2012 Named Year of Cooperatives

Electric cooperatives and other members of the co-op family are taking center stage globally this year, by designating 2012 the International Year of Cooperatives.

The celebration began in October when U.S. cooperatives traditionally celebrated National Cooperative Month. The International Year of Cooperatives’ theme, “Cooperative Enterprises Build a Better World,” resonates with co-ops in the electric, banking, food, retail, housing, and marketing arenas.

“We’re surrounded by a diverse mix of cooperatives,” states Glenn English, CEO of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), the national service organization for more than 900 not-for-profit electric cooperatives and public power districts. “No matter what kind of co-op you belong to, two things are clear: we put people first, and we are innovators. By getting neighbors and communities to work together, co-op members build a better world.”

What are Co-ops?

Cooperatives are a global network of independent, local businesses owned by those they serve. 

“We share a common set of business principles and values like self-help and democracy,” explains English. “Each co-op exists to meet the needs of its members.”

According to the Washington, D.C.-based National Cooperative Business Association (NCBA), more than 29,200 cooperatives nationally employ 2 million Americans. One in every four Americans is a co-op member, but the scope of the cooperative network doesn’t stop at the border.

“Co-ops are a major economic force in industrialized countries and provide a powerful business model for developing nations,” notes Paul Hazen, NCBA president & CEO.

More than 1 billion co-op members exist worldwide, and co-ops generate 100 million jobs globally. Cooperatives strive for sustainable development of communities through member-driven policies, with co-op leaders elected by members.

Lighting the World

Electric cooperatives like CHEC are leaders, delivering power and light to 42 million consumers in 47 states covering more than 75 percent of the nation’s landmass.  CHEC, founded by members of our community in 1945, serves 5,593 members on Hatteras Island.

Not only does 2012 mark a global celebration of the cooperative business model, it also marks the 50th anniversary of NRECA International Programs, a division of NRECA. The theme, “Cooperative Enterprises Build a Better World,” shines in the work NRECA International Programs does every day.

In the United States, co-ops helped electricity evolve from a luxury to an essential part daily life. Yet more than 2 billion people around the globe still live without power—64 million in Latin America, 500 million in Africa, and more than 1 billion in Asia.

Learn more about how you can help electric co-ops build a better world at www.NRECAFoundation.coop.  For more information about co-ops, visit www.go.coop.