Dakota, and serving 30,287 meters across a seven-county territory spanning east-central South Dakota (Brookings, parts of Kingsbury, Lake, Moody, and Minnehaha counties) and western Minnesota (Rock and Pipestone counties). The cooperative delivers electricity to residential, commercial, agricultural, and industrial members through 6,259 miles of owned distribution infrastructure, supported by four local service centers in Brandon, Colman, Hartford, and Pipestone, plus a 24/7 dispatch operation and the SmartHub digital member portal. The cooperative sits at the distribution tier of a three-tier system, purchasing transmission from East River Electric Power Cooperative and L&O Power Cooperative, and generation from Basin Electric Power Cooperative and the Western Area Power Administration.

The cooperative's core products center on electricity delivery and a member-facing service stack: (1) billing and account management via SmartHub, with a three-component billing model (energy, basic service, and demand charges) being introduced for residential and general service members in 2027; (2) energy efficiency rebates and incentive programs for residential and commercial/industrial members, including a Renewable Energy Credits program; (3) distributed energy resource interconnection services via the Nova Power Portal; (4) electric vehicle education, incentives, and resources; and (5) an outage management system with automated call processing and real-time outage mapping. Beyond core electricity services, the cooperative operates an extensive community engagement portfolio including Operation Round Up grants (over $2 million distributed since 2000), the REVIVE 2030 economic development initiative, youth scholarships ($20,000 annually), the EmPOWER youth leadership program, the Touchstone Energy Scholar of the Week recognition, and the Who Powers You contest.

Revenue is generated through monthly electricity sales (kWh-based energy charges), fixed basic service charges, and demand charges, with cost-of-service pricing rather than profit maximization. Approximately half of the cooperative's wholesale power bill derives from demand charges, totaling more than $32 million in the prior year, which has driven the 2027 billing restructure. The cooperative is governed by a member-elected Board of Directors and supported by 115 full-time employees; CEO Tim McCarthy led a documented cultural transformation in 2013 that has shaped the current relationship-focused operating model. The cooperative is a Touchstone Energy Cooperative brand partner and jointly controls the Rural Electric Economic Development (REED) Fund, established in 1996 to finance rural economic development projects.

Name

Sioux Valley Energy

Legal name

Sioux Valley Energy

Website

https://siouxvalleyenergy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1938

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Sioux Valley Energy is a member-owned electric distribution cooperative founded in 1938, serving 30,287 residential, commercial, agricultural, and industrial members across a seven-county territory in east-central South Dakota and western Minnesota through 6,259 miles of owned distribution infrastructure.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electric Utility Distribution

SIC

Electric Services (4911), Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900)

akta.pro primary industry

Electric Cooperatives (Rural/Member-Owned Utilities) (EUADABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Interconnection, Permitting & Grid Services for DERs (EUAMAJAH), Distributed Generation (DG) Solar & Small Wind (EUAMAJAD), Demand Response & Load Flexibility Services (EUAMAJAF), Resilience & Backup Power Solutions (Critical Facilities, Islanding) (EUAMAJAK)

Keywords

• Electric distribution services
• Member-owned cooperative
• Rural electric utility
• Energy efficiency programs
• Renewable energy programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Colman

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Electricity Sales: Sale of electricity to residential, commercial, agricultural, and industrial members. Revenue generated through energy charges (kWh consumption), basic service charges (fixed costs for meters, transformers, lines, billing), and demand charges (for larger commercial/industrial members).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Sioux Valley Energy is a member-owned electric cooperative that distributes electricity to more than 30,000 homes, farms, businesses, and industries across a seven-county service territory in east-central South Dakota and western Minnesota. The cooperative delivers electric power through owned transmission and distribution infrastructure, manages billing and member account services via the SmartHub digital platform, and offers energy efficiency rebates, renewable energy programs, electric vehicle incentives, and outage management services. It also operates community-oriented programs including Operation Round Up charitable giving, REVIVE 2030 economic development, youth leadership programs, and scholarship initiatives.

Product overview

Sioux Valley Energy operates as a member-owned electric cooperative providing comprehensive electricity services to over 30,000 homes, farms, businesses, and industries across a seven-county area of east-central South Dakota and western Minnesota. The cooperative's core offerings center on reliable electricity distribution, delivery, and billing through its SmartHub platform, which serves as the primary member portal for account management, bill payment, usage monitoring, and outage reporting. The company also provides energy efficiency programs with residential and commercial rebates, renewable energy resources including solar energy center and distributed interconnection services, and electric vehicle support programs. Beyond core electricity services, the cooperative invests heavily in community development through multiple programs: Operation Round Up for charitable giving, REVIVE 2030 economic development initiatives, youth scholarship programs, the EmPOWER Youth Leadership program, Touchstone Energy Scholar of the Week recognition, and the Who Powers You community contest. The cooperative has introduced a demand charge component to its billing structure beginning in 2027, supported by educational tools like the Demand Calculator. Additional member services include outage management with 24/7 dispatch, the Inside the Grid podcast for industry education, and various safety and assistance programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Electric Distribution Service Core electric service delivering power through 6,259 miles of distribution lines to residential, commercial, agricultural, and industrial members; billed on a three-component basis (energy charge, basic service charge, and demand charge).
• SmartHub Member Portal Online and mobile member portal enabling members to manage electric accounts, pay bills, monitor energy usage, report outages, and enroll in autopay and paperless billing.
• Residential Energy Efficiency Rebates and Loans Rebates, loans, and tools for residential members to improve home energy efficiency, including the Energy Solutions Catalog with discounted efficiency products.
• Commercial and Industrial Rebates and Programs Energy efficiency rebates and programs for commercial and industrial members, including contractor resources and dedicated member support.
• Renewable Energy Credits (REC) Program Program allowing commercial and industrial members to participate in renewable energy credit purchases supporting renewable generation in the cooperative's power supply mix.
• Distributed Energy Resource Interconnection Interconnection services enabling members to connect distributed energy resources such as rooftop solar and other generation systems to the cooperative's distribution grid.
• Electric Vehicle Programs Resources, incentives, and information for members considering or operating electric vehicles, including Go Electric videos and EV expo events.
• Load Management Service Service allowing the cooperative to remotely manage enrolled high-load appliances during peak demand periods, helping control wholesale power costs for members.
• Outage Management and 24/7 Dispatch 24/7 dispatch service for outage reporting, real-time outage mapping, and power restoration management with automated call processing for all member types.

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered supporting and core.

• REVIVE 2030 Program PartnerssupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Community and economic development initiative partnering with rural towns in service area. Provides hands-on assistance with grant writing, community planning, strategic planning, and marketing. Partners include communities like Hills (MN) childcare center and Rock County Economic Development Authority.
• Rural Electric Economic Development (REED) FundcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1996Non-profit corporation formed by Sioux Valley Energy and other East River member cooperatives to offer financing for business, agri-business, infrastructure and community development projects in rural areas.
• Basin Electric Power CooperativecoreOthersPower generation supplier that generates electricity from coal, natural gas, wind, and solar. Building Bison Generation Station near Epping, ND (~$4 billion, 1,490 MW). Sioux Valley Energy is a member of Basin Electric through its power supplier cooperatives.
• East River Electric Power CooperativecoreOthersTransmission-tier power supplier representing one of the cooperative's power suppliers. East River pays power bill to Basin Electric and WAPA.
• L&O Power CooperativecoreOthersTransmission-tier power supplier representing one of the cooperative's power suppliers. L&O pays power bill to Basin Electric and WAPA.
• Western Area Power Administration (WAPA)supportingOthersGenerates electricity from dams on the Missouri River. Part of the third-tier power generation network supplying Sioux Valley Energy.
• Touchstone Energy CooperativessupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerNational brand partnership for electric cooperatives. Sioux Valley Energy is a Touchstone Energy Cooperative, using the brand for marketing and community programs including Scholar of the Week and Who Powers You contest.
• Dakota News NowsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional media partnership for Touchstone Energy Scholar of the Week program. Features student achievements on Dakota News Now.
• Who Powers You Contest PartnerssupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional contest with other Touchstone Energy Cooperatives to recognize individuals or organizations making notable community impact. Winners featured on KELOLAND Living.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• East River Electric Power Cooperative: A transmission-tier power supplier for Sioux Valley Energy. East River is a generation and transmission cooperative serving member distribution cooperatives in the same eastern South Dakota / western Minnesota region, making it a directly comparable cooperative counterpart in the three-tier system.
• L&O Power Cooperative: Another transmission-tier power supplier that pays SVE's power bill to Basin Electric and WAPA. L&O is a small distribution/transmission cooperative operating in a comparable rural South Dakota service territory.
• Central Electric Cooperative: A member-owned electric distribution cooperative serving central South Dakota, providing directly comparable rural distribution utility services in the same state regulatory environment.
• Codington-Clark Electric Cooperative: A Touchstone Energy-branded member-owned electric cooperative in northeastern South Dakota with a comparable rural service profile, similar member programs, and overlapping generation/transmission supply relationships.
• Whetstone Valley Electric Cooperative: A small rural electric distribution cooperative in northeastern South Dakota, comparable in size and member structure to SVE and part of the same East River/Basin Electric power supply network.
• Oahe Electric Cooperative: A member-owned electric cooperative serving central South Dakota. Oahe provides directly comparable distribution utility service to a similar mix of residential, agricultural, and small commercial members.
• Southeastern Electric Cooperative (South Dakota): A Touchstone Energy-branded rural electric distribution cooperative serving southeastern South Dakota with a comparable member base, services portfolio, and community-focused program structure.
• Northern Electric Cooperative: A member-owned electric distribution cooperative in South Dakota with a similar rural service territory, member-program orientation, and regulatory framework as Sioux Valley Energy.

Broad incumbents

• Basin Electric Power Cooperative: A large generation-and-transmission cooperative and the primary wholesale electricity supplier to SVE and other distribution cooperatives across the Upper Midwest. While not a distribution peer, Basin Electric is a key counterparty and structural partner whose economics directly affect SVE's cost base.

Regional players

• Lyon-Lincoln Electric Cooperative: A member-owned electric distribution cooperative based in southwest Minnesota, adjacent to SVE's Minnesota service area. Comparable in scale, structure, and community-focused cooperative model, but serving a different geographic sub-region.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@SiouxValleyEnergy
• Facebookfacebook.com/svecoop
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sioux-valley-energy
• Instagraminstagram.com/siouxvalleyenergy
• Xx.com/siouxvalley

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sioux Valley Energy