From booming suburbs to remote rural communities, America’s electric cooperatives are energy providers and engines of economic development. Electric cooperatives keep the lights on and play a vital role in transforming communities.
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Our co-ops:
- Serve 42 million people, including 92% of persistent poverty counties.
- Power more than 23 million businesses, homes, schools and farms in 48 states.
- Return more than $1.3 billion to their consumer-members annually as not-for-profit organizations.
NRECA is the national service organization that represents America’s electric cooperatives.
- 830 distribution cooperatives are the foundation of the electric cooperative network. They were built by and serve co-op members in the community by delivering electricity and other services.
- 60 generation & transmission cooperatives provide wholesale power to distribution co-ops through their own electric generation facilities or by purchasing power on behalf of the distribution members.
Demand is outpacing supply
Demand is skyrocketing.
Across the country, electricity demand is surging, driven by growing communities, electrification of the economy, power-hungry data centers and new manufacturing plants.
According to the North American Electric Reliability Corp.’s 2025 Long-Term Reliability Assessment, peak electricity demand during summer and winter months is expected to skyrocket over the next 10 years, increasing by 69% and 65%, respectively.
Supply isn’t keeping up.
NERC said power plant retirements could total over 105 gigawatts of peak seasonal capacity over the next decade—enough energy to power up to 100 million homes.
Ongoing challenges, including supply chain bottlenecks and years-long delays in permitting and siting new infrastructure, are making it difficult to replace retiring generation and meet soaring demand.
As a result, much of the country is at high risk of energy shortfalls over the next 10 years.
Building to meet demand
Generation and transmission co-ops (G&Ts) are planning unprecedented capital investment to meet tomorrow’s energy needs. Survey data from 48 G&Ts underscores a major surge in capital investment.
- G&Ts are projecting $88 billion in capital expenditures over the next 10 years, more than double the CapEx forecast over the same timeframe three years ago.
- About 60% of the $88 billion is concentrated in the next five years.
- Power plants and transmission infrastructure comprise roughly 90% of this spending.
- Natural gas dominates the planned buildout of new co-op generation. G&Ts are planning nearly $29 billion in investment to bring more than 20 gigawatts of new natural gas capacity online.
Always-available energy is key to keeping the lights on
Electric co-ops rely on a diverse suite of resources to reliably meet the energy needs of their local communities.
As of July 2026, electric co-ops have announced plans to add more than 18 gigawatts of new generation capacity, including 13 GW of natural gas generation. These projects will come online between 2026 and 2031, and additional announcements are expected.
The co-op fuel mix is anchored by always-available energy (85%) from coal, natural gas, nuclear and hydroelectric power, supplemented by non-hydro renewables (15%), primarily intermittent wind and solar. Co-ops nationwide are also investing in battery storage technologies that can help address intermittency and improve reliability.
Co-ops thoughtfully explore all options, fuels and technologies as they work to meet their consumers’ evolving energy needs.
Co-ops are reducing emissions
Cooperatives are meeting member expectations by reducing emissions and switching to natural gas and renewables.
Co-ops reduced sulphur dioxide emissions 87% from 2005 to 2024.
Co-ops reduced nitrogen oxide emissions 74% from 2005 to 2024.
Co-ops reduced carbon dioxide emissions 22% from 2005 to 2024.
Delivering reliable power at a cost families and businesses can afford
1 in 4 households served by electric co-ops have an annual income below $35,000.
Every decision made by electric cooperatives ultimately comes back to affordability and reliability for the consumers at the end of the line.
The cooperative difference
Electric cooperatives are not-for-profit and consumer-owned, built by the communities they serve. Led by members of their communities, co-ops deliver power at cost and are uniquely suited to meet local needs.
In the 2025 J.D. Power Electric Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction Study, co-ops secured eight of the top 10 spots based on individual scores and the highest average score among all electric utility providers.