BENCO Electric Cooperative
Cooperative electric utility · Minnesota · #735 of 3,199 U.S. utilities by customers · EIA utility #1884
BENCO Electric Cooperative is a cooperative electric utility serving 20,086 customers in Minnesota. In 2025 it sold 354 gigawatt-hours of electricity for $52.01M in revenue, an average realized rate of 14.69¢ per kWh across all customer classes and 16.14¢ per kWh for residential customers. Its reported service territory covers 5 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 | 18,500 | 217 | $35.05M | 16.14¢ | |
| Commercial | 1,569 | 93.5 | $12.91M | 13.80¢ | |
| Industrial | 17 | 43.5 | $4.05M | 9.31¢ | |
| Total | 20,086 | 354 | $52.01M | 14.69¢ |
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 (978 kWh/month).
Five-year trend
| Year | Customers | Sales (GWh) | Revenue | Residential rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 19,168 | 344 | $46.58M | 14.43¢ |
| 2022 | 19,546 | 385 | $51.70M | 14.85¢ |
| 2023 | 19,764 | 393 | $53.81M | 15.21¢ |
| 2024 | 19,934 | 377 | $50.26M | 15.03¢ |
| 2025 | 20,086 | 354 | $52.01M | 16.14¢ |
Reliability (2025)
Average outage time (SAIDI): 82 minutes per customer per year
Average outages (SAIFI): 0.92 per customer
Average restoration time (CAIDI): 88 minutes
As reported for Minnesota under the Other 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: 368 GWh
Winter peak demand: 57 MW
Energy losses: 3.6% of energy handled
Meters & rooftop solar (2025)
Smart (AMI) meters: 100.0% of 20,086 meters
Customer-sited generation (net metering): 201 installations, 3.8 MW of capacity
Counties served
Blue Earth, MNFaribault, MNLe Sueur, MNNicollet, MNSibley, 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 #1884 in the EIA frame.