Who runs the utilities in South Dakota?
South Dakota has 347,840 residential customers, EIA-861 2024 sales file (80% of EIA's count). Investor-owned 64.5%. Cooperative 26.0%. Municipal 9.3%. Political subdivision 0.3%. South Dakota ranks 36th of 51 states, investor-owned.
South Dakota homes by utility type
South Dakota: customers by type, %
- 64.5Investor-owned
- 9.3Municipal
- 26.0Cooperative
- 0.3Political subdivision
| South Dakota type | Utilities | Customers | Share | Price ¢/kWh | Gap ¢ (%) | kWh/mo | Nonmetro |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Investor-owned | 4 | 224,273 | 64.5% | 13.40 | not shown | 807 | 67% |
| Municipal | 34 | 32,180 | 9.3% | 10.47 | -2.93 (-22%) | 858 | 100% |
| Cooperative | 32 | 90,343 | 26.0% | 13.09 | -0.32 (-2%) | 1,202 | 72% |
| Political subdivision | 3 | 1,044 | 0.3% | not shown | not shown | 1,255 | 100% |
South Dakota: 52 short-form utilities with 100,784 customers (all sectors) have no residential split, so the sales file reaches 80% of homes.
South Dakota prices by utility type
municipal utilities average 10.5 cents, 2.9 cents (22%) below investor-owned at 13.4; cooperatives average 13.1 cents, 0.3 cents (2%) below investor-owned at 13.4.
South Dakota gaps mix cost and customer mix; method.
South Dakota: which utilities set the averages
Investor-owned at 13.4 cents and municipal utilities at 10.5 are the widest pair in South Dakota, 2.9 cents (28%).
Investor-owned: Northern States Power Co - Minnesota holds 41% of priced customers at 13.9 cents, group average 13.4. Among 5 with 5,000+ customers, Otter Tail Power Co charges 10.9 and Montana-Dakota Utilities Co 14.6, 3.7 cents apart.
Municipal: Watertown Municipal Utilities holds 36% of priced customers at 9.3 cents, group average 10.5. Among 3 with 5,000+ customers, Watertown Municipal Utilities charges 9.3 and City of Brookings 11.1, 1.8 cents apart.
Cooperative: Sioux Valley SW Elec Coop holds 25% of priced customers at 12.9 cents, group average 13.1. Among 6 with 5,000+ customers, Northern Electric Coop, Inc charges 11.3 and Black Hills Electric Coop, Inc 14.8, 3.5 cents apart.
South Dakota territory, rural or urban
South Dakota has 66 counties, 88% of them nonmetro in USDA's 2023 codes. Customer-weighted: investor-owned territory is 67% nonmetro; municipal territory is 100% nonmetro; cooperative territory is 72% nonmetro.
South Dakota: largest utilities
| Northern States Power Co - Minnesota | Investor-owned | 92,204 | 13.87 | 745 | 60% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Hills Power, Inc. | Investor-owned | 60,951 | 14.37 | 767 | 50% |
| NorthWestern Energy | Investor-owned | 51,467 | 12.56 | 903 | 96% |
| Sioux Valley SW Elec Coop | Cooperative | 22,213 | 12.94 | 1,239 | 70% |
| Southeastern Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | 20,160 | 12.41 | 1,128 | 62% |
| West River Electric Assn Inc | Cooperative | 18,423 | 14.25 | 897 | 67% |
| Watertown Municipal Utilities | Municipal | 11,633 | 9.30 | 856 | 100% |
| City of Brookings | Municipal | 10,544 | 11.12 | 807 | 100% |
| Black Hills Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | 9,227 | 14.77 | 1,109 | 50% |
| Otter Tail Power Co | Investor-owned | 9,048 | 10.93 | 1,023 | 100% |
| Central Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | 6,483 | 13.64 | 1,474 | 100% |
| Montana-Dakota Utilities Co | Investor-owned | 6,367 | 14.60 | 833 | 100% |
| City of Pierre | Municipal | 6,126 | 10.65 | 881 | 100% |
| Northern Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | 5,757 | 11.29 | 1,998 | 100% |
| Rosebud Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | 4,856 | 10.63 | 1,092 | 100% |
| MidAmerican Energy Co | Investor-owned | 4,236 | 8.68 | 1,083 | 0% |
| Dakota Energy Coop Inc | Cooperative | 3,224 | 15.30 | 1,609 | 100% |
| City of Madison | Municipal | 2,802 | 11.48 | 989 | 100% |
| City of Volga | Municipal | 1,075 | 12.80 | 898 | 100% |
| Nebraska Public Power District | Political subdivision | 1,044 | 9.73 | 1,255 | 100% |
Compare your South Dakota utility
- Pick a utility.
South Dakota next to its neighbors
South Dakota: municipal -22%, cooperative -2% against investor-owned. Gaps are within each state.
More
Similar investor-owned share: Missouri 67%, Delaware 66%, Minnesota 60%, Colorado 58%
Sources
South Dakota: EIA-861 (2024), USDA RUCC (2023); retrieval dates, checksums.
Questions
Which utility type serves most South Dakota homes?
Investor-owned utilities, 64.5% of 347,840 customers.
Do South Dakota co-ops or municipal utilities charge less?
Municipal utilities averaged 10.5 cents per kWh against 13.4 for investor-owned (-22%). Cooperatives averaged 13.1 cents per kWh against 13.4 for investor-owned (-2%).
How many utilities does South Dakota have?
EIA-861 (2024) lists 73; residential sales are reported by 20.
Can South Dakota customers pick their utility?
No; South Dakota shows almost no energy-only supply and the address sets the utility.