Sam Houston Electric Cooperative

Co-ops were created to serve the best interests of their
member-owners, and that's exactly what Sam Houston EC does.

Although electricity was readily available in urban areas by the turn of the century, most rural Americans were unable to receive its benefits until the late 1930s. Investor-owned utilities were not interested in providing electric service to rural areas, because the costs of running many miles of lines to relatively few customers prohibited making a profit. So, electric cooperatives were born.

Co-ops were created to serve their member-owners' interests rather than the monetary interests of a few investors. Sam Houston Electric Cooperative, Inc. was founded in Polk County on August 27, 1938 and received its state charter on May 16, 1939. And we've been working in the best interests of our members ever since.

In the early days, we had less than 250 miles of line serving 661 members.Today, Sam Houston Electric Cooperative ranks as one of the largest of the 69 electric cooperatives in Texas. We now maintain close to 6,000 miles of line and serve close to 50,000 members.

Our members are our partners. We provide and maintain quality electric service at the lowest possible cost. Sam Houston Electric Cooperative's mission, as stated by our Board of Directors, is to achieve member satisfaction by providing safe, reliable services at competitive prices and to improve the quality of life in the communities we serve, utilizing an exceptional workforce, while maintaining financial stability.

The 3-dimensional star in our logo has special meaning. Modeled after the star that sits atop the San Jacinto Monument honoring Sam Houston, the man, the star in our logo symbolizes the three roles Sam Houston Electric Cooperative has in our community.

History. Service. Vision.

· We have 65 years of heritage in East Texas
· We are committed to providing reliable and affordable service
· We work hard to uphold our vision to serve the best interests of our member-owners