Jeff Lewis, General Manager
Cooperatives around the world operate according to the same set of seven core principles and values, adopted by the International Co-operative Alliance.
By working together through local, national, regional, and international structures, cooperatives improve services, bolster local economies and deal more effectively with social and community needs.
Every day, Little River is hard at work to make sure all our member-consumers have the electric power they need at the best possible price. And behind the scenes, we are working with a network of cooperatives to make that happen.
Our cooperative is a member of Central Electric Power Cooperative (CEPCI), a generation and transmission cooperative that supplies power to us and 19 other electric cooperatives. CEPCI is structured with a board of directors representing each cooperative owner.
The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina, Inc. is the statewide service and trade association for electric cooperatives in the state. Electric cooperative associations— like the medical association (physicians), the bar association (attorneys), or the Association of Realtors—often provide a variety of services for their members including government relations, legal services, public relations and advertising, employee safety, and training programs and insurance services.
It also takes money to run an electric co-op, so when we need to borrow capital, we sometimes turn to the National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation (CFC), or CoBank. Both of these organizations are also cooperatives. CFC is owned by electric co-ops throughout the country, and CoBank is owned by electric and agricultural co-ops nationwide.
As you know, every month we generate an electric bill that we send to you either electronically or through regular mail. We currently use Southeastern Data Cooperative, which provides comprehensive enterprise solutions and support services to approximately 300 electric distribution utilities across the United States.
No business can operate without several different types of insurance, such as general liability, auto, and workmen’s compensation. So once again, along with other electric cooperatives across the country, we are members of Federated Rural Electric Insurance Exchange. This allows us to maintain reliable coverage at an affordable price.
Finally, Little River is a member of Touchstone Energy, a nationwide alliance of more than 700 local, member-owned electric cooperatives in 46 states. Our participation allows us access to a wealth of informational materials. It also allows us to benchmark our performance in comparison with other co-ops so that we can learn from others as we constantly strive to serve you better.
So, while you are a member of one electric co-op, you are actually connected to many other co-ops. And being connected to this cooperative network ensures your needs are met in the most efficient and cooperative way possible.
JEFF LEWIS
General Manager
Do you need to update your contact info?
In the event of a power outage, it’s important that Little River Electric has your correct account information.
Up-to-date contact information can potentially speed up the power restoration process during an outage.
If you have changed or added phone numbers, or your status has changed in any way, your co-op has four easy ways to update account information.
