FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 3, 2025
Contacts:
Anthony Henson | Rural Energy Organizer, Prairie Rivers Network
ahenson@prairierivers.org | 618-303-6735
Lisa Bralts | Communications Director, Prairie Rivers Network
lbralts@prarierivers.org | 217-344-2371 x 207
Updated scorecard points the way forward for cooperatives in the wake of statewide energy law reforms
ILLINOIS — Prairie Rivers Network has launched the 2025 Illinois Rural Electric Cooperative Scorecard. This effort ranks Illinois rural electric cooperatives on 16 metrics, including measures of transparency, good governance, member-owner program offerings, and transition to renewable energy. The scorecard, first launched in 2024, shows that while 20 of Illinois’ 25 cooperatives have made measurable strides, they still face significant work to live up to their democratic values and ensure rural communities make progress toward—and benefit from—the clean energy transition.
Rural electric cooperatives are nonprofit utilities that were formed in the 1930s to bring electricity to rural areas. They are democratically governed and owned by the people they serve, their member-owners. Today, as the energy landscape rapidly changes, cooperatives once again need more informed, engaged member-owners to help guide them through the clean energy transition.
Despite federal rollbacks, Illinois continues to invest in a clean, renewable energy future. The scorecard, and a recently passed state energy omnibus bill, are examples of efforts to include cooperatives and rural communities.
“Our scorecard doesn’t just grade cooperatives,” said Prairie Rivers Network’s Rural Energy Organizer, Anthony Henson. “It empowers the people they serve with information and revives the spirit of democratic participation that shaped these institutions in the first place. That momentum is already contributing to improvements, as evidenced by this year’s scorecard update, but also in major policy changes in Illinois that now include ways to bring cooperatives along in the state’s clean energy future.”
How did cooperatives do?
The 2025 results are now available, revealing significant improvement in 12 of the 16 metrics. The most commonly improved metrics were those measuring cooperative accessibility to member-owners. The most significant improvement was shown in metrics tracking the publication of information related to member participation, including voting in board elections (seven cooperatives added this) and running for the board (five cooperatives added this).
Program metrics showed some improvement. Two cooperatives scored points for adding customer energy efficiency rebate programs, bringing the total to 16 cooperatives offering these money- and energy-saving programs. However, across other energy efficiency and renewable programs for their member-owners, Illinois cooperatives continue to score poorly.
Major takeaways from this year’s scorecard:
- Cooperatives are motivated to do better: Cooperatives have already used the scorecard findings to guide updates to their website that will help member-owners better engage with their cooperatives. Twenty of Illinois’ 25 cooperatives improved in at least one way between 2024 and 2025. Thirty-nine points were improved across 12 of the 16 metrics on the 2025 scorecards.
- Rebate programs: Two cooperatives added rebate programs to assist member owners in making energy efficiency upgrades that can save money and energy. Sixteen out of 25 cooperatives now offer a rebate program.
- Transparency in fuel mix: Three cooperatives increased their transparency concerning fuel mix (i.e. Eastern Illini reports 62% of their energy is sourced from coal at the Prairie State Energy Campus, 4% from wind, and 34% from contracts and purchases). This doubled the cooperatives that publish their fuel mix data, with six cooperatives now doing so.
- Fossil fuel dependence: Cooperatives’ reliance on fossil fuels ranges from 53% to 89%, underscoring the urgency of transitioning to cleaner energy sources. Opaque market purchases likely make the dependence on fossil fuels higher than the direct report.
- Democratic participation: Seven cooperatives added information to their website describing how member-owners can vote for the Board of Directors. Twenty cooperatives now publish this basic information. Five cooperatives increased their transparency on how member-owners can become a candidate for the Board of Directors. Seventeen cooperatives now publish information on how to run for their board.
- Operational transparency: Only two cooperatives improved their score this year by adding minutes and agendas to their website. In total, only 11 of Illinois’ 25 cooperatives follow this best practice. The recently passed Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act now requires rural electric cooperatives to post agendas and minutes. That legislative change will be tracked by the scorecard.
Takeaways from some key cooperatives:
Eastern Illini increased transparency by publishing online their fuel mix. The cooperative maintained their scores from last year, with above average marks in accessibility and transparency. Eastern Illini also scored positively in half of the programmatic metrics, highlighting programs such as rebates, disconnection protection, and green energy pricing.
Corn Belt excels at programming, offering rebates and an energy efficiency loan program. Corn Belt also offers member/owners a community solar subscription and has a distributed energy reimbursement policy that paces their peers. On the other hand, Corn Belt struggles to provide organizational information on their website. However, they did provide additional information on their annual meeting and how to vote for the board.
Menard nearly scored perfect on transparency issues. The cooperative made a robust addition, as they began to publicly archive their meeting minutes. Menard Electric had the last retail net-metering policy in the state. Unfortunately, Menard’s G&T, Prairie Power Inc, mandated a change to that policy. Menard now only offers a wholesale reimbursement rate for delivered energy.
Egyptian Electric again had a perfect score for accessibility and transparency policies. The cooperative also made program additions to better serve their member-owners. Egypt has created a demand rate policy that will take advantage of a new rebate offering, specifically EV chargers and home generators. These programs combined will allow homes to run off their generator during peak times and be reimbursed for doing so. EV owners will be offered a low demand rate for charging their cars overnight. Egyptian Electric continues to lead the pack in real ways.
Cooperative provisions in the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act
Illinois’ scorecard helped inform and build momentum for major energy democracy reforms for cooperatives and municipally owned utilities. These reforms passed in October as part of the state’s energy omnibus bill, the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act.
The Illinois Citizens Utility Board’s Energy Policy Specialist, Scott Allen, noted the scorecard’s influence. “The inaugural scorecard results, in addition to the direct testimonials from cooperative member-owners across the state, provided clear evidence that legislation action was needed to spur cooperatives to renew their commitment to democracy and transparency, provide equitable access to solar, and create tools to plan for the clean energy future,” he said. “The CRGA Act is a huge step forward for bringing co-ops into Illinois’ clean energy future.” CUB, a utility watchdog nonprofit, often fields complaints and questions from cooperative member-owners.
The new law requires generation and transmission cooperatives, which produce and supply power to local distribution cooperatives, to conduct transparent Integrated Resources Planning (i.e. long-term energy planning) with public participation and independent modeling aligned with Illinois’ climate goals. Cooperatives must also make their board meetings more accessible to member-owners. The law also includes a Solar Bill of Rights that defines small rooftop solar systems at 25kW and reforms burdensome insurance requirements that together will make renewable energy investments in cooperative territory easier.
Additionally, the new legislation now requires some provisions that are tracked by the scorecard, including a requirement to publish meeting agendas, minutes, and voting and election procedures on cooperative websites. The scorecard showed that less than half of Illinois’ co-ops made agendas and minutes available on their websites. Cooperatives have until the summer of 2026 to add this information to their websites. Next year’s scorecard will help track compliance with the new law.
More about RECSI and the 2025 Illinois Scorecard
The Rural Electric Cooperative Scorecard Initiative is a collaborative effort of Prairie Rivers Network, Dakota Resource Council, North Dakota Native Vote, Citizens Utility Board -Illinois, Sierra Club Kansas, Renew Missouri, Solar United Neighbors Indiana, Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance – Iowa and South Dakota, and Green Neighbor Challenge Wisconsin. The initiative is dedicated to promoting energy democracy and empowering rural communities to participate in the clean energy transition.
Member-owners and the public are encouraged to visit PRN’s rural electric cooperative landing page to explore the results and learn how they can get involved. By harnessing the power of their collective voice, rural communities can ensure that their cooperatives embrace a future powered by clean, affordable renewable energy.
