We Are America’s Electric Cooperatives

We Power 1 in 8 Americans

From booming suburbs to rural farming communities, America’s electric cooperatives are energy providers and engines of economic growth for 42 million Americans.

Learn More About Our Mission

Support During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Electric co-ops have remained dedicated to supporting their communities during a period shaped by uncertainty. From providing free public Wi-Fi hotspots for distanced learning to securing personal protective equipment for at-risk communities, co-ops have found creative ways to maintain their commitment to members beyond providing electricity.

• Co-ops Help Their Communities Through the COVID-19 Crisis
• Michigan Co-op to Help With Vaccine Distribution in Its Community
• Arizona Co-ops Helped Navajo Neighbors in the Early Days of the Pandemic
• Scrap Wire From North Carolina Co-op Used in COVID-19 Face Masks
• In a Wild Weather Year, Co-op Crews Came Together to Restore Power
• ‘A Blessing’: Co-ops Deliver Free Public Wi-Fi Hotspots During COVID-19

Electricity Use and Fuel Mix

Electric co-ops play a vital role in transforming the electric sector. Advanced communications and energy technology enable co-ops to improve the efficiency and resiliency of their systems and reduce environmental impacts through enhanced efficiency and by adding renewable resources and energy storage.

Balanced Energy Mix Meets Co-op Members’ Needs

Residential rooftop solar panels in central Illinois. (Photo courtesy Coles-Moultrie Electric) — Residential rooftop solar panels in central Illinois. (Photo Courtesy: Coles-Moultrie Electric)

Electric co-ops are uniquely positioned to meet the needs of their individual communities.

When investing in around-the-clock sources of electricity, co-ops consider both regional and local factors that will best meet the energy needs of their communities and deliver reliable, affordable power to their members.

In response to changing consumer expectations and industry trends, co-ops are playing a significant role in the energy evolution by diversifying their energy portfolios. Electric co-ops own and purchase enough renewable energy to power
6 million homes. Though energy sources like coal and natural gas will remain essential in some communities, nearly two-thirds of electricity used by co-op members is produced by low- and no-emissions sources.

• Project Tundra: Capturing Our Energy Future
• Hoosier Energy: Energy Supply Will Meet Demand
• Clean Coal: Using New Technology to Bring Cheap, Clean Energy to the U.S.
• Co-op Seeking Comparable Tax Benefits for Developing Renewables

Co-ops Jump-Start Growth in Renewables

From 2010 to 2020, co-ops nearly tripled their renewable capacity from 3.9 gigawatts to more than 11.4 gigawatts. Co-ops added more new renewable capacity in 2020, nearly 1.6 GW, than in any previous year.

Co-ops Were Built By and Belong to the Communities They Serve

Connecting Rural Communities to the Modern Economy

More than 6 million households served by electric co-ops still lack broadband internet access. Electric co-ops are helping to solve this problem and bringing new life to communities—creating jobs, improving health care and enhancing education.

• Electric Co-ops Win $1.6B in FCC Rural Broadband Auction
• NRECA Sends Concerns to FCC About $9.2B RDOF Auction
• Broadband Fact Sheet
• BARC Electric: The Internet Divide
• Full Measure Extra: Interview With Jim Matheson

Invaluable Connections With Member Consumers

Electric
Co-ops Drive Economic Development

Electric co-ops support more than 600,000 American jobs, contribute more than $88 billion to the U.S. GDP annually and generate over $22 billion in federal, state and local taxes. Additionally, co-ops invest $12 billion annually into the communities they serve.