Local electric cooperatives may be small, independent businesses, but together they make a huge difference in the nation’s economy.
The co-ops support nearly 612,000 American jobs and contributed $440 billion in U.S. gross domestic product from 2013 to 2017, or $88 billion annually, according to a new report. The report found that electric co-ops contributed $881 billion in U.S. sales output, $200 million in labor income and $112 billion in federal, state and local tax revenues.
“This report quantifies what many rural American families and businesses know well — electric cooperatives are powerful engines of economic development in their local communities,” National Rural Electric Cooperative Association CEO Jim Matheson said. “Affordable and reliable electricity is a key ingredient for a successful economy.”
The report was conducted by FTI Consulting for NRECA and the National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation with information from 815 distribution and 57 transmission cooperatives.