06 Aug 08/06/2020
Electric cooperatives play a crucial role in the electrical sector. They are America's electrical engine, powering 56% of the nation's landmass. Furthermore, according to the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), electric cooperatives currently provide electricity to one in eight Americans living in rural farming communities as well as suburbs and even small cities throughout the United States.
Electric cooperatives power over 20 million businesses, homes, and schools.
By literally empowering rural communities, 42 million people are served reliable electricity daily by electric co-ops. Don't let this accomplishment fool you. It has taken a lot of work and legislation to get the electrical network we have today. Below, we're going to highlight everything you need to know about these essential establishments.
And, since MCR Safety is in the business of protecting those who work for electric cooperatives, we highlight some of the many electrical resources we've created to help keep workers safe.
An electric cooperative is a private, nonprofit organization owned by its members or customers. Its principal purpose is to deliver electrical power to the members living in its service area. Electric co-ops are an alternative to commercial utility companies and are governed by an elected board of directors.
Unlike investor-owned utilities (IOU), which are for-profit enterprises, a cooperative functions as a nonprofit and runs on a cost-of-service basis only. Leftover profits in a co-op are invested in the infrastructure or paid out as dividends to its members. Here are some of the additional advantages of joining a local electric co-op:
Co-ops were not always an option for people. It's been a long journey to get here, and that evolution is covered in our next section.
Unfortunately, in the early 20th century, power companies found little to no economic advantage in servicing ignored rural areas with electricity. Running power lines and the cost of upkeep to rural areas meant that much of the land was without electricity In the mid-1930s, during the Great Depression, nine out of ten rural homes were without electric service. However, things began to change with President Roosevelt's "New Deal" to help America recover from the Depression. With the passage of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Act on May 18, 1933, the TVA Board was authorized to construct transmission lines that would serve farms with electricity at reasonable rates.
The New Deal's public works project across Tennessee
Creating the TVA was the first step of many that would improve the overall electrical infrastructure in the U.S. and lead the way to electric cooperatives. Here are some key dates:
In 1942, America's electric cooperatives formed the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) to provide a unified voice for cooperatives and to represent their interests in Washington, D.C. The organization has brought electric power to more than 120 million people in 43 developing countries through NRECA International.NRECA represents more than 900 consumer-owned, nonprofit electric cooperatives, public power districts, and public utility districts in the United States, and today almost 100% of America's farms have electrical service.
Two types of electric cooperatives exist: distribution cooperatives and generation and transmission (G&T) cooperatives. There are a total of 834 co-ops that make up the cooperative distribution network in the U.S. and another 63 G&T co-ops. The largest electric organization in the country is Texas-based Pedernales Electric Cooperative. Established in 1940, PEC serves more than 271,000 electrical meters in an 8,100-square-mile service area reaching all or parts of 24 central Texas counties.
Providing electricity is not a small undertaking.
Other top co-ops include:
Electrical lines running along the Blue Ridge Mountains
Shenandoah
In 2017, the NRECA reported that electric cooperatives supported more than 611,600 jobs. From field services representatives to electrical contractors to electrical engineering personnel and linemen, electric cooperatives are always looking for qualified job candidates, and co-ops pay competitive salaries.
To find a job at an electric cooperative, you can search "rural electric cooperative jobs" on job-search engines like Indeed. There you will find a wide selection of job openings. You might also visit the NRECA Cooperative Career Center for job openings.
For additional information on electrical linemen, check out our article, Electrical Contractors and Lineman Jobs.
Here's a list of common questions people have regarding electric cooperatives:
How do electric cooperatives help communities?
How do electric cooperatives work?
What states have electric cooperatives?
Who regulates electric cooperatives?
Are electric cooperatives cheaper?
Like most industries, safety is an essential topic for cooperatives. However, for electrical workers working with live electricity, not practicing safety can quickly result in loss of life. Electric cooperatives adopted a "culture of safety" in 2007 to create greater awareness about safety concerns in the industry. The resulting Speak Up, Listen Up program empowers anyone who sees a potentially unsafe situation to report it, which inspired a 30% decline in the number of accidents over the next nine years.
Electric cooperatives support the Rural Electric Safety Achievement Program (RESAP), working with representatives from state safety associations, distribution and G&T cooperatives, and the Federated Rural Electric Insurance Exchange to ensure workplace safety. The program creates a culture of safety by offering safety performance measures, safety improvement plans, self-assessment guides, safety presentations, podcasts, and more to America's electric cooperatives.
Where does MCR Safety come into the picture? At MCR Safety, we protect those with jobs in an electric cooperative. We produce high-quality PPE that protects them from the unique electrical workplace hazards they face. Here are several online resources we've created for electrical workers:
MCR Safety is the only manufacturer of triple-vented FR clothing.
Electrical workers wear MCR Safety's triple-vented FR clothing all over the United States. Protection from arc flashes is essential, and so is staying cool from heat stress.
Electric cooperatives power the electricity, and MCR Safety powers the protection. From arc-rated rain gear to safety glasses, arc-rated FR clothing to leather gloves backed with FR Nomex® fabric, MCR Safety keeps those working around electrical hazards safe.
We welcome any comments,feedback or suggestions for how we can best protect people at work.
For over 45 years, MCR Safety has proven to be a world leader in gloves, glasses, and garments. Whether it's on the shop floor, an oil rig, or a construction site, we are there providing solutions to workplace hazards. It's all part of our commitment to protect people.
No matter your industry, we have the personal protective equipment you need.
Learn more about MCR Safety by checking out our most recent video. For more information, browse our website, request a catalog, find a distributor, or give us a call at 800-955-6887.
