Kankakee Valley Rural Electric Membership Corporation

Kankakee Valley REMC is a rural electric membership corporation that provides electricity distribution services to its member-owners in the Kankakee Valley area. The cooperative serves residential, commercial, and agricultural customers within its service territory. It operates under the principle of member democratic control, with each member having a vote in governance. Its service territory encompasses a rural region where it is the primary provider of electric service.

In January 2016, the cooperative experienced a cybersecurity breach when an unauthorized foreign IP address accessed a network storage device. The incident was discovered during a routine audit of the organization’s systems. The compromised device contained personal information—including names, addresses, phone numbers, and account identifiers—for approximately 17,700 members. No financial data or Social Security numbers were accessed in the breach. Although investigators could not confirm whether data was exfiltrated, the cooperative treated the event as a potential compromise. In response, Kankakee Valley REMC isolated the affected pathway and notified affected members by mail with guidance on protecting their identities.

As a membership corporation, Kankakee Valley REMC is owned by its customers, who have voting rights in cooperative governance. The organization emphasizes local decision‑making and adheres to cooperative principles. It is subject to oversight by state utility commissions that regulate rates, service quality, and safety standards for electric providers. These regulatory requirements help ensure reliable and safe delivery of electricity to the rural communities it serves. The cooperative’s structure allows members to directly influence its policies and operations.