Cooperative Light & Power

What Cooperative Light & Power does

Cooperative Light & Power (CLP) is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric distribution cooperative headquartered in Two Harbors, Minnesota, founded in 1936. It distributes electricity across northeastern Minnesota — specifically Lake County and parts of St. Louis County — through more than 1,015 miles of overhead and underground power line maintained by a small staff of approximately 6 lineworkers. CLP receives wholesale power from Great River Energy, a not-for-profit generation and transmission cooperative, and resells it to residential members, small commercial members, and seasonal residential members within an exclusive regulated service territory.

The cooperative's core offering is reliable electricity delivery, supported by a set of technology-enabled services and programs. The SmartHub member portal provides online billing, payments, and usage tracking. A live outage mapping system enables real-time visibility into service disruptions, and an Integrated Vegetation Management (IVM) program proactively mitigates tree-related outage risk — addressing the fact that 75% of outages in 2022 were vegetation-related. Member-facing programs include the Wellspring renewable wind energy program, Community Solar, Distributed Generation/net metering, Time-of-Use rates, Load Management, and an extensive Energy Wise rebate catalog covering appliances, HVAC, smart thermostats, water heating, electric vehicle charging, and lighting. Community engagement programs — Operation Round-Up, Youth Tour, Westholm Scholarship, CLP Caring Closet, and Medical Equipment Lending — reinforce member loyalty.

CLP operates under a cost-recovery pricing model typical of distribution cooperatives, not a profit-maximization model. Pricing comprises a monthly Service Availability Charge (residential members recently raised from $30 to $52, small commercial from $35 to $66) and a unified per-kWh energy charge of $0.1374, replacing prior seasonal tiers. Revenue is supplemented through regulatory capital such as a $6.869 million USDA award received in December 2024. Governance is provided by an elected member Board of Directors; current leadership is CEO Carey Hogenson (permanently appointed September 2025 after serving as Interim CEO from May 2025), succeeding former CEO Joel Janorschke who resigned in May 2025.

Name

Cooperative Light & Power

Legal name

Cooperative Light & Power

Website

https://clpower.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1936

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cooperative Light & Power is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric distribution cooperative serving residential, small commercial, and seasonal members across Lake County and parts of St. Louis County in northeastern Minnesota, distributing power received from Great River Energy across over 1,015 miles of line.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electric Utility Distribution

NAICS

Electric Power Distribution (221122), Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution (2211)

SIC

Electric Services (4911)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Electric distribution services
• Electric utility cooperative
• Power outage management
• Renewable energy programs
• Energy efficiency rebates

Headquarters

HQ city

Two Harbors

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Electricity Sales: CLP generates revenue primarily through electricity sales to residential and commercial members. As a not-for-profit electric cooperative, rates are set to cover costs rather than generate profit. Revenue comes from monthly base fees (Service Availability Charge) and per kWh energy charges.
2. Energy Efficiency Programs and Rebates: Revenue supports various rebate programs including appliance rebates, heating and cooling rebates, electric vehicle charging rebates, smart thermostat rebates, lighting rebates, and water heating rebates.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cooperative Light & Power (CLP) is a member-owned electric distribution cooperative delivering electricity to residential and small commercial members across Lake County and part of St. Louis County in northeastern Minnesota. CLP acquires wholesale power from Great River Energy and distributes it through over 1,000 miles of owned overhead and underground lines, supported by the SmartHub member portal for billing, usage tracking, and outage reporting.

Product overview

Cooperative Light & Power provides electricity distribution services as a member-owned electric cooperative serving northeastern Minnesota. The core product is electric service delivery, supported by the SmartHub customer portal for account management. Energy programs include the Wellspring renewable energy program, Community Solar, Time of Use rates, Load Management, and various Energy Wise rebates for appliances, HVAC, lighting, and electric vehicles. Additional offerings include Distributed Generation programs, Integrated Vegetation Management, and community outreach programs including Operation Round-Up grants, CLP Caring Closet, Westholm Scholarship, Youth Tour, and Medical Equipment Lending.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Electric Services Core electricity distribution service delivering safe, reliable, and affordable power to residential and commercial members across northeastern Minnesota. Members are billed a monthly Service Availability Charge plus per kWh energy charges.
• SmartHub Member Portal Online self-service portal for account management, bill payment, usage monitoring, and outage reporting, available 24/7 via web and mobile.
• Power Outage Management Live outage mapping system and reporting tools allowing members to report outages and track restoration efforts across the service territory.
• Wellspring Renewable Energy Program Program allowing businesses and members to purchase renewable wind and solar energy through renewable energy credits (RECs) to offset conventional energy use.
• Community Solar Community solar program enabling members to participate in solar energy without installing individual rooftop systems.
• Energy Efficiency Rebates Program Rebate programs for residential and commercial customers covering appliances, heating and cooling systems, smart thermostats, water heating, lighting, and electric vehicle charging.
• Distributed Generation Interconnection Program for members who generate their own electricity, including interconnection services and net metering options.

Quantifiable outcome

• Average member sees $9/month or 7% total energy charge increase following 2023 rate adjustment
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Stanley LaBountyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 August 2022Stanley LaBounty, a manufacturer of large attachments for excavators, partnered with CLP through the Wellspring renewable energy program. The company enrolled to purchase wind energy and signed an initial contract through 2025, later extended through 2029. The partnership supports Stanley LaBounty's goal of carbon neutrality by 2030 for its Two Harbors manufacturing facility.
• Great River EnergycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreat River Energy is a not-for-profit wholesale electric power cooperative serving 27 member-owner distribution cooperatives. CLP receives and distributes power from Great River Energy, which provides reliable, cleaner electricity while maintaining affordable rates for 1.7 million people.
• Touchstone Energy CooperativescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCLP is a member of Touchstone Energy Cooperatives, a national brand affiliation for electric cooperatives. Touchstone Energy is a coalition of more than 700 local, consumer-owned electric utilities.
• Minnesota Rural Electric Association (MREA)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerMREA coordinates the Youth Tour program in Minnesota. Students from CLP's service territory can participate in the annual trip to Washington D.C. along with over 1,800 students from across the country.
• National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerNRECA facilitates the national Youth Tour program and provides resources and support for electric cooperatives. CLP participates in NRECA's commitment to cooperative principles and programs.
• Energy Wise MNminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEnergy Wise MN is a partner providing deals and online sales for energy-efficient products through energywisemnstore.com.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Lake Region Electric Cooperative: Minnesota member-owned electric cooperative serving rural members in the Pelican Rapids area; directly comparable in scale, cooperative ownership, and Touchstone Energy/NRECA affiliations to Cooperative Light & Power.
• East Central Energy: Minnesota distribution cooperative also supplied by Great River Energy, serving members in east-central Minnesota with similar member-owned electric distribution services and rebate/renewable programs.
• Connexus Energy: Minnesota member-owned electric cooperative operating distribution service in a defined territory north of the Twin Cities; comparable to CLP in business model, regulatory treatment, and product portfolio (rebates, EV programs, community solar).
• Dakota Electric Association: Member-owned distribution cooperative serving Dakota County and surrounding areas in Minnesota; overlaps with CLP in member cooperative governance, residential/commercial customer mix, and energy efficiency program offerings.
• Traverse Electric Cooperative: Small Minnesota distribution cooperative where former CLP CEO Joel Janorschke previously served as General Manager; nearly identical scale, terrain challenges, and member-owned structure to CLP.
• Mille Lacs Energy Cooperative: Minnesota member-owned electric cooperative serving rural members in the Mille Lacs region; similar Great River Energy-era wholesale supply arrangements, IVM programs, and community-focused operations.
• Itasca-Mantrap Cooperative Electric Association: Member-owned distribution cooperative operating in north-central Minnesota with comparable rural/wooded territory, overhead line maintenance demands, and member engagement model to CLP.
• Steele-Waseca Cooperative Electric: Minnesota rural distribution cooperative serving Owatonna-area members; same Touchstone Energy/NRECA affiliations and similar mix of residential, small commercial, and seasonal members to CLP.

Broad incumbents

• Great River Energy: Wholesale generation-and-transmission cooperative serving CLP and 26 other member-owner distribution co-ops across Minnesota; comparable in cooperative structure but operates at a substantially larger scale, providing generation portfolio and transmission services.

Others

• Touchstone Energy Cooperatives: National coalition/brand affiliation of more than 700 consumer-owned electric utilities of which CLP is a member; provides shared branding, marketing, and operational resources relevant to CLP's go-to-market and member engagement model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CLP_MN
• Facebookfacebook.com/cooperativelightandpower

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

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 Cooperative Light & Power