Sheridan Electric Co-op Inc

What Sheridan Electric Co-op Inc does

Sheridan Electric Cooperative, Inc. is a member-owned rural electric distribution cooperative incorporated in 1946 and headquartered in Medicine Lake, Montana. It distributes electric power to approximately 1,696-1,840 member-owners across 4,903 meters and 2,512-2,835 miles of distribution line spanning five counties in northeastern Montana (Daniels, Roosevelt, Sheridan) and northwestern North Dakota (Divide, Williams). The cooperative purchases wholesale electricity from Upper Missouri G&T and resells it to members under a usage-based monthly billing model. Beyond distribution, the cooperative operates an in-house Electrical Service Department providing trenching, electric heat installation, residential wiring, and commercial/industrial wiring services staffed by a Master Electrician and Journeyman Electricians.

The cooperative's technology stack centers on RF (radio frequency) metering for electricity measurement, the third-party SmartHub platform for 24/7 online bill payment, outage reporting, and energy usage monitoring via web and mobile applications, and an IVR phone-payment system. Members can interconnect distributed generation systems such as rooftop solar through a formal application and agreement process. Community-facing programs include Operation Round Up (voluntary bill-rounding donations averaging approximately $7 per member annually directed to local charitable causes), scholarship programs, youth tours, and free electrical safety demonstrations. The cooperative is part of the Touchstone Energy national network of 700+ cooperatives serving 30.5 million member-owners across 46 states.

The business model is a regulated, subscription-recurring utility revenue stream based on KWH consumption, supplemented by electrical service work and small-dollar community charitable contributions. Governance follows cooperative principles with one-member-one-vote democratic control by a nine-member board of directors elected from the membership across geographic districts. The cooperative employs approximately 25 staff across operations, member services, finance, and electrical service functions, and is supported by Smith, Lange and Halley for auditing and Heberly & Associates for engineering consulting.

Name

Sheridan Electric Co-op Inc

Legal name

Sheridan Electric Co-op., Inc.

Website

https://sheridanelectric.coop

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sheridan Electric Cooperative is a member-owned rural electric distribution utility serving approximately 1,696-1,840 member-owners across 4,903 meters and 2,512-2,835 miles of line in five counties in northeastern Montana and northwestern North Dakota, providing electricity distribution, electrical services, and community programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Rural Electric 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)

akta.pro secondary industry

Renewable Distributed Generation (Rooftop/Onsite Solar, Small Wind, Small Hydro) (EUACALAJ)

Keywords

• Rural electric distribution
• Member-owned cooperative
• Electric utility services
• Electrical contracting
• Energy bill payment

Headquarters

HQ city

Medicine Lake

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Electric Utility Service: Monthly electric service billed to members based on kilowatt-hours consumed. Resale KWH sold: 118,721,435. Revenue generated through competitive pricing to members at competitive rates.
2. Operation Round Up Donations: Members voluntarily round up monthly electric bills to the nearest dollar, with funds directed to community charitable causes. Maximum donation is $0.99 per month or $11.88 per year. Average rounded up amount is approximately $7 per member account annually.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Sheridan Electric Cooperative distributes electric power to its member-owners across rural northeastern Montana and northwestern North Dakota via owned distribution lines, and provides supplementary in-house electrical contracting services (trenching, electric heat installation, house and commercial/industrial wiring) along with the SmartHub online bill payment and outage reporting platform. The cooperative sells approximately 118,721,435 kWh annually to 4,903 meters, and supports member-owned distributed generation interconnections (e.g., solar) and community programs such as Operation Round Up charitable giving and scholarships.

Product overview

Sheridan Electric Cooperative is a rural electric utility that provides reliable electric service to its members. The cooperative operates a unified product and service portfolio centered on electricity distribution, with digital member services primarily delivered through SmartHub for bill payment and outage management. The core offerings include electrical infrastructure services (trenching, wiring, heat installation) provided by the Electrical Service Department, RF metering technology, and distributed generation interconnection support for renewable energy systems. Additional member-focused programs include Operation Round Up (a bill-rounding charitable initiative) and scholarship programs for students pursuing electrical careers. All services are delivered with a focus on the cooperative model of member ownership and democratic governance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 118,721,435 KWH sold annually to 4,903 meters across 2,835 miles of line
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Upper Missouri G&TcoreTechnology or IntegrationPower supplier providing electricity to Sheridan Electric Cooperative for distribution to end-use members. Sheridan Electric purchases power from Upper Missouri G&T to serve its 4,903 meters and 1,840 members across 5 counties.
• Touchstone Energy CooperativesflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational network of 700+ electric cooperatives in 46 states serving 30.5 million member-owners. Provides brand identity, resources, and partnerships to help member cooperatives engage and serve members. Sheridan Electric uses Touchstone Energy branding and resources for marketing and member engagement.
• Action for Eastern MontanacoreOthersDistributes Universal System Benefits Program funds contributed by Sheridan Electric to assist needy members with energy bills. Moneys are contributed through member electric bills per Montana law and distributed back to the originating area.
• Basin Electric Power CooperativeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBasin Electric Power Cooperative partners with Sheridan Electric to provide scholarship opportunities for students in the service area. Awards a $1,000 scholarship annually to qualifying students.
• Smith, Lange and HalleyminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAuditing firm providing professional services to Sheridan Electric Cooperative for financial auditing needs.
• Heberly & AssociatesminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEngineering consulting firm providing professional services including HDR Engineering Inc, KP Power Consulting and Apgar Engineering, LLC.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• NRECA (National Rural Electric Cooperative Association): National trade association representing 900+ U.S. electric cooperatives. Industry-level peer representing the ecosystem and advocacy framework within which Sheridan Electric operates its cooperative model.

Broad incumbents

• Touchstone Energy Cooperatives: National network and brand identity for 700+ local electric cooperatives including Sheridan Electric. Compares because Sheridan is itself a Touchstone affiliate and relies on the network's resources, branding, and member engagement programs.
• NorthWestern Energy Group: Regulated electric and gas utility serving Montana, South Dakota, and Nebraska. Adjacent large-scale provider in Sheridan's broader operating geography, useful as an IOU benchmark for distribution economics in the same jurisdiction.
• MDU Resources Group (Montana-Dakota Utilities): Investor-owned utility operating electric distribution across the same MT/ND region as Sheridan, serving as the principal regulated alternative in overlapping service areas. Comparable on underlying distribution activity but with very different ownership structure.

Direct peers

• Mountrail-Williams Electric Cooperative: North Dakota rural electric distribution cooperative operating across multiple counties with similar line mileage and member counts. Direct peer on operational scale, territory type, and generation supply chain.
• Lower Yellowstone Rural Electric Association: Adjacent Montana rural electric cooperative that distributes power through member-owned model across rural eastern Montana. Direct comparable in business model, geography, and customer profile.
• McKenzie Electric Cooperative: Neighbouring North Dakota rural electric distribution cooperative serving a similar prairie service territory with comparable member base and line density. Most direct operational analogue to Sheridan Electric Co-op.
• Fergus Electric Cooperative: Central Montana rural electric cooperative providing distribution service to member-owners using the same Touchstone Energy branding and cooperative business model as Sheridan Electric.

Regional players

• Northern Plains Electric Cooperative: North Dakota-based rural electric cooperative serving portions of the Williston Basin region. Comparable in member-owned structure, scale, and rural distribution economics.
• Basin Electric Power Cooperative: Upper Midwest generation-and-transmission cooperative that supplies power (via Upper Missouri G&T) and scholarship funding to Sheridan. Comparable as a large regional Generation & Transmission co-op serving distribution members across MT/ND/SD/WY.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sheridan-electric-co-op-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 Sheridan Electric Co-op Inc