Power Supply Affiliation
Understanding Your Power
North West 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.
Northwest Iowa Power Cooperative was formed in 1949 by the Rural Electric Cooperatives (RECs), to provide a delivery system for hydropower from the Missouri River Dams.
Basin Electric Power Cooperative is a consumer-owned, regional cooperative headquartered in Bismarck, North Dakota.
Western Area Power Administration markets and delivers reliable, cost-based hydroelectric power and related services within a 15-state region of the west-central United States.
The Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives is a Des Moines-based service organization that represents the interests of the state's RECs.
The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) is the national service organization dedicated to representing the national interests of consumer-owned cooperative electric utilities and the consumers they serve.
The Iowa Area Development Group has several services to offer new and expanding businesses, including data on sites, buildings and communities.
Touchstone Energy® is the brand name that unites more than 750 cooperatives in 44 states. Touchstone Energy delivers electric power and energy solutions to more than 17 million customers.
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Your electric cooperatives are harvesting the power of the wind, and bringing it to your home through Prairie Winds.