Mission:
We exist to be our Customers’ Choice for Energy and Diversified Services
Guiding Principles:
Customer Focus
Community Service
Competitive Products and Services
Commitment to Quality and Safety
Responsible Growth
Profitable Diversification
Cooperative Principles
Voluntary and Open Membership
Cooperatives are voluntary organizations, open to all persons able to use their services and willing to accept the responsibilities of membership, without gender, social, racial, political or religious discrimination.
Democratic Member Control
Cooperatives are democratic organizations controlled by their members, who actively participate in setting policies and making decisions. The elected representatives are accountable to the membership. In primary cooperatives, members have equal voting rights (one member, one vote) and cooperatives at other levels are organized in a democratic manner.
Members’ Economic Participation
Members contribute equitably to, and democratically control, the capital of their cooperative. At least part of that capital is usually the common property of the cooperative. Members usually receive limited compensation, if any, on capital subscribed as a condition of membership. Members allocate surpluses for any or all of the following purposes: developing the cooperative, possibly by setting up reserves, part of which at least would be indivisible; benefiting members in proportion to their transactions with the cooperative; and supporting other activities approved by the membership.
Autonomy and Independence
Cooperatives are autonomous, self-help organizations controlled by their members. If they enter into agreements with other organizations, including governments, or raise capital from external sources, they do so on terms that ensure democratic control by their members and maintain their cooperative autonomy.
Education, Training, and Information
Cooperatives provide education and training for their members, elected representatives, managers and employees so they can contribute effectively to the development of their cooperatives. They inform the general public, particularly young people and opinion leaders, about the nature and benefits of cooperation.
Cooperation Among Cooperatives
Cooperatives serve their members most effectively and strengthen the cooperative movement by working together through local, national, regional and international structures.
Concern for Community
While focusing on member needs, cooperatives work for the sustainable development of their communities through policies accepted by their members.
History
Sioux Valley Energy’s history goes back to 1938. Three electric cooperative groups were organized that year; the first was the Sioux Valley Electric Association of Brookings and the other two organizations were East Central South Dakota Electric Association and the Sioux Empire Electric Association. All three had taken preliminary steps towards seeking a loan from the Rural Electric Administration (REA). The three organizations held a joint meeting in December of 1939 and voted to merge together. The new cooperative was named Sioux Valley Empire Electric Association, Inc.
The new Sioux Valley Electric served the area jointly covered by the founding groups, bringing electricity to rural people in Brookings, Lake, Moody, Minnehaha and a portion of Kingsbury County. The cooperative’s office was located in the back room of the Dakota State Bank building in Colman, then moved across the street to a building that earlier had been a hardware store. Efforts began to assure that Colman would be the permanent home of Sioux Valley Electric. The old office facilities soon became overcrowded and a new building was constructed just a mile east of Colman. Dedication ceremonies were held in 1955.
Sioux Valley Electric’s first line-pole went in the ground in eastern Moody County on May 17th, 1940 and by January 1941 there were a total of 748 members receiving electric service from the cooperative. Line construction continued and by July of 1949, Sioux Valley Electric had 1,350 new members (with 3,800 already receiving service). Sioux Valley Electric was the largest rural electric cooperative in South Dakota, a position it still holds. In 1941, members paid an average of 7.3-cents per kWh. Monthly bills were lower, of course, since the average member was using only 50 kWh a month.
In May of 1951, Humboldt became the first town to sign a franchise agreement with the rural electric cooperative to provide service to the community. Today, Sioux Valley serves Brandon, Chester, Colton, Hartford, Humboldt, Junius, Lyons, Sinai and Valley Springs in South Dakota and Hardwick, Minnesota.
Talk of merging Sioux Valley Electric and Southwestern Minnesota Cooperative Electric (SMCE) which served rural areas in Rock and Pipestone counties in Minnesota began in April of 1995. A merger feasibility study was completed and on June 21st, 1995 the boards of Sioux Valley and SMCE voted unanimously to recommend a merger. Approval of that merger came on September 25th, 1995 at special membership meetings in Colman and Pipestone, Minnesota. Sioux Valley Electric and Southwestern Minnesota Co-op Electric (SMCE) joined forces to become Sioux Valley-Southwestern Electric Cooperative, Inc. effective January 1st, 1996 serving 17,000 members.
Sioux Valley-Southwestern Electric Cooperative, Inc. began doing business as “Sioux Valley Energy” in June of 2002. The official name remains Sioux Valley-Southwestern Electric Cooperative, Inc.
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