Mienergy Cooperative

Mienergy Cooperative is a non-profit electric cooperative based in Rushford, Minnesota, with a strategic focus on rural infrastructure development and utility services. Registered in the System for Award Management (SAM.gov) since 2001, the organization is structured as a corporate entity with tax-exempt status and specializes in providing essential services to rural communities, particularly in the areas of broadband connectivity, telecommunications, and electric utility infrastructure.

The cooperative has been a significant recipient of federal grants, primarily from the United States Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Service, Rural Housing Service, and Rural Business Cooperative Services. Mienergy Cooperative has secured multiple substantial project grants totaling over $21 million, focused on broadband infrastructure deployment, distance learning and telemedicine services, and rural economic development. Specific grant awards include a $14.1 million Distance Learning and Telemedicine (DLT) Grant, a $6.8 million Rural eConnectivity Pilot Program grant, and a $300,000 Rural Economic Development Grant. Additionally, the cooperative has been involved in sub-grant awards with state-level agencies like the Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Department and the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, providing infrastructure services for electric utilities and addressing distribution line damage. These grants demonstrate Mienergy Cooperative's commitment to enhancing rural infrastructure, expanding broadband access, supporting economic development, and improving critical infrastructure resilience in rural communities.