Sussex Rural Electric Cooperative: ‘Owned by Those it Serves’
October 23rd, 2012Via: northjersey.com:
When we buy stuff-gas, groceries, clothes, cars, you name it-we almost always buy from businesses whose primary goal is to make a profit for their owners or shareholders. Profit-based private enterprise has served America well, but in some instances another approach has worked, too: the cooperative method. One of New Jersey’s stellar examples of this approach is right here in Sussex County, and celebrates 75 years of operation this year: the Sussex Rural Electric Cooperative (SREC).
I am on the Board of Directors of SREC. This article speaks only for me as a private citizen, however. If you want a dispassionate analysis, look elsewhere. This is a tribute to what I-and many others-regard as a great operation.
The idea behind cooperatives (co-ops for short) is simple: voluntary mutual associations owned and operated by the people they serve, where any excess capital (“profit” in the business world) is returned to the members. That’s our motto: “Owned by Those it Serves.”
Research Credit: almaverdad2
Co-ops are amazing. After a minute or two of perusal on the SREC website I found their Electric Thermal Storage (ETS) page, really good stuff.
http://www.sussexrec.com/electric-thermal-storage.asp
My wife and I are in a food buying co-cop. It’s great!