Cooperative South Dakota

West River Electric Assn Inc

38min
SAIDI 2023
0.46
SAIFI 2023
20,260
Customers

What This Utility Data Tells You

West River Electric Assn Inc is a member-owned electric cooperative operating in South Dakota under EIA identifier 20401. It reports service to approximately 20,260 customer accounts and generated about $0.04 billion in annual electric revenue, with a service footprint spanning 30 ZIP codes. As a cooperative, its governance is accountable to its ratepayer-members rather than shareholders, which often shapes rate-setting and reinvestment priorities.

In 2023, the average West River Electric Assn Inc customer experienced 38.1 minutes of power interruptions — a metric called SAIDI (System Average Interruption Duration Index). That places this utility well below the 120–180 minute national benchmark, signaling strong grid hardening and fast restoration practices. SAIFI — the average number of outage events per customer — was 0.46 for the same period, so customers statistically faced roughly 0 distinct interruptions that year. Excluding major event days (hurricanes, ice storms), SAIDI drops to 38.1 minutes — the gap between that figure and the headline 38.1 reveals how much weather, not day-to-day infrastructure, drove outages.

The EIA dataset includes 4 years of continuous reporting (2020–2023) for West River Electric Assn Inc, which lets you see whether reliability is trending up or down rather than judging from a single snapshot. SAIDI has increased from 28.2 to 38.1 minutes, which may reflect either worsening weather exposure or delayed grid modernization. All figures on this page come directly from EIA Form 861, the federal annual electric power industry survey, with service territory ZIPs sourced from OpenEI — you can cross-reference them with your own utility bill or use them when comparing providers before relocating.

SAIDI

38 min per year

Average outage minutes (2023)

SAIFI

0.46 interruptions/yr

Outage frequency (2023)

Customers

20,260

Served in South Dakota

SAIDI vs. National Average (180 min) 9.5%

38 minutes per customer per year

West River Electric Assn Inc SAIDI

Minutes without power per year (2023)

38 SAIDI38 SAIDINat. avg 120120SAIDI38SAIDI

Excellent

Reliability Trend (2020–2023)

Year SAIDI (min) SAIDI nMED SAIFI Customers
2020 28.2 28.2 0.360 18,159
2021 54.5 54.5 0.720 18,789
2022 46.6 46.6 0.480 19,369
2023 38.1 38.1 0.458 20,286

SAIDI nMED = SAIDI without major event days. Source: EIA Form 861.

Service Area

West River Electric Assn Inc serves 30 ZIP codes in South Dakota.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How reliable is West River Electric Assn Inc?

West River Electric Assn Inc had a SAIDI of 38.1 minutes in 2023, meaning the average customer experienced about 38 minutes of outages that year. This is below the national average, indicating above-average reliability.

What type of utility is West River Electric Assn Inc?

West River Electric Assn Inc is classified as a Cooperative serving South Dakota. Electric cooperatives are member-owned nonprofit utilities, typically serving rural areas.

What does SAIDI mean for West River Electric Assn Inc?

SAIDI (System Average Interruption Duration Index) measures the average total minutes per year that a customer of West River Electric Assn Inc experiences power outages. A lower SAIDI indicates better reliability. The national average is roughly 120-180 minutes per year, so comparing West River Electric Assn Inc's SAIDI to that benchmark shows whether this utility is above or below average.

How many customers does West River Electric Assn Inc serve?

West River Electric Assn Inc serves approximately 20,260 customers in South Dakota. Customer count can affect reliability metrics because larger utilities may face different infrastructure challenges compared to smaller ones.

How has West River Electric Assn Inc's reliability changed over time?

West River Electric Assn Inc has 4 years of reliability data (2020-2023). SAIDI has remained relatively stable over this period. Review the trend table above for year-by-year detail.

What is SAIDI without major event days?

SAIDI "without major event days" (SAIDI nMED) excludes outages caused by hurricanes, ice storms, and other catastrophic weather events. It better reflects day-to-day infrastructure reliability rather than vulnerability to extreme weather. Both standard SAIDI and SAIDI nMED are shown in the reliability trend table above.

Utility Profile

Type
Cooperative
State
South Dakota
Customers
20,260
Annual Revenue
$0.04B
EIA ID
20401
Data Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration Form 861 annual electric power industry survey. ZIP service territory from OpenEI.

Related

Data sourced from official EIA reliability statistics and OpenEI utility rate database. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainUtility Editorial

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) Form 861. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.