Libby / Montana / United States
About Flathead Electric Cooperative Flathead Electric Cooperative, Inc, was established to bring electric service to rural areas of the Flathead Valley. Since 1937, our cooperative has grown from a small company serving a handful of rural homes and farms to a multimillion-dollar business with a mix of rural and urban residential, commercial, and industrial members. Flathead Electric is proud to be a locally owned and operated cooperative run for the benefit of our member/owners. "As a member owned cooperative, we strive to provide competitive and reliable service, achieve the highest level of member satisfaction and enhance the quality of life in our communities." Flathead Electric Cooperative History When a group of neighbors banded together in 1937 to bring power to their homes and farms, they could never have anticipated the fruit that their efforts would bear. In December 1938, the first 82 miles of Flathead Electric line were energized and 117 farm homes in the Kalispell area glowed with electricity for the first time. It was the beginning of a new era of convenience and progress, brought about by people working together toward a common goal. Many things have changed since those first miles of line were energized, but the cooperative spirit of neighbor helping neighbor on which Flathead Electric was founded still guides our business today. Weve grown from those first 117 members to more than 47, 000 members, from a tiny rural utility to a multimillion-dollar business that serves a variety of residential and commercial members. We now have 3, 800 miles of line, and we serve the entire Flathead Valley and Libby, along with several hundred members along the Montana-Wyoming border. Flathead Electric is now the second largest electric utility in Montana, ready for the challenges and changes of the 21st Century. But one thing hasnt changed. Were still neighbors ; a local company owned by those we serve. Providing electric service the cooperative way distinguishes electric cooperatives from investor-owned and municipal electric utilities. The business operates for the benefit of its members, rather than investors. Electric cooperative employees and board members are a part of the community the cooperative serves. Historically, people formed cooperatives for electrical and telephone service, farming, banking, housing, childcare, health care, food retailing and other goods and services, trusting cooperatives to help them find solutions. The nation has about 1, 000 electric cooperatives, which serve 37 million people in 47 states, which is about 12% of the nations population.
