North Central Electric Cooperative

What North Central Electric Cooperative does

North Central Electric Cooperative (NCEC) is a consumer-owned electric distribution cooperative incorporated in 1941 and first energizing members in March 1946, operating as a regulated monopoly under North Dakota Century Code Chapter 10-13. The cooperative distributes electricity to approximately 7,537 member accounts across 3,313 miles of owned line in Bottineau, Rolette, Renville, McHenry, and Pierce counties in north central North Dakota, employing roughly 35 staff across headquarters in Bottineau and service centers in Mohall and Belcourt. Wholesale power is procured from Basin Electric Power Cooperative, with additional transmission support through Central Power and statewide representation via the North Dakota Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives.

The cooperative's technology stack centers on a SmartHub platform (web and mobile) that provides members with self-serve account management, bill payment, usage visibility, and outage reporting; the platform is complemented by a Distributed Energy Resource (DER) interconnection program that allows members to integrate solar, wind, or standby generation into the grid. In-house technical capability includes two licensed master electricians and an HVAC technician who deliver electrician and HVAC services directly to members, supported by line crew foremen and journeyman lineworkers managing distribution operations and engineering.

NCEC generates revenue primarily through recurring monthly electricity sales to residential, agricultural, and commercial members, augmented by ancillary streams including 6% interest equipment loans (up to $5,000 for HVAC/electric heat and up to $10,000 for standby generators), economic development revolving loans (minimum $5,000) funded via a 1999 USDA Rural Development grant, and member-financed HVAC installations. The not-for-profit cooperative model returns margins to members through capital credits, while community programs (Operation Round Up, scholarship fund, youth tour, Christmas giving fund) reinforce member engagement and the Touchstone Energy national brand affiliation. Specific electric rates are not publicly disclosed, but the cooperative offers budget billing and special low rates for electric heating and water heating, with approximately 85% of members using an electric water heater.

Name

North Central Electric Cooperative

Legal name

North Central Electric Cooperative, Incorporated

Website

https://nceci.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

North Central Electric Cooperative is a consumer-owned electric distribution cooperative serving approximately 7,537 member accounts across five counties in north central North Dakota through 3,313 miles of distribution line, supplemented by equipment financing, HVAC and electrician services, and a Distributed Energy Resource interconnection program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electric Utility Distribution (Rural Electric Cooperative)

NAICS

Electric Power Distribution (221122)

SIC

Electric Services (4911)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Community Microgrids & Shared Distributed Generation (EUACALAC)

Keywords

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

Headquarters

HQ city

Bottineau

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Electricity Sales: Sale of electricity to residential, agricultural, and commercial members across the service territory. Revenue generated through monthly electricity bills based on consumption.
2. Equipment Financing: Loan programs for HVAC systems, standby generators, and other equipment. Loans up to $10,000 at 6% interest, repaid through monthly electric bills.
3. Economic Development Loans: Revolving loan fund for economic development projects. Minimum loan of $5,000 with interest rates based on risk and collateral.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

North Central Electric Cooperative is a consumer-owned, not-for-profit electric distribution cooperative that delivers electricity to 7,537 residential, agricultural, and commercial member accounts across five counties in north central North Dakota through 3,313 miles of distribution line. The cooperative supplements core electricity delivery with SmartHub account management, equipment and economic development loans, in-house electrician and HVAC services, distributed energy resource interconnection, and community programs such as capital credits, scholarships, and Operation Round Up.

Product overview

North Central Electric Cooperative is a consumer-owned electric cooperative offering a unified portfolio of electricity distribution services and related programs. The core product is electricity distribution serving 7,537 accounts across five counties in north central North Dakota. The cooperative supplements its core electricity service with SmartHub (web/mobile account management), Equipment and Economic Development loan programs, Capital Credits (member profit distribution), HVAC/Electrical contractor services, Distributed Energy Resource programs for solar/wind, and multiple payment options including Budget Billing. Community-focused programs include Operation Roundup, Scholarship Program, Youth Tour, and the Willie Wired Hand Christmas Giving Fund.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Electricity Distribution Services Core electricity distribution service delivering power to residential, agricultural, and commercial members across Bottineau, Rolette, Renville, McHenry and Pierce counties in north central North Dakota through 3,313 miles of owned distribution line.
• SmartHub Free online bill payment and account management system that allows members to pay bills, view usage, report outages, and manage notifications via web or mobile app.
• Equipment Loan Program Loan program providing financing up to $5,000 at 6% interest for central air conditioning, electric heat installations, and refrigerators, and up to $10,000 for standby generators and isolation switches, repaid through monthly electric bills. For members and consumers in the cooperative's service territory.
• Economic Development Loans Revolving loan fund for economic development projects including new or expanding businesses, community facilities, industrial development, and small business expansion in the cooperative's service territory. Minimum loan $5,000 with interest rates based on risk and collateral.
• Electrician Services Electrical wiring services provided by two licensed master electricians on staff for residential and commercial wiring needs of cooperative members.
• HVAC Services Sale, installation, and financing of central air conditioning, heat pumps, and ductless air conditioners for cooperative members, with cooperative-backed 6% financing up to $5,000 available for air conditioning installation.
• Distributed Energy Resource (DER) Interconnection Technical interconnection program for members to connect solar panels, wind turbines, or other generators to the cooperative's distribution grid, with NCEC review and approval required before purchase.
• Capital Credits Non-profit cooperative profit distribution program in which margins are returned to members based on their patronage (total electricity costs for the calendar year).
• Special Rate Programs Discounted electricity rates for cooperative members using electric heating and electric water heating, with approximately 85% of cooperative consumers using an electric water heater under the program.

Quantifiable outcome

• 85% of cooperative consumers use an electric water heater due to competitive rates

Named customers2 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

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Basin Electric Power CooperativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBasin Electric Power Cooperative is NCEC's power producer. They provide wholesale electricity generation and transmission services to the cooperative.
• Central PowerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA wholesale electrical generation and transmission cooperative (G&T) organized to generate power for its member rural electric distribution cooperatives.
• North Dakota Association of Rural Electric CooperativescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide cooperative association that represents and supports rural electric cooperatives in North Dakota.
• Touchstone Energy CooperativescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational network of electric cooperatives providing resources and partnerships. NCEC is a member of this national brand network serving 30 million member-owners across 700+ local systems.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. Investor-owned combination utility subsidiary of MDU Resources Group, providing regulated electric and natural gas service across parts of North Dakota, Montana, South Dakota and Wyoming. Competes for North Dakota electric customers at the retail level and represents the alternative operating model (IOU) to NCEC's cooperative structure.
• Central Power Electric Cooperative: Wholesale generation-and-transmission cooperative organized to supply power to its member distribution cooperatives in North Dakota. Listed as a strategic partner of NCEC and operates at G&T scale rather than retail distribution.
• Basin Electric Power Cooperative: Generation-and-transmission (G&T) cooperative headquartered in Bismarck, ND, that supplies NCEC's wholesale power and is explicitly listed as a core strategic partner. Operates at far greater scale across multiple states but provides the upstream supply chain on which NCEC depends.
• Otter Tail Power Company: Investor-owned regulated electric utility serving parts of North Dakota, Minnesota and South Dakota. Comparable as a vertically integrated electric utility operating in the same regional service territory and facing similar weather and rural-load profiles.

Direct peers

• Northern Plains Electric Cooperative: Member-owned rural electric distribution cooperative serving east-central North Dakota. Directly comparable as a Touchstone Energy member, Basin Electric customer, and capital-credits cooperative of similar account scale.
• Mor-Gran-Sou Electric Cooperative: Consumer-owned rural electric distribution cooperative serving Morton, Grant and Sioux counties in western North Dakota. Highly comparable in customer scale, business model, distribution-only profile, and reliance on Basin Electric wholesale power.
• Cass County Electric Cooperative: Larger member-owned electric distribution cooperative serving the Fargo-area counties in southeastern North Dakota. Comparable consumer-owned model and product offering (electricity plus member services), but at substantially greater scale than NCEC.
• Verendrye Electric Cooperative: Member-owned rural electric distribution cooperative serving members across north central North Dakota, including areas adjacent to NCEC. Operates under the same Touchstone Energy and Basin Electric wholesale-supply framework, with a comparable consumer-owned governance and capital-credits model.
• McLean Electric Cooperative: Member-owned electric distribution cooperative headquartered in Garrison, North Dakota, serving rural members across McLean and surrounding counties. Closely comparable in footprint, scale, and cooperative service model to NCEC.

Others

• National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation (CFC): Specialty finance cooperative that provides wholesale lending and capital-market access to rural electric cooperatives across the United States. Not a competitor, but a key counterparty for cooperatives like NCEC that need debt capital to fund distribution-line and substation investments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NorthCentralEl1
• Facebookfacebook.com/100063478303650
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/north-central-electric-cooperative

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 North Central Electric Cooperative