Price Electric Cooperative

What Price Electric Cooperative does

Price Electric Cooperative (PEC) is a member-owned, not-for-profit rural electric distribution cooperative founded in July 1940 and headquartered at W6803 Springs Dr., Phillips, Wisconsin. It delivers electric service to approximately 2,964 member-owners across 560+ miles of distribution line spanning Price County and portions of Ashland, Iron, Lincoln, Oneida, Rusk, Sawyer, Taylor, and Vilas counties in northern Wisconsin. The cooperative operates at a service density of roughly 5 meters per mile, compared with approximately 31 meters per mile for investor-owned utilities, reflecting the rural character of its territory. Wholesale power is procured from Dairyland Power Cooperative, and any operating margins are returned to members as capital credits on a 30-year rotation schedule under cooperative principles and governance by a nine-member elected board of directors.

PEC's core product is electricity distribution, augmented by a portfolio of member-facing programs. These include the Smart Hub online account management portal (powered by NISC), the Evergreen renewable energy subscription blocks program, distributed generation interconnection for member-owned solar, load management (dual fuel heat, electric thermal storage, water heater control, and Summer Shift), rebates for energy efficiency upgrades through 2026, and a Generac whole-home standby generator dealership. The cooperative also owns renewable generation assets: the 108.8 kW Suncatcher Solar Array at the PEC office and the 1.4 MW Ogema Solar Array, while the Crane Chase Solar installation sells output to Dairyland Power. Electric vehicle charging (Level 2 and Level 3) and a Safety First! Farm Rewiring Program offering up to $30,000 in combined loans and grants round out the energy solutions portfolio. Community programming includes scholarships, a Youth Leadership Conference, charitable donations through the Federated Youth Foundation, and a Pollinator Program in partnership with Stantec.

The business model is fundamentally a regulated utility subscription: monthly per-kWh billing with annually board-reviewed rates, plus transaction-based fees for service connections, distributed generation applications and commissioning, late payments, and a $1 monthly paper billing fee effective March 2026. Revenue streams are highly predictable given the cooperative's exclusive service territory, though rate levels remain structurally higher than those of investor-owned utilities due to lower meter density per mile of line. PEC employs between 11 and 50 people, and the cooperative is led by President Jeff Olson. No public revenue is disclosed; the operating model is not-for-profit with surpluses recycled to members rather than external shareholders.

Name

Price Electric Cooperative

Legal name

Price Electric Cooperative

Website

https://priceelectric.coop

Company type

Private

Founded year

1940

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Price Electric Cooperative is a member-owned, not-for-profit rural electric utility founded in 1940, serving approximately 2,964 members across 560+ miles of distribution line in northern Wisconsin's Price County and surrounding areas, with solar generation, distributed generation interconnection, EV charging, and generator sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rural Electric Utility Distribution

NAICS

Electric Power Distribution (221122), Solar Electric Power Generation (221114), Electric Power Transmission, Control, and Distribution (22112)

SIC

Electric Services (4911)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Rural electric service
• Electric distribution utility
• Member-owned cooperative
• Renewable energy programs
• Energy efficiency rebates

Headquarters

HQ city

Phillips

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, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Electric Service Revenue: Monthly billing for electric service based on usage (kWh) with fixed service availability charges. Rates reviewed annually by the board of directors. Includes Power Cost Adjustment (PCA) reflecting wholesale power costs from Dairyland Power Cooperative.
2. Service Fees: Various fees including $1 monthly paper billing fee (starting March 2026), late fees of 3% or $5 minimum, new service design and estimate fees, distributed generation application and commissioning fees, and wiring compliance statement fees.
3. Capital Credits: As a not-for-profit cooperative, margins are allocated to members as capital credits and returned via bill credits or checks on a 30-year rotation schedule.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Price Electric Cooperative is a member-owned, not-for-profit rural electric distribution utility that delivers electricity across 560+ miles of power lines to approximately 2,964 members in Price County and portions of surrounding counties in northern Wisconsin. The cooperative also offers renewable energy programs (Evergreen, Distributed Generation/solar interconnection), load management, EV charging, energy efficiency rebates, standby generator sales and service through Generac, farm rewiring assistance, vegetation management, and a Smart Hub online portal for member account management.

Product overview

Price Electric Cooperative is a rural electric utility serving approximately 2,964 members across 3 counties in northern Wisconsin. The cooperative operates as a not-for-profit, member-owned organization offering a unified portfolio of electricity delivery services. Core offerings include electric service provision and delivery, the Smart Hub online account management portal, and multiple energy solutions programs including distributed generation/solar interconnection, the Evergreen renewable energy subscription, load management options (dual fuel heat, electric thermal storage, water heater control), EV charging infrastructure, and Generac whole home generator sales and service. Supporting programs include rebates for energy efficiency improvements, farm rewiring assistance, a weatherization kit giveaway, vegetation management, outage management, capital credit retirements, and community programs such as scholarships, youth leadership conferences, and pollinator habitat restoration. The cooperative's products are interconnected: Smart Hub serves as the central portal through which members access billing, payments, usage monitoring, and program enrollment across all other services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Smart Hub: Online portal for managing electric accounts, paying bills, viewing usage, and signing up for e-bill and autopay.
• Evergreen
• Safety First! Farm Rewiring
• Suncatcher Solar
• Smart Sense

Products and services

• Smart Hub Online Portal Member-facing web and mobile platform for electric account management, bill payment, autopay enrollment, usage monitoring, outage reporting, and service requests. Built on NISC platform.
• Distributed Generation Interconnection Program Program for members to interconnect member-owned renewable energy systems (such as solar) with PEC's electric grid, including application review, engineering study, commissioning, and interconnection agreement processing across four capacity categories up to 15 MW.
• Evergreen Green Energy Subscription Monthly subscription program allowing members to purchase 100 kWh blocks of clean, renewable energy, billed as a line item on their monthly electric statement.
• Load Management Program Cooperative program operated with Dairyland Power Cooperative that shifts member electricity use to off-peak times through dual fuel heat, electric thermal storage, water heater control, and Summer Shift voluntary load shifting options.
• Electric Vehicle Charging Service Public EV charging infrastructure including a Level 2 charger at the PEC office in Phillips and a Level 3 fast charger at Prentice Truck & Travel Center, plus informational resources on battery electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.
• Generac Whole Home Generator Sales and Service Authorized Generac dealer program offering whole home standby generators and automatic transfer switches, including installation, servicing, and annual maintenance performed by PEC technicians.
• Energy Efficiency Rebates Program Rebates on qualifying appliances, HVAC equipment, lighting, electric heating systems, solar panels, EV chargers, water heaters, and commercial/industrial improvements, available through December 31, 2026 or until funds are depleted.
• Safety First! Farm Rewiring Program Statewide farm rewiring assistance program for dairy farmers offering loan/grant combinations up to $30,000, with grants up to 33.3% (capped at $10,000) from WECA and loans up to $20,000 from PEC at 5% interest over up to 5 years.
• Capital Credits Member Equity Program Not-for-profit member equity mechanism that allocates excess cooperative margins to members annually and returns them via bill credits or checks on a 30-year rotation schedule when retired by the board.
• Outage Center and Outage Map Outage reporting and status service featuring an interactive real-time outage map by township, crew dispatch procedures, and cooperative-versus-member repair responsibility guidelines.
• New Service and Construction Electric service installation for new construction properties, including site design, easement creation, pedestal and cable installation, and wiring compliance verification.
• Vegetation Management Program Seven-year cycle right-of-way clearing program using Jarraff mechanical tree trimmer, bucket trucks, and ATVs, with herbicide treatment to eliminate woody vegetation and maintain power line reliability.
• Smart Sense Weatherization Kit Giveaway Free weatherization kit giveaway for active PEC memberships containing window insulation, weatherstripping tape, rope caulk, and foam gaskets for outlets and switches.
• Electric Thermal Storage Service ETS room units installed by PEC factory-trained technicians to heat individual rooms or supplement existing heating systems, with installation and servicing available.

Quantifiable outcome

• Capital credits returned to members through annual retirements on a 30-year rotation schedule
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 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.

• Dairyland Power CooperativecoreTechnology or IntegrationWholesale power provider supplying electricity to Price Electric Cooperative. PEC's load management program is operated in cooperation with Dairyland Power. Some member solar projects sell power to Dairyland Power.
• Touchstone Energy CooperativeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNational brand affiliation providing cooperative identity and marketing framework. PEC displays Touchstone Energy branding as a member of this cooperative network.
• Wisconsin Electric Cooperative Association (WECA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide association providing youth leadership conference, Safety First! farm rewiring program grants (up to 33.3% or $10,000), and cooperative coordination. PEC sponsors youth for annual NRECA National Youth Tour.
• Federated Youth Foundation (FYF)coreOthersDistributes scholarships and charitable donations funded by unclaimed or donated capital credits. FYF money cannot be used by PEC for operational expenses and is exclusively for member benefits.
• Pollinate Program / University of Illinois ChicagominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative program offering grant awards to energy organizations creating and conserving pollinator habitat in rights-of-way.
• National Information Solutions Cooperative (NISC)coreTechnology or IntegrationProvider of Smart Hub mobile application and platform used by PEC for member account management, bill payment, and outage reporting.
• GeneraccoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPEC is an authorized Generac sales and service dealer for whole home standby generators. Provides installation, service, and annual maintenance for Generac automatic transfer switches.
• Local Fire Departments and DNRminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with local volunteer fire departments and Wisconsin DNR for prescribed burns to combat invasive species and enrich pollinator habitat at PEC office property.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Adams-Columbia Electric Cooperative: Wisconsin distribution cooperative serving rural agricultural and residential members with similar member-owned economics, dairyland-style generation mix, and adjacent service programs (DG, rebates, EV). Direct structural and operational peer.
• Taylor Electric Cooperative: Wisconsin rural electric cooperative operating in adjacent northwestern counties to PEC's territory, similarly member-owned, low-density distribution, Dairyland Power wholesale supply, and offering distributed generation, EV, and rebate programs. Direct geographic and operational peer.
• Polk-Burnett Electric Cooperative: Wisconsin-based Touchstone Energy cooperative providing electric distribution and member programs in rural western Wisconsin. Highly comparable in cooperative structure, scale, service territory density, and member-oriented programming.
• Barron Electric Cooperative: Wisconsin rural electric distribution cooperative serving a similar low-density agricultural service area, with comparable member programs including capital credits, rebates, distributed generation, and member governance. Operates within the same Dairyland Power footprint as PEC.
• Jump River Electric Cooperative: Wisconsin member-owned electric distribution cooperative serving rural members in north-central Wisconsin near PEC's territory. Comparable scale, Dairyland Power supply relationship, and cooperative service model including renewable and load-management programs.
• Eau Claire Energy Cooperative: Wisconsin-based electric distribution cooperative operating under the same regulatory and cooperative framework as PEC, serving rural members with comparable capital credits, rebate, and renewable programs.
• Bayfield Electric Cooperative: Wisconsin-based rural electric distribution cooperative serving members in northern Wisconsin. Closely comparable in business model (member-owned, Touchstone Energy-affiliated, Dairyland Power distribution member), territory type (rural, low density), and product mix including distributed generation and load management.

Broad incumbents

• Alliant Energy: Investor-owned Wisconsin utility serving adjacent and overlapping territories. Provides a useful benchmark for retail rate positioning, capital structure, and grid-modernization investment pace versus a small distribution cooperative like PEC.
• Xcel Energy: Large investor-owned utility operating across the Upper Midwest, including portions of Wisconsin. Comparable in retail electric service delivery but with materially greater scale, capital base, and renewable generation portfolio — useful as an upper-bound peer for capability and pace of grid transition.
• Dairyland Power Cooperative: Generation-and-transmission cooperative that supplies PEC's wholesale power and operates the load-management program alongside PEC. While primarily a wholesale G&T rather than a distribution peer, it sits directly within PEC's value chain and shapes PEC's rate economics and renewable offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/PriceElectricCooperative
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/price-electric-cooperative

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Price Electric Cooperative