What Is an Electric Cooperative?

An electric cooperative is a type of electric utility that is owned by the members it serves. A co-op exists solely to provide high-quality service at the lowest possible price for its members. Your electric cooperative, WRVEC, opened its doors in 1939!

What's The Unique Value of The Cooperative?

Cooperatives are owned by the people they serve. That’s why those who receive electric service from a cooperative are called members, not customers. Members maintain democratic control, which means they elect fellow members to represent them on the cooperative’s board of directors. Electric cooperatives were established to provide electricity to rural America, and now make up the largest electric utility network in the nation. That is the cooperative difference!

What is a Distribution Cooperative?

A distribution cooperative is a non-profit, member electric company that purchases electric power at wholesale from a generation and transmission provider and distributes it to its members.

What does it mean to be a Touchstone Energy Cooperative

Touchstone Energy is an alliance of more than 750 cooperatives in 44 states that collectively deliver power and energy solutions to more than 17 million customers every day. Touchstone provides high standards of to residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural customers. Touchstone Energy works to highlight electric cooperatives’ unique and differentiating values to the communities they serve. It also provides the strong resources of a nationwide network, offering value to local members.

FAQs – White River Valley Electric Cooperative

There’s a lot to learn about an electrical cooperative. We appreciate members educating themselves on various elements of WRVEC.

There are three types of electric utilities: electric cooperatives, investor-owned utilities, and municipal systems. The three are differentiated more by business structure than by the product they provide.
- An electric cooperative is owned by the members it serves, within a designated geographic service area. Members typically live in rural or semi-rural areas. A cooperative operates on a non-profit, cost-of-service basis. In Missouri, electric cooperatives serve an average of six members per mile of electric line.
- An investor-owned utility (IOU) is owned by stockholders who may or may not be customers and may or may not live in the service area. The IOU is a for-profit enterprise. In Missouri, IOUs serve an average of 33 consumers per mile of electric line.
- Municipal systems are usually owned by a city, a state or federal government agency. Municipal customers are typically located in urban or semi-urban areas. In Missouri, municipal electric systems serve an average of 43 consumers per mile of electric line