Not-for-profit electric cooperatives
deeply rooted in rural Mississippi

In the daily rush to earn a living and care for loved ones, it’s easy to take your electric service provider for granted.

But there’s something special about your electric power association—and your role as a member of a not-for-profit consumer-owned electric cooperative.

Unlike an investor-owned business, a cooperative is an enterprise owned by and operated for the benefit of the people (members) using its services. Its mission is to provide that service at the lowest cost possible, not to generate profits for investors.

There are more than 900 electric cooperatives serving 39 million members in 47 states.

As a member of an electric power association, you are far more to us than a customer; you are a part-owner in a cooperative utility that is locally owned, locally controlled and locally committed. That simple fact is critical to understanding the unique nature of your electric power association.

It means you have a voice in your electric power association’s operation, when you participate in your cooperative’s election of directors at the annual membership meeting. Electric power association directors are members just as you are; every decision they make affects their own electric service just as it does yours. They are local residents and leaders who understand the crucial role played by reliable, affordable electric service in building stronger, more viable communities.

Why does your electric service come from a cooperative? Because you live in an area that was once considered by investor-owned electric utilities to be too costly to serve. It was a prudent business decision on their part; extending electric service into rural Mississippi would not have been profitable in the early 20th century. Some doubted whether rural residents would use enough electricity to justify the expense of building and maintaining power lines.

As it turned out, rural Mississippians did want electric service. To get it, they began forming their own not-for-profit cooperatives, or electric power associations, in the mid-1930s and applied to the newly created Rural Electrification Administration (REA) for low-cost loans to extend affordable electric service to their homes and farms.

For more than 70 years, electric power associations have been a catalyst for rural development in Mississippi. They have made possible a better standard of life, economic expansion and job creation beyond city limits. What’s more, their local commitment remains as vital today.

Mississippi’s 25 electric power associations:

• serve about 85 percent of Mississippi’s land mass;

• serve more than 707,000 electric meters;

• maintain more than 88,000 miles of distribution lines;

• serve an average of only eight consumers per mile of line.

PAST EDITORIALS

• July 2003 - PSC responds to consumer complaints
• August 2003 - Get to know your electric co-op
• September 2003 - Blackout spurs look at power grid
• October 2003 - Co-ops unite for emergency response
• November 2003 - Express yourself: Vote Nov. 4
• December 2003 - Co-ops' value to community? Priceless
• January 2004 - Our legislative efforts protect consumers
• February 2004 - Electric co-op vital signs are strong
• March 2004 - Dependable service results from diligence
• April 2004 - Leaders inspire youth at co-op workshop
• May 2004 - Control power costs through wise use
• June 2004 - Utility poles are not for posting
• July 2004 - What do 4th of July and co-ops have in common?
• August 2004 - Work zone speeders face stiffer penalties
• September 2004 - Co-op linemen help Florida storm victims
• October 2004 - Co-ops clean up after Hurricane Ivan
• November 2004 - War veterans deserve our gratitude
• December 2004 - Santa, I have some special requests
• January 2005 - Resolve to be a more informed citizen
• February 2005 - Weather winter power outages safely
• March 2005 - High power bill? This may be why
• April 2005 - Workshop prepares young leaders
• May 2005 - Electric cooperatives committed to promoting electrical safety
• June 2005 - Preparation key to outage recovery when disaster strikes
• July 2005 - 4-H museum to honor heritage, showcase development programs
• August 2005 - Youth Tour theme reflects co-op tradition of local commitment
• September 2005 - Your voice has been heard!
• October 2005 - Co-ops join forces to restore power to rural Mississippi
• November 2005 - How the cooperative difference affects your cost of electricity
• December 2005 - Donors fuel emergency relief for Mississippi hurricane victims
• January 2006 - Reflections on ending a 37-year career serving electric co-ops
• February 2006 - Building on the tradition of service to electric co-ops
• March 2006 - Energy conservation is back in style
• April 2006 - Youth Leadership program provides opportunities for youth
• May 2006 - No relief in sight for energy prices;
  it’s up to us to reduce energy use
• June 2006 - State’s electric co-op leaders
  lobby Congress on your behalf
• July 2006 - Linemen uphold standard of service—despite the heat
• August 2006 - Meter tampering: Electricity at too high a price
• September 2006 - Katrina tested our emergency response,
  but cooperation got the job done