Sussex Rural Electric Cooperative

Sussex Rural Electric Cooperative (SREC) is a not-for-profit, member-owned electric utility headquartered in Wantage Township, New Jersey. It describes itself as "New Jersey's only electric cooperative" and states that it was founded, is owned, and is led by local consumers. Since 1937, the cooperative has supplied electricity to rural communities in Sussex County, New Jersey, and adjacent areas of New York State, operating on a cooperative model in which members share in the benefits of membership rather than a utility earning a profit for outside shareholders. SREC's business is the distribution and sale of electricity to residential, commercial, and seasonal members. Its residential rate structure includes a monthly System Connection Fee and a per-kilowatt-hour Energy Charge, with separate rates for New Jersey and New York members; the New York rates are lower because New York does not charge sales tax on electricity. The cooperative also offers billing information, payment options, service applications, construction and interconnection services, and outage reporting through a 24/7 outage line and a real-time outage map. Beyond basic electric service, SREC engages with members on energy topics such as solar power and interconnection. Its solar page explains net metering, the interconnection process for residential and commercial solar installations, and steps members can take to improve energy efficiency before investing in solar. The cooperative publishes a member magazine, Currents, and communicates cooperative news, board officer information, youth programs such as the Youth Tour, and service notices through its website and social media channels. As a cooperative, SREC is governed by a board of directors drawn from its membership and is not a publicly traded company. Its stated objective is to provide the highest possible quality of electric service at the lowest possible price, and it emphasizes local employment, community involvement, and support for local businesses. The cooperative's history page places it within the broader electric cooperative movement created under Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal in the 1930s, when the federal government encouraged rural communities to form cooperatives through loans so that rural America could receive affordable central-station electric service.

Sussex Rural Electric Cooperative traces its origins to the electric cooperative movement of the 1930s. According to the cooperative's own history, the first electric cooperatives were created in 1937 under President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal, which was intended as an economic stimulus for the depressed economy of the 1930s. Before the New Deal, rural America generally lacked central-station electric service. The only way rural residents could obtain electricity was to pay investor-owned utilities to build an electric system to their home or farm, and most families could not afford the construction cost. Under the New Deal, the federal government encouraged rural communities, through a series of loans, to form electric cooperatives for the purpose of creating an affordable electric system to serve their needs. Under the cooperative concept, the only requirement to receive electrical service was to become a member by purchasing a membership certificate for $5.00. The cooperative concept succeeded in its main goal of stimulating the economy by bringing electricity to rural communities. Sussex Rural Electric Cooperative was founded in 1937 and has served its territory since then. It describes itself as New Jersey's only electric cooperative and as a not-for-profit organization founded, owned, and led by local consumers. The cooperative's headquarters is in Wantage Township, New Jersey, and its service area includes Sussex County, New Jersey, as well as parts of neighboring New York State, reflected in separate residential rates for New Jersey and New York members. Over the decades, SREC has evolved from a rural electrification initiative into a modern distribution utility. Its operations now include a 24/7 outage reporting line, a real-time outage map, an outage management system, and advanced metering. The cooperative publishes a member magazine, Currents, and runs member engagement programs including the Youth Tour for New Jersey students. It also provides resources on solar power, net metering, and interconnection for members who wish to install solar panels, and it offers residential and commercial interconnection applications. As a member-owned cooperative, SREC is governed by a board of directors elected from its membership. The cooperative emphasizes that its employees live in the communities it serves, support local businesses, and work to provide members with the highest quality of service at the lowest possible price. Its stated objective remains to provide the highest possible quality of electric service at the lowest possible price.

• 2025

  As of December 23, 2025, residential rates include a New Jersey System Connection Fee of $46.92 per month and an energy charge of $0.1508948 per kWh, with lower rates for New York members.

• 1937

  Sussex Rural Electric Cooperative is founded as part of the New Deal-era electric cooperative movement.

• 1937

  The first electric cooperatives are created under Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal, enabling rural communities to form member-owned utilities through federal loans.

Not-for-profit, member-owned rural electric cooperative providing reliable electric service at cost to members in Sussex County, New Jersey, and nearby New York areas.

• Residential electric service

  Year-round and seasonal single-phase electric service at available secondary voltages, subject to cooperative rules and regulations.

• Commercial electric service

  Electric service for commercial members, with application and construction processes available through the cooperative.

• Solar interconnection

  Residential and commercial interconnection applications for members installing solar panels, with information on net metering and the interconnection process.

• Outage reporting and restoration

  24/7 outage reporting by phone and a real-time outage map, supported by an outage management system.

1. 1Home | SussexRECsussexrec.com
2. 2Cooperative History | SussexRECsussexrec.com
3. 3Solar Power | SussexRECsussexrec.com
4. 4Billing Information | SussexRECsussexrec.com
5. 5Sussex Rural Electric Cooperative - Wikidatawikidata.org