Manager's Message

Throughout late winter and early spring, thousands of Sioux Valley Energy members attend one of our 10 district meetings. As part of the program, both your local director and I present information about what is happening at the Cooperative.

Rules, regulations, policies, and laws implemented on the local, state, and national level impact your electric cooperative, and in turn you. Historically, electric co-ops have been involved in politics and today it is no different. It is more important than ever to be engaged in what is happening in our state and national capitols.

Power generation is a complex issue that takes rigorous and thoughtful long-term planning. Sioux Valley Energy’s power suppliers plan years (sometimes decades) in advance to add generation to their fleet, navigating regulations and public acceptance.

The Sioux Valley Energy Board of Directors did approve an overall average rate increase of 4.9% starting January 1, 2025 during their November meeting. 

Reliability depends upon an electric system that is resilient, robust, and redundant. How does that happen? It happens when there are insightful, long-term planning strategies incorporated at all levels of the electrical system – generation, transmission, and distribution.

The power grid is a very complex system. The parts you see close to home such as meters, green boxes, lines, poles, etc. are just a small portion called the distribution system. There are two more levels to the electric cooperative system that ultimately helps get electricity to your home. Those two levels are transmission and generation.

Approximately 60 percent of the Sioux Valley Energy operating budget goes towards paying for power – but what about the other 40 percent?

Electric utilities around the country and in this region are facing mounting rate pressures and Sioux Valley Energy is not immune to that.

July and August are historically the warmest months of the year in this region and with that hot weather comes high demand (peaks) on the electric system.

Over 1,700 members and guests attended this year’s Sioux Valley Energy Annual Meeting held on June 11.