Governance Structure

About GCEC

Grayson-Collin Electric Cooperative (GCEC) is an electric distribution cooperative owned and controlled by its members, chartered and operating under Texas Utilities Code, Title 4, Chapter 161. Your Cooperative is a private enterprise business because neither the general public nor the government owns it. The people and businesses who use the services own it as members.

Headquartered in Van Alstyne, Texas, GCEC powers approximately 85,000 members with 104,000 meters and operates over 6,275 miles of distribution power line and 6 miles of transmission line primarily in Grayson and Collin Counties.

The Cooperative Network

GCEC is part of a broad electric cooperative with affiliations designed to provide additional administrative services on a regional, state, and national level. All electric cooperatives are guided by the 7 Cooperative Principles to provide the very best service possible at the least cost possible.

Rayburn Electric Cooperative

Along with 3 other electric cooperatives, GCEC is a member/owner of Rayburn Electric Cooperative, headquartered in Rockwall, Texas. Rayburn Electric Cooperative is designed to help the member-cooperatives obtain the most reliable and economical electric power to deliver to our members.

State & National Networks

Like most of the 67 electric cooperatives in Texas, also chartered under the state’s Electric Cooperative Corporation Act, GCEC is a member/owner of Texas Electric Cooperatives (TEC) in Austin.

We are also a member of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), the National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative (NRTC), and the National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation (CFC), all located in or near the Washington, DC area.

Who Controls GCEC?

GCEC’s Board of Directors is the governing and regulatory body for the co-op. As a co-op member, you elect these directors at your Annual Meeting. The process is truly democratic – every GCEC member is entitled to 1 vote, regardless of the amount of electric service consumed. This is commonly referred to as the “1 Member – 1 Vote” democratic philosophy. The board establishes the basic business policies and sets the rates in the same manner as would any board of directors of any corporation. Administrative and personnel policies are set within the framework of the GCEC Bylaws and Electric Service Tariffs (PDF). The board employs a General Manager/Chief Executive Officer (GM/CEO) who is responsible for all operational details. The GM/CEO fulfills this responsibility by recruiting, hiring, and managing the most talented, best qualified employees available.

Your directors receive no salary. The Bylaws require they be active residential GCEC members, meaning they live within the service area and receive the same electric service as all other members. They pay the same rate for their electric service and any related services that are offered by the co-op. The board is composed of 5 directors, who are elected to serve 3-year terms at the Annual Meeting on a rotating schedule.

Your Co-op & the Texas PUC

Your board of directors is the governing and regulatory body for the co-op. The Texas Legislature passed a landmark bill deregulating the electric industry in the State of Texas during the 1999 legislative session, and as of September 1, 1999, electric cooperatives no longer fall under Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) regulation for many policy making duties.

While GCEC does not fall under the jurisdiction of PUCT, we have decided to follow many of its Substantive Rules and Regulations when it comes to co-op policy. The GCEC board makes policies and rates updates as needed.

Annual Meeting

The bylaws designate the third Monday of July as the date of the Annual Meeting of the Members. The purpose of the Annual Meeting is to elect directors, act on the reports covering operations of the cooperative for the previous fiscal year, and transact any other business that may come before the meeting. As a GCEC member you are entitled to 1 vote at the Annual Meeting.

Attending the Annual Meeting of the Members is your chance to be active in the co-op, and we find it to be both educational and entertaining for the entire family.