Dairyland celebrated the addition of the Southern Minnesota Energy Cooperative (SMEC) load to our system on Aug. 1. The addition of SMEC’s approximately 80 MW of peak load, which equates to a 7% growth in Dairyland’s overall system, represents a substantial step in growth. This addition, along with any large load integrations, provides a long-term benefit to the entire Dairyland membership.

“It is wonderful to welcome the SMEC load into the Dairyland system. It took a coordinated effort between the Dairyland staff and the staffs of the respective co-ops to bring in this load and I am thankful for each individual involved,” said Vice President and Chief Risk Officer John Young. “We look forward to continued growth, not only in southern Minnesota, but across the entire Dairyland footprint.”

SMEC History:
In the early 2010s, Alliant Energy sought to sell their utility assets in Minnesota. Together, each co-op across the southern part of the state made a unified offer to buy the electric assets in their respective service territories. As so, Freeborn Mower Electric Cooperative, MiEnergy Cooperative and People's Energy Cooperative acquired new members accounting for a total annual load of 390,000 MWh.