The Coop Advantage

Why the Coop Advantage is Right for You

A cooperative is broadly defined as a business owned and run by its members, who use and benefit from its goods or services. Cooperative businesses are driven by values and have at their core seven internationally accepted principles.

Alberta’s cooperative sector traces its roots to rural and farming groups that created coops in response to needs in their communities, often filling niches where conventional businesses were absent or unsatisfactory.

With over 70 years serving rural central Alberta, Battle River Power Coop’s (BRPC) sole mission continues to be providing electricity to our current and future members in the most reasonable and economical manner possible while providing the best possible service.

So how does being a member of BRPC benefit you?

• You are considered a member and owner rather than a customer or a number. This means you invest in the cooperative to receive your electricity, but you also participate in the democratic process.
• BRPC follows the democratic process allowing every member a vote in elections of members to the Board of Directors. Each of our Directors comes from our service area and represents you.
• We are service-focused and dedicated to providing electricity to rural areas. Though cooperatives don’t ignore the need to make a reasonable profit, the focus is on members because we exist to provide a service.
• Our Board of Directors, who are members, govern to ensure members benefit from safe, reliable, cost-effective electricity as we operate under cooperative principles, unlike the for-profit utilities.
• BRPC strives for the highest standard of professionalism and integrity, while still maintaining a close-knit, family-friendly service. Our manager knows all employees by name and lives within the BRPC service area. Local control gives BRPC more flexibility to innovate and improve on the service we provide.
• BRPC has a commitment to support and improve the lives in our communities. Our employees annually donate to food banks in our service area and volunteer for the local Habitat for Humanity. We source the majority of goods and services we use annually within our region first, and then provincially. Our Member Benefit Program helps to increase awareness of local businesses throughout our service area and encourages members to spend locally.

BRPC’s cooperative model keeps focus on the best interest of our more than 8,500 members. Our focus is on being reliable, affordable, and responsible. We are rural-focused, rural experts providing safe, reliable, cost-effective power distribution and giving rural Albertans a cooperative choice in electricity delivery.