We Are America’s Electric Cooperatives

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: Electric Co-op Facts & Figures

Smart Energy Policy Keeps the Lights On

American families and businesses expect the lights to stay on at a cost they can afford. But that’s no longer a guarantee. Over the next five years, 19 states from Montana to Louisiana are at high risk of rolling blackouts during normal peak conditions.

  • U.S. power demand will reach record highs in 2024 and 2025, increasing by 2.5% and 3.2% respectively.
  • Peak electricity demand is projected to grow by 38 gigawatts over the next five years – the equivalent of adding another California to the grid.

The stakes are too high to get this wrong. As electricity demand grows and supply fails to keep up, bad public policy is making the problem worse. That’s why America’s electric co-ops are fighting for smarter energy policies that prioritize reliability and affordability for all.

Co-ops to FERC: Diverse Portfolio Key to Reliable, Affordable Power
Grid Operators Echo NRECA Reliability Concerns Over EPA Power Plant Rule
NRECA Fights Latest Attempt to Breach Lower Snake River Dams
Podcast: ‘Immediate, Irreparable Harm’—The Impacts of EPA’s Power Plant Rule
Co-ops Warn of Surging Costs, Reliability Crunch in Bid to Halt EPA Rule
‘Unlawful, Unrealistic, Unachievable’: EPA’s ‘Barrage’ of Power Plant Rules

Learn More About Co-ops and Reliability.

Spotlight Feature: Prioritizing Reliability

Hear NRECA CEO Jim Matheson’s remarks on grid reliablility at an October 2023 POLITICO event.

Learn More About Co-ops and Reliability

Leaders
in Rural Broadband

Millions of rural American families and businesses are stuck on the wrong side of the digital divide. And where no one else will provide the service, electric co-ops have found a way. Motivated by people, not profits, and the needs of their communities, electric co-ops are making rural broadband a reality.

Oklahoma Co-op Tests 50-Gig Broadband at Sac and Fox Nation Home
Broadband Partnership ‘Sterling Example’ of Sixth Co-op Principle
Oklahoma Co-op Wins National Award for Broadband Service
Alabama Co-op Middle-Mile Network Celebrates First Customer
Electric Co-op Offers Free Wi-Fi to First Responders
Zero to 40,000: Arkansas Co-op Hits Broadband Milestone
Co-ops Band Together to Build Statewide and Regional Middle Mile Networks

Spotlight Feature: Community Impact

JCE Co-op's reliable, affordable high-speed internet access has been a boon for its Illinois territory, improving residents' quality of life and ushering in a wave of new homeowners and businesses.

Learn More About Co-ops and Broadband

 

Spotlight Feature: Co-op Crews Help Power Navajo Nation

Volunteers from 16 electric co-ops in five states traveled to Navajo Nation this summer to help bring electricity to at least 200 homes as part of an initiative to improve the lives of Americans in remote tribal areas.

Learn More About Co-ops and Their Communities

Building the Grid of the Future

America’s electric cooperatives are innovating to meet tomorrow’s energy needs. From advancing the world’s largest carbon capture project to bundling solar energy and battery storage, co-ops are transforming the electric sector. As we work to meet tomorrow’s energy needs, smart investment in the future of their communities is key.

Two Midwest Co-ops Win $1.3 Billion for Nuclear Plant Restart
New PACE Loans Boost Solar Projects for Two Co-ops
Electric Co-ops Win $7.3 Billion in New ERA Funding for Clean Energy
Nevada Co-op Receives PACE Loan for Solar, Storage Systems
Co-op Energy Storage Projects Get Boost From New PACE Awards
Ag Secretary Announces $81 Million for Colorado Co-ops’ Solar Projects
Co-ops Tapped to Negotiate DOE Grants for Clean Energy, Grid Projects
Co-op Consortium Selected for $45M in DOE Funding for Microgrids
Co-ops Make Early Moves to Accommodate Commercial EV Fleet Needs

Co-op Facts: Rise in Renewables

Since 2016, co-ops have nearly doubled their renewable capacity from 8.2 gigawatts to nearly 15.8 gigawatts.

Learn More About Co-ops and Sustainable Energy