Holston Electric Cooperative Inc

The first meeting of the board of directors of Holston Electric Cooperative was held in 1940. Providing electric service to rural residents who had never had electricity available to them was the immediate mission. The response to the needs of the rural residents established a tradition of service that continues to the present. HEC operates under bylaws that conform to Tennessee s Cooperative Act. A cooperative is a unique non-profit business that is financed, owned and operated by the people who use its services. A seven-member board, elected by the cooperative members, establishes company policies while the general manager oversees daily operation. Holston Electric opened for business with eight employees, selling electricity at 2.5 cents per kilowatt-hour. Sixty-plus years later, 65 employees maintain and operate the 2,473-mile distribution system that covers a 525 square mile area. Electric power, generated by the Tennessee Valley Authority, is purchased by more than 28,000 customers in Hawkins, Hamblen, and Greene Counties in Tennessee for an average price of 6.17 cents per kilowatt-hour.