Family Ties in Costa Rica

Adams Electric Cooperative (Penn) and Coopelesca, R.L. (Costa Rica)

For the past 24 years, Adams Electric Cooperative, headquartered in Gettysburg, Pa., has worked in Costa Rica with Coopelesca R.L.—called simply “San Carlos” by locals—based approximately an hour north of San José in Cuided Quesada. As sister cooperatives, Adams Electric and Coopelesca share information about setting rates, member services, management techniques, operations and engineering practices, training opportunities, and financial matters.

“We are proud of our long-standing relationship,” declares Steven Rasmussen, Adams Electric CEO/general manager. “We have played a part in their successes and they in ours. Through it all, we have gained a greater appreciation for rural electrification in Latin America and have been fortunate to assist as rural Costa Rica has developed.”

In many ways, the two cooperatives are remarkably similar—both serve predominately rural areas inhabited largely by industrious, middle-class property owners. Both boast democratically elected boards of directors, experienced staffs, and have earned the respect of government officials and neighboring utilities.

But there are differences. Celebrating its 43rd anniversary in March (a ceremony attended by Rasmussen and Adams Electric Board President Jay Grove), Coopelesca serves more than 50,000 members with 150 workers. Adams Electric, for its part, serves nearly 31,000 members and employs more than 80. However, the average Coopelesca household uses just 150 kWh of electricity each month, compared with about 1,200 kWh for a typical Adams Electric residence.

Over the years, the two systems have engaged in numerous activities, such as attending meetings and touring each other’s facilities. In 2003, an engineer from Coopelesca spent a month in Adams Electric’s four-county south-central Pennsylvania service territory studying operations and engineering; that same year, several Adams Electric directors attended the dedication of two Coopelesca hydropower projects.

Ron Plank, Adams Electric vice president of operations, has traveled to Coopelesca on four occasions with his co-op’s directors and chief executive to deliver donated equipment and train employees on how to properly operate and maintain it.

“Coopelesca serves rough and mountainous terrain with narrow roads and no guard rails,” Plank points out. “On my first visit, I discovered that it had no man-lifts or bucket trucks. Most of the work was done from the wooden bed of a small pickup truck. A lone meter reader rode a motorcycle and threw his gear in a backpack.”

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