Wells Rural Electric Company is a member-owned non-profit cooperative which was incorporated in 1958 to obtain central station power for the rural areas around Wells. A board of directors was formed and Clover Valley rancher, Robert Wright, was elected president.
In 1959 a Rural Electrification Administration (REA) loan was secured, an agreement for wholesale power from Idaho Power Company was obtained and Wells Power Company was purchased. In June of 1960 WREC began service to 583 customers.
In 1961 the Wendover Power Company was acquired with the aid of an REA loan which also brought central station power to the Jiggs/Lee area, south of Elko, Nevada, bringing the total served to 824.
The city of Carlin’s municipal power plant was purchased in1979. WREC then served 2,430.
On February 4, 1986 residents in Pine Valley, south of Carlin, received Wells Rural Electric service for the first time, bringing the number of total active accounts to 3,800.
Our Generation
Nearly all of WREC’s electricity is generated hydroelectrically via the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA).
BPA is a federal nonprofit agency that supplies about a third of the power in the Northwest. They generate a vast majority of their power from 31 federal hydro projects in the in the Columbia River Basin and also operate one nonfederal nuclear plant and several other small nonfederal power plants.
Cooperative Principles
1st Principle: 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.
2nd Principle: Democratic member control
Cooperatives are democratic organizations controlled by their members, who actively participate insetting their policies and making decisions. Men and women serving as 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.
3rd Principle: Member economic participation
Members contribute equally to, and democratically control, the capital of their cooperative. At least part of that capital is usually the common property of the cooperative. They usually receive limited compensation, if any, on capital subscribed as a condition of membership. members allocate surpluses for any and all of the following purposes: developing the cooperative, possibly 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.
4th Principle: Autonomy and independence
Cooperatives are autonomous, self-help organizations controlled by their members. If they enter into agreement 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.
5th Principle: 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 leader — about the nature and benefits of cooperation.
6th Principle: Cooperative among cooperatives
Cooperatives serve their members most effectively and strengthen the cooperative movement by working together through local, national, regional, and international structure.
7th Principle: Concern for community
While focusing on member needs, cooperatives work for the sustainable development of their community through policies accepted by their members.