Minnesota Valley Electric Cooperative

Situated just southwest of the Twin Cities, Jordan-based Minnesota Valley Electric Cooperative (MVEC) provides electricity to one of the sweetest places on earth.

Jim’s Apple Farm, proud owner of Minnesota’s Largest Candy Store, is a seasonal attraction on Highway 169, but the big yellow barn and silo are a year-round presence in Jordan. But That’s not the only big business in the co-op’s service area. MVEC also provides electric service to commercial and industrial members including Cambria Countertops in Le Sueur, CH Robinson in Eden Prairie, and the Mystic Lake Casino complex in Prior Lake. MVEC serves the U of M’s Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chanhassen and By the Yard in Jordan, which specializes in outdoor furniture made from recycled plastic milk jugs.

“MVEC is a progressive, innovative cooperative that takes pride in enhancing the lives of our members and the community,” said Ryan Fedie, vice president of Energy Services. “To do this, the board of directors, management and staff work hard to reduce controllable costs, diversify energy portfolios, maintain strong reliability efforts, provide top-notch member service and offer value-added programs to our growing membership.”

A Leader in Helping Member-Consumers with Energy Costs

MVEC was the first Minnesota cooperative to introduce Pay as You Go, a prepayment program that allows member-consumers to take control of their energy usage and costs.

“It’s just like putting gasoline in their car,” Hentges said. “With this program, they can add money into their account daily, weekly or as their budget allows. They can also add funds to their account to cover their electricity needs for several months if they want.”

The statistics indicate that participating in the program helps reduce electric consumption, likely because member-consumers are more aware of their energy use. Fifty-nine percent of MVEC’s Pay as You Go member-consumers said their electric costs were noticeably lower.