Eastern Iowa REC

What Eastern Iowa REC does

Eastern Iowa REC (legal name: Eastern Iowa Light and Power Cooperative) is a member-owned, not-for-profit rural electric distribution cooperative founded in 1935 and headquartered in Wilton, Iowa. The cooperative holds an exclusive franchise to distribute electricity to the rural portions of 12 counties in Eastern Iowa along the Mississippi River corridor, stretching from Sabula in the north to Burlington in the south and west to Iowa City. It serves 18,700+ member-owners across 25,075+ meter connections via 4,677 miles of distribution line, with 2024 electricity sales of 576.4 million kWh. The membership base spans traditional farm operations, rural residential households, commercial and industrial developments, schools, and recreational facilities. The cooperative operates 51-100 employees across four physical locations: the Wilton headquarters and service centers in DeWitt, Wapello, and Lone Tree.

The cooperative's core product is regulated electric distribution service purchased wholesale from Central Iowa Power Cooperative (CIPCO) and resold to members under tariff-based monthly billing. Member-facing technology is anchored by SmartHub, a web and mobile platform providing account management, bill payment, usage tracking, outage reporting, and notification sign-up. Supplementary offerings include Energy Efficiency Rebates (mini-split heat pumps, pool pump timers, water heater timers, Level II EV chargers, refreshed for 2026), a Renewable Energy program with a Solar Energy Guide, a real-time Outage Map integrated with SmartHub, a Market Place Ads classified platform, and scholarships plus STEAM grants. Distribution infrastructure maintenance is supported through a partnership with OSMOSE Utility Services for transmission pole inspection and treatment. CEO Kirk Trede leads the organization, which is governed by a member-elected board of directors and operates on cooperative principles returning earnings to members through rate structure rather than external profit distribution.

Name

Eastern Iowa REC

Legal name

Eastern Iowa Light and Power Cooperative

Website

https://easterniowa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1935

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Eastern Iowa REC is a member-owned rural electric distribution cooperative founded in 1935, serving 18,700+ members across 12 Eastern Iowa counties via 4,677 miles of line and SmartHub digital account management.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Wilton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Electric Distribution Service: Revenue generated from providing electrical distribution service to residential, agricultural, commercial, and industrial members across 12 counties in Eastern Iowa. The cooperative sold 576.4 million kWh in 2024. As a member-owned cooperative, revenues are used to cover operating costs and maintain the electrical infrastructure.
2. Energy Efficiency Programs and Rebates: Revenue stream from administering energy efficiency rebates including mini-split air source heat pumps, pool pump timers, water heater timers, and Level II EV chargers

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Eastern Iowa REC is a member-owned distribution electric cooperative that delivers safe, reliable, and affordable electrical service to rural customers across 12 counties in Eastern Iowa along the Mississippi River. The cooperative distributes electricity purchased wholesale from CIPCO to approximately 18,700 members through 25,075+ meters across 4,677 miles of distribution line, supported by a SmartHub digital platform for member account management, bill payment, and outage reporting.

Product overview

Eastern Iowa REC operates as a distribution electric utility cooperative providing safe, reliable, and affordable electrical service to rural customers. The core offering is electricity distribution across 12 counties in Eastern Iowa. Member-facing digital products center on SmartHub, a web and mobile platform for account management, bill payment, usage tracking, and outage reporting. Supplementary offerings include Market Place Ads (free member classifieds), Energy Efficiency Rebates (incentives for heat pumps, pool pumps, water heater timers, EV chargers), Renewable Energy Programs (solar guidance), and educational support through Scholarships/STEAM Grants. The cooperative's digital ecosystem is anchored by SmartHub with integrated outage mapping functionality.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SmartHub

Quantifiable outcome

• Served 18,700+ members with 25,075+ meters across 4,677 miles of line
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Central Iowa Power Cooperative (CIPCO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCIPCO is Eastern Iowa REC's wholesale power supplier. The cooperative purchases electricity from CIPCO for distribution to its members. CIPCO conducts transmission pole inspections in Clinton and Des Moines Counties on behalf of Eastern Iowa REC.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Linn County REC: Neighboring Iowa rural electric cooperative with similar member-owned structure serving rural members east of Cedar Rapids. Directly comparable on geography, customer mix (rural residential, agricultural, small commercial), and cooperative governance model.
• Maquoketa Valley Electric Cooperative: Iowa-based rural electric cooperative serving eastern Iowa counties adjacent to Eastern Iowa REC. Direct peer on cooperative structure, rural agricultural service territory, and member-owned governance model.
• Allamakee-Clayton Electric Cooperative: Northeast Iowa rural electric cooperative serving agricultural and rural residential members. Comparable on cooperative structure, rural Iowa service territory, SmartHub-style member platforms, and energy efficiency rebate offerings.
• Midland Power Cooperative: Iowa rural electric cooperative serving north-central Iowa. Comparable on member-owned cooperative structure, agricultural and rural residential customer base, and grid modernization programs. Useful peer for cooperative operating benchmarks.
• Southern Iowa Electric Cooperative: Southern Iowa rural electric cooperative serving agricultural and rural members. Comparable on cooperative governance, rural service territory, and member engagement programs including scholarships and community grants.

Broad incumbents

• Consumers Energy: Large investor-owned utility in Michigan serving rural and urban customers across electric and natural gas. Comparable on regulated distribution operations, though materially larger and not a cooperative. Useful benchmark for utility operating metrics.
• Alliant Energy: Investor-owned electric and gas utility serving Iowa and Wisconsin, including adjacent territories to Eastern Iowa REC. Provides comparable utility benchmarks for rate design, regulatory framework, and grid modernization in the same state.
• MidAmerican Energy: Major Iowa electric and gas utility owned by Berkshire Hathaway Energy. Comparable on regulated electric distribution, renewable energy programs, and Iowa regulatory environment, though significantly larger scale and investor-owned.

Others

• Central Iowa Power Cooperative (CIPCO): Generation and transmission cooperative that supplies wholesale power to Eastern Iowa REC and other Iowa distribution cooperatives. Not a direct competitor but a core business partner and ecosystem participant, providing G&T infrastructure to Eastern Iowa REC's distribution operations.
• Basin Electric Power Cooperative: Large generation and transmission cooperative serving rural electric distribution cooperatives across the Upper Midwest and Plains states. Indirect ecosystem peer as upstream wholesale power supplier model for distribution cooperatives like Eastern Iowa REC.

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/EasternIowaREC
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCRna69ljAyvGtr-kIee2YYw
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/eastern-iowa-light-and-power-coop

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Eastern Iowa REC