Nationally recognized for innovative and advanced use of technology, Vermont Electric Cooperative (VEC) is the largest locally owned electric distribution utility in Vermont.

Established in 1938 to bring electricity to rural Vermonters, VEC serves its member-owners in 74 towns and eight counties. VEC employs approximately 100 Vermonters with headquarters in Johnson, Vermont, and service centers in Grand Isle, Newport and Richford.

As a consumer-owned cooperative, VEC is a democratic organization controlled by its members.  Members elect local representatives to serve on VEC’s twelve member Board of Directors to represent geographically-based districts and zones. These directors actively participate in setting policies, making decisions, and are accountable to the membership.

A Bit of History

At its origination, VEC was founded to serve residents in parts of rural Lamoille County who had been bypassed by investor-owned utilities. Early service extensions continued into Chittenden and Franklin counties. From 1940 through 1960, our service territory continued to expand in Northern Vermont through the construction of new lines and the acquisition of small private companies. VEC expanded its territory into Southern Vermont through a merger with Halifax Electric Cooperative. In 1970, VEC acquired the International Electric Company serving the Derby Line area along the Canadian border.

VEC completed the acquisition of Citizens Communications Company’s Vermont Electric Division on April 1, 2004, which more than doubled our membership. Recognizing that members in the southern district could be more efficiently served by another distribution utility already serving much of this territory, VEC sold its Southern District in the Windham and Windsor counties to Central Vermont Public Service (CVPS). This district served approximately 2,770 members. This district also included twelve members in three towns on the Massachusetts/Vermont border, which VEC sold to Western Massachusetts Electric Company (WMECO) on December 8, 2006.

VEC continues to focus on improving our system performance. An increase in capital funding is allowing us to focus our efforts on critical system improvements including higher levels of vegetation management, substation and line replacements, and maintenance activities. VEC recently completed construction of a new transmission substation in Enosburg, which will improve reliability for VEC members between Highgate and Newport, as well as transmission reliability for the Village of Enosburg.