Central Power Electric Co-Op

What Central Power Electric Co-Op does

Central Power Electric Cooperative, Inc. is a not-for-profit generation and transmission (G&T) cooperative incorporated in North Dakota in 1949 and headquartered at 525 20th Ave SW in Minot, ND. It supplies wholesale electricity and transmission services exclusively to six member rural electric distribution cooperatives — Capital Electric, Dakota Valley Electric, McLean Electric, North Central Electric, Northern Plains Electric, and Verendrye Electric — which in turn serve 67,363 farms, homes, and businesses across 25 counties in central and southeastern North Dakota.

The cooperative's physical infrastructure comprises 1,452 miles of transmission line, 25 wholly owned and 9 jointly owned high-voltage transmission substations, and 174 delivery points interconnected with the Western Area Power Administration (WAPA), Basin Electric Power Cooperative, and three investor-owned utilities. Operational scale is defined by 2,571 GWH of annual energy sales and a peak demand of 483 MW in winter and 335 MW in summer, against a $335.8 million investment in utility plant. Central Power operates under democratic member governance with a board representing each member cooperative and is affiliated with Touchstone Energy Cooperatives, NRECA, NDAREC, NISC, CoBank, and CFC.

The business model is cost-of-service wholesale power supply: Central Power procures power from WAPA and Basin Electric, transmits it across its backbone system, and bills the six member co-ops on a cost-recovery basis rather than at market rates. Revenue mechanics are subscription-style recurring wholesale supply under multi-year contracts, with capital financed through cooperative lenders (CoBank, CFC). The company has 100+ employees organized into Business, Operations & Engineering, and line/plant functions, and runs an annual member meeting as its primary governance and engagement forum.

Name

Central Power Electric Co-Op

Legal name

Central Power Electric Cooperative, Inc.

Website

https://centralpwr.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1949

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Central Power Electric Cooperative is a not-for-profit generation and transmission cooperative organized in 1949, supplying wholesale electricity to six member rural distribution cooperatives serving 67,363 farms, homes, and businesses across 25 counties in central and southeastern North Dakota.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wholesale Electric Power Supply

NAICS

Electric Power Transmission, Control, and Distribution (22112), Electric Bulk Power Transmission and Control (221121), Electric Power Distribution (221122)

SIC

Electric Services (4911)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Transmission Substations & High-Voltage Switchyards (EUADAAAF), Electric Distribution System Owners (Wires-Only Companies) (EUADABAI)

Keywords

• Wholesale power supply
• Electric transmission services
• Rural electric cooperative
• Bulk power generation
• Distribution cooperative services

Headquarters

HQ city

Minot

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Wholesale Power Supply: Provides bulk power supply to 6 member rural electric distribution cooperatives through transmission and subtransmission facilities. Operates as a cost-of-service cooperative where revenues fund operations, infrastructure maintenance, and capital improvements rather than generating profit.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Central Power Electric Cooperative is a wholesale power supply and transmission cooperative that supplies bulk electric power needs to its six member rural electric distribution cooperatives through a backbone system of transmission and subtransmission facilities. It operates 1,452 miles of transmission line, 25 wholly-owned and 9 jointly-owned high-voltage transmission stations, and 174 delivery points interconnected with Western Area Power Administration and Basin Electric Power Cooperative.

Product overview

Central Power Electric Cooperative operates as a wholesale power supply and transmission cooperative organized in 1949. It provides a unified portfolio of services consisting of wholesale power supply, transmission infrastructure management, and member cooperative support. The cooperative's core offering is supplying bulk power to six member rural electric distribution cooperatives across 25 counties in central and southeastern North Dakota, supported by 1,452 miles of transmission lines and 34 transmission substations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wholesale Power Supply
• Transmission Services
• Member Cooperative Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves 67,363 farms, homes and businesses across 25 counties
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Western Area Power Administration (WAPA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWestern Area Power Administration is a federal power marketing agency that provides power supply to Central Power Electric Cooperative. The partnership involves interconnection with WAPA's transmission system serving the Upper Great Plains region.
• Basin Electric Power CooperativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBasin Electric is a generation and transmission cooperative that serves as a power supplier to Central Power. Both are part of the same cooperative ecosystem providing wholesale power to distribution cooperatives.
• National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational organization representing America's electric cooperatives. Provides advocacy, education, and business services to electric cooperatives including Central Power.
• Touchstone Energy CooperativescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNational brand identity network for electric cooperatives across 46 states. Provides marketing resources, national branding, and partnerships to help member cooperatives better serve their communities.
• National Information Solutions Cooperative (NISC)majorTechnology or IntegrationMember-owned technology cooperative providing software, data, and analytics solutions to electric cooperatives for billing, operations, and member management.
• ND Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives (NDAREC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState association representing North Dakota's electric cooperatives. Provides advocacy, education, and member services at the state level.
• Mid-West Electric Consumers AssociationminorOthersAssociation representing the interests of electric consumers in the Midwest region, advocating for fair rates and reliable service.
• HDR Engineering, Inc.minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEngineering firm that sponsors the refreshment break at the annual meeting. Provides engineering consulting services.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Minnkota Power Cooperative: Generation and transmission cooperative serving member distribution cooperatives in eastern North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota. Directly comparable G&T cooperative model with similar wholesale supply structure and rural service territory.
• Associated Electric Cooperative Inc. Large multi-state generation and transmission cooperative serving member distribution systems across Missouri, Iowa, Oklahoma, and Kansas. Operates owned generation and transmission—broader scope than Central Power but same cooperative G&T model.
• Rushmore Electric Power Cooperative: Generation and transmission cooperative serving member distribution co-ops in western South Dakota, Wyoming, and Nebraska. Comparable cooperative G&T structure operating in an adjacent regional power market.
• Brazos Electric Power Cooperative: Texas-based generation and transmission cooperative serving member distribution systems. Operates owned generation and transmission—broader scope but same G&T cooperative wholesale supply model.
• Basin Electric Power Cooperative: Large generation and transmission cooperative supplying wholesale power across the Upper Great Plains. Direct upstream supplier to Central Power and shares the same cooperative ecosystem, governance model, and rural member base.
• East River Electric Power Cooperative: G&T cooperative headquartered in Madison, South Dakota, supplying wholesale power to member distribution cooperatives across eastern South Dakota. Closely comparable business model, scale, and rural service profile.
• PowerSouth Energy Cooperative: Generation and transmission cooperative serving member distribution systems across Alabama and northwest Florida. Comparable G&T structure supplying wholesale power under cost-of-service recovery.
• Corn Belt Power Cooperative: Generation and transmission cooperative serving member distribution cooperatives in northern Iowa, southern Minnesota, and South Dakota. Similar scale, G&T cooperative structure, and rural agricultural load base.

Regional players

• MDU Resources Group / Montana-Dakota Utilities: Investor-owned utility group operating regulated electric and natural gas distribution across North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, and Wyoming. Operates in the same geography as Central Power but as an IOU rather than a cooperative.

Broad incumbents

• Western Area Power Administration: Federal power marketing administration that transmits and sells wholesale electricity across 15 central and western states. Major power supplier to Central Power and a broader incumbent in the same regional transmission market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/central-power-electric-co-op

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries6 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 Central Power Electric Co-Op