About Us

Northwestern Electric Cooperative, Inc. (NWEC) was incorporated July 10, 1940, after farmers and ranchers in the northwestern part of Oklahoma were unable to secure electrical service from any other source.  The Cooperative was organized to perform a service and not as a profit making organization.

The Cooperative has grown and branched out to serve in Woodward, Ellis, Harper, Beaver, Major, Woods and Dewey Counties.  Today, NWEC has a workforce of 55 employees, and provides electricity to over 11,000 meters and 4,800 miles of line.  We provide energy needs to industrial, commercial and residential members throughout northwest Oklahoma.

NWEC purchases all of the power it sells to its members from Western Farmers Electric Cooperative (WFEC), a generation and transmission cooperative.  NWEC, along with 18 other cooperatives in the state, owns Western Farmers.  Ray Smith of Taloga serves on the WFEC board of directors.

The Cooperative also belongs to the Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives (OAEC) and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA). Serving on the OAEC board of directors is John Bruce, Jr. of Sharon.

Nine directors elected from the membership determine major policies of the Cooperative and hire a manager to conduct the day-to-day business and carry out board policies.

Directors are local members of the cooperative who run for election every three years, and are voted on by members in their district. Details on trustee eligibility can be found in Article IV section 2.1 in our bylaws.

Members of the cooperative have many opportunities to be involved in the business operations of the cooperative - for example, attending and participating in district and annual meetings. Each member is part of one of the co-op's nine districts and every three years a meeting will be hosted somewhere in their district which will consist of a board member election - if applicable - and an update from the co-op staff. Another vitally important event is the co-op's annual meeting. Each year the cooperative will host a business meeting open to all members to attend and learn more about what has gone on in the co-op for the past year. Any changes to the bylaws are also brought to the membership for a vote at the annual meeting.