The History of Douglas Electric Cooperative
Douglas Electric Cooperative (DEC) is a private, not-for-profit
electric utility owned by the members it serves. It was established
to provide its members with the most reliable electric service
at the lowest possible cost. DEC’s service area covers
2200 square miles in western and northern Douglas County,
with small portions in northeast and southeast Coos County
and south Lane County. City of Drain is not within DEC’s
boundaries.
A seven member Board of Directors governing the cooperative
is elected by and from its membership; therefore, the members
ultimately control the cooperative. The Board meets monthly
to set policies and review the operations of DEC. Its directors
are elected at the Annual Meeting held each year on the first
Saturday in April. Each director serves, without salary, a
three year term. Nominations for election to the Board of
Directors from each respective district are made by petition
signed by 15 or more members who reside in that district and
must be filed in DEC’s headquarters at least 60 days
prior to the Member Meeting.
While each member owns the cooperative, no member shall
be individually liable or responsible for any debts or liabilities
of the cooperative.
Why Electric Cooperatives?
In the early 1930’s, prior to the establishment of
electric cooperatives such as Douglas Electric, rural America
was almost in total darkness. Nearly 90 percent of our nation’s
rural areas were without electricity.
In 1936, Congress acted to remove rural areas from the “Dark
Ages” by creating the Rural Utilities Service (RUS),
formerly the Rural Electrification Administration (REA). Initially,
low-interest REA loans were made available to commercial power
companies for the purpose of electrifying rural areas.
Why Douglas Electric Cooperative?
When the power companies failed to take advantage of REA
loans, the agency turned to providing loans to locally-owned
electric cooperatives.
On September 7, 1939, West Douglas Electric Cooperative
began supplying power to 209 members. On July 15, 1941, North
Douglas Electric Cooperative began supplying power to 125
members. A merger of the two young cooperatives was ratified
on June 30, 1942, to form the present day Douglas Electric
Cooperative.
Electric cooperatives have helped to bring rural America
out of the “Dark Ages.” Obviously, so important
a job is never completely done.
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