Generating More Than Electricity

By Scott Flood and Valeri Saldanha Rosa

If someone asked what a local electric cooperative does for your community, you’d probably respond with the obvious: It delivers power to homes, farms, and businesses. While that is true, co-ops generate far more than electricity for the communities they serve.

October is National Co-op Month—the perfect time to recognize how co-ops stand out from other types of businesses.

Providing a reliable, affordable source of electricity has transformed co-op communities. When investor-owned utilities refused to extend power lines to the small communities and rural areas that stretch across the nation, electric co-ops stepped up so residents could enjoy the same comfort and advantages as their city cousins.

Co-ops have a significant economic impact on the places they call home. That includes supporting nearly 623,000 jobs that deliver $51 billion in annual compensation— and those employees spend much of that at the supermarket, diner and gas station, supporting local jobs.

Coos-Curry Electric Cooperative developed Beacon Broadband, a fiber broadband subsidiary that secured more than $40 million in federal and state grants for the region.

“This investment has created over 20 local positions and supports local area contractors,” CCEC Communication Specialist Kelsey Bozeman says. “Our cooperative structure ensures these economic benefits remain in our community rather than flowing to outside shareholders.”

In most of the counties and communities they serve, electric co-ops play leadership roles in championing local economic health by bringing new employers to the area and helping established businesses expand. In addition to working directly with growing companies, they invest in community assets like broadband networks and incubators to help local startups succeed.

Community members also benefit directly from their co-op’s prudent financial management. As not-for-profit utilities, co-ops return any money that’s left over after covering the cost of operations, maintenance, and improvements to members through what are known as capital credits.

When the co-op’s finances are strong, the directors may choose to retire some of those credits by converting a member’s share into a refund check or bill credit.

Lakeview Light & Power in Lakewood, Washington, strives to be a community-first partner.

Finding its place in the community isn’t hard for LLP. The cooperative recently worked with a local store to provide nearly 100 members with free washer and dryer sets, and it hosts educational events throughout the year.

What’s important to the cooperative is to have a solid long-term employee base that knows its customers on a firstname basis.

“Lakeview stands out in the community by putting people over profits,” LLP Communications Specialist Sarah LaBrasca says.

Given that Concern for Community is 1 of the 7 Cooperative Principles, co-ops seek a variety of ways to support community organizations and events. Whether it’s presenting electrical safety demonstrations at elementary schools, helping organize fairs and festivals, sponsoring athletic teams, or promoting food drives for local pantries, co-ops and their staff are involved in extensive outreach.

Lakeview Light & Power takes pride in how its team connects with the community.

“Whether it’s partnering with Emergency Food Network to pack food for food banks, packing and dispersing free school supplies with Caring for Kids, or boxing up holiday meal supplies with a nearby church, LLP always sees it as a team-building activity,” Sarah says.

“It’s a blessing to help local businesses and organizations that keep resources circulating in our community.”

1 of the biggest community priorities for many co-ops involves helping young people develop leadership skills. Their motive is more than a little self-serving, because co-ops know leadership efforts help those children and teens become informed, engaged residents who may 1 day serve as the next generation of community leaders and co-op employees.

Building connections with youth also increases the chances they’ll choose to stay in their hometowns.

Lakeview Light & Power finds opportunities to invest in future generations as another way to support its community.

“We offer $9,000 in scholarships annually to local high school and college students to give them a head start on their futures,” Sarah says.

This helps lower the financial implications of choosing to go to college or trade school.

“As a member-owned utility, we think it’s of utmost importance that the money we collect stays right here in Lakewood,” she says.

Co-ops light up communities by delivering safe and reliable electricity to residents and businesses, but their real power rests in the many other ways they deliver the other kinds of energy communities really need to thrive.