America was founded on a cooperative spirit. Working together, helping each other for the mutual good – this is the American way. And for good reason: cooperative organizations provide their consumers economic, social and cultural benefits that often wouldn’t be available otherwise.
That’s the way it is with electric power cooperatives which were formed to get power to the people, farms and businesses of rural America. One of the nation’s first – Boone REMC – was formed right here in Indiana.
Since then, the citizens and employers in the communities Indiana’s electric cooperatives serve have been our owners, and we’ve always put their needs first. Together, we serve more than 1.3 million individuals, families, farms, and businesses in 89 Indiana counties. With more than $2.4 billion in system infrastructure, we’re providing Hoosiers with the reliable electric power they need — and we do it while emphasizing environmentalism, sustainability, and efficiency.
Indiana’s electric cooperatives work hard for you, our members, and the communities we serve. Our members have always come first – that’s the cooperative spirit. And it’s a spirit that focuses on today and tomorrow. Because, as the landscape continues to evolve, we want to ensure our members – our consumers – always have access to clean, safe, abundant electric power — now and for many years to come.
Indiana’s electric cooperatives operate according to the seven cooperative principles. These principles help guide the operations of all co-ops throughout the world. They were first described in 1844 and, while they have gone through a series of changes over the years, these principles still form the basis of the cooperative spirit to this day.
These seven principles are:
• Voluntary and Open Membership
• Democratic Member Control
• Members’ Economic Participation
• Autonomy and Independence
• Education, Training and Information
• Cooperation Among Cooperatives
• Concern for Community
These principles are the heart and soul of Indiana’s electric cooperatives, and you, your involvement, and your participation are vital to your local cooperative’s success and function.
Source: www.indianaec.org
