What is the Co-op Advantage?

Mr. Fettes' headshot in a blue shirt with co-op branding
Chris Fettes, CEO & Exec­u­tive VP

Com­mu­ni­ties come in all shapes and sizes. Some are based on geo­graph­i­cal prox­im­i­ty, some are based on shared inter­ests or hob­bies and some com­mu­ni­ties can even be found in vir­tu­al spaces like social media groups. Regard­less of where or how they are formed, com­mu­ni­ties can bring peo­ple togeth­er and cre­ate a sense of belong­ing.

Coastal Elec­tric Coop­er­a­tive is deeply com­mit­ted to our mem­bers, and we’re glad you are part of the elec­tric coop­er­a­tive com­mu­ni­ty.

This month, more than 30,000 coop­er­a­tives across the U.S. are cel­e­brat­ing Nation­al Co-op Month. It’s a time to reflect on all the aspects that set coop­er­a­tives apart from oth­er types of busi­ness­es but, more impor­tant­ly, it’s a time to cel­e­brate the pow­er of co-op mem­ber­ship.

A vibrant field and power lines under blue skies, with text celebrating National Co-op Month in colorful blocks and floral foreground.
This Octo­ber, we’re cel­e­brat­ing more than just Nation­al Co-op Month—we’re cel­e­brat­ing the pow­er of mem­ber­ship and the many advan­tages that set elec­tric mem­ber­ship coop­er­a­tives apart. Our mis­sion is reli­able pow­er. Our pur­pose is people—the local com­mu­ni­ties we’re proud to serve.

Elec­tric coop­er­a­tives are not-for-prof­it util­i­ties that are built by the com­mu­ni­ties they serve. For Coastal Elec­tric Coop­er­a­tive, our mis­sion has always been to pro­vide you with reli­able pow­er. We care about your qual­i­ty of life, and because we are local­ly oper­at­ed, we’re unique­ly suit­ed to meet our mem­bers’ evolv­ing ener­gy needs.

Beyond the busi­ness of elec­tric­i­ty, our employ­ees and direc­tors are equal­ly invest­ed in our local com­mu­ni­ty. Why? Because we live here, too. That’s why we work hard to sup­port local eco­nom­ic devel­op­ment projects, youth pro­grams and schol­ar­ships, char­i­ta­ble giv­ing ini­tia­tives, and addi­tion­al pro­grams that make our com­mu­ni­ty a bet­ter place to call home.

7 Cooperative Principles Infographic