Sho-Me Power Electric Cooperative

Sho-Me Power Electric Cooperative, located in Marshfield, Mo., is a nonprofit electric generation and transmission cooperative that provides electricity to rural areas in Missouri. Its structure consists of four levels: generation coop, transmission coop, distribution coop and the consumers or members. The generation coop creates the power used by its member transmission coops who transport the power to its distribution coops, who in turn sell the power to its members or consumers. The predecessors of SMPEC were Sho-Me Power Cooperative, formed in 1941 as an agriculture cooperative, followed by Sho-Me Power Corporation, incorporated in 1947 as a public utility. This entity, fully regulated by the Missouri Public Service Commission, provided retail service to many communities until 1985. It was converted to an electric cooperative in 1992, removing itself from MoPSC rate regulation.