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What exactly is an
electric cooperative
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January 2011
You receive this publication because you buy your electricity from an electric cooperative. That’s a utility that operates like no other.
Cooperatives are consumer-owned businesses, which mean that you and your neighbors actually own your electric utility. In fact, you may have noticed that the utility refers to you as a “member” rather than as a “customer.”
The cooperative’s board of directors is a group of consumer-members just like you, and, in fact, you can run for a seat on the board yourself if you’d like to. When the directors’ terms expire, the cooperative will hold an election—and you will get to vote. So the cooperative is governed by its consumers, and those who govern it are elected by the consumers.
Cooperatives have their roots in their local communities, so they never sell stock. That way, consumer-members retain local control.
Take advantage of the opportunity to participate as an owner-member of your electric cooperative by attending its membership meetings and voting in board elections.
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