Midwest Energy, Inc.

What Midwest Energy, Inc. does

Midwest Energy, Inc. is a customer-owned electric and natural gas cooperative headquartered in Hays, Kansas, founded in 1939 and serving approximately 93,000 customer-owners across 40 counties in central and western Kansas. The cooperative distributes electricity and natural gas to residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural, and educational customers via regulated rate schedules governed by the Kansas Corporation Commission, with an exclusive franchise across its service territory. The company operates seven walk-in offices, a centralized CustomerConnect online portal, phone support, and physical drop-box locations as customer touchpoints.

The technology backbone is a fully deployed Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) built on Sensus iConA Gen4 electric meters and automated gas modules transmitting over 50 radio towers at 900MHz, capturing consumption data every four hours with 15-minute demand intervals and supporting real-time outage and voltage monitoring. Renewable assets include 106 MW of contracted wind capacity (Smoky Hill Wind Farm and Kingman Wind Energy Center) plus the 3,960-panel Community Solar Array in Colby, KS, the first community-solar program in Kansas. Supporting products include How$mart on-bill efficiency financing, energy audit services, demand-rate programs, electric vehicle advisory services, and a Distributed Resource Interconnection Tariff enabling customer-owned renewables up to 100 kW.

Midwest Energy's revenue model is a regulated utility subscription construct: recurring monthly customer charges, variable energy charges (per kWh and per therm), and demand charges (per kW) across multiple rate classes, supplemented by pass-through cost adjustments (Electric Energy Cost Adjustment, Gas Supply Cost Adjustment). As a cooperative, margins are allocated to members as capital credits rather than distributed to shareholders, with ~$5.2 million being returned to members in 2026 under a 25-year payout cycle. The go-to-market is sales-led and member-driven: rate changes flow through Kansas Corporation Commission approval, customer engagement is sustained via the Current Comments newsletter, public meetings, Youth Tour and scholarship programs, and the Community Fund / Impact Grant program, while direct service is delivered through the Hays HQ, seven regional offices, and the digital CustomerConnect portal.

Name

Midwest Energy, Inc.

Legal name

Midwest Energy, Inc.

Website

https://mwenergy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1939

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Midwest Energy, Inc. is a customer-owned electric and natural gas cooperative serving 93,000 customer-owners across 40 counties in central and western Kansas. It distributes regulated utility services through AMI-enabled smart meters, community solar, wind PPAs, and on-bill efficiency financing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electric and Natural Gas Utility

NAICS

Electric Power Transmission, Control, and Distribution (22112), Utilities (22)

SIC

Electric Services (4911), Natural Gas Transmisison & Distribution (4923)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Retail Supply + DER/Virtual Power Plant Bundles (Solar, Storage, DR) (EUAGABAI), Distributed Generation (DG) Solar & Small Wind (EUAMAJAD)

Keywords

• Electric distribution service
• Natural gas distribution
• Energy cooperative utility
• Community solar program
• Energy efficiency financing

Headquarters

HQ city

Kansas City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Electric Distribution Service: Midwest Energy generates revenue through electric distribution service charges including customer charges (fixed monthly fees covering meters, billing, service drops), energy charges (variable per kWh), and demand charges (variable per kW based on peak demand). Summer demand rates (June 1 - Sept 30) are billed at $6/kW for on-peak hours (3pm-7pm) with $3/kW off-peak. New rates effective February 1, 2026 will increase average residential bills by approximately 5.4% annually over three years, generating approximately $4.9 million in additional annual revenue.
2. Natural Gas Distribution Service: Revenue from natural gas distribution including customer charges, gas cost supply adjustment (variable), and delivery charges. Natural gas rate case effective January 1, 2025 was nearly revenue-neutral, with average residential bill increase of less than 1% (approximately $0.58/month). Gas Cost of Delivery Rider replaced Gas Cost of Service Rider, reset to $1.74/month for residential (down from $3.48).
3. Capital Credits (Patronage Capital): As a cooperative, margins (profits) are allocated to members as capital credits based on usage. Credits are returned over approximately 25-year cycles. In 2026 alone, nearly $5.2 million is being returned to customer-owners. Capital credit retirements were switched to a 25-year payout model in May 2026.
4. Natural Gas Transportation Service: Commercial customers can choose alternative natural gas suppliers while Midwest Energy continues to deliver gas, read meters, invoice, and respond to emergencies. Revenue comes from transportation/delivery fees rather than gas commodity sales.
5. How$mart Energy Efficiency Program: Program provides financing for energy efficiency improvements (insulation, HVAC, air sealing, commercial lighting) repaid through monthly surcharges on utility bills. The surcharge is estimated to be less than projected savings, creating net benefit for participating customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Midwest Energy is a customer-owned electric and natural gas cooperative that distributes and delivers electricity and natural gas to approximately 93,000 residential, commercial, agricultural, and industrial customers across 40 counties in central and western Kansas. It also provides energy efficiency financing, renewable energy options, and automated metering services.

Product overview

Midwest Energy is a customer-owned electric and natural gas cooperative serving 93,000 customers across 40 counties in central and western Kansas. Its product portfolio centers on regulated utility distribution services — electricity and natural gas delivery — delivered to residential, commercial, agricultural, and industrial customer segments. The company differentiates through technology-enabled infrastructure (automated metering via Sensus iConA Gen4, CustomerConnect portal), demand-based pricing (Demand Rates program with peak/off-peak kW charges), energy efficiency programs (How$mart financing, building science audits), and renewable energy options (Community Solar Array in Colby, net metering, and parallel generation interconnection for customer-owned systems up to 100 kW). Supporting services include Natural Gas Transportation for non-residential customers to choose alternative suppliers, multiple billing and payment options, Capital Credits member distributions, community assistance programs (Midwest Customers Care, Community Fund/Impact Grant), and youth/educational programs. The cooperative also offers EV advisory services and manages outage reporting systems with automated caller identification.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Community Solar: Solar energy program allowing customers to purchase panels in a community array and receive monthly bill credits for electricity produced.
• How$mart

Products and services

• Residential Electric & Natural Gas Service Distribution and delivery of electricity and natural gas to residential customers across 40 counties in central and western Kansas, serving approximately 93,000 customer-owners.
• Commercial & Industrial Electric & Gas Service Electric and natural gas distribution services for commercial, industrial, and agricultural customers, including specialized rate classes such as General Service Small, Medium, and Large, Irrigation Service, Oil Field Service, and Schools.
• Automated Meters (AMI) Advanced Metering Infrastructure replacing all electric and natural gas meters with Sensus iConA Gen4 automated meters, enabling remote reading every four hours, voltage monitoring, outage detection, and customer access to usage data via CustomerConnect.
• Demand Rates Program A three-part rate structure featuring a customer charge, energy charge, and demand charge based on peak kW usage measured in 15-minute increments. Summer demand (June-September) is measured 3-7 p.m. CDT at $6/kW; off-peak at $3/kW.
• How$mart Energy Efficiency Program A financing program providing money for energy efficiency improvements (insulation, air sealing, HVAC, commercial lighting, geothermal) with repayment through a surcharge on the monthly bill, estimated to be less than the projected savings.
• Energy Audits & Services Building science-based energy services including blower door tests, home energy ratings, HVAC sizing, infrared scanning, commercial energy audits, duct leakage tests, and combustion analysis for residential and commercial customers.
• Community Solar Array A 3,960-panel solar array in Colby, KS - the first community solar program in Kansas - on a single-axis tracking system (~30% more efficient than roof-mounted), where customers purchase panels and receive monthly bill credits.
• Renewable Interconnection (Net Metering & Parallel Generation) Interconnection options for customer-owned solar or wind systems up to 15 kW (residential) or 100 kW (commercial), including bi-directional net metering and a parallel generation buy-back program.
• Electric Vehicle (EV) Program EV toolkit helping customers explore, compare, and learn about electric vehicles, home charging, and savings, including access to an in-house EV advisor.
• Natural Gas Transportation Service Non-residential service allowing customers to choose a natural gas supplier from a qualified suppliers list while Midwest Energy continues to deliver gas, read meters, invoice, and handle emergencies.
• Capital Credits A member-owned cooperative profit-sharing mechanism where customer-owners are assigned a portion of annual margins based on service usage, returned on a roughly 25-year cycle. In 2026, approximately $5.2 million is being returned.
• Midwest Customers Care Bill payment assistance for low-income customers (household income below 200% of federal poverty level), providing up to $200 per heating season, funded by voluntary donations and administered by The Salvation Army.
• CustomerConnect Portal Online customer portal providing access to detailed energy usage data (hourly increments, updated every four hours), billing history, payment scheduling, and usage alerts.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $1 million per year in customer savings from automated metering infrastructure through improved utility operations
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Clean Energy Collective (CEC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2015Partnership to develop and operate the Midwest Energy Community Solar Array in Colby, KS. CEC contributed to a limited pool of rebates for panel pricing. All maintenance and insurance covered under program. Partnership enabled Midwest Energy to become first utility in Kansas to offer community solar option. Array completed and began producing electricity February 1, 2015.
• Blue Mark EnergyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorQualified natural gas supplier listed for Midwest Energy's Natural Gas Transportation Service. Commercial customers can choose Blue Mark Energy as their gas supplier while Midwest Energy provides delivery, meter reading, and billing services.
• Constellation NewEnergy - Gas Division MidContinent Inc.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorQualified natural gas supplier listed for Midwest Energy's Natural Gas Transportation Service.
• Encore Energy Inc.minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorQualified natural gas supplier listed for Midwest Energy's Natural Gas Transportation Service.
• Symmetry Energy SolutionsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorQualified natural gas supplier listed for Midwest Energy's Natural Gas Transportation Service.
• WoodRiver Energy LLCminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorQualified natural gas supplier listed for Midwest Energy's Natural Gas Transportation Service.
• Salvation ArmyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdministers Midwest Customers Care bill payment assistance program for low-income customers. Funded by voluntary donations from Midwest Energy customers and employees. Assistance available January 1 - August 31 or until funding exhausted, up to $200 per heating season.
• Kansas One Call (811)minorOthersStatewide utility location service required before any excavation. Midwest Energy participates by having underground utilities marked at no charge to customers. Prevents third-party damage to gas and electric lines.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Black Hills Energy: A larger investor-owned utility serving electric and natural gas customers across multiple states including Kansas. Comparable in offering combined electric and natural gas distribution, though operating as an IOU rather than a cooperative.
• Liberty Utilities: A multi-state regulated utility providing electric, natural gas, and water service. Comparable in regulated utility operations serving rural and small-town America, though larger and operating across multiple jurisdictions.
• NextEra Energy Resources: The largest U.S. renewable energy generator and a major wind/solar developer. Comparable as a counterparty in Midwest Energy's 106 MW wind PPA portfolio and as a benchmark for utility-scale renewable integration.

Others

• Xylem (Sensus): Vendor of the Sensus iConA Gen4 AMI meters and FlexNet communication platform deployed by Midwest Energy. Relevant as the technology provider behind the cooperative's AMI infrastructure and CustomerConnect portal.

Direct peers

• Southern Pioneer Electric Cooperative: A Kansas-based electric distribution cooperative headquartered in Ulysses, KS serving southwestern Kansas. Comparable in customer-owned cooperative structure, distribution-only operations, and rural Kansas service territory.
• Lane-Scott Electric Cooperative: A small Kansas-based electric distribution cooperative headquartered in Dighton, KS. Comparable as a member-owned rural electric cooperative with overlapping western Kansas service area.
• Sunflower Electric Power Corporation: Kansas-based generation and transmission electric cooperative that supplies wholesale power to distribution co-ops including Midwest Energy. Highly comparable as a Kansas electric cooperative serving rural territories with overlapping regulatory frameworks.
• Prairie Land Electric Cooperative: A Kansas-based electric distribution cooperative headquartered in Norton, KS serving north-central Kansas. Comparable as a member-owned rural electric co-op with similar scale, customer mix, and KCC regulatory oversight.
• Victory Electric Cooperative Association: A Kansas-based rural electric distribution cooperative serving members in southwestern Kansas. Highly comparable in cooperative structure, regulated rate-making under the KCC, and rural service territory profile.
• Kansas Gas Service: A division of ONE Gas, Kansas Gas Service is the largest natural gas distribution utility in Kansas, overlapping Midwest Energy's service territory. Comparable as a regulated natural gas distributor under KCC jurisdiction with similar rate-case dynamics.

Market position

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/MidwestEnergyIncKS
• Facebookfacebook.com/MidwestEnergy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/midwest-energy
• Instagraminstagram.com/midwestenergyinc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Midwest Energy, Inc.