AECI's new plant helps provide affordable electricity to rural co-ops and their members
Growth and demand for electricity in rural Missouri, northeast Oklahoma and southeast Iowa drive the need for new sources of  affordable electricity. Demand among AECI's member-owners is expected to grow about 2 percent per year for the next several years. Nationally, the picture is similar. By 2030, Americans will consume 30 percent more electricity than they do today.
Associated is working hard to meet members' need for more power while also meeting its mission to provide an economical and reliable power supply. Access to affordable electricity is extremely important to all Americans, particularly those with lower or fixed incomes because energy is a larger percentage of their monthly costs.
Nationally, a family earning more than $50,000 spends only 7 percent of its income on energy-related expenses. However, a family earning $10,000 to $30,000 per year (one quarter of American families) spends 20 percent of its income to cover energy-related expenditures.
A 2007 survey of AECI's member systems revealed 46 percent of respondents live in households earning annual gross incomes of $40,000 or less, and 32 percent are age 65 or older. About 17 percent live in households earning $20,000 or less.
The survey also revealed 43 percent of members earning $40,000 or less pay on average more than $100 per month for electricity alone. That's just one reason AECI works to keep its rates affordable.
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