Every year brings new opportunities and new challenges, but one thing has remained constant throughout Big Country Electric Cooperative’s history: our commitment to serving our members.
Today, our industry is changing at a pace unlike anything we’ve experienced before. Advances in technology, evolving regulations, increasing demand for electricity and rising costs are reshaping how electric cooperatives operate across Texas. While those changes present new challenges, they also create opportunities to strengthen our system and better prepare for the future.
As your electric cooperative, our responsibility extends beyond keeping the lights on today. We have a duty to make thoughtful decisions that ensure safe, reliable and affordable service for years to come. That commitment is reflected in the work happening across every department of the cooperative.
Long before construction begins or crews arrive at a job site, our engineering, operations, finance and member services teams work together to plan for the future. New substations, system improvements, technology upgrades and long-range forecasting all require years of preparation.
In the past, a five-year forecast often provided a clear picture of where the cooperative was headed. Today, the pace of growth across Texas requires us to think 10, 15 and even 20 years into the future. Our goal is to ensure we’re prepared for whatever lies ahead while continuing to provide dependable service to the members we serve today.
One topic members have heard about this year is our upcoming rate update. Like families and businesses throughout our communities, electric cooperatives have experienced significant increases in the cost of materials, equipment, fuel, labor and contracted services over the past several years. Items such as transformers, poles, wire and vehicles cost substantially more than they did only a few years ago.
Similar to the cooperative’s previous rate adjustment, in 2019, these changes are being implemented gradually to help lessen the impact on members.
We understand that no one welcomes an increase. That’s why these decisions are never made lightly. Every discussion comes back to one important question: How will this affect our members? We work hard to balance affordability with the responsibility of maintaining a safe, reliable electric system for generations to come.
Another topic generating questions this year has been the growing number of large electric load requests across Texas, including data centers and other major industrial facilities. While these projects represent significant growth opportunities for the state, it’s important to understand that they are not the reason for Big Country EC’s current rate update.
Like all electric cooperatives, we’re required to provide service fairly and without discrimination. However, requests for exceptionally large electric loads undergo a much more extensive technical, engineering, regulatory and risk assessment process than a typical residential, agricultural or small commercial service request.
Before any project can move forward, cooperative engineers work alongside regional and statewide partners to evaluate how the proposed load would affect both the local electric system and the broader transmission grid. Every project must meet established reliability standards and the co-op’s terms and conditions of service before it can be considered.
Throughout that process, our priority remains the same: protecting the reliability of our electric system and continuing to provide dependable service for the members and communities we already serve.
As our communities continue to grow, so does the amount of work happening behind the scenes. New homes, businesses, RV parks, agricultural operations and commercial developments all require careful planning and coordination before construction ever begins. Our employees work diligently every day to meet those needs while maintaining the electric system that serves more than 6,000 members across our service territory.
Whether it’s a member services representative answering questions about a bill, a staking technician designing a new line extension, an engineer planning infrastructure or a lineworker restoring power after a storm, every employee shares the same purpose: serving our members.
That service extends beyond providing electricity. As a member-owned co-op, we’re guided by principles of stewardship, responsibility and community. Every investment we make, every project we undertake and every decision we consider is made with the understanding that we’ve been entrusted with something valuable.
Looking ahead, our focus remains clear. We’ll continue investing wisely in our electric system, planning responsibly for growth and making decisions that strengthen the cooperative for the long term.
Thank you for the trust you’ve placed in Big Country EC. It’s a responsibility we take seriously, and we’re honored to continue serving you, your families and our communities for many years to come.
