Energy Trails Day at the Capitol | OEC News

In the spirit of cooperation, friendship and concern for community, Oklahoma’s electric cooperatives have sponsored five international electrification projects in the countries of Bolivia and Guatemala since 2016. These projects have brought first-time access.

Legislative Recognition of the Oklahoma Volunteer Efforts

Earlier this year, nearly 40 Oklahoma cooperative volunteer linemen who have spent at least three weeks in these missions were honored by the Oklahoma Legislature with citations signed by Governor Kevin Stitt and lawmakers.

The Role of NRECA International in Energy Development

The international electrification projects have been possible through the coordination of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s philanthropic arm, NRECA International.

Five Electrification Projects Completed in Bolivia and Guatemala

As a result of five completed projects, approximately 700 first-time connections to electricity have been made to homes, businesses, elementary schools, health centers and churches.

Empowering Communities with Electricity Access

Volunteer linemen built powerlines on each of the villages, installed transformers and conducted internal wiring preparing each structure to safely receive electric power for the first time.

Transforming Lives Through Rural Electrification: The Impact

These projects enable residents in far-away villages to enjoy better access to education, economic development, health care, security, proper refrigeration and appliances, overall enhancing quality of life.

“A common theme I observed on my trip to Guatemala in 2019 was although the villagers are impoverished and lived in conditions we cannot fathom, they had more joy than anyone I’ve met since,” said OEC Lineman and Unit Foreman Nate Hulse. “What they didn’t know was it brought us just as much or more joy being able to give them something they didn’t have.”

Electric cooperatives have a long-standing tradition of bringing lights where there are none.

The Oklahoma Energy Trails Foundation: Powering the Future

In 2016, Oklahoma’s electric cooperatives established a 501(c)3 not-for-profit, The Oklahoma Energy Trails Foundation, to support the cause of international electrification.

“We believe in paying it forward. More than 80 years ago, rural Oklahoma and rural America were in the dark while urban areas enjoyed the benefits of electricity. Farmers and ranchers banded together to form rural electric cooperatives and bring themselves the gift of electricity,” said Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives General Manager Chris Meyers said. “Investing in missions like this takes us back to our roots. Cooperatives stand on a legacy of service and of empowering communities with opportunity.”