The Touchstone Energy Cooperatives brand represents a nationwide alliance made of more than 750 local, consumer-owned electric cooperatives in 46 states. Touchstone Energy co-ops collectively deliver power and energy solutions to more than 30 million members every day. Electric cooperatives distribute power for 75 percent of the U.S. land mass over 2.4 million miles of power lines.
Electric cooperatives were established to provide electricity to rural America, and now make up the largest electric utility network in the nation. Touchstone Energy is the national brand identity for that network.
Did you know Electric Cooperatives ...
- Are located in 80% of the nation’s counties
- Are the largest electric utility network in the nation
- Total more than 900 local systems in 47 states
- Have 42 million member-owners
- Distribute power over 2.5 million miles of line
- Serve 75% of the U.S. land mass
- Own $130 billion in generation, transmission, and distribution assets
- More than 88% of all local electric co-ops offer electricity generated from renewable sources.
What Makes Our Cooperatives Different
Touchstone Energy co-ops are owned by the members they serve and are committed to providing reliable electricity at the lowest price possible. In short, co-ops “look out” for the members they serve.
Touchstone Energy co-ops provide high standards of service according to their four core values: integrity, accountability, innovation and commitment to community.
Touchstone Energy co-ops rank well ahead of their industry counterparts when it comes to customer satisfaction. Recent data from the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), one the nation’s most recognized measures of customer satisfaction, gives Touchstone Energy cooperatives an average score of “83” out of a possible 100, outclassing utility industry satisfaction score of “77.”
The Cooperative & Our Principles
Electric Cooperatives are:
• Private independent electric utility businesses.
• Incorporated under the laws of the states in which they operate.
• Owned by the consumers they serve.
• Governed by a board of directors elected from the membership which
sets policies and procedures that are implemented by the cooperatives'
professional staff.
Owen Electric's Power Supplier
The Cooperative's wholesale power is provided by East Kentucky Power Cooperative(link is external), which is owned by Owen Electric and seventeen other member cooperatives. Together they serve more than one million people in 89 Kentucky counties. East Kentucky Power owns and operates three coal-fired power plants and three combustion turbines which provide a total generating capacity of 1,677 MW. An additional 170 MW of hydro-peaking power is available under long-term contract. The Cooperative also has ties to all utilities operating in Kentucky. A readily available supply of coal from Eastern Kentucky and West Virginia is directly responsible for Kentucky having the 3rd lowest electric rates in the nation. Proximity to such an abundant fuel source, along with Owen Electric's service reliability and benchmark efficiency, have allowed the Cooperative to reduce rates by 16.1 percent since 1983.
Member