Electric cooperatives are private, independent electric utilities, owned by the members they serve. Democratically governed businesses, electric cooperatives are organized under the Cooperative or Rochdale Principles, anchoring them firmly in the communities they serve and ensuring that they are closely regulated by their member/owners.
Our not-for-profit structure makes certain our decisions are made with long-term sustainability and stability in mind- not the need to cut corners to turn a quarterly profit. Local accountability ensure our consumers’ interests and safety are always at the forefront. We are invested in the communities we serve. We serve power for people, not for profit.
To give you a better understanding of the important role cooperatives provide to their communities, please read about our cooperative history, their principles and our efforts in creating new cooperatives.
841 distribution and 65 G&T cooperatives serve:
- 42 million people in 47 states
- 18 million businesses, homes, schools, churches, farms, irrigation systems, and other establishments in 2,500 of 3,141 counties in the United States
- 12 percent of the nation’s population
To perform their mission, electric cooperatives:
- Own and maintain 2.5 million miles, or 42 percent, of the nation’s electric distribution lines, covering three quarters of the nation’s landmass;
- Deliver 10 percent of the total kilowatt-hours sold in the United States each year;
- Employ 70,000 people in the United States;
- Pay $1.4 billion in state and local taxes.
