Central Rural Electric Cooperative is a member-owned, not-for-profit electricity distribution utility based in Stillwater, Okla. CREC provides power to more than 22,000 meters in seven north central Oklahoma counties. The cooperative maintains more than 4,100 miles of power line and a utility plant valued in 2010 at more than $105 million. CREC is part of a network of 30 Oklahoma distribution cooperatives and 846 U.S. electric cooperatives operating in 47 states.
Today's energy environment consists of many converging issues that include alternative energy sources, regulatory and legislative concerns and emerging technologies. Smart Energy Source offers opportunities to tap into innovative energy solutions out of reach for each partner - CREC, Oklahoma State University, the City of Stillwater and C.H. Guernsey & Co. - alone. The Smart Energy Source business plan focuses on the goal of achieving sustainability and growth through partnerships. With increased sustainability and growth come financial benefits and savings that will ultimately be passed down to all consumers.
CREC brings a wealth of information and experience to the Smart Energy Source partnership. CEO David Swank serves as the managing member of Smart Energy Source, and Gary McCune, CREC Board of Trustees Chairman, and Dr. Len Tonz, District 4 Trustee, serve on the Smart Energy Source Board of Directors. Over the past several years, CREC has invested in technologies that have increased efficiencies and lowered costs. These technologies will be leveraged with the resources of other partners to move toward the future of energy through grid modernization. CREC's technology investments have resulted in the following:
- full-scale automated meter reading
- utility distribution center
- alternative energy pilot projects
- comprehensive energy audits for members
- down-line automation
- wireless communication architecture
- supervisory control and data acquisition system
- outage management system
- geographic information system
- state-of-the-art data management and security
The Smart Energy Source business model creates an integrated network of initiatives making possible each partner's participation in grid modernization, and CREC is no exception.