Jump River Electric Cooperative, Inc.

What Jump River Electric Cooperative, Inc. does

Jump River Electric Cooperative, Inc. (JREC) is a member-owned, not-for-profit rural electric distribution cooperative founded in 1937-1938 and headquartered in Ladysmith, Wisconsin, with a branch office in Hayward. The cooperative distributes electricity across approximately 1,845 miles of power line to roughly 8,950 residential and commercial member-owners in Barron, Chippewa, Price, Rusk, Sawyer, and Taylor counties in northwestern Wisconsin. JREC sources wholesale power from Dairyland Power Cooperative and operates within the Touchstone Energy Cooperatives national network.

The cooperative's core technology stack centers on Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) and Automated Meter Reading (AMR) for secure electric metering, supported by the SmartHub online and mobile member portal used for billing, account management, outage reporting, and energy-use tracking. The product portfolio includes load management programs covering water heaters and electric heat, prepaid metering, net metering for distributed generation, the Evergreen renewable energy program, energy efficiency rebates, capital credit retirements, and the Community Cents charitable round-up program.

JREC generates revenue primarily through subscription-style electricity distribution tariffs on a not-for-profit cost-of-service basis, returning excess margins to members as capital credits. Supplemental revenue streams include pay-as-you-go EV charging at $0.26 per kilowatt-hour through the CHARGE-EV regional network and Viasat satellite internet resale. GTM is direct-to-member via owned infrastructure, with member engagement through community events, Facebook, and the SmartHub platform. The cooperative is led by GM/CEO Kurt Harris, operates with 23 employees, and received the 2023 Rusk County Large Business Award.

Name

Jump River Electric Cooperative, Inc.

Legal name

Jump River Electric Cooperative, Inc.

Website

https://jrec.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1938

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Jump River Electric Cooperative is a member-owned, not-for-profit rural electric distribution utility serving roughly 8,950 residential and commercial members across six counties in northwestern Wisconsin via 1,845 miles of power line.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electric Utility Distribution

NAICS

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

SIC

Electric Services (4911)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Demand Response & Load Flexibility Services (EUAMAJAF), Interconnection, Permitting & Grid Services for DERs (EUAMAJAH)

Keywords

• Electric utility distribution
• Rural electricity cooperative
• Member-owned utility services
• Smart metering infrastructure
• Energy efficiency programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Ladysmith

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Electricity Distribution: Distribution of electricity to approximately 8,950 residential and commercial member-owners across six Wisconsin counties through 1,845 miles of power lines. The cooperative operates as a not-for-profit entity, returning excess revenue to members through capital credits.
2. Internet Services (Viasat Partnership): Partnership with Viasat to provide internet services to members in rural service areas.
3. EV Charging Stations: Electric vehicle charging stations at Ladysmith and Hayward offices, charging $0.26 per kilowatt-hour through Zef Energy app.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Jump River Electric Cooperative distributes electricity to approximately 8,950 member-owners across six northwestern Wisconsin counties through 1,845 miles of power line infrastructure. Beyond core electricity delivery, the cooperative offers SmartHub online account management, Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), Load Management Programs for water heaters and electric heat, Net Metering and the Evergreen renewable energy program, prepaid metering, EV charging stations, Viasat satellite internet services, and energy-efficiency rebates. As a not-for-profit cooperative, JREC returns excess margins to members through capital credits.

Product overview

Jump River Electric Cooperative is a member-owned rural electric utility providing core electricity distribution services to residential and commercial members across Barron, Chippewa, Price, Rusk, Sawyer, and Taylor Counties in Wisconsin. The cooperative operates as a not-for-profit entity with approximately 8,950 members, 1,845 miles of line, and 23 employees. The product portfolio centers on SmartHub as the primary member-facing digital platform for account management and bill payment, supported by Advanced Metering Infrastructure that enables outage detection and future prepaid billing. Energy management offerings include Load Management Programs (covering electric heat, water heaters, and EV charging), Net Metering for distributed generation, and the Evergreen renewable energy program. The cooperative also provides Viasat satellite internet services and operates EV charging stations at its offices through the CHARGE-EV network.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Electricity Distribution Service Core utility service providing reliable, safe, sustainable, and affordable electricity distribution to residential and commercial member-owners across six Wisconsin counties through 1,845 miles of power lines.
• SmartHub Member Portal Online and mobile member self-service platform enabling bill payment, account management, outage reporting and alerts, energy usage tracking, and notification preferences.
• Load Management Program
• Prepaid Metering Program
• Net Metering (Distributed Energy)
• Evergreen Renewable Energy Program
• Viasat Satellite Internet Services
• EV Charging Stations

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Touchstone Energy CooperativescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNational network of electric cooperatives providing resources, brand identity, and partnerships to help member cooperatives better engage and serve their members. Touchstone Energy is the national brand identity for the electric cooperative network, with 700+ local systems serving 30.5 million member-owners.
• Dairyland Power CooperativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWholesale power provider for Jump River Electric Cooperative. The wholesale power contract is key to delivering safe, reliable, and affordable electricity. Dairyland has set a goal to reduce carbon intensity by 50% over 2005 levels by 2030, with renewable energy currently making up 24% of their generation mix.
• CHARGE-EV, LLCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional EV charging network created by Jump River Electric Cooperative and 48 other electric cooperatives across Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, and Minnesota. Provides EV charging infrastructure through the CHARGE-EV network.
• ViasatminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership to provide internet services to members in rural service areas where traditional broadband may be unavailable.
• Digger's Hotline (811)minorOthers811 Call Before You Dig service to prevent damage to underground utilities and ensure safety during excavation.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Price Electric Cooperative: Wisconsin rural electric cooperative serving Price and Taylor counties — both within JREC's service territory. Closely comparable in member count, cooperative governance, and wholesale power supply model.
• Chippewa Valley Electric Cooperative: Rural electric cooperative serving Chippewa County, Wisconsin — overlapping JREC's service area. Comparable in member-owned cooperative model, AMI deployment, and EV charging initiatives.
• Taylor Electric Cooperative: Rural electric cooperative serving Taylor County, Wisconsin — overlapping JREC's territory. Comparable in scale, member-owned structure, and Touchstone Energy affiliation.
• Polk-Burnett Electric Cooperative: Member-owned rural electric cooperative serving northwestern Wisconsin counties adjacent to JREC's territory. Directly comparable in cooperative structure, member scale, AMI deployment, and Touchstone Energy affiliation.
• Barron Electric Cooperative: Rural electric cooperative serving Barron County, overlapping with JREC's service area. Comparable cooperative member-owned model, similar AMI/load management programs, and Wisconsin Touchstone Energy affiliation.

Broad incumbents

• Xcel Energy: Large multi-state regulated utility serving customers across the Upper Midwest including Wisconsin. Provides scale, regulatory, and AMI-program comparison points relevant to a small rural electric cooperative.
• Alliant Energy: Investor-owned utility serving Wisconsin and neighboring states with electricity and natural gas. Operates as a broad incumbent in overlapping Wisconsin service territories with substantially greater scale, capital access, and AMI deployment.

Regional players

• Dairyland Power Cooperative: Generation and Transmission (G&T) cooperative supplying wholesale power to JREC and other Wisconsin co-ops. Operates generation assets (24% renewable) and high-voltage transmission for distribution co-op members; a key supplier and structurally aligned peer.

Emerging players

• CHARGE-EV, LLC: Regional EV charging network co-founded by JREC and 48+ electric cooperatives across Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, and Minnesota. Represents the cooperative-owned rural EV charging model and a direct strategic peer in charging infrastructure.
• ZEF Energy: EV charging software and network provider powering the CHARGE-EV network that JREC uses. Comparable as an enabling technology peer in the cooperative-owned rural EV charging ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCs4anG1cXAAXft2ARPSpgzw

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Jump River Electric Cooperative, Inc.