SP ONSOR E D CONTE NT
There is a
COOPERATIVE
difference
In the U.S., the vast majority of people receive their electricity from one of
three types of utilities: investor-owned, municipal-owned or through their
electric cooperative, which is owned and controlled by the people who use
it. Let’s take a closer look at these three types of ownership models and see
why it matters to you.
In the investor-owned model, the corporation is owned by a great number
of stockholders, some of whom do not live in areas serviced by the utility.
Investor-owned utilities tend to be very large corporations such as First Energy
(Penelec and Penn Power). They serve large cities, suburban areas and some
rural areas, too.
About 72 percent of the U.S. population is served by investor-owned
utilities.
Municipal electric systems are government owned. They can serve large
cities, like Los Angeles or Orlando, or smaller areas, like the Wellsboro Electric
Company in Pennsylvania. In municipal systems, the municipality runs the
utility. About 16 percent of the market is served by municipal utilities.
Rural electric cooperatives serve the smallest number of consumers, about
12 percent of the market, or about 42 million people. There are more than
800 electric co-ops in 47 states, including the Northwestern Rural Electric
Cooperative in Cambridge Springs. While co-ops serve the fewest number
of people, their electric lines cover more than 75 percent of the U.S. This is
because co-ops historically provided power where other utilities once refused
to go because of low population density. Electric co-ops, which rank high
in member satisfaction, are not-for-profit, locally owned and operated, and
serve member-owners, not customers.
As the electric utility business continues to evolve, co-ops are committed
to being there for members to provide for their electric energy needs.
The Northwestern Rural Electric Co-op offers electric safety demonstrations, Clearly Brighter teacher grants, GenerLink transfer switches, three types
of energy audits, and dry hydrants, to name a few.
There is a cooperative difference. You own us, and we are here to serve you.
BROUGHT TO YOU BY
Northwestern Rural Electric Cooperative, Assoc., Inc.
Cambridge Springs
800-352-0014
www.northwesternrec.com
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