TEC Forms Alliance With Guadalupe Valley EC
February 21, 2018
AUSTIN, Texas—Texas Electric Cooperatives has announced an alliance with Guadalupe Valley Electric Cooperative, a south-central Texas electric cooperative. The agreement brings more than 9,800 miles of line and more than 80,000 meters in 13 counties into areas currently served by partnerships with the statewide association.
“This alliance is important on many levels,” said Johnny Andrews, chief operating officer of TEC Manufacturing & Distribution Services. “Not only is Guadalupe Valley Electric Cooperative an important force in the south-central Texas power infrastructure, they are a leader in using technology to benefit their members. We look forward to working together to serve GVEC members.”
Modern rural residents have faced the same kind of challenges getting internet service that their predecessors experienced getting electricity. GVEC has broadened its services to stay ahead of those needs. Because of this, the co-op created GVEC.net in 1998, becoming the first provider in the more rural parts of its service area. Now, GVEC offers high-speed fiber internet connections and spearheads the SunHub Community Solar Program.
“Guadalupe Valley Electric Cooperative is constantly looking for new and better ways to serve our members,” said Darren Schauer, GVEC CEO. “An alliance with TEC and utilizing the power of cooperative principles certainly fits that bill.”
The agreement with GVEC marks TEC’s 23rd alliance partnership, a relationship built around strengthening Texas’ cooperative network. The alliance supply model is fundamental to reducing operational and redundant costs, producing an immediate benefit for each cooperative’s bottom line. Leveraging the aggregation and scale that alliance partnerships create, TEC makes high-quality products from leading manufacturers available at competitive prices. TEC is proud to be able to pass on those savings to its member cooperatives.
“Every new alliance strengthens the negotiating power of cooperatives who are already partners,” Andrews explained. “That’s why expanding alliance partnerships has become a priority for TEC leadership.”