North Plains Electric Cooperative, Inc

North Plains Electric Cooperative is a business corporation chartered by the State of Texas and operating under Texas laws. It is wholly owned and controlled by the people in Hansford, Hemphill, Hutchinson, Lipscomb, Ochiltree, Roberts, and Wheeler counties to whom it provides electric service. North Plains Electric Cooperative is owned by a specific group of people, (not the public) so it is a private enterprise. The people who use its services are members of the organization. These members own and control the Co-op.

As a cooperative, North Plains Electric operates on a non-profit basis. All revenues, over and above the cost of doing business for a year, are credited to members under a patronage refund plan called Capital Credits. Your cooperative’s electric rates are designed to bring in enough money to pay operating costs, meet loan payments, and provide a reserve for emergencies. At the end of each calendar year, we subtract our operating expenses from the collected revenue for the year; the balance is our “margin.” Every year the cooperative produces a margin, member’s individual shares of that margin are credited or allocated to individual capital credit accounts.

History

An early survey showed that if every farm or ranch in a five county area was served, there would be approximately one meter per mile of line. This meant that each meter must provide as much revenue as three meters in other sections of the country. Because of the large acreage in the farms and ranches and the type of farming and ranching carried on, early leaders convinced the Rural Electrification Administration in Washington D. C. that loans to this cooperative would be feasible. However, it would be necessary for all farmers and ranchers in this area to become members and take service from the cooperative.

The first service area included Hansford, Hemphill, Hutchinson, Lipscomb, and Ochiltree counties and the following men were elected trustees to promote and try to charter the North Plains Electric Cooperative, Inc.

Hansford County-W. E. Davis and R. D. Tomlinson

Hemphill County-Faye Savage

Hutchinson County-Ira Harbour

Lipscomb County-J. E. Shahan and R. B. Tyson

Ochiltree County-W. M. Deck, W. M. Good, and J. H. Kershaw

North Plains Electric Cooperative, Inc. was organized on January 9, 1944 and a charter was granted in March of that same year. On May 10, 1944, the Trustees met and were told by the cooperative attorney that a charter had been granted and that the cooperative was now in a position to request a loan from the Rural Electrification Administration. Mr. Deck, President of the Board of Trustees at the time, was authorized to wire the Rural Electrification Administration in Washington for a loan application to finance 200 miles of distribution line.

During a meeting on June 20, 1944, a loan contract was signed with the Rural Electrification Administration for the sum of $158,000 to construct the first 200 miles of line. The first construction contract was let on December 22, 1944. Another contract was executed with the City of Canadian, Texas for the purchase of electrical power from the City Municipal Power Plant.

Because of the scarcity of material and labor during the war, construction did not begin until April 1945. And for the same reason, the first 218 miles was not completed until April 29, 1946. So, within 28 months of the time of the first meeting, electrical service was made available to 176 farms in the five county area.

Our Mission

North Plains Electric Cooperative’s core mission is to exceed members’ expectations by providing safe and reliable electric service
in an economically and environmentally responsible manner.

Our Vision

North Plains Electric Cooperative aspires to be the region’s preferred electricity provider by utilizing technology and outstanding human
resources to provide exceptional value and affordable service to our members.