Steele-Waseca Cooperative Electric
Cooperative electric utility · Minnesota · #1,018 of 3,199 U.S. utilities by customers · EIA utility #18047
Steele-Waseca Cooperative Electric is a cooperative electric utility serving 12,126 customers in Minnesota. In 2025 it sold 365 gigawatt-hours of electricity for $47.96M in revenue, an average realized rate of 13.15¢ per kWh across all customer classes and 16.46¢ per kWh for residential customers. Its reported service territory covers 9 counties. EIA records its activities as: distribution.
Customers, sales and rates by customer class (2025)
| Class | Customers | Sales (GWh) | Revenue | Avg realized rate | Share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residential | 10,788 | 127 | $20.87M | 16.46¢ | |
| Commercial | 1,291 | 69.7 | $9.94M | 14.27¢ | |
| Industrial | 47 | 168 | $17.14M | 10.19¢ | |
| Total | 12,126 | 365 | $47.96M | 13.15¢ |
Average realized rate = revenue divided by sales as reported on EIA Form 861. It blends fixed charges, demand charges and riders into one per-kWh figure; it is not the utility's tariff rate. Estimated residential bill assumes the average residential customer's actual 2025 usage (980 kWh/month).
Five-year trend
| Year | Customers | Sales (GWh) | Revenue | Residential rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 11,757 | 303 | $36.73M | 14.53¢ |
| 2022 | 11,868 | 315 | $38.09M | 14.51¢ |
| 2023 | 11,962 | 357 | $43.25M | 15.39¢ |
| 2024 | 12,046 | 350 | $43.46M | 15.63¢ |
| 2025 | 12,126 | 365 | $47.96M | 16.46¢ |
Reliability (2025)
Average outage time (SAIDI): 90 minutes per customer per year
Average outages (SAIFI): 0.74 per customer
Average restoration time (CAIDI): 122 minutes
As reported for Minnesota under the IEEE standard, with major event days included where the standard reports them. Lower is better; see the reliability rankings.
Energy supply (2025)
Net generation: — GWh
Wholesale power purchased: 376 GWh
Winter peak demand: 52 MW
Energy losses: 2.9% of energy handled
Meters & rooftop solar (2025)
Smart (AMI) meters: 99.5% of 12,126 meters
Customer-sited generation (net metering): 248 installations, 4.5 MW of capacity
Counties served
Blue Earth, MNDodge, MNFaribault, MNFreeborn, MNGoodhue, MNLe Sueur, MNRice, MNSteele, MNWaseca, MN
Other large utilities in Minnesota
- Northern States Power Co - Minnesota - 1,594,256 customers, residential 16.50¢
- ALLETE, Inc. - 153,192 customers, residential 15.86¢
- Connexus Energy - 148,716 customers, residential 14.11¢
- Otter Tail Power Co - 134,544 customers, residential 11.19¢
- Dakota Electric Association - 117,913 customers, residential 15.63¢
- East Central Energy - 68,154 customers, residential 17.60¢
- Rochester Public Utilities - 60,963 customers, residential 18.58¢
- Wright-Hennepin Coop Elec Assn - 57,130 customers, residential 15.00¢
All Minnesota utilities and rates
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-861 2025 (filed by the utility; figures as published). Utility #18047 in the EIA frame.