National Rural Electric Cooperative Association
| Company type | Non-profit organization |
|---|---|
| Industry | Electric utility cooperative |
| Founded | 1942 |
| Headquarters | Arlington, Virginia , United States |
Area served | United States (47 states) |
Key people | Jim Matheson (CEO) |
| Products | Electricity generation, transmission, and distribution |
The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) acts as the representative body for more than 900 electric cooperatives operating in 47 states throughout the United States. Established in 1942, NRECA supports over 40 million members via cooperatives engaged in generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity. Its main office is located in Arlington, Virginia, and since 2016, the organization has been led by CEO and former U.S. Congressman Jim Matheson.
Electric cooperatives provide service to 12% of the American population while owning 42% of the nation's distribution infrastructure, covering approximately 75% of the country’s land area. More than 90% of these cooperatives utilize renewable energy sources, producing 11% of their electricity from renewables—exceeding the utility sector’s average share of 8%.
In December 2020, co-ops affiliated with NRECA obtained $1.6 billion through the FCC's Rural Digital Opportunity Fund to facilitate rural broadband deployment to nearly 900,000 locations. Subsequently, in February 2021, CEO Matheson challenged the FCC’s allocation of $886 million to SpaceX’s Starlink for close to 650,000 locations, arguing that Starlink was still "in beta testing" and had yet to demonstrate proven reliability.