Powering Your Future
MRES is committed to providing members and communities with efficient, cost-effective, reliable and ever-increasing clean energy. We’ve built a diverse portfolio of generation resources to reduce risk, increase reliability and focus on environmental stewardship. We work hard every day to find balanced solutions that will meet the electrical needs of our members and the thousands of customers they serve across our four-state service area.
Learn more about MRES, including our mission and vision.
Energy Sources
Fifty-nine of our 61 members receive an allocation of hydropower from the dams on the Missouri River, and they purchase, on average, about 40% of their energy needs from the federal government’s Western Area Power Administration (WAPA). MRES meets their remaining power supply needs with our diverse and reliable energy sources below.
Creating a Clean and Resilient Energy Future
Creating a clean and resilient energy future is a top priority for MRES and our members, and we are delivering affordable, reliable, and ever-increasing clean energy to our members and their customers.
For nearly two decades, MRES has added renewable and carbon-free resources to our power supply mix, including nuclear, wind and solar resources. In addition, MRES built a new hydroelectric power plant — the Red Rock Hydroelectric Project — near the member community of Pella, Iowa, that began commercial operation in June 2021.
Bright Energy Choices
For many years, a wide range of “green energy” programs were developed and offered by electric utilities. As these programs have matured, there has been increased regulatory guidance on how utilities and their customers may make claims regarding the renewable or carbon-free nature of the energy they consume.
Effective Jan. 1, 2025, MRES revised its Bright Energy Choices program, which was launched in 2020, to align with current guidance and give our local member utilities and their customers an easy, affordable way to increase their use of renewable and carbon-free energy. Through this program, utilities and retail customers can purchase Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs), directly supporting clean energy and helping reduce the community’s carbon footprint.
A REC is a digital certificate created when 1 megawatt-hour (1,000 kWh) of electricity is generated by a qualifying renewable facility — such as hydro, wind or solar generator — and fed into the electric grid. Each REC is assigned a serial number so it can be tracked. These certificates have value and can be bought and sold.
RECs represent environmental attributes, but not the energy itself. In fact, RECs and energy are separate products and are often purchased and sold separately. To claim a specific percentage of renewable energy use, corresponding RECs must be “retired,” meaning they cannot be used again.
MRES retires RECs in our members’ names, as directed by
members. Members participating in the program receive a
report each spring detailing the RECs retired on their behalf.