High Plains Power

What High Plains Power does

High Plains Power is a member-owned rural electric cooperative headquartered in Riverton, Wyoming, that distributes electricity to approximately 8,500 member-owners across nine counties in central rural Wyoming. The cooperative operates and maintains roughly 4,800 miles of power line infrastructure and serves residential, commercial (including farms, ranches, and businesses), and irrigation customers — irrigation is a notably material segment given the agricultural character of central Wyoming. Revenue is generated through monthly electricity sales across published rate tariffs; High Plains Power implemented an approximately 1.2% rate increase across all rate classes effective April 1, 2025.

Operationally, the cooperative provides standard utility distribution via owned power lines and substations, with member-facing digital tools that include the SmartHub online account management portal and a real-time outage map. Beyond core electricity delivery, High Plains Power offers billing services (Automatic Payment, Budget Billing), new-construction service hookups, a capital credits patronage program that allocates margins annually based on purchases and retires them when financially feasible, and community engagement programs including Operation Round Up (round-up donations to local causes), youth education programming (Energy Youth Camp, scholarships, Youth Tour, art and coloring contests), and Co-op Connections member discounts. The cooperative holds membership in Touchstone Energy, a national co-brand for electric cooperatives.

Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer within the cooperative's exclusive service territory, with no competitive electricity provider economically viable in the geography. The entity is a non-profit cooperative governed by a member-elected Board of Directors; ownership resides with member-customers, no parent company, private equity, or venture capital is involved, and the cooperative receives federal financial assistance from the USDA's Rural Utilities Service (RUS). Revenue is non-disclosed in public sources. In August 2023, High Plains Power entered a feasibility study with three neighboring Wyoming cooperatives (Big Horn Rural Electric Company, Carbon Power and Light, and Garland Light and Power) to examine administrative, operational, and power-procurement cost consolidation across ~26,000 collective meters — the most consequential strategic development in the recent record.

Name

High Plains Power

Legal name

High Plains Power, Inc.

Website

https://highplainspower.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

High Plains Power is a member-owned rural electric cooperative headquartered in Riverton, Wyoming, that distributes electricity to approximately 8,500 member-owners across nine counties in central rural Wyoming, operating roughly 4,800 miles of power line for residential, commercial, and irrigation customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electric Utility Distribution

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 utility
• Power line operations
• Member-owned utility
• Electricity distribution service

Headquarters

HQ city

Riverton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Electricity Sales: Revenue generated from the sale of electricity to cooperative members. Margins are calculated each year by deducting operating expenses from income, with these margins allocated to each member's capital credit account based on electricity purchased.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

High Plains Power is a member-owned rural electric cooperative that distributes electricity to approximately 8,500 member-owners across 9 counties in central rural Wyoming through 4,800 miles of power lines. The cooperative delivers safe, reliable, and affordable electric service to residential, commercial, and irrigation customers, with annual margins allocated to each member's capital credit account based on electricity purchased.

Product overview

High Plains Power is a rural electric cooperative that operates as a single-product electricity distribution utility serving central rural Wyoming. The cooperative provides electric power generation and distribution services to approximately 8,500 member-owners across 9 counties, maintaining 4,800 miles of power lines. The company offers a suite of member services including SmartHub online account management, various billing options (Automatic Payment, Budget Billing), new construction services, and community programs such as Operation Round Up and Youth Programs. Capital Credits represent member ownership in the cooperative, with margins allocated annually and retired when financially feasible.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Electric Utility Service Core electricity distribution service for residential, commercial, and irrigation member-owners across 9 counties of central rural Wyoming, serving approximately 8,500 meters via 4,800 miles of power lines. Members are billed monthly under residential, commercial, and irrigation rate tariffs.
• SmartHub Member Portal Online portal enabling members to make payments, view bills, and manage their cooperative accounts. Accessible via https://highplainspower.smarthub.coop/.
• New Construction Services Electrical service installation for new construction projects in the cooperative's service area, including separate Commercial/Irrigation and Residential new construction services.
• Outage Map Real-time online map that shows current power outages across the cooperative's service territory and allows members to check and report outage status.
• Automatic Payment Service that allows members to have their monthly electric bills automatically paid from a designated bank account on file.
• Budget Billing Averaging payment plan that spreads a member's annual electric costs into equal monthly payments to help smooth seasonal variations in electricity usage.
• Capital Credits Program Cooperative member ownership program allocating annual margins to each member's capital credit account based on electricity purchased, with credits retired (refunded) to members when the cooperative's financial condition permits.
• Operation Round Up Community program in which member electric bills are rounded up to the nearest dollar, with the difference pooled and donated to local community causes and assistance programs.
• Co-op Connections Member discount program providing savings on products and services from various national and local retailers as part of cooperative membership benefits.
• Solar Power Information Information service providing members with guidance on installing residential rooftop solar power systems, supported by High Plains Power as their local electric utility.

Quantifiable outcome

• Capital credits are allocated annually based on electricity purchased and retired when financial condition permits

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Big Horn Rural Electric CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 August 2023Partnership to explore consolidation opportunities for administrative, operations, and power costs. The cooperatives collectively serve roughly 26,000 meters, 8,500 miles of power line, with 97 combined employees serving central rural Wyoming. A feasibility study was conducted to examine potential cost savings and consolidation benefits.
• Carbon Power and LightminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 August 2023Partnership to explore consolidation opportunities for administrative, operations, and power costs. The cooperatives collectively serve roughly 26,000 meters, 8,500 miles of power line, with 97 combined employees serving central rural Wyoming.
• Garland Light and PowerminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 August 2023Partnership to explore consolidation opportunities for administrative, operations, and power costs. The cooperatives collectively serve roughly 26,000 meters, 8,500 miles of power line, with 97 combined employees serving central rural Wyoming.
• Touchstone Energy CooperativescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational brand of cooperative energy providers. High Plains Power operates as a Touchstone Energy cooperative, utilizing the cooperative brand and shared resources for marketing and operational support.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Powder River Energy Corporation: Touchstone Energy cooperative serving northeastern Wyoming. Direct peer — same rural Wyoming electric distribution cooperative model with comparable mix of residential, commercial, and irrigation members, but operating in a different region of the state.
• Big Horn Rural Electric Company: Rural electric cooperative serving northern Wyoming. Direct peer — same member-owned distribution utility model, adjacent service territory, and currently a named consolidation study partner with High Plains Power, making it the single most comparable peer in scale and operating model.
• Lower Valley Energy: Member-owned electric cooperative based in Afton, Wyoming, serving western Wyoming and a small portion of eastern Idaho. Direct peer — comparable Touchstone Energy distribution cooperative with overlapping rural Wyoming service profile.
• Carbon Power and Light: Rural electric cooperative serving southeastern Wyoming. Direct peer — same Touchstone Energy-branded cooperative distribution model, similar customer mix including irrigation and ranch loads, and a named consolidation study partner.
• High West Energy: Rural electric cooperative serving western Wyoming communities around Pinedale and Big Piney. Direct peer — similar member-owned distribution model, rural agricultural and residential load, and Touchstone Energy affiliation.
• Garland Light and Power: Small member-owned electric cooperative based in Garland, Wyoming. Direct peer — same rural distribution cooperative structure, named as a fourth partner in the 2023 consolidation feasibility study alongside High Plains Power.

Others

• National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA): National trade association serving rural electric cooperatives in the U.S. Comparable as the industry association representing High Plains Power's policy, training, and advocacy interests — adjacent ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor.
• Touchstone Energy Cooperatives: National brand and service cooperative representing more than 750 local electric co-ops across the U.S. High Plains Power operates as a Touchstone Energy affiliate; comparable as a strategic ecosystem participant and shared services/marketing platform rather than a competitor.
• Basin Electric Power Cooperative: One of the largest generation-and-transmission cooperatives in the U.S., headquartered in North Dakota and supplying wholesale power to multiple Wyoming distribution co-ops including High Plains Power. Comparable as part of the same cooperative ecosystem, but operates upstream in generation/transmission rather than retail distribution.

Regional players

• Holy Cross Energy: Member-owned electric cooperative serving Colorado's Western Slope and Roaring Fork Valley. Comparable as a Touchstone Energy rural distribution co-op of similar size and member profile, though operating in a different state geography rather than directly competing in Wyoming.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/touchstoneenergy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/high-plains-power

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 High Plains Power