When you flip a switch, electricity arrives instantly. But getting that power to your home requires three different cooperative organizations working together.

Central Rural Electric Cooperative is one of nine Oklahoma distribution cooperatives that receive power through their membership in KAMO Power, a generation and transmission cooperative (G&T) based in Vinita. KAMO Power is one of six G&Ts in the region that owns Associated Electric Cooperative, Inc. (AECI), located in Springfield, Missouri. AECI is a generation cooperative responsible for the generation of affordable and reliable electricity for its G&T consumer-owners. The AECI footprint provides power to 2.1 million people in Oklahoma, Missouri and Iowa.

How electricity gets to you

AECI produces electricity and ensures enough power is available to meet members’ needs. AECI serves as a balancing authority, which ensures that energy supply and demand are adequately balanced. Balancing authorities are responsible for maintaining operating conditions under mandatory reliability standards.

KAMO moves that electricity across high-voltage power lines over long distances. They deliver to substations where Central can access the electricity.

Finally, Central delivers electricity through poles and power lines directly to your homes, farms and businesses.

Demand

One of the most important factors in providing reliable power is managing demand. During extreme hot or cold weather, thousands of members may run air conditioners and other appliances simultaneously.

Because electricity must be generated the moment it is used, generation cooperatives like AECI must have enough resources available to meet these periods of peak demand. Meeting members’ demand requires planning, forecasting and coordination at all levels of the three-tiered system.

By understanding how the three-tiered system works and how demand affects the grid, members can better understand the teamwork required to provide safe, reliable and affordable electricity every day.