What Southwestern Electric Cooperative does

Southwestern Electric Cooperative, Inc. (SWEC) is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric distribution cooperative serving Union County, New Mexico, from its headquarters in Clayton. The cooperative distributes electricity to residential, commercial, agricultural, and irrigation customers across multiple districts, including Grenville-Sofia, Des Moines, Amistad, Clayton, Hayden, Sedan, and Rosebud. Operations are regulated by the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission, and SWEC holds an exclusive service territory franchise within its county boundaries. The cooperative employs 11-50 staff and operates a 24/7 emergency dispatch service.

The core product is electricity distribution delivered through tiered rate schedules differentiated by customer class (residential, commercial, large power, irrigation, seasonal, lighting) and seasonally adjusted for heating and cooling loads. All rates are subject to monthly Power Cost Adjustment, Tax Adjustment, and Debt Cost Adjustment factors. Beyond electricity, SWEC offers propane sales and service, net-metering for member-owned renewable generation, a free Budget Billing program that averages monthly payments over a rolling 12-month window, and the Co-op Connections discount program (prescriptions, dental, vision, hearing, travel, retail) delivered through the Touchstone Energy national network.

SWEC's business model is community-led and member-owned: revenue is generated primarily through usage-based electricity charges plus monthly fixed system charges, with no external shareholders and no parent company. Customer acquisition is organic within the exclusive service territory, supported by local board representation across districts, community engagement, and the Touchstone Energy brand. The cooperative supplements its electricity revenue with propane sales and member benefit programs, while operating costs are managed through a small central office and direct service delivery model.

Name

Southwestern Electric Cooperative

Legal name

Southwestern Electric Cooperative, Inc.

Website

https://swec-coop.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Southwestern Electric Cooperative is a member-owned electric distribution utility serving residential, commercial, and agricultural customers across Union County, New Mexico. It operates as a regulated monopoly, supplemented by propane service, net-metering, and member benefit programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electric Utility Distribution

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
• Propane delivery service
• Renewable net metering
• Member-owned utility

Headquarters

HQ city

Clayton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Electricity Sales: Sale of electricity to residential, commercial, agricultural, and irrigation customers in Union County, New Mexico. Revenue is generated through monthly system charges and energy charges per kilowatt-hour based on rate schedules approved by the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission.
2. Propane Sales and Service: Propane sales and service provision to members, with service technicians available for all propane needs. Application-based service model with contact phone line for propane inquiries.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Southwestern Electric Cooperative is a member-owned rural electric utility that distributes electricity to residential, commercial, agricultural, and irrigation customers across Union County, New Mexico. In addition to regulated electric distribution, the cooperative sells propane, supports net-metered renewable interconnections, and offers a free Budget Billing program plus the Co-op Connections member discount program.

Product overview

Southwestern Electric Cooperative is a member-owned rural electric utility providing electricity distribution services in Union County, New Mexico. The cooperative operates as a single unified service (electric power distribution) supplemented by additional offerings including Budget Billing for predictable payments, Net-Metering for renewable energy interconnections, Propane Service for fuel delivery, and the Co-op Connections Savings Program providing member discounts on health services, travel, and retail. The core electricity service is offered through various rate structures tailored to residential, commercial, agricultural (irrigation), and large power customer segments, all regulated under New Mexico Public Regulation Commission rules.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Electric Distribution Service Core electricity distribution service providing electric power to residential, commercial, and agricultural members across Union County, New Mexico.
• Electricity Rate Plans Regulated rate schedules covering Residential (General Service, Electric Water Heater, Space Heating, Central Cooling), Commercial, Large Power, Power Service Time-of-Use, Irrigation, Irrigation Sprinkler, Seasonal Service, and Lighting Service, all subject to Power Cost Adjustment, Tax Adjustment, and Debt Cost Adjustment factors.
• Budget Billing Free monthly payment program that averages a member's prior 12 months of actual electric usage into predictable monthly installments, with adjustments when actual usage diverges significantly from projected.
• Net-Metering / Renewable Energy Interconnection Program supporting installation of net-metered renewable generation projects inside SWEC's service territory. Members pay a $50 application fee for systems up to 10 kW and receive credit for excess energy exported at the SWEC Avoided Cost Rate.
• Propane Service Propane delivery and field service for residential and commercial members, with service technicians available to handle propane inquiries and applications via a dedicated phone line.
• Co-op Connections Savings Program Member benefit program offering prescription discounts, dental, vision, hearing, lab work, imaging, and chiropractic discounts, plus average 20% hotel savings at 400,000+ locations, cash back shopping at 2,000+ online retailers, event discounts, and insurance products.
• Storm Center / Outage Reporting 24-hour outage reporting and emergency response service staffed by dispatchers 365 days a year, paired with storm preparedness checklists and safety resources.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Touchstone Energy CooperativescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTouchstone Energy is a national network of electric cooperatives providing brand identity, resources, and partnership leverage. Southwestern Electric Cooperative is a member of this network which spans 700+ local systems across 46 states serving 30+ million member-owners. The partnership provides access to national marketing resources, Co-op Connections program, and shared best practices for member service.
• Co-op Connections Partners (Pharmacy, Dental, Vision, Hearing, Hotels, Retailers)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerThrough the Co-op Connections program, members access discounts on prescription medications, dental services, vision care, hearing aids, chiropractic services, lab testing, MRI & CT scans, hotel stays at 400,000+ locations, and cash back shopping at 2,000+ online retailers. Partners include pharmacy chains, dental providers, vision centers, and major hotel chains.
• Together We Save Energy Program PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Touchstone Energy providing Home Energy Adventure Tour, Energy Solutions resources, and educational videos on energy efficiency, heating, cooling, lighting, and insulation through the Touchstone Energy platform.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Others

• National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation: Cooperative finance lender providing capital and lending services specifically to rural electric cooperatives like SWEC. Comparable customer base (member-owned rural electric utilities) but operates as capital provider rather than utility operator.
• CoBank: Cooperative bank providing wholesale lending and financial services to rural electric cooperatives and other agricultural and rural infrastructure borrowers. Comparable customer base and cooperative-aligned mission.

Direct peers

• Roosevelt County Electric Cooperative: Eastern New Mexico electric distribution cooperative serving Roosevelt County with comparable agricultural irrigation load profile and Touchstone Energy membership. Directly comparable rural distribution utility.
• Otero County Electric Cooperative: New Mexico rural electric distribution cooperative serving Otero and surrounding counties with similar residential, irrigation, and commercial rate structures. Comparable member-owned model and Touchstone Energy affiliation.
• Central Valley Electric Cooperative: Member-owned electric distribution cooperative serving neighboring eastern New Mexico counties. Operates under the same Touchstone Energy brand, NM Public Regulation Commission oversight, and rural agricultural customer base as Southwestern Electric Cooperative.
• Socorro Electric Cooperative: New Mexico member-owned electric cooperative serving Socorro County with overlapping customer mix (residential, agricultural, irrigation) and net-metering program. Same NM regulatory jurisdiction and Touchstone Energy brand.
• Sierra Electric Cooperative: New Mexico member-owned electric cooperative serving the Sierra County area with similar rural residential, ranching, and small commercial customer segments. Operates under identical state regulatory framework.

Broad incumbents

• Basin Electric Power Cooperative: Large generation-and-transmission cooperative supplying wholesale power to multiple Touchstone Energy distribution cooperatives across the Upper Midwest and West. Comparable cooperative ownership structure but upstream (wholesale generation) rather than distribution.
• Touchstone Energy Cooperatives: National alliance of 700+ electric cooperatives serving 30+ million member-owners. Acts as parent brand, shared services provider, and marketing network for SWEC and similar distribution co-ops across 46 states.

Regional players

• Continental Divide Electric Cooperative: Member-owned electric distribution cooperative serving western New Mexico and parts of Arizona, similar in scale and customer profile to SWEC but operating in a different service geography with different grid topology.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SWEC.INC

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Southwestern Electric Cooperative