Tri-County Electric Cooperative

History

Tri-County Electric was formed and incorporated as a cooperative in October of 1938 to provide electricity to the rural areas of Jefferson, Marion and Washington counties in Southern Illinois.

What is an Electric Cooperative?

An electric cooperative is a member-owned and controlled utility providing electricity and associated services to members at cost.

Electric cooperatives were established by rural pioneers in the late 1930s and 1940s to provide electricity to rural Americans in places where investor-owned utilities wouldn't or couldn't serve because of cost.

Rural electrification was made possible by the Rural Electrification Administration (REA), created by executive order of President Franklin Roosevelt on May 11, 1935. REA made low-interest financing available enabling cooperatives to build power lines into rural areas.

More than 60 years later, electric cooperatives across the country provide electricity for businesses and industries as well as farms, residences and recreational areas.




				History Tri-County Electric was formed and incorporated as a cooperative in October of 1938 to provide electricity to the rural areas of Jefferson, Marion and Washington counties in Southern Illinois. What is an Electric Cooperative? An electric cooperative is a member-owned and controlled utility providing electricity and associated services to members at cost. Electric cooperatives were established by rural pioneers in the late 1930s and 1940s to provide electricity to rural Americans in places where investor-owned utilities wouldn't or couldn't serve because of cost. Rural electrification was made possible by the Rural Electrification Administration (REA), created by executive order of President Franklin Roosevelt on May 11, 1935. REA made low-interest financing available enabling cooperatives to build power lines into rural areas. More than 60 years later, electric cooperatives across the country provide electricity for businesses and industries as well as farms, residences and recreational areas.