East-Central Iowa Rural Electric Cooperative became a reality in 1995, born from two independent county electric cooperatives: Buchanan County Rural Electric Cooperative and Benton County Electric Cooperative Association. Before they voted for consolidation, these cooperatives had operated separately for nearly 60 years. Today, ECI REC serves over 9,246 member-accounts, with over 2,297 miles of electric lines in 11 counties.

This present prosperity would never have been possible without the vision and commitment of your Cooperative’s earliest leaders: those who founded ECI REC’s two parent cooperatives. Today, both Benton County ECA and Buchanan County REC would be nearly 90 years old. ECI REC celebrates the determination of these early pioneers for rural electrification. The strong foundation laid by our parent cooperatives has made it possible for the cooperative spirit to live on today. ECI REC continues to make positive contributions to the communities we serve and demonstrate the benefits of receiving electricity from a utility that you—our member-consumers—own.

Today, ECI REC remains focused on meeting the challenges of providing affordable, reliable electricity to our member-consumers in a changing world. With the cooperative principles guiding our way, ECI REC will continue to be an asset to the families and businesses in our region of Iowa for years to come.

Photo credit: Roseberry Photography