The Cooperative form of business is unique and has existed for nearly 150 years.   Cooperatives are a part of our everyday life with services from diverse groups such as the Associated Press, Agway, Diamond Walnuts and others.  There are over 1,000 electric cooperatives in the United States. 
    Cooperatives differ from private companies in that there is no stock and no stockholders. 
The users of the electric systems are the owners of the service.    By being a consumer of Sullivan County REC, you are an owner and entitled to attend the Annual Meeting, vote for directors and vote on any issues before the membership. 
     Prior to the formation of electric cooperatives very few rural areas had central station electric service.  The formation of non-profit cooperatives along with low interest Federal loans made it feasible to extend electric power to rural areas.

  
    Cooperatives were formed after private power companies failed to utilize the low interest Federal loan program to extend electric service into rural areas.
    Today Sullivan County REC still serves only 6 members per mile of line, compared to the typical power company having 32 or more consumers per mile.  Sullivan County REC no longer receives low interest loans from the Federal government.
    Electric cooperatives follow the "Rochdale Principles" which were developed by the first cooperative in Rochdale, England in 1884.  The basic principles are:

   Open Membership - Any person in the service area must be permitted to join -
regardless of race, religion, sex, etc.

   Democratic Control - Each member has only one vote, regardless of the number of service connections. or amount or usage.

   Limited Return on Investment - Issues no stock and pays no interest on capital provided by members.

   Return of margins to members - Margins must be allocated to members.