The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) is the national association dedicated to representing the interests of electric cooperatives and the consumers they serve. Organized in 1942, NRECA overcame the shortages of electric construction materials brought on by World War II, helped newly- formed rural electric cooperatives obtain insurance cove rage, and mitigated wholesale power problems. Throughout its history, NRECA has advocated on behalf of consumer-owned cooperatives with regard to energy and operational issues and has promoted rural community and economic development.

Today, NRECA’s more than 900 member cooperatives serve 39 million people across the United States. The cooperatives a re governed by a 47-member board of directors, elected from the membership, which sets policies and procedures carried out by the cooperatives’ professional staff. Most of the 864 distribution systems are consumer owned cooperatives, while some are public-power districts. NRECA membership is open to organizations formed by these local utilities, including power generation and transmission cooperatives, state and regional trade and service associations, supply and manufacturing cooperatives, data- processing cooperatives, and employee credit un i o ns. Associate membership is open to equipment manufacturers and distributors, wholesalers, consultants, and other entities that do business with members of the electric cooperative network.