What Charles Mix Electric does

Charles Mix Electric Association, Inc. is a member-owned rural electric cooperative headquartered in Lake Andes, South Dakota, distributing electricity across the rural portions of Charles Mix County. The cooperative owns 1,311 miles of energized line (931 miles overhead, 380 miles underground), 6 substations, approximately 20,000 poles, and 3,325 electric meters serving 1,850+ member-owners across a 100+ mile long county. Core operations include single-phase residential service, three-phase commercial and industrial service, irrigation load service, and rural internet service to 200+ subscribers. Technology infrastructure includes Landis+Gyr Focus Automated Meter Reading, an East River-controlled load management system that cycles water heaters and air conditioners during peak demand, and the SmartHub web and mobile platform for billing, usage monitoring, and outage reporting. The cooperative also retails Marathon water heaters, Meco electric grills, and LED outdoor lighting, and operates energy efficiency rebates and a heating equipment loan program.

The cooperative generates revenue through a usage-based four-component electricity rate (Service Charge, Energy Charge, Capacity Charge, and Coincidental Demand Charge) set by its elected seven-member board and effective January 1, 2026, alongside internet subscription fees and hardware product sales. Wholesale electricity is procured exclusively from East River Electric Power Cooperative under a long-standing partnership. The cooperative is embedded in the Touchstone Energy Cooperatives national network (700+ systems, 30.5M member-owners) and is a co-owner of the REED Fund, a 1996-established economic development vehicle supporting rural business, agri-business, and community projects. Rates are not subject to South Dakota Public Utilities Commission review. The cooperative operates a Platte outpost with 3 linemen under Line Foreman Jared VanDerWerff, complemented by the Lake Andes headquarters, which together staff 13 full-time employees plus field personnel.

Name

Charles Mix Electric

Legal name

Charles Mix Electric Association, Inc.

Website

https://cme.coop

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Charles Mix Electric Association is a member-owned rural electric cooperative distributing electricity across Charles Mix County, South Dakota. It serves 1,850+ members through 3,325 meters and 1,311 miles of line, also offering internet, load management, and energy efficiency programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rural Electric Distribution

NAICS

Electric Power Transmission, Control, and Distribution (22112), Electric Power Distribution (221122)

SIC

Electric Services (4911)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Rural electric distribution
• Electric cooperative services
• Member-owned utility
• Load management programs
• Rural broadband internet

Headquarters

HQ city

Lake Andes

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Electric Energy Sales: Core revenue from electricity distribution to 3,325 meters across the service territory. Rates include four components: Service Charge (connection availability), Energy Charge (per kWh consumed), Capacity Charge (distribution system demand), and Coincidental Demand Charge (transmission peak demand)
2. Internet Service: Internet connectivity services provided to over 200 customers in the rural service area
3. Product Sales: Sale of Marathon Water Heaters, Electric Grills (Meco Deluxe), LED outdoor lighting, and related products to members and non-members
4. Equipment Rebates: Rebates paid to members for installing heat pump systems ($600 max) and Marathon water heaters connected to load management ($6/gallon), funded through cooperative programs to promote energy efficiency

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Charles Mix Electric Association, Inc. is a member-owned rural electric cooperative that distributes electricity across Charles Mix County, South Dakota. It serves 1,850+ members through 3,325 meters, 1,311 miles of energized line (931 miles overhead and 380 miles underground), 20,000 poles, and 6 substations. The cooperative also provides internet service to 200+ customers and sells consumer products such as Marathon water heaters, electric grills, and LED outdoor lighting.

Product overview

Charles Mix Electric is a rural electric cooperative offering a unified portfolio of electricity distribution services supplemented by consumer products and demand management programs. Core offerings include electric service delivery (with 3,325 meters across 1,311 miles of energized line), internet services, and the SmartHub digital platform for account management, bill payment, and usage monitoring. The cooperative sells Marathon water heaters and Meco electric grills as consumer products, and operates a Load Management System and AMR infrastructure for demand-side management. Member programs include a notification system for grid alerts, heating equipment loans, light maintenance services, and energy efficiency rebates.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SmartHub: A free mobile and web application provided by Charles Mix Electric that allows members to make payments, view bills, check usage, and manage their account. Available via smartphone or tablet device with encrypted transactions.
• Marathon Water Heaters

Products and services

• Single Phase Electric Service (Schedule 1) Residential and small commercial single-phase electric distribution service billed monthly through a four-component rate structure (Service Charge, Energy Charge per kWh, Capacity Charge, and Coincidental Demand Charge). Available to member-owners in Charles Mix County.
• Three Phase Electric Service (Schedule 2) Commercial and industrial three-phase power distribution service for higher-capacity loads. Uses the same four-component rate structure billed monthly. Targeted at commercial and industrial customers in the cooperative service territory.
• Irrigation Electric Service (Schedule 3) Specialized electric service rate schedule for agricultural irrigation loads with seasonal usage patterns, including center pivot systems and pasture wells, billed monthly.
• Internet Service Broadband internet connectivity service provided to over 200 customers in the rural Charles Mix County service area, supplementing CME Webmail access.
• Marathon Water Heaters Blow-molded polybutylene tank electric water heaters with Envirofoam insulation, sold to members and non-members. Members connecting units to load management devices qualify for $6/gallon rebates over a 3+ year commitment.
• LED Outdoor Lighting 50 Watt evLuma LED lights sold to members for replacing 250W Mercury Vapor or 150W High Pressure Sodium fixtures. Priced at approximately $255 per unit with an estimated $28 annual operating cost at 12 hours/night.
• Meco Electric Grills Meco Deluxe electric grills sold to members and non-members. Cart Grill approximately $185; Tabletop Grill approximately $130 (not in stock).
• Heating Equipment Loan Program Financing program offering up to $5,000 for air-to-air heat pumps or up to $10,000 for geothermal heat pumps at 5% annual interest for up to 7 years. Members may also qualify for a Special Electric Heat Rate of 5.58 cents per kWh.

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Rural Electric Economic Development (REED) FundcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1996REED is a non-profit corporation created by Charles Mix Electric and other East River Electric member cooperatives to offer financing for business, agri-business, infrastructure and community development projects benefiting rural areas. Formed in 1996, owned and governed by East River member cooperatives serving eastern South Dakota and western Minnesota.
• East River Electric Power CooperativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEast River Electric Power Cooperative, based in Madison, SD, is the wholesale power supplier for Charles Mix Electric. All electric energy is purchased from East River, transmitted through 6 substations. East River also controls the load management system that cycles water heaters and air conditioners during peak demand periods.
• Touchstone Energy CooperativescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational network of electric cooperatives providing resources and partnerships to help member cooperatives better engage and serve members. Charles Mix Electric is a member of this national brand identity network which spans 700+ local systems serving 30.5 million member-owners.
• North Western EnergyminorOthersNorth Western Energy, based in Huron, SD, serves most municipalities within Charles Mix County. Charles Mix Electric serves the rural areas outside these municipal territories under state-defined service territories.
• Pickstown Municipal PowerminorOthersPickstown is the only municipality in the county that operates its own electrical distribution system. Charles Mix Electric contracts with Pickstown for new construction and power outage restoration services.
• SmartHub PlatformcoreTechnology or IntegrationThird-party utility account management platform providing billing, payment processing, usage monitoring, and outage reporting. Available via web portal and mobile app (iOS/Android). Encrypted transactions with no personal information stored on devices.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• East River Electric Power Cooperative: Wholesale power supplier and G&T cooperative serving Charles Mix and other member distribution co-ops in eastern South Dakota and western Minnesota. Directly comparable as a Touchstone Energy-affiliated South Dakota electric cooperative with overlapping governance relationships.
• Central Electric Cooperative: Member-owned rural electric distribution cooperative serving members in central South Dakota. Directly comparable in scale, member-owned cooperative structure, and reliance on wholesale power from a regional G&T.
• Traverse Electric Cooperative: Member-owned rural electric cooperative serving western Minnesota. Comparable as a small distribution co-op with similar load mix, territory size, and Touchstone Energy affiliation.
• Northern Electric Cooperative: South Dakota rural electric distribution cooperative headquartered in Bath, SD. Comparable as a small, member-owned distribution co-op serving rural members with similar load profiles and Touchstone Energy affiliation.
• Oahe Electric Cooperative: Member-owned rural electric cooperative serving central South Dakota. Directly comparable as a distribution-only cooperative with a similar mix of residential, farm, and irrigation members in a rural service territory.
• Lyon-Lincoln Electric Cooperative: Member-owned rural electric cooperative serving southwestern Minnesota. Comparable in scale, member-owned cooperative model, and rural/agricultural member base directly adjacent to CME's geography.
• Whetstone Valley Electric Cooperative: Rural electric distribution cooperative serving northeastern South Dakota and western Minnesota. Directly comparable in scale, geographic context, and member-owned distribution-only structure.
• Renville-Sibley Cooperative Power: Member-owned electric distribution cooperative in southwestern Minnesota. Comparable in scale, member-owned cooperative model, and rural agricultural load profile adjacent to CME's geography.

Others

• Touchstone Energy Cooperatives: National network and brand identity of 700+ electric cooperatives serving 30.5M member-owners, of which CME is a member. Comparable as the broader ecosystem that provides CME with shared branding, ACSI benchmarking, and procurement scale.

Broad incumbents

• North Western Energy: Investor-owned utility serving municipalities within Charles Mix County, South Dakota, including competing in CME's adjacent territory. Comparable as the competing electric distribution provider inside CME's county footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CMECooperative
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/charles-mix-electric-assn

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Charles Mix Electric