The Co-op

Sierra Electric Cooperative is dedicated to providing high quality, reliable electric service and related products to our members at competitive prices.  Our members deserve and shall receive quality service unparalleled in our industry.  We are committed to maintaining an environment where the Board of Trustees and Employees can perform at their maximum potential to benefit our community.

A Nationwide Movement

As late as the mid-1930s, nine out of 10 rural homes were without electric service. The unavailability of electricity in rural areas kept their economies entirely and exclusively dependent on agriculture. Factories and businesses, of course, preferred to locate in cities where electric power was easily acquired. For many years, power companies ignored the rural areas of the nation.

The first official action of the federal government pointing the way to the present rural electrification program came with the passage of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Act in May 1933. This act authorized the TVA Board to construct transmission lines to serve “farms and small villages that are not otherwise supplied with electricity at reasonable rates.”

In 1935, Franklin D. Roosevelt created the federal Rural Electrification Administration as part of his New Deal. Electric cooperatives soon sprouted across the nation, formed by members, for members. Within four years following the close of the World War II, the number of rural electric systems in operation doubled, the number of consumers connected more than tripled and the miles of energized line grew more than five-fold. By 1953, more than 90 percent of U.S. farms had electricity. Today, about 99 percent of the nation’s farms have electric service. Most rural electrification is the product of locally owned rural electric cooperatives (like Sierra Electric)  that got their start by borrowing funds from REA to build lines and provide service on a not-for-profit basis. REA is now the Rural Utilities Service, or RUS, and is part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. For more information on the rural electrification of the United States, visit the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) website.

What is a Co-op? 

Electric cooperatives are private, not-for-profit businesses governed by their consumers (also known as you!). Two federal requirements for all co-ops, including electric co-ops, are democratic governance and operation at cost. Specifically, every consumer-member can vote to choose local boards that over see the co-op, and the co-op must, with few exceptions, return to consumer-members revenue above what is needed for operation. Under this structure, electric co-ops provide economic benefits to their local communities rather than distant stakeholders.

Sierra Electric Co-op History

Sierra Electric Cooperative, Inc. was established in 1941 as part of a nationwide movement to bring electricity to rural communities that private, investor-owned electric companies did not deem profitable to serve. The first board meeting took place on September 13, 1941 at the Sierra County Courthouse. The first Board of Trustees were: Elfrego Martinez, Henry Hopkins, Burton Roach, Mrs. Jessie Millard, John Hallet, Ervin Fornburgh, Mrs. Henry Opgenorth, Edward James, and A.P Graham. Sierra Electric was created when people who lived in Sierra County came together and invested their own money as capital to receive federal loans to build power lines and create the electric cooperative to serve the community. In the 85 years since Sierra Electric has been established, we now have about 901 miles of line and serve about 3,200 consumers!  

The Board of Trustees hires a General Manager who is responsible for ensuring the strategic initiatives and goals set by the Board are met. The General Manager oversees the staff and employees who are responsible for carrying out the day-to-day operations. The Board of Trustees meet once a month. Members may send written correspondence via mail and email, Sierra@secpower.com ,  and staff will forward communications from the members to the trustees. 

Governance Roles

Trustees are consumer-members elected by the members to govern the cooperative and establish the strategic direction of the cooperative.  The Board of Trustees hires a General Manager who is responsible for ensuring the strategic initiatives and goals set by the Board are met.  The General Manager oversees the Staff and Employees who are responsible for carrying out the day-to-day operations and administrative functions of the cooperative.

Sierra Electric By-laws are specific to the operation of this Cooperative.  The Board of Trustees must abide by the By-laws; any changes must be passed by a vote of the members.  For more information on the Board of Trustees, refer to Article IV Trustees of the Sierra Electric Cooperative By-laws; every member is provided a copy of the By-laws upon acceptance into the Cooperative.  A copy of the By-laws is always available to pick up at the Co-op office and available to view online.

Board of Trustees 

The Board of Trustees for Sierra Electric are as follows:

Board of Trustees District Map

What is the Annual Meeting?

The Annual Meeting of the Members is held each year for the purpose of electing trustees, hearing and passing reports covering the previous fiscal year, and transacting other business that properly comes before the meeting.  The Board of Trustees is responsible to make adequate plans and preparations for and to encourage member attendance at the annual meeting.  

When is the Annual Meeting?

From year to year, the Board of Trustees fixes the date and time of the Annual Meeting.  Official notice of the meeting is mailed to all active members at the time not more than thirty (30) days prior to the day.  Notices are also normally placed in the Member Newsletter and enchantment magazine.