News > By the Members. For the Members. Powered by Purpose.

By the Members. For the Members. Powered by Purpose.

February 25, 2026

Local farmers founded Stearns Electric Association in 1937 in order to bring electricity to farms in rural Stearns County. Since the beginning, the Cooperative’s main purpose has been to serve its member-consumers with reliable, safe and competitively priced electricity.

EARLY DAYS
On November 23, 1935, community leaders in Stearns County were first introduced to the idea of bringing electricity to rural farms through a cooperative. In January 1936, attendees of the first organizational meeting voted to form the Stearns Cooperative Electric Association, allowing farmers to become member-owners by purchasing a $2 share of stock.

Early Cooperative owners worked to recruit others – a challenging task during the aftermath of the Great Depression and amid uncertainty about the benefits of electricity. Despite these obstacles, the effort succeeded.

By November 1936, the first Annual Meeting of the Cooperative was held, volunteer members elected the initial Board of Directors, and the Cooperative’s governing documents were developed.

Today, Stearns Electric remains member-owned and governed by members through its Board of Directors. The Cooperative serves over 29,000 member-consumers.

THE COOPERATIVE DIFFERENCE
As a Cooperative, Stearns Electric follows the seven Cooperative Principles, of which three showcase our purpose of serving members first.

Democratic Member Control
Through the annual election of directors, members of Stearns Electric play a direct role in shaping the Cooperative’s future. Every three years, members elect a fellow member from their district to serve a three-year term on the Board of Directors.

Your member-elected Board sets the overall direction of Stearns Electric, provides financial oversight, establishes policies and represents the interests of the membership.

Members’ Economic Participation
Cooperative members are more than consumers. They are owners of Stearns Electric. When the Co-op was founded, members purchased shares of stock to provide startup capital and helped recruit members, hire employees and fund early projects.

While Stearns Electric no longer sells stock, members continue to invest in the Co-op through their monthly electric bills. Unlike investor-owned utilities, any revenue above operating costs is returned to members as Capital Credits. This means profits benefit the people we serve, not outside shareholders. To date, Stearns Electric has returned $45.6 million in Capital Credits to its members.

Concern for Community
As a member-owner, you belong to an organization that puts people first and reinvests in the communities we serve. Stearns Electric lives out this commitment to community through programs like My Co-op Cares, Operation Round Up® and employee giving initiatives.

Established in 2019, My Co-op Cares allows employees to volunteer during work hours at local non-profits throughout the Cooperative’s service territory. So far, employees have contributed more than 1,000 volunteer hours at 16 unique organizations, with new organizations added each year. Employees also support the community through annual fundraising events, including the “Sharing Our Blessings” drive and the Employee Charity Event, which together raise thousands of dollars for local families and charities.

Members also make an impact through Operation Round Up®, which rounds monthly bills to the nearest dollar. These funds are distributed by a member-led Trust Board to support local causes. Your small contributions make a big difference in the communities we serve.

Nearly 90 years after the first stake was driven, Stearns Electric continues to be guided by the same purpose that inspired its founders: serving members first. Through reliable service, democratic leadership, shared economic benefits and a deep commitment to community, we remain member focused, community driven and powered by purpose.