Palmetto Electric Cooperative Inc. is a non-profit electric

utility cooperative A utility cooperative is a type of cooperative that is tasked with the delivery of a public utility such as electricity, water or telecommunications to its members. Profits are either reinvested for infrastructure or distributed to members in t ...

headquartered in

Ridgeland, South Carolina Ridgeland is a town in Jasper and Beaufort counties, South Carolina, United States. The population was 3,749 at the 2020 census, a 7.1% decrease from 2010. It has been the county seat of Jasper County since the county's formation in 1912. Ridge ...

. It has a membership of approximately 66,000 customers.

History

Palmetto Electric was formed in 1940 by a group of residents in response to the lack of service in rural areas by investor-owned utility companies. By 1942, the company began servicing

Hampton County Hampton County is a rural County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 18,561. Its county seat is Hampton, South Carolina, Hampton. It was named ...

. Shortly thereafter, they began servicing Jasper County. In 1950, they energized the first lines to

Hilton Head Island Hilton Head Island, often referred to as simply Hilton Head, is a Lowcountry resort town and barrier island in Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. It is northeast of Savannah, Georgia (as the crow flies), and southwest of Charlesto ...

Leadership

Palmetto Electric Cooperative is governed by 12 trustees, six of whom reside in Beaufort County, three of whom reside in Hampton County, and three of whom reside in Jasper County. Board members serve terms of three years each. As of January 2012, elected persons include: *Jeremiah E. Vaigneur, Chairman, Jasper County *C. Alex Ulmer, Vice Chairman, Beaufort County *Eunice F. Spilliards, Secretary-Treasurer, Jasper County

Service area

Palmetto Electric services southern Beaufort, Hampton, and Jasper counties. There are offices located in the towns of

Hampton Hampton may refer to: Places Australia *Hampton bioregion, an IBRA biogeographic region in Western Australia * Hampton, New South Wales *Hampton, Queensland, a town in the Toowoomba Region * Hampton, Victoria ** Hampton railway station, Melbour ...

Hilton Head Hilton Head Island, often referred to as simply Hilton Head, is a Lowcountry resort town and barrier island in Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. It is northeast of Savannah, Georgia (as the crow flies), and southwest of Charlesto ...

Hardeeville Hardeeville is a city in Jasper and Beaufort counties in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 7,473 as of the 2020 census, an increase of over 150% since 2010. Hardeeville is included within the Hilton Head Island–Bluffton met ...

, and Ridgeland.

Charity

In 2017, Palmetto Electric donated $50,000 to the TCL's Criminal Justice Program towards their virtual weapons training system, which can be used by local law enforcement agencies to educate and improve the skills of law enforcement officers.

Affiliations

* Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina: provides legal services, public relations and advertising, employee training, and insurance to members. *

National Rural Electric Cooperative Association The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) represents the interests of over 900 electric cooperatives in the United States. Cooperatives are not-for-profit and are owned by their membership. Founded in 1942, NRECA unites the coun ...

* Palmetto Economic Development Corporation *

Touchstone Energy Touchstone Energy Cooperatives (also called simply Touchstone) is a cooperative federation composed of more than 750 local, consumer-owned utility cooperatives in 46 states in the United States The United States of America (USA), also know ...

Energy sources

Palmetto Electric receives 100% of its energy from

Santee Cooper __NOTOC__ Santee Cooper, also known officially from the 1930s as the South Carolina Public Service Authority, is South Carolina's state-owned electric and water utility that came into being during the New Deal as both a rural electrification and ...

References

{{reflist Electric cooperatives of the United States Electric power companies of the United States Energy infrastructure in South Carolina Companies based in South Carolina Hilton Head Island–Beaufort micropolitan area American companies established in 1940 Energy companies established in 1940 1940 establishments in South Carolina Cooperatives based in South Carolina