An electric cooperative is a private, non-profit enterprise owned by the people it serves.
Electric cooperatives were first formed in the 1930’s when it became evident that established power companies were not ready to supply power to people living in rural America.
The federal government established the Rural Electrification Administration to lend money for the construction of power lines outside population centers. Farmers and other rural residents formed cooperatives to borrow money from the REA and construct the needed lines.
York Electric was founded in 1941 by a group of farmers and businessmen who realized that the only way to bring electric power to rural York County was to do it themselves. In March of 1941, 553 strong, these citizens began an endeavor that would change rural living in this area forever.
On the farm, in neighborhoods and on main street in rural communities, electric power worked for the benefit of everyone in nearly every aspect of daily life. At home and at work, rural York County steadily became fully electric.
York Electric’s capacity to supply dependable and affordable electric power also opened our rural areas to commerce and industry. New and diversified businesses came to the countryside, providing jobs, products and services.
Since 1941, York Electric Cooperative has been an active community partner and a dynamic force in the area’s economic development.
We continue to serve the homes, farms, and small businesses in our rural areas, but we now also serve a growing number of residential, commercial, and large industrial accounts in York County’s expanding population centers.
Charting YEC growth over 15 years
York Electric’s service territory continues to be one of the fastest-growing areas in the United States. Let’s look back to see how YEC has grown over 15 years:
| Data | 2003 | 2018 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of underground line | 445 | 1,938 | +336% |
| Miles of overhead line | 1,959 | 1,998 | +2% |
| Residential meters | 32,892 | 60,303 | +83.4% |
| Commercial and industrial meters | 2,613 | 4,687 | +79% |
| Capital credits | $900,000 | $1,400,000 | +64.3% |
York Electric operates 27 substations that have been planned and placed to achieve maximum operational efficiency for current and future usage requirements.