Glades Electric Cooperative

Glades Electric Cooperative is a not-for-profit, member-owned and member-led electric distribution cooperative based in Moore Haven, Florida. Its service area spans portions of Glades, Hendry, Highlands, and Okeechobee counties, bringing power to Florida's Heartland. The cooperative was officially established on January 25, 1945, after local residents organized in the fall of 1944 to bring electricity to their homes and farms. Today it powers more than 19,000 accounts across 2,600 miles of line, with headquarters in Moore Haven and a satellite office in Lake Placid.

In the early 1940s, investor-owned utilities were unable to extend electricity to Florida's rural communities, leaving many residents without power. The passage of the Rural Electrification Act in 1936 made it possible for these communities to form electric cooperatives with the help of federal loans. Determined to bring electricity to their homes and farms, local residents joined forces in the fall of 1944, going door to door collecting membership applications. On January 25, 1945, they gathered on the steps of the Moore Haven courthouse to officially establish Glades Electric Cooperative. Even today, Glades Electric serves more sparsely populated areas than neighboring investor-owned utilities, with an average of just seven meters per mile of service line—compared to 63 and 78 meters per mile for nearby IOUs. Despite these challenges, Glades Electric continues to grow and innovate, powering more than 19,000 accounts across 2,600 miles of line, with headquarters in Moore Haven and a satellite office in Lake Placid.

Not-for-profit, member-owned, member-led electric cooperative serving rural Florida communities.

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1. 1Glades Electric Cooperativegladeselectric.com
2. 2Our Story – Glades Electric Cooperativegladeselectric.com
3. 3About Us – Glades Electric Cooperativegladeselectric.com
4. 4Member Services – Glades Electric Cooperativegladeselectric.com