What Niobrara Valley Electric Membership does

Niobrara Valley Electric Membership Corporation (NVEMC) is a nonprofit rural electric cooperative incorporated in Nebraska on August 13, 1945, that distributes electricity to over 5,600 meters across 2,680 miles of owned distribution line in Boyd, Holt, and Knox counties in northeast Nebraska. The cooperative is member-owned and governed by a 9-member elected Board of Directors, operating at cost with excess revenues returned to members as capital credits/patronage refunds. Its member base is split across rural residential, farm, and a growing agricultural irrigation segment served through the Irrigation Load Control Program, a radio-controlled switch system that allows the cooperative to remotely interrupt irrigation well service during peak demand (June 1 through September 15) in exchange for rate discounts.

Core technology consists of conventional electric distribution infrastructure — 2,680 miles of power lines, metering systems, radio-controlled load management switches, and a member-facing SmartHub online portal for billing and account management. Electric plant investment has grown from $520,000 in 1946 to over $30 million today. Member programs span energy efficiency rebates (cooling tune-ups, heat pumps, lighting), net metering for renewable generation up to 25 kW, a Double Throw Switch safety program for standby generators, life support awareness registry, and community initiatives including the Goodwill Fund, Youth Energy Camp, and Washington DC Youth Tour.

Revenue is generated from electricity distribution (subscription/recurring monthly billing), irrigation season billing (April through November), one-time equipment installation fees (e.g., $150 for double throw switches), and transaction fees (e.g., $100 oversized-load deposits). Wholesale power is sourced exclusively from Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD) under a new long-term contract effective January 1, 2026, with rates capped below the 45th percentile nationally. The cooperative is currently executing a major capacity expansion — a new substation east/north of O'Neill ($2.5M-$3M projected) — to serve 130+ irrigation services on its waiting list, with 47 new irrigation services connected for the 2026 season and 12 miles of new three-phase line constructed for the 2025 season.

Name

Niobrara Valley Electric Membership

Legal name

Niobrara Valley Electric Membership Corporation

Website

https://nvemc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1945

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Niobrara Valley Electric Membership Corporation is a nonprofit rural electric cooperative serving over 5,600 meters across 2,680 miles of distribution line in three northeast Nebraska counties, with a growing agricultural irrigation load and member-owned governance.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rural Electric Distribution Services

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

• Rural electric distribution
• Electric cooperative services
• Irrigation load management
• Member-owned utility
• Electric power delivery

Headquarters

HQ city

Oneill

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Electric Distribution Service: Core revenue from electricity distribution to over 5,600 meters across northeast Nebraska. Cooperative operates at cost - excess revenues are returned to members as capital credits/patronage refunds.
2. Irrigation Load Control Program: Voluntary program where irrigation customers allow cooperative to interrupt their service during peak demand in exchange for discounted rates. Revenue from irrigation season billing (April through November).
3. Double Throw Switch Installation: Members pay $150 for standard 200 amp double throw switch installation (cooperative subsidizes remaining cost). Revenue from equipment installation fees.
4. Oversized Load Crossing Fees: $100 deposit per crossing for oversized load notification service, plus actual cost recovery for line movement work required.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Niobrara Valley Electric Membership Corporation (NVEMC) is a nonprofit rural electric cooperative that distributes electricity to over 5,600 meters across 2,680 miles of power lines in Boyd, Holt, and Knox counties in northeast Nebraska. The cooperative operates at cost, returning excess revenues to members as capital credits, and offers member programs including irrigation load control, net metering for renewable generation, energy efficiency rebates, and a SmartHub online account management portal.

Product overview

Niobrara Valley Electric Membership Corporation is a rural electric cooperative providing electricity distribution to over 5,600 meters across 2,680 miles of line in Boyd, Holt, and Knox counties, Nebraska. The cooperative operates as a nonprofit member-owned utility offering member programs including SmartHub online account management, irrigation load control services, energy efficiency rebates (cooling tune-up, heat pumps, lawn equipment, lighting), net metering for renewable generation, safety programs (double throw switches, life support awareness), and community programs (Goodwill Fund, youth leadership camps, DC youth tour). The cooperative's mission follows the seven cooperative principles of open membership, democratic control, and concern for community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Electric Distribution Service
• SmartHub Online Portal
• Irrigation Load Control Program
• Net Metering & Renewable Energy
• Double Throw Switch Program
• Oversized Load Notification
• Rebates & Incentives Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $217,000 in Goodwill Fund donations received since 1996
• +3 more outcomes

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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2025Wholesale power supplier for NVEMC. Negotiations ongoing since approximately 2024 for new long-term power contract. NPPD rates at 12th percentile nationally with new contract requiring rates stay below 45th percentile. New contract signed July 2025 with effective date January 1, 2026.
• Nebraska Rural Electric Association (NREA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState association representing 33 rural electric public power districts and cooperatives. Provides legislative representation, youth programs including Youth Energy Camp and Washington DC Youth Tour.
• National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational service organization for electric cooperatives. Sponsors Washington DC Youth Tour with over 1,800 young people participating annually from 41 states.
• Nebraska Power Review BoardminorOthersState agency overseeing electric utilities in Nebraska. NVEMC submits annual net metering reports to PRB. PRB interactive map shows service territory boundaries.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Lincoln Electric System (LES): A Nebraska publicly-owned electric utility serving Lincoln and surrounding areas. Larger and more diversified than NVEMC but operates under similar Nebraska public power regulatory framework and serves some rural/agricultural customers.
• Omaha Public Power District (OPPD): A Nebraska publicly-owned electric utility serving the Omaha metropolitan area. Substantially larger than NVEMC but shares the public power district cooperative business model and Nebraska regulatory environment.
• Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD): NVEMC's wholesale power supplier and the largest publicly-owned electric utility in Nebraska. While not a direct distribution competitor, NPPD operates as a generation-and-wholesale cooperative serving retail distributors across Nebraska, sharing the cooperative business model with NVEMC.

Direct peers

• Cornhusker Public Power District: A Nebraska rural electric cooperative serving agricultural customers in central Nebraska. Comparable to NVEMC in scale, business model (nonprofit member-owned distribution), and customer mix (farms, irrigation, rural residences).
• Cuming County Public Power District: A rural electric distribution utility serving northeastern Nebraska, structurally similar to NVEMC as a public power district providing electric service to farms and rural residences. Operates under the same Nebraska regulatory framework and serves an adjacent service territory.
• Northeast Nebraska Public Power District: A rural electric distribution utility in northeast Nebraska providing electric service to agricultural and rural customers. Direct geographic and operational peer to NVEMC with similar irrigation demand profile and member-owned structure.
• Butler Public Power District: A Nebraska rural electric distribution utility serving a comparable rural/agricultural customer base. Operates with similar cooperative-style governance and provides electric distribution, irrigation services, and member programs analogous to NVEMC.
• Loup Valleys Rural Public Power District: A rural electric distribution cooperative in central Nebraska serving comparable agricultural/irrigation customers. Operates under similar Nebraska regulatory framework and offers irrigation load control programs analogous to NVEMC.

Others

• National Information Solutions Cooperative (NISC): A technology cooperative serving rural electric cooperatives and other utilities with software including billing/CRM platforms (which powers SmartHub-like portals). Relevant as a key technology vendor and ecosystem enabler for cooperatives of NVEMC's profile.
• Municipal Energy Agency of Nebraska (MEAN): A joint-action agency providing wholesale power to Nebraska municipal utilities. Relevant as an ecosystem participant in the Nebraska public power landscape that NVEMC operates within, though it serves municipal rather than cooperative members.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Niobrara Valley Electric Membership