Electric co-ops empower rural and suburban Tennesseans to live rich, full lives. Our consumer-members are smarter, healthier, more productive and better connected with the rest of the world because of the important work of electric co-ops. Co-ops give Tennessee the power to be more.
Electric co-ops believe that Tennesseans should not be constrained by where they choose to live, and we are committed to closing the gap between opportunities that exist in places like Nashville and Chattanooga and the opportunities that exist in New Market, Centerville and hundreds of other rural and suburban communities. The continued success of co-ops and the communities that we serve depend on people choosing to live and raise their families here not in spite of the limitations, but because of the abundant opportunities.
Tennessee co-ops deliver power to our residential members at a price that is 16 percent below the national average. Electric co-ops manage more than $3 billion in assets and 106,000 miles of distribution lines that stretch from the suburbs of Nashville to some of the most rugged and remote areas of the state. Co-ops invest more than $107 million a year into the distribution grid.
A solid education removes barriers and creates opportunities that are needed in the communities we serve. That is why co-ops have a long and proud history of partnering with schools in our communities. We want young people to be prepared to be leaders in their communities and fully aware of the opportunities that exist in their home towns. That is why programs like 4-H Electric Camp, the Youth Leadership Summit and the Washington Youth Tour are so important.
Co-ops are also working to bring access to high speed internet past the city limits sign. Broadband is no longer a luxury for gaming and streaming movies. It is a necessary component for economic development, education and rural healthcare. Tennessee co-ops have already invested $187 million, and when completed, these projects will bring high speed internet access more than 790,000 homes and businesses.
The decisions made in Nashville and Washington, D.C., can have a profound impact on co-ops and the people they serve. Electric co-ops tell the story of rural and suburban Tennessee. We do this by engaging with law and policy makers at the state and federal levels and through our professional communications efforts, including The Tennessee Magazine, the most widely circulated publication in the state.
One of the key differences between electric cooperatives and other utilities is how they are governed. Electric co-ops are owned by the consumers they serve, and those consumer-members call the shots. They do this by electing the board of directors from among the membership, and it’s been that way since the beginning. Every policy and every decision has it’s start with the members.
