About Firelands Electric Cooperative, Inc.

What is a Cooperative?
A cooperative is a business owned by the people who receive its services and operated for the benefit of its member-owners, usually on a non-profit basis. Thousands of cooperatives are found in all types of American business. Agriculture, banking, insurance, electric, telephone and many other industries include successful member-owned cooperative businesses, which focus on service instead of profits.

The following materials will open in Adobe Acrobat Reader format:

-- FEC Code of Regulations Book*

-- FEC Membership Handbook*

• Board of Trustees
  A nine member Board of Trustees, comprised of cooperative members elected by their fellow members, governs Firelands Electric. All active members of the cooperative are eligible to run for election to the Board of Trustees. The election process takes place annually during the cooperative's Annual Meeting of Members.
  
  
• Capital Credits
  Firelands Electric Cooperative is a non-profit corporation owned by its members. As owners of the co-op, members are responsible for providing a portion of the funding necessary to operate the business. Co-op members contribute this funding with their Capital Credits.
  
  The co-op pays all of its annual operating expenses from revenues, and the money left over at year-end is divided up and credited to each member based on how much electricity each purchased during the year.
  
  The members' Capital Credits represent their share of the ownership of the cooperative. This money is used by the co-op to fund additions and improvements to the system until it is returned to the members.
  
  
• Cardinal Generation Station
  Have you have ever wondered where Firelands Electric Cooperative gets it electricity or how electricity is generated? Buckeye Power's Unit 3 at Cardinal Generation Station burns coal to produce electricity. The plant, which incorporates state-of-the-art technology is located near Brilliant, Ohio on the Ohio River.
  
  
• Co-op Principles
  Firelands Electric operates in accordance with these seven Cooperative Principles:
  
  • Voluntary And Open Membership - Cooperatives are open to all persons able to use their services and willing to accept the responsibilities of membership.
    
  • Democratic Member Control - Cooperatives are controlled by their members, who actively participate in setting policies and making decisions. Members have equal voting rights - one member, one vote.
    
  • Members' Economic Participation - Members contribute equally to the capital of their cooperative. Surpluses are allocated to the benefit of members in proportion to their transactions with the cooperative.
    
  • Autonomy And Independence - Cooperatives are autonomous, self-help organizations controlled by their members.
    
  • Education, Training and Information - Cooperatives provide education and training to their members, and inform the general public about the nature and benefits of cooperation.
    
  • Cooperation Among Cooperatives - Cooperatives serve their members most effectively by working together through local, national, regional and international structures.
    
  • Concern For Community - Cooperatives work for the sustainable development of their communities through policies accepted by their members.
    

• Firelands Service Territory
  Firelands Electric Cooperative service area has more than 980 miles of distribution lines that bring safe and dependable electric power to more than 9,000 consumers. When you call to report trouble, day or night, our system operators are available to answer your call 24 hours a day, with immediate service crew dispatch. Click here to view Firelands' Service Territory.
  
  
• Touchstone Energy
  As a Touchstone Energy® cooperative, Firelands Electric is part of a national alliance of local cooperatively owned electric utilities providing high standards of service to residential, commercial and industrial customers large and small. Firelands Electric and Touchstone Energy® provide a brand with core values that consumers have long associated with cooperatives: integrity, accountability, innovation, and a long-standing commitment to their community. Touchstone Energy® provides high standards of service to all customers --residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural.
  
  Touchstone Energy® is a branding initiative that communicates electric cooperatives’ unique characteristics in a changing marketplace where these values and differences matter more each day.

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