About Claverack REC

Claverack Rural Electric Cooperative exists to serve you, our membership. We are owned by our consumer-members, and we strive to provide safe, reliable power at the lowest possible price.

Your Cooperative was incorporated on Oct. 24, 1936. The first lines were energized in November 1937. Claverack serves a 2,250 square mile area in eight counties of Northeastern Pennsylvania (Bradford, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Lycoming, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, and Wyoming). We maintain over 2,800 miles of lines and poles and provide power to over 19,000 meters.

Electricity is purchased from Allegheny Electric Cooperative, Inc., the generation supplier for all thirteen cooperatives in Pennsylvania. Purchased power is delivered to more than 20 substations owned by Claverack, located throughout our service area. The value of all property, lines, and equipment owned by your Cooperative is more than $48 million.

You elect cooperative directors each year who represent members from nine geographical areas (zones). One-third of the directors are elected each year and serve three-year terms. Directors determine the policies under which Claverack operates, set the strategic direction of the Cooperative, and employ the president & chief executive officer (CEO). The CEO selects all other personnel who carry out the policies adopted by the board. Click here to learn more about our Board of Directors.

Our Mission

Co-op Principles

Our Bylaws

History of Rural Electrification

Annual Report

Touchstone Energy Cooperatives

The Cooperative Difference

At Claverack REC, our members are at the heart of everything we do. As a not-for-profit, member-owned cooperative, we're dedicated to providing you with the best possible service at an affordable price. Guided by a board of nine directors elected directly by our membership, we aim to be a strong community partner and a recognized leader in the utility sector.

Our Mission

Claverack Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc. is a member-oriented, not-for-profit electric utility dedicated to providing safe and reliable energy and other valuable services to those we serve.

We believe in people working honestly and ethically together for the benefit of the cooperative, members, employees, and community.
We believe in responsible fiscal management consistent with cooperative principles.
We believe that the not-for-profit cooperative method is not only a sound business model, but because it puts people above profit, it is a highly ethical one.
We believe in the value of education for all those who serve the membership.
We believe in innovative thinking to solve the technological and environmental concerns of the future. We believe that the cooperative exists wholly for the benefit of our member-owners and their communities.
We believe in promoting and establishing a safe, professional, and respectful environment for our employees.
We believe that an informed membership is an understanding membership, and the cooperative will seek to openly communicate and exchange information with each member.
We believe in enhancing the rural way of life.
We believe in promoting safety awareness and education to our members and their communities.

Cooperatives around the world operate according to a core set of principles that make electric cooperatives different from other electric utilities.

Open and Voluntary Membership
Membership in a cooperative is open to all persons who can reasonably use its services and stand willing to accept the responsibilities of membership, regardless of race, religion, gender, or economic circumstances.
Democratic Member Control
Cooperatives are democratic organizations controlled by their members, who actively participate in setting policies and making decisions. Elected representatives (directors/trustees) are elected from among the membership and are accountable to the membership. In primary cooperatives, members have equal voting rights (one member, one vote); cooperatives at other levels are organized in a democratic manner.
Members’ Economic Participation
Members contribute equitably to, and democratically control, the capital of their cooperative. At least part of that capital remains the common property of the cooperative. Members allocate surpluses for any or all of the following purposes: developing the cooperative; setting up reserves; benefiting members in proportion to their transactions with the cooperative; and supporting other activities approved by the membership.
Autonomy and Independence
Cooperatives are autonomous, self-help organizations controlled by their members. If they enter into agreements with other organizations, including governments, or raise capital from external sources, they do so on terms that ensure democratic control as well as their unique identity.
Education, Training, and Information
Education and training for members, elected representatives (directors/trustees), CEOs, and employees help them effectively contribute to the development of their cooperatives. Communications about the nature and benefits of cooperatives, particularly with the general public and opinion leaders, helps boost cooperative understanding.
Cooperation Among Cooperatives
By working together through local, national, regional, and international structures, cooperatives improve services, bolster local economies, and deal more effectively with social and community needs.
Concern for Community
Cooperatives work for the sustainable development of their communities through policies supported by the membership.

The History of Rural Electrification

Before 1936, few people in rural America had electric service. Almost everyone wanted electricity, but the expense of providing service to sparsely populated areas of the countryside made rural electrification unattractive to private enterprise. In response to the overwhelming need for electric service, Congress passed the Rural Electrification Act of 1936. The legislation made federal funds available for loans (not grants) to member-owned cooperatives for the purpose of electrifying rural America.

Today, nearly 900 rural electric cooperatives are providing electric service to 75 percent of the land mass in the United States, with co-ops being an integral, locally-owned partner in the communities they serve. Co-ops work hard to ensure that rural America is not left in the dark. They work to bring economic development into the countryside. Electric cooperatives are members of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) located in Washington, D.C.

National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA)

Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association

The Touchstone Energy Difference:

A Commitment to Excellence

Touchstone Energy® Cooperatives is a nationwide network empowering local electric cooperatives like ours across 46 states. We leverage shared resources to better serve you, our member. Together, we provide reliable energy and information to over 32 million member-owners daily.

Electric cooperatives were founded to serve rural areas and have grown to become the nation's largest electric utility network. Importantly, your local Touchstone Energy cooperative remains owned and operated by you, our members, ensuring a democratic voice in our operations.

Our strength lies in community-focused values and the cooperative model. As a not-for-profit, we prioritize reliable, affordable electricity for you, not profits for shareholders.

Every member cooperative, including yours, upholds four core values that define the Touchstone Energy promise:

Integrity: We operate with honesty, transparency, and ethical principles in all our interactions.
Accountability: We are responsible to our members and committed to delivering on our promises.
Innovation: We continuously seek new and better ways to serve our members and adapt to the evolving energy landscape.
Commitment to Community: We are deeply invested in the well-being and progress of the communities we serve.

At its heart, Touchstone Energy is about putting members first. Your local cooperative embodies this philosophy with a vision that is always local, member-driven, and focused on the unique needs of our community.