Understanding Your Power

Harrison County Rural Electric Cooperative is a member of, and receives power from the generation and transmission cooperative (G&T), Northwest Iowa Power Cooperative (NIPCO). In the energy industry, G&T's secure long-term, all-requirements contracts with their power providers in order to maintain an affordable and reliable power supply for their members. These contracts keep rates stable over time and guarantee a source of electric generation which meets the growing needs of members. More than 83 percent of NIPCO’s operational costs are attributed to purchased power from those power suppliers.

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Originally, the Missouri River dams supplied all power requirements for NIPCO's members. In the 1960s, load growth studies indicated the NIPCO members soon would outgrow their hydropower allotment. A new power source was needed. This growth would soon lead to the creationg of Basin Electric, which built generating plants using sophisticated equipment to protect air quality. Basin Electric now supplies power to 138 rural electric systems in 9 states which, in turn, serve 2.9 million consumers. Basin Electric's power plants have received national recognition for efficiency, low-cost production, and environmental stewardship.