Abstract:
Thomas, CEO of North Carolina Membership Corp., discusses the impact the state's twenty-seven electric cooperatives have on the North Carolina economy. These cooperatives have been in operation over sixty years. They recently commissioned an independent study to determine how much they contribute to the economy. The study reveals that electric cooperatives pump about $1.63 billion a year into the economy; employ over 2,500 people; pay $57.8 annually in state and local taxes; and pay over $93 million in wages and salaries.