Arkansas Valley Electric Cooperative pledges to offer safe, reliable, affordable energy to our member-owners consistent with sound business principles within the electric industry.

Cooperative Principles

Voluntary and Open Membership: Cooperatives are voluntary organizations, open to all persons able to use their services and willing to accept the responsibilities of membership, without gender, social, racial, political or religious discrimination.

Democratic Member Control: Cooperatives are democratic organizations controlled by their members, who actively participate in setting policies and making decisions. The elected representatives are accountable to the membership. In primary cooperatives, members have equal voting rights (one member, one vote) and cooperatives at other levels are organized in a democratic manner.

Members’ Economic Principals: Members contribute equitably to, and democratically control, the capital of their cooperative. At least part of that capital is usually the common property of the cooperative. Members usually receive limited compensation, if any, on capital subscribed as a condition of membership. Members allocate surpluses for any or all of the following purposes: developing the cooperative, possibly by setting up reserves, part of which at least would be indivisible; benefiting members in proportion to their transactions with the cooperative; and supporting other activities approved by the membership.

Autonomy and Independence: Cooperatives are autonomous, self-help organizations controlled by their members. If they enter into agreements with other organizations, including governments, or raise capital from external sources, they do so on terms that ensure democratic control by their members and maintain their cooperative autonomy.

Education, Training, and Information: Cooperatives provide education and training for their members, elected representatives, managers and employees so they can contribute effectively to the development of their cooperatives. They inform the general public, particularly young people and opinion leaders, about the nature and benefits of cooperation.

Cooperation Among Cooperatives: Cooperatives serve their members most effectively and strengthen the cooperative movement by working together through local, national, regional and international structures.

Concern for Community: While focusing on member needs, cooperatives work for the sustainable development of their communities through policies accepted by their members.

Cooperative History

Arkansas Valley Electric Cooperative Corporation is a not-for-profit Corporation headquartered in Ozark, AR. District offices are located in Waldron and Van Buren, AR. and Pocola, OK.

The Cooperative was organized in 1937 by a group of farmers and businessmen from Crawford, Logan and Johnson Counties in west-central Arkansas. It has since expanded to eleven counties in Arkansas and three in Oklahoma.

The first 57 miles of power line were energized in December, 1938 to provide electric service to 114 meters. The average member had a monthly electric bill of $3.00 and used approximately 30 kWh (kilowatt hours).

The Cooperative purchased more than 1.2 billion kilowatt hours of electricity during 2019 with a system peak demand of 309,286 kilowatts recorded in the month of August. The system peak demand of 360 Megawatts (million watts) was set in June 2013. The Cooperative purchases its power wholesale from Arkansas Electric Cooperatives Corporation, Little Rock, AR.

Currently the Cooperative has more than 6,600 miles of distribution lines, 36 electrical substations, and more than 59,000 electric services. The total electric plant of AVECC is valued at more than $264 million and member equity is 37.90%.