MiEnergy Cooperative’s incumbents re-elected to the board; bylaw amendments approved

MiEnergy Cooperative celebrated its 10th annual meeting on April 8. Approximately 90 members attended the event at the Mabel Community Center. The meeting was also live streamed through YouTube.

District 1 had two seats up for election. Incumbent Kim Nelson, of Spring Valley, prevailed over challenger Jordan Fontenello, Preston. Incumbent Dennis Ptacek, of Elma, ran unopposed. A total of 503 ballots were cast.

District 1 board directors represent the following townships: Beaver, Bennington, Bloomfield, Carimona, Carrolton, Chatfield, Elmira, Fillmore, Forestville, Fountain, Frankford, Fremont, Jordan, Le Roy, Pilot Mound, Racine, Saratoga, Spring Valley, Sumner and York in Minnesota; and  Afton, Chester, Douglas, East Lincoln, Howard, Jamestown, Jenkins, Oakdale, Saratoga and Wayne in Iowa.

All directors serve three-year terms.

The board of directors recommended that members vote to approve bylaw amendments to six sections of the document. A total of 2,756 ballots were cast. The bylaw amendments were approved by 87% of the voting members.

The election results were certified by an independent election vendor, Survey and Ballot Systems, and Dennis Puckett from Sullivan & Ward.

Board Treasurer Don Petersen reported that the cooperative remained in good financial condition and met all its lenders’ financial requirements. Eide Bailly audited the financials, which gave the cooperative a favorable report. 

The meeting’s theme was “Trust That Spans Generations” as the cooperative is celebrating 90 years of service to northeastern Iowa and southeastern Minnesota in 2026.

President/CEO Brian Krambeer’s report described the historical significance of the signing of the Rural Electrification Act in 1936.

“It’s hard to imagine. During the mid-1930s,  less than 10% of U.S. farms had electricity. Low density and the high costs to provide service made it undesirable for the investor-owned utilities to deliver that service,” Krambeer explained. “Our success has involved adapting to change and pursuing opportunities to grow to make the cooperative better.”

The report provided updates on the fuel mix of MiEnergy’s power supplier, solar generation and local economic development efforts.

Krambeer closed out the 2026 budget highlights by announcing, “end result is no rate change for 2026.”

Other topics covered included the role of the Midwest Independent System Operation (MISO) in the Maribell transmission line project, the planning for large energy loads, energy politics and broadband initiatives.