Heartland Energy is more than a power provider.
There is a purpose behind the power we supply. We believe in adding value to the communities we serve and making the right decisions today for a stronger tomorrow.
Our Company
Heartland Energy is a non-profit wholesale public power provider serving municipalities in South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa and Nebraska.
Our company works diligently to provide reliable power supply and keep rates stable. We strive to be a partner of choice to our customers for the benefit of their communities.
We offer a full suite of programs and services to our customers to help them grow and thrive.
Operations
Heartland Energy maintains a diverse power supply portfolio including coal-fired baseload power and renewable wind energy.
Heartland is a load-serving entity within the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) and the Southwest Power Pool (SPP). Our power can be delivered across both systems.
2022 Generation
Whelan Energy Center Unit 2
309,250 Total MWh
Availability
84.3%
Wessington Springs Wind Energy Center
201,717 Total MWh
98.2%
Capacity
78.7%
56.1%
Customer Energy Sales (MWh)
520,230
Customer Peak Demand (MW)
95.85
WIND
21.5%
PEAKING
14.5%
2022
Fuel Mix
HYDRO
32.5%
COAL
31.5%
Public Power
Heartland Energy joins over 2,000 community-owned, not-for-profit public power utilities across the nation. We provide communities unique advantages such as local control, safe and reliable power, and consumer focus.
Our Team
Staff
Russell Olson
CEO
Nate Jones
COO
Casey Crabtree
Director of Economic
Development
Kelly Dybdahl
Customer Relations
Manager
Sharla Fedeler
Senior Accountant
Katie Hahn
Executive Assistant
Mike Malone
CFO
McCord Stowater
Director of Market
Operations
Danielle Kearin
Projects & Marketing
Coordinator
92%
5+ years'
tenure
58%
10+ years'
tenure
42%
15+ years'
tenure
Ann Hyland
CCO
Adam Graff
Director of Power
Supply
In Focus:
Graff was recognized in 2022 for a decade of outstanding service to Whelan Energy Center Unit 2, including serving as chair of Public Power Generation Agency's Engineering & Operations Committee.
Theresa Schaefer
Director of Human
Resources
Board of Directors
Our eleven-member board consists of directors publicly elected to represent a designated subdivision within the district.
The board emphasizes reliable and economical generation and delivery systems and has the ultimate decision making authority for rates and power supply.
Our board governs with the best interest of each customer, business and community in mind.
Mark Joffer
President
Subdivision1
Lisa Rave
Vice President
Subdivision 8
Jeff Heinemeyer
Secretary
Subdivision 6
Roger Fritz
Treasurer
Subdivision 9
Larry Nielson
Asst. Secretary/
Treasurer
Subdivision 3
Pat Anderson
Subdivision 2
Lee Ann Wheeler
Subdivision 4
Dave Hahler
Subdivision 5
Vern Hill
Subdivision 7
Donna Fawbush
Subdivision 10
Bill Lewellen
Subdivision 11
Great customer service is a hallmark of Heartland Energy.
Our Services
Economic Development
Energy
Efficiency
Workforce
Development
For Your Utility
For Your Business
For Your Utility
For Your Business
For Your Home
For Your Utility
Industry and market services expertise
Local, state and national advocacy
Community support programs
Relationships with industry professionals
Our Brand Story
In 2022, Heartland Consumers Power District unveiled a new company name and logo.
Heartland Energy was born, and better reflected who we are as a power supplier and service provider.
Providing reliable, affordable electricity is at the core of our operations, but we're doing that with a greater purpose in mind.
We are dedicated to the prosperity of our customers and to helping them thrive in the ever changing electric industry.
In Focus:
Russell Olson
CEO
Leadership Message
Mark Joffer
Board President
The energy industry is ever evolving.
We work every day to stay on top of the changes and to ensure the right decisions are being made today for a successful future.
We have evolved as a company to keep up with industry changes and set ourselves apart as a power supplier.
To better reflect who we are as a company and the services we provide, in 2022 we revealed a new company name, logo and brand.
Heartland Energy better reflects our mission and goals as we operate in today’s modern landscape.
Power with Purpose
Providing reliable, affordable electricity is at the core of our operations, but we’re doing that with a greater purpose in mind.
We are committed to going above and beyond for the communities we serve. We look out for the future of our customers, and partner with them to help ensure their long-term success.
The range of services we provide extends beyond the nameplate programs seen on our website. We seek to be subject matter experts to our customers on whatever issues may arise in their daily operations.
Workforce continues to be a challenge for many utilities and public power is no exception. We continued our workforce development program in 2022 offering tuition reimbursement for training and grant opportunities to assist with signing bonuses or moving expenses.
Our program assists with not only drawing qualified talent but retaining those employees.
We continue providing our incentive programs to promote economic development as well as energy efficiency. We partner with our customers to help their communities grow as well as encourage the most efficient use of electricity.
We also continue to be a resource to our customers. Whether it’s a question on rates, markets, load management, or renewable energy credits, we are here to help.
The purpose behind our power is what makes us stand out, and our new name better reflects all the services we provide and our commitment to our customers.
Stability in chaos
The year 2022 was a volatile one for many utilities. It was a year of record inflation and many utilities experienced high natural gas prices, high energy market prices, and supply chain issues, resulting in overall high energy prices.
Fortunately, Heartland Energy did not have to raise rates for our customers going into 2023. Fuel cost of our coal-fired baseload resource, Whelan Energy Center Unit 2, remained stable throughout the year, compared to natural gas fired generation.
Heartland Energy is fully hedged for our customers’ energy and corresponding market purchases compared to utilities that were taking a short position in the market when prices were low. We’ve also fixed prices of our supply contracts, again minimizing the risk of market increases.
Because of generation assets in SPP, as well as our bilateral contract in MISO, Heartland Energy is able to mitigate much of the risk of rising market prices.
While we do have to purchase energy from the market to supply load to our customers, we also sell generation produced by our assets into the same market. Our contract in MISO acts as a generator as well to provide stable pricing and offset market purchases no matter what the market price does.
All of this allows for an overall balance.
Bottom line: Because of our market position and a host of other decisions made over the past several years, Heartland Energy is providing rate stability to customers in a time of rising energy prices.
We will continue to make decisions with long-term success in mind. We look forward to what the future brings for Heartland Energy, and for our customers. While change is inevitable, we believe we are adequately equipped to adapt to those changes and succeed in the face of challenges.
2022 in Review
Financial Profile
Customer Recognition
Economic development programs help businesses grow, break ground on new ventures
Power Forward marks milestones
Community Powered
Workforce Development program hits stride in second year
Customer Service
In Focus:
Heartland Energy teams with city officials, stakeholders, and University of Nebraska students to create Sandhills Townhomes, a creative solution to a critical local issue.
Subscribe
Never miss an update. Subscribe to our newsletter at heartlandenergy.com/follow.
Contact Us
PO Box 248 | 432 SE 12th Street | Madison, SD 57042 | 605.256.6536
Follow Us
Key Professional Resources
Auditors: BKD, LLP | Bond Counsel: Katten Muchin Rosenman | Trustee: First Bank & Trust, Brookings, SD