The Energy Cooperative is an electric, natural gas and propane cooperative with more than 70,000 accounts serving members in east central Ohio. We do not have customers or shareholders. Cooperatives are owned by their members.
The Energy Cooperative proudly offers residential, business, commercial and industrial services. We look forward to showing you the cooperative difference!
Why Were Cooperatives Formed?
By the mid-1930s, almost every urban area in the United States had electric service. In rural areas, only 10 percent of people had electricity, and investor-owned utilities could not justify building miles of line to service only a few consumers. Today, Ohio’s electric cooperatives serve nearly 380,000 homes and businesses in Ohio, and there are nearly 900 rural electric cooperatives across the nation serving 42 million consumer-members.
Our Story
In 1936, a group of farmers in Licking and Knox counties decided to take advantage of a federal program offered by the Rural Electrification Administration (REA) by forming an electric cooperative known as Licking Rural Electrification (LRE). At inception, five people were employed to service 410 members and 143 miles of electric line. The George Conrad Farm on Smoketown Road was the first member-owner to be energized. For 40 years, the office was located one mile south of Utica, Ohio on State Route 13 and was built in 1959. In 1998, LRE moved the headquarters to Newark, Ohio.
In October of 1998, Licking Rural Electrification, Inc. acquired National Gas & Oil Company and its subsidiaries, National Gas & Oil Corp., Producers Gas Sales, NGO Development Corp., NGO Transmission, Inc., and NGO Propane. The Energy Cooperative is the trade name used by LRE and its subsidiaries.
Licking Rural Electrification, Inc. (LRE) is a cooperative that distributes safe, reliable electricity to more than 27,046 members in nine counties in central Ohio. LRE owns, operates, and maintains nearly 3,000 miles of distribution lines, 40 miles of transmission lines, 20 substations and three switching stations. We purchase our energy from Buckeye Power. Buckeye Power’s base-load generation assets serve the day-to-day needs of Ohio’s cooperative members.
National Gas & Oil Cooperative (NGO) is a retail natural gas distribution cooperative that provides natural gas service to more than 38,300 residential and commercial members within a seven-county area. This service is provided through a network of nearly 1,013 miles of distribution pipelines. These pipeline systems have natural gas throughput volumes exceeding 9,000 Mcf per year. Natural gas is delivered to the pipeline system through NGO Transmission and Columbia Gas Transmission Corp. NGO also gathers gas from approximately 100 local wells.
NGO Propane (NGOP) is a propane distribution cooperative that serves over 4,956 members in twelve counties. The team handled more than 10,000 propane delivers and our trucks traveled 87,000 miles in 2022. NGO-P was one of Ohio's first metered propane services, allowing members to pay only for the propane consumed each month.
NGO Transmission, Inc. (NGOT) NGOT provides natural gas service to both affiliates and non-affiliates through a network of 155 miles of transmission pipelines and three underground gas storage fields.
Producers Gas Sales, Inc. (Producers) was formed in response to deregulation of the natural gas industry. Producers is a marketer of natural gas and serves high-volume consumers. The natural gas service is provided by interstate supply, local production, and on-system storage fields. Producers offers many services that can help businesses budget for their natural gas needs and keep them competitive in the marketplace.
NGO Development Corp. (NGOD) was formed through a series of acquisitions for the purpose of securing local natural gas supply.
Cooperative Documents
Mission & Vision
Our Mission
To provide safe and reliable energy to our member-owners with highly-responsive service, consistent with cooperative principles.
Our Vision
That our member-owners truly benefit from their membership in The Energy Cooperative, by receiving safe reliable energy and highly-responsive service at fair and reasonable prices and that the communities we serve are enhanced due to our presence.