Southeastern Electric Cooperative Held Successful Annual Meeting at Lennox High School
The annual membership meeting of Southeastern Electric Cooperative (SEC) was held at Lennox High School in Lennox, South Dakota, on June 4, 2026.
Over 700 members enjoyed a meal of pork chops catered by Central Catering and attended the business meeting. Three directors from districts 1, 4 and 7 were up for election for 3-year terms. Carlos Hofer of District 1, Chris Hofer of District 4 and Donovan Kost of District 7 were re-elected to the board.
This year’s annual meeting theme was “A Legacy of Service”. Although SEC was formed in 2000, the legacy of service reaches back to 1938 through the shared history of Turner-Hutchinson Electric, Lincoln-Union Electric, and McCook Electric Cooperatives. United as one stronger cooperative, SEC is proud to carry forward the work begun by those who came before—powering homes, schools, farms, and businesses, and helping communities grow today and for generations to come.
As part of their ongoing commitment to providing safe, reliable, and affordable electric service, SEC continues to make investments in the distribution system and supporting technologies each year. Projects are carefully prioritized to improve reliability, to support the connection of new members and to reduce outages. In total, SEC invested approximately $15 million in the system last year. This enabled SEC to add or upgrade over 55 miles of electric line—ensuring the electric distribution system remains strong, resilient and ready for the future.
In 2025, Southeastern Electric continued its rapid membership growth, welcoming over 900 new members, marking the fifth consecutive year of adding around 1,000 new members annually. In 2025, we sold about 840,000 megawatt hours (MWh) which was another record year and an increase of over 28,000 megawatt hours or 3.5% versus the prior year. This load growth also remains diversified across types of members which helps manage risks. Overall, 2025 was a good year for Southeastern Electric and as we look ahead, we are honored to carry this legacy forward and remain your electric cooperative for generations to come. Thank you to everyone that was able to participate in our 88th annual membership meeting.
