All-of-the-above energy

All-of-the-above strategy ensures the best energy value

"Don't put all your eggs in one basket"

It’s a familiar saying, and believe it or not, that age-old piece of wisdom is used by electric cooperatives to make sure you receive a reliable, affordable and environmentally responsible supply of electricity. Each of the primary generation resource options across the country has both advantages and disadvantages. This is why an all-of-the-above energy strategy is so crucial. If a utility ties itself to one resource, it is exposed to all the risks associated with that resource. By diversifying, utilities are able to take advantage of the pros and limit their exposure to the cons.

Cass County Electric Cooperative receives a diverse mix of coal, wind and hydro from its wholesale power supplier, Minnkota Power Cooperative, to meet your 24/7 electricity needs. Future power supply decisions take into account numerous factors, including permitting; capital, operating and maintenance costs; existing generation mix; reliability and resiliency; and projected member demand for electricity.

Decisions to build or purchase from new generation resources are carefully considered. Building any new generation resource at grid scale can cost hundreds of millions of dollars and require decades of investment and commitment. That makes it uneconomic to switch back and forth between power supply options over short periods of time.

What is considered when power supply decisions are made?