Skip to content
Nonprofiteer
← BLUESTEM ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE INC

Form 990 for tax year 2025

Filed by BLUESTEM ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE INC.

Totals

Total revenue
$20,780,415
Total expenses
$20,780,415
Contributions and grants received
$0
Grants paid
$23,693
Program service revenue
$20,182,136
Investment income
$581,234
Other revenue
$17,045
Total assets, end of year
$66,362,820
Total liabilities, end of year
$39,017,096
Net assets or fund balances, end of year
$27,345,724
Program services expenses (Part IX)
not reported
Management and general expenses
not reported
Fundraising expenses
not reported
Program service expenses (Part III)
not reported

Line items

Every line the filer filed in Parts VIII, IX and X, as filed and in filed order. Blank columns are left out, and the lines are not forced to add up to the totals above.

Revenue

Part VIII, the statement of revenue.

  • 2a · Program service revenue: SALE OF POWER

    total $19,819,409 · related or exempt $19,819,409

  • 2b · Program service revenue: OTHER ELECTRIC REVENUE

    total $171,766 · related or exempt $171,766

  • 2c · Program service revenue: CAPITAL CREDITS

    total $165,306 · related or exempt $165,306

  • 2f · All other program service revenue

    total $25,655 · excluded $25,655

  • 3 · Investment income

    total $102,712 · excluded $102,712

  • 7a · Gross sales of assets other than inventory

    other assets $518,958

  • 7b · Less cost or other basis and sales expenses

    other assets $40,436

  • 7c · Gain or loss

    other assets $478,522

  • 7d · Net gain or loss

    total $478,522 · excluded $478,522

  • 10a · Gross sales of inventory

    $22,647

  • 10b · Cost of goods sold

    $5,602

  • 10c · Net income from sales of inventory

    total $17,045 · related or exempt $17,045

Functional expenses

Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.

  • 1 · Grants to domestic organizations and governments

    total $13,693

  • 2 · Grants to domestic individuals

    total $10,000

  • 4 · Benefits paid to or for members

    total $2,028,494

  • 5 · Compensation of officers, directors and key employees

    total $605,319

  • 7 · Other salaries and wages

    total $2,239,593

  • 8 · Pension plan contributions

    total $513,552

  • 10 · Payroll taxes

    total $229,541

  • 11b · Fees: legal

    total $28,948

  • 11c · Fees: accounting

    total $27,689

  • 11g · Fees: other

    total $55,510

  • 12 · Advertising and promotion

    total $68,786

  • 13 · Office expenses

    total $84,842

  • 19 · Conferences, conventions and meetings

    total $25,972

  • 20 · Interest

    total $1,252,118

  • 22 · Depreciation, depletion and amortization

    total $2,115,433

  • 24a · Other expenses: COST OF POWER

    total $9,514,861

  • 24b · Other expenses: DISTRIBUTION-OPERATIONS

    total $987,254

  • 24c · Other expenses: DISTRIBUTION-MAINTENANC

    total $544,497

  • 24d · Other expenses: CUSTOMER SERVICE AND AC

    total $234,465

  • 24e · All other expenses

    total $199,848

Balance sheet

Part X, book values.

  • 2 · Savings and temporary cash investments

    beginning of year $2,655,864 · end of year $3,206,646

  • 4 · Accounts receivable

    beginning of year $1,747,843 · end of year $1,567,406

  • 8 · Inventories for sale or use

    beginning of year $288,913 · end of year $270,505

  • 9 · Prepaid expenses and deferred charges

    beginning of year $890,078 · end of year $778,578

  • 10a · Land, buildings and equipment: cost or other basis

    $68,024,198

  • 10b · Land, buildings and equipment: accumulated depreciation

    $16,669,210

  • 10c · Land, buildings and equipment, net

    beginning of year $51,043,921 · end of year $51,354,988

  • 12 · Investments: other securities

    beginning of year $1,963,553 · end of year $2,973,836

  • 13 · Investments: program-related

    beginning of year $6,082,476 · end of year $6,198,407

  • 14 · Intangible assets

    beginning of year $1,439 · end of year $1,439

  • 15 · Other assets

    beginning of year $10,939 · end of year $11,015

  • 17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses

    beginning of year $1,662,676 · end of year $1,056,540

  • 23 · Secured mortgages and notes payable

    beginning of year $37,002,898 · end of year $37,239,364

  • 25 · Other liabilities

    beginning of year $488,833 · end of year $721,192

  • 29 · Capital stock, trust principal or current funds

    beginning of year $127,360 · end of year $128,940

  • 30 · Paid-in or capital surplus, or land, building or equipment fund

    beginning of year $0 · end of year $0

  • 31 · Retained earnings, endowment or other funds

    beginning of year $25,403,259 · end of year $27,216,784

Mission and programs · 2025

Mission

SAFE RELIABLE ENERGY

Activities or mission (Part I)

PROVIDE SAFE RELIABLE ENERGY TO RURAL COOPERATIVE MEMBERS.

  • PROVIDED ELECTRICITY TO APPROXIMATELY 7,669 SERVICES/CONSUMERS. SERVED 2,910.2 MILES OF LINE.

As filed on the 2025 return.

Listed in Part VII

  • Mark Diederich

    PRESIDENT

    Total calculated
    $15,692
    From this org
    $15,692
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Hours/week
    15.5
  • Bruce Meyer

    SECRETARY

    Total calculated
    $23,469
    From this org
    $23,469
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Hours/week
    20.7
  • Amanda Gnadt

    TREASURER

    Total calculated
    $9,712
    From this org
    $9,712
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Hours/week
    7.5
  • Richard Ridder

    TRUSTEE

    Total calculated
    $12,660
    From this org
    $12,660
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Hours/week
    9.8
  • Matthew Rezac

    TRUSTEE

    Total calculated
    $8,614
    From this org
    $8,614
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Hours/week
    7.5
  • Stephen O'Shea

    TRUSTEE

    Total calculated
    $11,741
    From this org
    $11,741
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Hours/week
    11.2
  • Gary Buss

    TRUSTEE

    Total calculated
    $26,673
    From this org
    $26,673
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Hours/week
    21.6
  • Patricia Bloomdahl

    TRUSTEE

    Total calculated
    $13,144
    From this org
    $13,144
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Hours/week
    12.5
  • Steve Ohlde

    TRUSTEE

    Total calculated
    $8,716
    From this org
    $8,716
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Hours/week
    8.8
  • Brent McKeeman

    TRUSTEE

    Total calculated
    $11,520
    From this org
    $11,520
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Hours/week
    11.6
  • Donald Classen

    VICE PRESIDENT

    Total calculated
    $9,172
    From this org
    $9,172
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Hours/week
    8
  • Michael M Morton

    GENERAL MANAGER (RET 1/3/25)

    Total calculated
    $52,001
    From this org
    $48,210
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $3,791
    Hours/week
    24
  • Trisha Bradley

    MANAGER OF ACCOUNTING & FINANCE

    Total calculated
    $177,036
    From this org
    $133,806
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $43,230
    Hours/week
    43.4

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $132,666
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $1,140
    Deferred
    $15,081
    Nontaxable benefits
    $29,854
    Filer's total
    $178,741
  • Michael Leitch

    CEO

    Total calculated
    $202,790
    From this org
    $167,919
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $34,871
    Hours/week
    46.3

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $165,181
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $2,738
    Deferred
    $3,600
    Nontaxable benefits
    $35,636
    Filer's total
    $207,155
  • Kevin Heptig

    MANAGER OF MEMBER SERVICES

    Total calculated
    $214,262
    From this org
    $113,905
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $100,357
    Hours/week
    45.5

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $108,776
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $5,129
    Deferred
    $75,298
    Nontaxable benefits
    $26,487
    Filer's total
    $215,690
  • Benjimin Easterberg

    MANAGER OF AMI & MAPPING

    Total calculated
    $160,181
    From this org
    $112,223
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $47,958
    Hours/week
    43.9

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $110,317
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $1,906
    Deferred
    $23,277
    Nontaxable benefits
    $26,104
    Filer's total
    $161,604
  • Benjamin Matthews III

    OPERATIONS FOREMAN

    Total calculated
    $174,120
    From this org
    $112,497
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $61,623
    Hours/week
    43.4

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $110,909
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $1,588
    Deferred
    $30,570
    Nontaxable benefits
    $34,940
    Filer's total
    $178,007
  • Jerod Chaffee

    MANAGER OF LINE OPERATIONS

    Total calculated
    $186,422
    From this org
    $120,997
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $65,425
    Hours/week
    42

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $118,859
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $2,138
    Deferred
    $35,129
    Nontaxable benefits
    $34,465
    Filer's total
    $190,591
  • Thad Donnelly

    ASSISTANT MANAGER OF LINE OPERATIONS

    Total calculated
    $185,896
    From this org
    $111,717
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $74,179
    Hours/week
    41.8

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $108,828
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $2,889
    Deferred
    $52,149
    Nontaxable benefits
    $23,383
    Filer's total
    $187,249

Compensation is as filed in Part VII: reportable pay from this organization and from related organizations, other compensation, and hours per week. The total, marked calculated, is our sum of the three dollar columns, with a blank column counted as $0; the form itself has no total. On a Form 990-EZ the columns are Part IV's instead, and on a Form 990-PF Part VIII's — compensation, contributions to benefit plans, and expense account — and the total sums those. A Schedule J breakdown is as filed: base pay, bonus, other, deferred compensation and nontaxable benefits from this organization, with any from related organizations beside each, and the filer's own total. It is shown with the Part VII listing of the same name on the same return. The form gives no key between the two, so that pairing is ours, and is marked matched by us.

Schedule J

Answered yes

  • 3 · Compensation survey or study
  • 3 · Approval by the board or compensation committee

Answered no

  • 4a · Severance or change-of-control payment
  • 4b · Supplemental nonqualified retirement plan
  • 4c · Equity-based compensation arrangement

The filer's explanations (Part III)

FORM 990, SCHEDULE J, PART II, COLUMN C
INCLUDED IN PART II, COLUMN C, IS THE CHANGE IN ACTUARIAL VALUE OF A DEFINED BENEFIT PLAN TOTALING $47,556 FOR THAD M. DONNELLY, $29,972 FOR JEROD CHAFFEE, $18,471 BENJIMAN C. EASTERBERG, $9,319 FOR TRISHA BRADLEY, $70,665 FOR KEVIN J. HEPTIG AND $26,398 FOR BENJAMIN R. MATTHEWS. ACTUAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE PLAN BY THE COOPERATIVE TOTALED $17,898 FOR THAD M. DONNELLY, $20,096 FOR JEROD CHAFFEE, $18,730 FOR BENJIMAN C. EASTERBERG, $22,451 FOR TRISHA BRADLEY, $17,976 FOR KEVIN J. HEPTIG AND $16,197 FOR BENJAMIN R. MATTHEWS.

Part I's answers as filed. A line not listed was left unanswered; on lines 1a and 3 that means the box was not checked.

Grants on this return

No itemized grants to organizations on this return.

Provenance

Return type
form_990
Tax year
2025
Filed
5 April 2026
IRS schema version
2025v4.1
Source object
202611119349301011

Check it against the return as filed: the GivingTuesday Data Lake hosts a public copy of the original XML.

The source document this was parsed from is served over the API, which is where bulk and document access live.