Where does all of that money go?

Have you ever wondered how the money you send to Dakota Electric is used? Although your check or bank statement may say Dakota Electric, very little of that money actually pays for Dakota Electric's expenses. In fact, for every dollar residential members send to Dakota Electric, the company only keeps 38 cents. The remainder is sent to Great River Energy, our wholesale power supplier.

Dakota Electric - 38 cents
Dakota Electric's 38 cents pays for substations, poles, wires, transformers and meters, which convert and deliver high voltage power from the transmission system into voltage that is usable for homes and businesses. Also included are labor expenses for the operation and maintenance of facilities, billing and member services.

Great River Energy - 62 cents
Dakota Electric passes along the remaining 62 cents to Great River Energy to use for generation and transmission expenses.

Power Generation - 52 cents
The majority of the money Dakota Electric passes on to Great River Energy covers the costs of generating plants, fuel and labor to operate the plants.

Transmission - 10 cents
The remaining 10 cents Great River Energy uses to move electricity from generating plants over long distances to local service areas.

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