Lynches River Electric Cooperative is a member-owned cooperative headquartered in Pageland, South Carolina.
Founded in 1939, the co-op provides service to more than 21,000 residential, commercial and industrial consumers in Chesterfield, Kershaw, and Lancaster counties.
What is a Cooperative?
Cooperatives are not-for-profit, consumer-owned businesses. Electric cooperatives were formed over 70 years ago with the specific task of electrifying rural America. South Carolina’s electric cooperatives now serve over half a million consumers or nearly one-third of the population of our state. Together, this makes us the largest utility in the state in the total number of consumers served and the only utility with a statewide electrical system.
There are other advantages to cooperatives as well:
Cooperatives Put Consumers First
Cooperatives build and maintain three times the miles of power line of other utilities and do so at comparable rates despite fewer revenues. They do this by operating on a not-for-profit, cost-of-service basis. The margins are given back to the members, in the form of capital credits, to reduce their electric costs.
Once a consumer pays the $5 membership fee, they become a part owner of the cooperative. They have a voice in how the cooperative is operated and influence this process through casting their vote at the annual meeting.
The bylaws of all cooperatives require that they hold an annual meeting of members once a year. Lynches River’s annual meeting is held in the fall and is attended by approximately 1500 members.
It is also at the annual meeting that Lynches River’s nine-member board of trustees is elected from the membership by the members.
Locally Owned & Operated
Because the members of the cooperative are also the owners, the cooperative is locally owned and operated. Employees of the cooperative are also local residents who are familiar with the needs of the communities they serve.
More Responsive
This all adds up to mean that cooperatives are more responsive to their members’ needs. Whether this is a new substation to serve a neighborhood or business or a new program to make life easier for our members, Lynches River will always be Connected to You®.
Our Service Area
Lynches River Electric Cooperative services members in Chesterfield, Lancaster, and Kershaw counties. View the service area map