Serving more than 5,200 consumer-members in four upstate New York counties, the small co-op’s service territory primarily consists of the rural areas surrounding 21 towns. Organized in the months before the United States entered World War II, a lack of materials and power prevented it from beginning service until June 29, 1944, when just over eight miles of line was energized to serve 12 farms. The co-op currently operates more than 800 miles of distribution line and has worked with local and state authorities to provide reliable, affordable electric power and promote economic development in New York’s Catskills region.