Corn Belt Energy Corporation

What Corn Belt Energy Corporation does

Corn Belt Energy Corporation is a not-for-profit, member-owned electric distribution cooperative headquartered at 1 Energy Way, Bloomington, Illinois. Founded in 1938 to electrify rural Central Illinois, the cooperative distributes electricity to over 38,000 households and businesses across 18 counties, operating more than 5,000 miles of distribution line. All electricity is purchased in bulk from the Wabash Valley Power Alliance, a generation and transmission cooperative based in Indianapolis; Corn Belt Energy owns and operates the downstream poles, wires, substations, transformers, and meters that deliver power to end members. The cooperative is governed by an 11-member board composed entirely of residential members, ensuring member alignment and direct democratic oversight.

The company's core product is electricity distribution, structured across multiple rate classes (Rate 1 through Rate 19) that differentiate by region (Northern vs. Central), phase type (single-phase vs. three-phase), and customer class (residential/farm, commercial, industrial, interruptible). Member-facing technology includes the SmartHub online and mobile platform (iOS and Android) for account management, bill payment, hourly usage monitoring, outage reporting, and Autopay/Paperless Billing enrollment, as well as an integrated Outage Management System (OMS) that connects member outage reports directly to dispatch operations. Supporting programs include Prepaid Electric Service with remote disconnect/reconnect capability, GeoCents geothermal loop installation, EV-specific rate options (Rate 1-EV), solar/renewable interconnection, energy efficiency rebates, surge protection, and a Load Control Program (Rate 11).

Corn Belt Energy generates revenue through monthly electric bills comprising a fixed Service Availability Charge plus variable consumption-based charges (kWh) and a Wholesale Power Cost Adjustment. As a cooperative, margins are not distributed as profit but allocated as capital credits to members and periodically retired (nearly $53 million returned as of 2022, with an additional $15 million scheduled for return in summer 2026). Pricing tiers, payment assistance programs (including IHWAP), and differentiated service offerings (Levelized Billing, Autopay, Paperless Billing with bill credits) support member affordability and retention. In July 2026, the cooperative announced a leadership transition: Don Taylor retired after 18 years of service (13 as President and CEO), and Ryan Campbell, a 33-year internal veteran, was named President and CEO effective August 31, 2026.

Name

Corn Belt Energy Corporation

Legal name

Corn Belt Energy Corporation

Website

https://cornbeltenergy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1938

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Corn Belt Energy Corporation is a not-for-profit, member-owned electric distribution cooperative headquartered in Bloomington, Illinois, distributing electricity to over 38,000 households and businesses across 18 counties in Central Illinois under an exclusive franchise territory, with power sourced from Wabash Valley Power Alliance.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electric Utility Distribution

NAICS

Electric Power Transmission, Control, and Distribution (22112), Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution (2211)

SIC

Electric Services (4911)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Electric Distribution System Owners (Wires-Only Companies) (EUADABAI)

Keywords

• Electric distribution services
• Rural electric cooperative
• Member-owned utility
• Electricity distribution
• Energy cooperative

Headquarters

HQ city

Bloomington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Electric Distribution Service: Corn Belt Energy distributes electricity purchased from Wabash Valley Power Alliance to its members. Revenue is generated through monthly electric bills based on consumption (kWh), comprising a Service Availability Charge (fixed monthly fee) and a Wholesale Power Cost Adjustment (variable fuel-cost adjustment). The cooperative is not-for-profit; margins are allocated as capital credits to members rather than distributed as profits.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Corn Belt Energy Corporation is a not-for-profit, member-owned electric distribution cooperative founded in 1938 that distributes electricity to more than 38,000 households and businesses across 18 counties in Central Illinois, headquartered in Bloomington, Illinois. The cooperative purchases wholesale power from Wabash Valley Power Alliance and delivers it through its owned distribution network, providing member-driven electric service supported by the SmartHub online and mobile platform for account management, billing, and outage reporting.

Product overview

Corn Belt Energy Corporation operates as a not-for-profit electric cooperative providing electricity distribution services to over 37,000-38,000 homes and businesses across 18 counties in Central Illinois. The core offering is electricity distribution powered by Wabash Valley Power Alliance. The product portfolio centers on the SmartHub member portal platform for account management, bill payment, usage monitoring, and outage reporting. Additional service modules include autopay and paperless billing (offering bill credits for enrollment), prepaid electric service, capital credits (member equity program), GeoCents geothermal program, electric vehicle rate programs, rebate programs for energy efficiency upgrades, surge protection, and load control programs. Multiple rate structures (Rate 1 through Rate 19) serve different customer segments from residential single-phase to large commercial three-phase operations. The company provides outage management capabilities through an integrated system connecting member reporting tools with dispatch operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Electric Distribution Service Core retail electric distribution service delivering electricity from the Wabash Valley Power Alliance wholesale supply to more than 38,000 households and businesses across 18 counties in Central Illinois.
• SmartHub Account Management Platform Online and mobile platform that allows members to manage their electric accounts, view bills, make payments, set up autopay, enroll in paperless billing, report outages, and contact the cooperative.
• Prepaid Electric Service Prepaid electric service that allows members to fund their account in advance and consume electricity against the prepaid balance, with remote disconnect and reconnect switch technology enabling the service.
• GeoCents Geothermal Loop Program Distinct geothermal energy program through which the cooperative installs geothermal loops at no cost to qualifying residential members, enabling efficient heating and cooling in member homes.
• Surge Protection Service Surge protection add-on service for members to safeguard home electronics and appliances from electrical surges on the cooperative's distribution system.
• Load Control Program (Rate 11) Voluntary demand-response program where participating members receive a discounted electric rate in exchange for permitting the cooperative to briefly cycle controlled appliances during peak demand periods.
• Energy Efficiency Rebate Programs Rebate incentive programs that reward members for adopting energy-efficient measures, including rebates for heat pumps, water heaters, and other qualifying equipment.

Quantifiable outcome

• Capital credits returned to members: nearly $53 million returned as of 2022
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 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

One partnership is on record.

• Wabash Valley Power AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWabash Valley Power Alliance is a generation and transmission cooperative based in Indianapolis that supplies electricity to Corn Belt Energy. Corn Belt Energy receives all of its electricity from Wabash Valley Power Alliance, which serves as the primary power supply partner for the distribution cooperative. Capital credits for generation and transmission are refunded at Wabash Valley's board's discretion.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Wabash Valley Power Alliance: Generation and transmission cooperative based in Indianapolis that supplies all of Corn Belt Energy's wholesale electricity. Directly comparable as a Midwest cooperative power partner operating under the same member-owned governance model.
• Adams Electric Cooperative: Illinois-based electric distribution cooperative serving members across west-central Illinois. Directly comparable as a peer Illinois electric cooperative with similar rate structures, capital credit programs, and rural service territory profile.
• Menard Electric Cooperative: Electric cooperative serving central Illinois members with distribution services, capital credits, and member-owned governance. Operates in overlapping geography with Corn Belt Energy and is a direct comparable on business model and service offering.
• Eastern Illini Electric Cooperative: Illinois electric distribution cooperative serving members in east-central Illinois. Direct peer offering the same cooperative distribution, SmartHub-style member services, and capital credit allocations to rural and small-town members.
• Shelby Electric Cooperative: Central Illinois electric distribution cooperative providing member-owned service with comparable residential, farm, and commercial rate classes. Direct comparable on cooperative governance, capital credits, and rural distribution focus.
• McDonough Power Cooperative: Member-owned electric cooperative in western Illinois. Operates with the same cooperative distribution model, member governance, and capital credit program structure as Corn Belt Energy.

Regional players

• Prairie Power, Inc. Generation and transmission cooperative supplying member distribution co-ops in Illinois. Comparable to Corn Belt Energy's wholesale supplier (Wabash Valley) and adjacent as a regional G&T peer within the Illinois cooperative power ecosystem.
• Jo-Carroll Energy: Electric and broadband cooperative serving members in northwestern Illinois. Comparable as a member-owned electric distribution cooperative with similar governance, capital credit program, and rural Illinois service profile.

Broad incumbents

• Ameren Illinois: Investor-owned electric and natural gas utility serving Illinois including portions of Central Illinois overlapping Corn Belt Energy's territory. Broad incumbent with overlapping distribution capability, though operating as a regulated IOU rather than a cooperative.

Others

• Corn Belt Communications: Adjacent Illinois cooperative providing broadband and communications services. Thematically related as a fellow Illinois cooperative serving rural Central Illinois members with utility-style member governance.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cornbeltenergy
• Facebookfacebook.com/cornbeltenergy
• Instagraminstagram.com/cornbeltenergy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/corn-belt-energy-corporation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

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 Corn Belt Energy Corporation