Electric utilities owned by and operated for the benefit of those using their services.
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Cooperative Utilities
Consumers are the owners of cooperative utilitiesBy Geraldine McGowan Cooperative utilities are user-owned utilities companies. Area cooperative utilities are usually formed in rural areas where private utilities companies don't think it's worthwhile to invest. A coop utility seeks to provide energy at cost to its users. Electric cooperatives are regulated by the Board of Directors of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.
A municipal power coop is different. These utilities are state-owned and governed. They work to supply low cost energy to members and participants of the coop.
When investigating cooperative utilities, know that:
1. If the area cooperative utility makes a profit at the end of the year, owners get capital credits.
2. Cooperative utilities provide lower cost electricity and reliable service because they are not run to make a profit.
3. An area coop utility can provide electricity, water or gas to a community. Anyone who uses the service is automatically an owner. Coop utilities invest in renewable energy programs at a greater rate than private utilities.
Find a coop utility near you
Electric cooperatives are represented in most states. They provide utilities at a lower costs than private utilities providers. More than 85% of the electricity utility coops offer electricity generated by renewable resources.
Try: Touchstone Energy Cooperatives is an alliance of electric cooperatives across the country and provides a state-by-state listing of its members. Boone Electric offers its members a choice of using standard electric energy or renewable energy. Area cooperative utilities are using renewable forms of energy more often than their private counterparts.
Consider wind turbine as a renewable energy alternative for an electric coop
Wind turbine renewable energy is used by area coops when conditions are indicated. Almost all area coops depend on grants and loans from the U.S. government to build or invest in renewable energy.
Try: Fox Islands Electric of Maine has been looking into wind turbine energy since 2001. Illinois Rural Electric Cooperative serves more than 10,000 members and won a DOE award for its wind cooperative.
Regard cooperative utilities as an investment in the environment's future
Area cooperative utilities pride themselves on the close relationships they have with their customers because of the small communities they serve.
Try: The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association keeps abreast of area coop news but it also distills the principles behind cooperatives--including giving back to the community. Rappahannock Electric Cooperative provides high-school students with grants and scholarships from its LEARN program to further the education of young people.
- Cooperative utilities charge customers more for using renewable energy than traditional forms of energy.
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4-County Electric Power Association
Provider of electric distribution services to residents and businesses in a four county area.
Provider of electric utility services for homes, farms, and businesses in south-central Pennsylvania.
Provider of energy company utility services for residential and commercial customers.
Alabama Electric Cooperative (AEC) is a generation and transmission cooperative that provides wholesale power to 16 distribution cooperatives, four municipalities and one industrial member.
Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corporation (G&T)
Provider of wholesale power supply to electric distribution cooperatives in Arkansas.
Associated Electric Cooperative (G&T)
Supplier of wholesale power services to electric utility systems.
Basin Electric Power Cooperative (G&T)
Provider of operational services supplying electricity-generating power plants to consumers in eight states.
Benton Rural Electric Association
Provider of utility services for a not for profit electric cooperative.
Provider of electric utility services to residential and commercial customers.
Big Country Electric Cooperative
Provider of utility services, including Internet and cellular phone service, to area customers.
Big Rivers Electric Corporation (G&T)
Provider of electric generation and transmission cooperative services supplying the wholesale power to member cooperatives and marketing power to non-member utilities and power markets.
Black Hills Electric Cooperative
Provider of rural electric cooperative services to residents and businesses in area.
Provider of electric distribution cooperative services to nationwide customers.
Blue Ridge Electric Cooperative
Electric utility company providing electric power to the commercial and residential customers of upstate South Carolina.
Blue Ridge Electric Corporation
Not-for-profit electric cooperative serving customers in northwest North Carolina.
Provider of electric utility services including the generation, transmission and distribution of power.
Provider of independent electrical business services that incorporated under the laws of the state.
Carteret-Craven Electric Cooperative
Provider of investor-owned utility services including online connecting and transfer services.
Central Alabama Electric Cooperative
Provider of electric utility services for residential and commercial use.
Central Electric Power Cooperative (G&T)
Provider of electric generation and transmission system services and long-term rate stability in a competitive environment.
Central Iowa Power Cooperative
Provider of generation and transmission cooperative services incorporated under the laws of the state of Iowa.
Central Missouri Electric Cooperative
Provider of retail electric service to residential, commercial, and industrial customers.
Central Virginia Electric Cooperative
Provider of electric utility services to homes and businesses, including automatic billing services.
Provider of electric energy services and supply to homes and schools, stores and offices, farms and factories across Northeast Alabama.
http://www.cherokee-electric.org/
Choctawhatchee Electric Cooperative
Provider of electricity to member-consumers in Walton and Okaloosa counties and portions of Holmes and Santa Rosa counties.
Provider of customer-owned electric utility services to residential, commercial and industrial accounts in parts of all nine counties of Maryland's Eastern Shore.
http://www.choptankelectric.com/
Coop covering AlaskaÂ’s railbelt region and providing competitively-priced, reliable energy and services.
http://www.chugachelectric.com
Claverack Rural Electric Cooperative
Provider of generation and transmission cooperative services for electric cooperatives in Pennsylvania and one in New Jersey.
Provider of electric rates and services for business and residential energy services.
Provider of rural electric cooperative services, operating differently from an invester-owned utility.
http://www.clearwaterpower.com/
Cloverland Electric Cooperative
Provider of generation, transmission and distribution of electricity services to area customers.
Coast Electric Power Association
Provider of energy and related services in a member owned, cooperative business.
Provider of electric utility services to residential and commercial customers.
Provider of electric utility services, including security lights and surge protection, to area customers.
Provider of services and information on four electric cooperatives.
Provider of generation and transmission electric power services to member distribution electric cooperatives and municipal electric cooperatives.
Cornhusker Public Power District
Nonprofit electric distribution system providing electricity to rural portions of Platte, Colfax, Boone, Nance, Greeley and Wheeler counties.
http://www.cornhusker-power.com/
Covington Electric Cooperative
Provider of electric products and services including Internet services, surge suppression, electric fireplaces and grills, home security and rural water systems.
http://www.alaweb.com/~cec/index.html
Provider of power and customer services to residential, manufacturers and commercial businesses.
Distributor of electricity and related sercives to area residents and businesses.
Cumberland Electric Membership Corporation
Provider of non-profit, member-owned electric distribution cooperative services for commercial and residential use.
Generate and transmit wholesale electricity and other services to 25 electric distribution cooperatives and 18 municipal utilities in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois and Michigan.
Provider of natural gas services and other related products including fertilizers, solvents, phenol and other chemicals.
Electric utility providing electric service to rural communities, irrigation systems, industries, towns and other customers within a chartered area of the district.
Electric utility company providing electricity to consumers in Kent and Sussex counties.
Delta Montrose Electric Association
Provider of electric cooperative utility services supplying light and power to area customers.
Deseret Generation & Transmission Co-Operative
Provider of generation and transmission electric utility services to area customers.
Dixie Electric Membership Cooperative
Supplier of local electric utility services through transmission and distribution facilities.
Provider of non-profit electric distribution utility services, which are owned by the members it serves.
http://www.douglaselectric.com/
Provider of electric distribution cooperative services serving customers in East Central Minnesota.
http://www.eastcentralelectric.com/
Elkhorn Rural Public Power District
Distributes electricity to consumers in the counties of Madison, Antelope, Pierce, and portions of Holt, Boone, Stanton, Wheeler, and Platte.
A wholesale power generation and transmission cooperative serving the power supply needs of residents, farms, business and industries in central and southern Indiana counties.
Magnolia Electric Power Association (MEPA)
A not-for-profit, consumer owned electric distribution cooperative serving in six counties in Southwest Mississippi.
Matanuska Electric Association (MEA)
Alaska's oldest and second-largest electric cooperatives; links for news, scholarship information, emergencies, weather and more.
Provicer of electric and natural gas utility and propane supplier services.
Minnkota Power Cooperative (G&T)
Provider of generation and transmission cooperative utility services to meet customer needs.
Provider of utility services to customers in Northwestern Arizonan including the sale of electricity to residential and commercial customers, and construction of electric distribution facilities.
Provider of member owned electric cooperative services to counties in northcentral Mississippi.
National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA)
National service organization dedicated to representing the national interests of cooperative electric utilities and the consumers they serve.
San Miguel Power Association (SMPA)
A member owned not-for-profit rural electric association serving counties in the San Juan Mountain Range in southwestern Colorado.
Southern Nebraska Rural Public Power District
Publicly owned rural electric distribution system providing retail electric service to residential, irrigation and industrial customers along the Platte River Valley in southcentral Nebraska.
Southwest Rural Electric Association (SWRE)
A Rural Electric Cooperative serving southwestern Oklahoma and north central Texas.
Unique federal corporation, and steward of the Tennessee River, established to market power to public bodies and cooperatives in efficient and inexpensive manner. Covers Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Virginia.
Tri-State Generation & Transmission Association
A wholesale supplier of electricity to 32 member distribution systems throughout Colorado, Nebraska and Wyoming.
An electric distribution cooperative serving all or parts of Johnson, Erath, Hood, Bosque, Somervell, Palo Pinto, Coryell, Eastland, Comanche, Stephens, Young, Hamilton, Tarrant, and Ellis counties (Texas).
Wabash Valley Power Association
exists to satisfy the wholesale power needs of its member systems and to be responsive to their collective needs; members are located in Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio.
North Carolina-based provider of electric service for Durham, Franklin, Granville, Johnston, Nash, Vance and Wake counties. Supplier of standby generators.
Tips & Advice to help you make your decision on Cooperative Utilities
A cooperative utility company is one in which the customers are also the owners. Owners invest in the company so that it can be established and operated. As the utility makes money, any profits are either reinvested in the company or distributed to the investors. Every customer-owner has an equal say in the running of the company.
Cooperative utilities are more common in rural communities where they were needed to help bring the utility to the people living there. While these utilities strive to serve their communities and keep prices reasonable, sometimes the cost of maintain ting the infrastructure without the benefit of big city tax dollar support makes that challenging. ... more
A cooperative utility company is one in which the customers are also the owners. Owners invest in the company so that it can be established and operated. As the utility makes money, any profits are either reinvested in the company or distributed to the investors. Every customer-owner has an equal say in the running of the company.
Cooperative utilities are more common in rural communities where they were needed to help bring the utility to the people living there. While these utilities strive to serve their communities and keep prices reasonable, sometimes the cost of maintain ting the infrastructure without the benefit of big city tax dollar support makes that challenging.
Becoming part of cooperative utilities means locating one in your area or helping establish one. If you want to find one in your community, Business.com may be able to help. They have resources that you can peruse. The listings shown on the left are the co-ops and support businesses where you might find the services you seek. This can set you on the path to utility independence. Scroll through the listings and contact any vendors companies that seem like viable options. With just a few clicks of your mouse, you will have all the information you need.