North East Mississippi Electric Power Association (NEMEPA) has been powering communities since 1936!
Mission
We serve by providing safe, sustainable, value-added electricity and internet services.
Vision
To create economic growth & opportunities that enrich the lives of the people in the communities we serve
The Cooperative is governed by a Board of Directors representing our Members. For more information about how we operate, refer to our Corporate Documents.
NEMEPA at a Glance
2111
Total miles of lines
30343
Total meters served
14
Meters per mile of line
920
Service area in square miles
88
Number of full-time employees
History
Riverside Dairy and NEMEPA
Getting Started
In 1935, rural leaders began meeting and organizing their own electric power associations in their communities. Locally, meetings were held in Abbeville, Taylor, Potts Camp, Oxford, Myrtle, Thaxton, Hurricane, Tula, Etta, Waterford, and New Albany for the purpose of forming an electric cooperative.
From these meetings, a board of directors was selected and an application for a certificate of incorporation for North East Mississippi Electric Power Association was filed with the state. The certificate of incorporation was granted on Nov. 20, 1936, giving directors the authority to adopt bylaws, sign up members, execute a power contract, and borrow money for construction.
Powering On
In May 1938, electricity first flowed through 95 miles of North East Mississippi Electric Power Association’s distribution lines, lighting up nearly 200 homes of members served by the New Albany substation.
Rural homes and farms in our service area were changed forever when the lights came on. Electric lights replaced oil lamps. Indoor plumbing meant no more hauling buckets of water from the well or nearby springs. Electric washing machines replaced washtubs and scrub boards. Refrigerators, stoves, electric irons, and other appliances made life a little easier.
1938: Dr. C.S. Wilkins at New Albany
1938: TVA Substation
1963: NEMEPA Office
1963: We’re cookin’ electrically, are you?
Growth to Today
North East Power’s membership has grown significantly. While the co-op still serves a number of farms, we also provide electricity to residential, commercial, and industrial members. We maintain lines in a 920-square-mile service area, which includes parts of the following counties:
Lafayette
Marshall
Union
Pontotoc
Benton
We also maintain the following substations, as well as the Waterford metering point:
- Oxford
- Taylor
- Anderson
- Woodson Ridge
- Enterprise
- Martintown
- Industrial Park
- Cornersville
- Lafayette Springs
- College Hill
- Sardis Lake
- West Oxford
- Brittany Woods
The Cooperative Difference
Unlike investor-owned utilities, electric co-operatives are owned by those they serve. Electric cooperatives, like North East Power, are non-profit. Because they are locally owned, electric cooperatives are community-focused organizations that deliver safe, reliable, and affordable energy to the members they serve.
The Electric Cooperative Story
Leaders in rural communites across the nation recognized the value of electricity heading into the 1930s. This began the nation’s electric cooperative movement. About the time the electric co-op movement began, leaders of Indiana Farm Bureau Cooperative Association drafted legislation permitting the formation of nonprofit rural electric cooperatives. To further the benefits of the electric cooperative distribution efforts, Hoosier Energy was formed in 1949 to provide its member systems a dependable, economical power supply.
Electric Cooperatives Today
Expansion of electric cooperatives changed the face of the national economy and continues to be a catalyst for economic growth today. Nearly 900 electric cooperatives across the nation are part of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), located in Arlington, Virginia. Touchstone Energy is the national brand for electric cooperatives, supporting cooperatives and their specific needs by sharing information and technology.
America’s Electric Cooperative Facts
Serve an estimated
42 million people
in 48 states
832
distribution
&
63
generation and transmission
electric cooperatives
Co-ops provide service in
2500
of
3141
counties in the United States
Own and maintain 2.7 million miles or
42% of the nation’s electric distribution lines,
Own and maintain 56% of the nation’s landmass
Co-ops serve nearly
12%
of the nation’s meters and generate nearly
5%
of the electricity produced in the United States each year
$22
billion +
generated in federal, state, and local taxes
$20
million +
businesses, homes, schools, and farms powered
Cooperative Principles
Cooperatives around the world operate according to the same set of core principles and values, adopted by the International Co-operative Alliance. These principles are a key reason why America’s electric cooperatives operate differently from other electric utilities, putting the needs of our members first.
1. Voluntary & Open Membership
Membership in a cooperative is open to all persons who can reasonably use its services and stand willing to accept the responsibilities of membership, regardless of race, religion, gender, or economic circumstances.
2. Democratic Member Control
Cooperatives are democratic organizations controlled by their members, who actively participate in setting policies and making decisions. Elected representatives (i.e. directors) are elected from among the membership and are accountable to the membership. In primary cooperatives, members have equal voting rights (1 member, 1 vote); cooperatives at other levels are organized in a democratic manner.
3. Members’ Economic Participation
Members contribute equitably to, and democratically control, the capital of their cooperative. At least part of that capital remains the common property of the cooperative. Members allocate surpluses for any or all of the following purposes: developing the cooperative; setting up reserves; benefiting members in proportion to their transactions with the cooperative; and supporting other activities approved by the membership.
4. Autonomy & Independence
Cooperatives are autonomous, self-help organizations controlled by their members. If they enter into agreements with other organizations, including governments, or raise capital from external sources, they do so on terms that ensure democratic control as well as their unique identity.
5. Education, Training, & Information
Education and training for members, elected representatives (directors), CEOs, and employees help them effectively contribute to the development of their cooperatives. Communications about the nature and benefits of cooperatives, particularly with the general public and opinion leaders, helps boost cooperative understanding.
6. Cooperation Among Cooperatives
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.
7. Concern for Community
Cooperatives work for the sustainable development of their communities through policies supported by the membership.