Dakota Electric Association
Cooperative electric utility · Minnesota · #205 of 3,199 U.S. utilities by customers · EIA utility #25177
Dakota Electric Association is a cooperative electric utility serving 117,913 customers in Minnesota. In 2025 it sold 1,866 gigawatt-hours of electricity for $254.15M in revenue, an average realized rate of 13.62¢ per kWh across all customer classes and 15.63¢ per kWh for residential customers. Its reported service territory covers 4 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 | 109,148 | 976 | $152.47M | 15.63¢ | |
| Commercial | 8,357 | 884 | $100.53M | 11.37¢ | |
| Industrial | 408 | 6.8 | $1.15M | 16.85¢ | |
| Total | 117,913 | 1,866 | $254.15M | 13.62¢ |
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 (745 kWh/month).
Five-year trend
| Year | Customers | Sales (GWh) | Revenue | Residential rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 111,827 | 1,846 | $214.64M | 13.76¢ |
| 2022 | 113,730 | 1,849 | $209.87M | 13.51¢ |
| 2023 | 115,355 | 1,859 | $215.79M | 13.60¢ |
| 2024 | 116,814 | 1,821 | $218.10M | 14.00¢ |
| 2025 | 117,913 | 1,866 | $254.15M | 15.63¢ |
Reliability (2025)
Average outage time (SAIDI): 29 minutes per customer per year
Average outages (SAIFI): 0.35 per customer
Average restoration time (CAIDI): 82 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: 18.4 GWh
Wholesale power purchased: 1,898 GWh
Winter peak demand: 286 MW
Energy losses: 2.5% of energy handled
Meters & rooftop solar (2025)
Smart (AMI) meters: 99.4% of 118,323 meters
Customer-sited generation (net metering): 1,781 installations, 18.3 MW of capacity
Counties served
Dakota, MNGoodhue, MNRice, MNScott, 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¢
- 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¢
- Lake Country Power - 51,603 customers, residential 18.34¢
All Minnesota utilities and rates
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-861 2025 (filed by the utility; figures as published). Utility #25177 in the EIA frame.