North Carolina's Electric Cooperatives history

1950 NCRECA incorporates as Tarheel Electric Membership Association, Inc. (TEMA) to perform communications, government relations and job training functions for its 19 member cooperatives.

1951 TEMA has 29 member cooperatives.

1952 TEMA buys Carolina Farmer, hires executive manager William T. Crisp, opens an office in downtown Raleigh.

1958 Eastern merges with the western cooperatives’ power supply organization to become North Carolina Electric Membership Corporation (NCEMC). Responsibilities expand to include other statewide services.

1959 All 32 cooperatives are members of NCEMC.

1960 NCEMC places the administration of its operations in the TEMA offices, hires Walter E. Fuller as executive secretary and William T. Crisp as general counsel.

1972 TEMA merges into NCEMC, which assumes all TEMA’s functions, assets and liabilities.

1975 The cooperatives revise TEMA’s charter to transform it into a material supply and central purchasing cooperative.

1978 28 cooperatives form the North Carolina Association of Electric Cooperatives, Inc. (NCAEC) to assume NCEMC’s functions in public relations, government relations, member services and job safety and training.

1981 NCEMC becomes part owner of Catawba Nuclear Station in York County, S.C.

1989 NCEMC builds two peak generation plants on the Outer Banks, one at Buxton and another on Ocracoke Island.

1993 Seven cooperatives form the CEC Self Insurance Fund to fund workers compensation insurance.

On October 13, 1997, Curtis Wynn began his administration as the leader of Roanoke EC. Wynn is the first African American in the nation to serve as the top executive of an electric cooperative.

1998 NCEMC and member cooperatives create TSE Services, a limited liability corporation, to market energy-related services and products to consumers.

2002 NCEMC and 26 member cooperatives form EMC Technologies, LLC, a for-profit company that provides information technology and telecommunications services to NCEMC, member co-ops and others.

2004 TEMA completes construction of a new warehouse and office on Wadford Doctor, off US 1 North, in North Raleigh.

2006 NCEMC builds two 300-megawatt peak load generation facilities, fueled primarily by natural gas, in Anson and Richmond counties.

2008 GreenCo Solutions, Inc. is formed to help member cooperatives meet their energy efficiency and renewable energy goals.

In November 2009, Roanoke Electric moved its core operation to just outside the city limits of Ahoskie, North Carolina to 518 NC 561 W, Aulander, North Carolina.

2015 NCEMC partners with member cooperatives to bring “community solar” projects online, giving cooperative members the opportunity to participate in the solar energy movement by allowing them to buy the rights to the energy output of cooperative-owned solar panels.

In 2016, the cooperative started a telecom business, Roanoke Connect Holdings, to deliver broadband connectivity to its membership.

2017 North Carolina’s electric cooperatives have channeled more than $52 million in REDLG loans and grants to projects across the state, supporting the creation of more than 4,000 jobs.