About Us
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Our Mission
Nishnabotna Valley REC will provide safe and reliable electric services to our members in a valuable, sustainable, and environmentally responsible manner.
Our Service Territory
Nishnabotna Valley REC serves rural members in Southwest Iowa. See the map to get an idea of our service area. Although we reach into six counties in Iowa (Shelby, Cass, Pottawattamie, Harrison, Audubon, and Crawford), we average only 2.6 members per mile of line in our service territory. You can click here to download a detailed map of our service area (pdf).
What is a Cooperative?
Electric cooperatives are private, not-for-profit businesses governed by their consumer-members. Two federal requirements for all co-ops, including electric co-ops, are democratic governance and operation at cost. Every consumer-member can vote to choose local boards that oversee the co-op, and the co-op must, return to consumer-members revenue above what is needed for operation. Under this structure, electric co-ops provide economic benefits to their local communities rather than distant stockholders.
Watch this video to see the Electric Cooperative Story
An electric cooperative follows seven cooperative principles:
1. Open and Voluntary Membership
2. Democratic Member Control
3. Members’ Economic Participation
4. Autonomy and Independence
5. Education, Training, and Information
6. Cooperation Among Cooperatives
7. Concern for Community
Your Cooperative's Energy Portfolio
Nishnabotna Valley REC receives its power from Northwest Iowa Power Cooperative (NIPCO). NIPCO was formed over 70 years ago by seven distribution cooperatives like NVREC in western Iowa to help secure affordable electricity to rural areas by accessing competitive wholesale electricity. Today, NIPCO maintains an electric transmission system consisting of 921 miles of 69kV (69.000 volts) line, 2 source substations, 78 distribution substations, and 18 switching stations throughout western Iowa.
NIPCO receives 20% of their electric generation from Western Iowa Power Administration (WAPA), headquartered in Watertown, SD. The remaining generation power is supplied by Basin Electric Power Cooperative, headquartered in Bismarck, ND. Basin Electric is an electric generation and transmission cooperative that supplies power to 138 rural electric systems in 9 states.
Below is a graph provided by NIPCO to its member-owners to offer a glimpse at Nishnabotna Valley REC’s energy source portfolio.
NVREC Articles and By-Laws
Patronage Dividends
Members of Nishnabotna Valley REC share in the benefits of doing business with the Cooperative. One benefit comes in the form of capital credits, or patronage dividends. The capital credits you get are revenues in excess of expenses to operate the REC.
Patronage dividend notices are mailed to members each April to indicate how much money was allocated to them for the previous calendar year. Each member's share is in proportion to the net electric margins they generate.
Patronage dividends are returned to members on a 20-year roll. Iowa law also allows a percentage of the current year's dividends to be returned.
While retained by Nishnabotna Valley REC, allocated patronage capital contributes to the Co-op's equity and strengthens its financial position. Annually, the Board of Directors reviews the financial position and determines whether a percentage of the current year's allocation may be paid to the members without jeopardizing the cooperative's financial stability.
Members of Nishnabotna Valley REC have received over $6.5 million in patronage dividends since the Cooperative began in 1936.
Employment
When a position becomes available, it will be posted here.
All applicants who are selected for a position within Nishnabotna Valley Rural Electric Cooperative are required to pass a pre-employment physical examination, background check, motor vehicle driving record queue, and drug test when employed.
Nishnabotna Valley Rural Electric Cooperative and ENOVUS Management Cooperative are an equal opportunity provider and employer.
Board of Directors
Information about Cooperative's elected Board of Directors, Board Districts, and Regular Board Meetings
NVREC Staff
Our Cooperative Partners
Cooperatives have partners across the street and across the country. Learn more about the value of being a member of...