QUICK FACTS

For more information about Iowa's electric cooperatives or the Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives, contact Erin Campbell, IAEC Director of Communications.

Infographics and Facts about Iowa's Electric Cooperatives

Click to view a PDF of our latest infographic booklet

Power to the People:

The not-for-profit electric co-ops of Iowa provide reliable, safe, affordable and sustainable electricity to over 650,000 people throughout all 99 counties every day.
Electric cooperatives are owned by the members they serve, making co-ops truly democratic organizations with local governance.
Electric cooperatives are guided by a board of elected directors who must be member-owners of the co-op.
Iowa's electric co-ops maintain enough power lines to wrap around the equator 2.5 times.
IAEC's statewide consumer publication - Iowa Electric Cooperative Living - is mailed to more than 55,000 co-op households every month.

Economic Engines of Progress:

Over a recent 5-year period, Iowa's electric co-ops produced $688 million in wages and salaries, directly employing almost 2,000 people.
For the 5 years ending in 2022, Iowa electric cooperatives had an impressive impact of $4.7 billion in economic development projects. These investments supported more than 7,300 jobs (retained, attracted or expanded) during that same period.

Enduring Affordability:

While the cost of most goods (cars, houses, eggs, milk, stamps, gas, etc.) has increased twentyfold or more over the past 80 years, electricity has remained very affordable. The average cost per kilowatt-hour has only doubled since the 1930s.
The average co-op household in Iowa pays about $5.25 a day for safe, reliable electricity. That's cheaper than a sandwich or a specialty coffee drink!

Ensuring Reliability:

Over the past 10 years, Iowa’s electric co-ops have kept the lights on 99.96% of the time, despite blizzards, ice storms, tornadoes, derechos or other extreme weather events.
The average electric co-op member-owner experiences one outage per year, lasting about 138 minutes.

Doing More with Less:

Iowa's electric co-ops provide power to about 15% of the state's population yet cover approximately two-thirds of the state's land mass.
The electric co-ops of Iowa serve primarily rural areas with sparse populations. In fact, electric co-ops generate far less revenue per mile of line compared to investor-owned utilities and municipalities, meaning we have to cover more ground with fewer resources.
Investor-owned utilities in Iowa serve 28 meters and generate $85,000 of revenue per mile of line on average, while Iowa municipalities average 54 meters per mile and generate $131,000 of revenue per mile of line. In contrast, Iowa electric co-ops serve about 4 meters and generate $10,800 of revenue per mile of line on average.

Out of the Darkness:

Not-for-profit electric cooperatives were formed in the 1930s and 1940s as a way for rural citizens to gain access to affordable electricity when no one else would serve them.
Before rural electric cooperatives were formed, only 10% of rural citizens in America had electricity while 90% of city dwellers had electricity. Truth be told, nothing has improved the lives of rural Americans like rural electrification.