In 1930, 9 out of 10 farmers and Americans who live in the rural areas lacked electricity in their homes. In 1934, the first electric cooperative in the country was created in Alcorn County, MS. Electric cooperatives were created to encourage economic development, job creations, generation, and/or distribution. In the last two years, their access to low-cost federal financing has expanded to include energy efficiency and on-site solar power, opening a huge new opportunity for community economic development. When we achieve success, the community economic development benefits are large locally – and the implications of our accomplishment will have an even greater impact nationally.

However, many electric cooperatives discourage organizational transparency and democratic participation. More than 35% of the people in Mississippi are African-American, yet fewer than 10% of the governing board members of electric cooperatives are African Americans – even in cooperatives where the majority of residents are African-American. Similarly, women make up half the population yet only hold 4% of the board seats.

Drawing on a decade of experience in working with community-based organizers, we are training a new generation of leaders to uphold the core principles of electric cooperatives, which include democratic member control and generating economic benefits for members such as investing in energy efficiency and local renewable energy solutions.