Rushmore Electric Power Cooperative

What Rushmore Electric Power Cooperative does

Rushmore Electric Power Cooperative is a not-for-profit 501(c)(12) wholesale electric supplier incorporated under South Dakota law in June 1950 and headquartered in Rapid City. It provides wholesale electricity to eight consumer-owned rural electric distribution cooperatives across western and central South Dakota and northern Nebraska, covering approximately 40,000 square miles and serving roughly 70,000 homes, businesses, farms, and ranches. The cooperative's 2025 power portfolio sources 84% from Basin Electric Power Cooperative (a multi-state 'super G&T' cooperative) and 16% from federal hydropower marketed by the Western Area Power Administration (WAPA). The 2025 generation mix comprises coal (16%), hydroelectric (6%), natural gas (5%), wind (9%), and market purchases (11%). Operationally, Rushmore is anchored by a SCADA network for grid monitoring and control, real-time load graphing, and an in-house engineering capability for distribution and transmission planning.

The cooperative runs three wholly-owned subsidiaries: Rushmore Engineering (est. 1971) provides Autocad/ESRI-based design, Milsoft power system analysis, GIS mapping, substation design, and environmental services to member and non-member cooperatives; Rushmore Communications (est. 1998, acquired from Southern Hills Communications) supplies SCADA network support, radio/electronic equipment, and telecommunications infrastructure; and Rushmore Federal Credit Union (est. 1964) offers banking and financial planning to cooperative employees and directors. Revenue is generated through wholesale electricity sales at cost-of-service rates to member cooperatives plus professional-services fees from the engineering and communications subsidiaries, structured as a closed cooperative distribution model rather than a traditional for-profit GTM. Long-tenured strategic partnerships with Basin Electric (1961), WAPA (1954), and the US Bureau of Reclamation underpin the supply stack. General Manager Kory Hammerbeck leads the organization under a board comprising representatives from each member cooperative.

Name

Rushmore Electric Power Cooperative

Legal name

Rushmore Electric Power Cooperative

Website

https://rushmore.coop

Company type

Private

Founded year

1950

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Rushmore Electric Power Cooperative is a not-for-profit wholesale electricity supplier serving eight consumer-owned rural electric cooperatives across western and central South Dakota and northern Nebraska, covering 40,000 square miles and ~70,000 end consumers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wholesale Electric Power

NAICS

Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution (2211)

SIC

Electric Services (4911)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Wholesale electricity supply
• Rural electric cooperative
• Power transmission services
• Electric grid operations
• Distribution engineering services

Headquarters

HQ city

Rapid City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Wholesale Electricity Sales: As a 501(c)(12) not-for-profit cooperative, Rushmore Electric generates revenue by supplying wholesale electricity to its eight member-owned rural electric cooperatives. Revenue is derived from electricity sales to member cooperatives who then distribute power to end consumers including farms, ranches, businesses, and residential customers.
2. Engineering Services: Rushmore Engineering subsidiary provides engineering and environmental services including distribution/transmission planning, system mapping, environmental reviews, and project bid documents to member and non-member electric cooperatives.
3. Communications Services: Rushmore Communications subsidiary provides communications assistance, radio and electronic equipment, and telecommunications infrastructure support to distribution cooperatives.
4. Credit Union Services: Rushmore Federal Credit Union provides banking and financial planning services to rural electric cooperative employees and directors.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Rushmore Electric Power Cooperative is a wholesale electric power supplier that delivers bulk electricity to eight consumer-owned rural electric cooperatives across western and central South Dakota and northern Nebraska, covering roughly 40,000 square miles and powering approximately 70,000 homes and businesses. The cooperative supplements its wholesale power offering with three operating subsidiaries: Rushmore Engineering (distribution/transmission planning, GIS mapping, and environmental services), Rushmore Communications (SCADA and telecommunications infrastructure support), and Rushmore Federal Credit Union (banking for cooperative employees and directors).

Product overview

Rushmore Electric Power Cooperative operates as a wholesale electric supplier for eight consumer-owned rural cooperatives across western and central South Dakota and northern Nebraska. The cooperative's portfolio consists of core wholesale electricity supply services complemented by three subsidiaries: Rushmore Engineering (providing engineering, GIS mapping, and power system analysis), Rushmore Communications (supporting member cooperatives' communications and SCADA networks), and Rushmore Federal Credit Union (offering banking services to cooperative employees). Additional operational tools include the Load Graph real-time monitoring system and SCADA portal for grid management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wholesale Electricity Supply Wholesale electric power supply service delivered to eight consumer-owned rural electric distribution cooperatives across western and central South Dakota and northern Nebraska, sourcing power from Basin Electric Power Cooperative (84%) and federal hydropower marketed by the Western Area Power Administration (16%).
• Rushmore Engineering Services Engineering, GIS mapping, and environmental services provided to member and non-member electric cooperatives, including Autocad and ESRI mapping, distribution and transmission line design, Milsoft power system analysis, substation design, SCADA integration, environmental reviews, and RUS construction work plans.
• Rushmore Communications Services Communications infrastructure, radio and electronic equipment, and telecommunications design, construction, and operations support provided to member distribution cooperatives and to support Rushmore's SCADA network.
• Rushmore Federal Credit Union Banking Services Banking and financial planning services provided to rural electric cooperative employees and directors through a wholly-owned federal credit union subsidiary.
• Demand Response Programs Coordinated load curtailment programs that cycle member-cooperative electric loads (irrigation pivots, air conditioners, water heaters) during peak demand hours to reduce wholesale power costs and stabilize the regional grid.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,281,480 MWh sold in 2025
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Basin Electric Power CooperativecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1961Basin Electric is a 'super G&T' cooperative formed to leverage economies of scale for rural electric cooperatives across eight states. Rushmore sources 84% of its power portfolio from Basin Electric's generation fleet, ensuring reliable, affordable electricity supply for member cooperatives. Basin Electric's Leland Olds Station and other generation assets stabilize the regional grid.
• Western Area Power Administration (WAPA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1954WAPA markets federal hydropower from Missouri River dams (Ft. Randall, Gavin's Point, Oahe, Big Bend) to Rushmore's member cooperatives. Rushmore receives approximately 16% of its power portfolio from federal hydropower, with allocations exceeding 35,000 kilowatts.
• US Bureau of ReclamationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1954Completed construction of the first of several West River transmission lines in 1954, enabling delivery of federal hydropower to the Rushmore system.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Corn Belt Power Cooperative: Generation-and-transmission cooperative serving distribution co-ops across northern Iowa, southern Minnesota, and eastern South Dakota. Shares the rural cooperative G&T business model and provides comparable wholesale electricity and engineering services.
• Basin Electric Power Cooperative: Generation-and-transmission cooperative supplying 84% of Rushmore's power portfolio. Operates large coal, natural gas, and wind generation across multiple states and serves as the wholesale supplier for Rushmore and other G&T co-ops, making it both upstream supplier and structural twin.
• Oglethorpe Power Corporation: Georgia's largest G&T cooperative, serving 38 member EMCs. Comparable wholesale cooperative structure with diversified generation portfolio and member-owned governance model.
• Central Electric Power Cooperative: Missouri-based G&T cooperative serving distribution co-ops in central Missouri. Operates a member-owned wholesale model with similar mix of generation supply agreements, demand response, and engineering support services to member systems.
• East River Electric Power Cooperative: Sister G&T cooperative serving eastern South Dakota and western Minnesota member distribution co-ops. Operates the SCADA portal that Rushmore's own members access, and shares the same Basin Electric upstream generation fleet, making it the most direct operational and structural peer.
• Minnkota Power Cooperative: North Dakota-based G&T cooperative serving distribution co-ops in Minnesota, North Dakota, and northwestern Iowa. Comparable in scale, member-owned structure, and reliance on a mix of coal and renewable generation.

Broad incumbents

• Western Area Power Administration (WAPA): Federal power marketing administration that markets hydropower from Missouri River dams to Rushmore and other customers across the region. Overlaps with Rushmore in the wholesale electricity supply value chain but operates as a federal entity rather than a member-owned cooperative.
• Black Hills Corporation: Investor-owned electric utility serving the Black Hills region of South Dakota, historically partnered with Rushmore on the Osage and Kirk power plants. Competes for retail load in the same geography but operates under a for-profit IOU model rather than cooperative structure.

Others

• CoBank: Member of the Farm Credit System that provides wholesale financing to rural electric cooperatives including Rushmore. Functions as a critical capital provider for the cooperative ecosystem rather than as a peer in electricity supply.
• National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA): National trade association representing the interests of rural electric cooperatives, including Rushmore. Not a direct competitor but a key ecosystem participant that influences federal policy, financing, and cooperative advocacy for Rushmore and its member systems.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/rushmoreelectric

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries3 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 Rushmore Electric Power Cooperative