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Choctawhatchee Electric Cooperative, Inc., (CHELCO) is a MEMBER-OWNED, not-for-profit electric distribution cooperative employing more than 170 people and serving more than 61,000 accounts in Walton, Okaloosa, Holmes and Santa Rosa counties in the panhandle of Florida.

The cooperative owns and maintains over 4,100 miles of line including those on Eglin Air Force Base.

We have six area offices including our headquarters in DeFuniak Springs.

CHELCO is a distribution cooperative that exclusively purchases its energy from PowerSouth Energy Cooperative. CHELCO is democratically controlled by its member-owners, who vote to elect the Board of Trustees. Each Trustee is also a CHELCO member, and they are elected on three-year cycles and represent nine districts throughout our service territory.

History

Although most cities had electricity by the mid-1930s, rural Americans were still in the dark.  The high cost of building electric distribution lines to serve sparsely populated rural areas was thought to be unprofitable.

Then in 1940, with the support of the federal Rural Electrification Administration's oversight and low-interest loans, the people of northwest Florida decided to band together to form CHELCO, a member-owned, not-for-profit electric distribution cooperative.   

Later that same year, CHELCO members met with 10 other electric cooperatives and formed Alabama Electric Cooperative (now PowerSouth Energy Cooperative), a generation and transmission cooperative established to generate the electricity needed by its member co-ops.

CHELCO is dedicated to providing safe, reliable and affordable electricity and has not had a rate increase since 2012. Membership, in 1940 and today, costs $5.00. 

 

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©2023 Choctawhatchee Electric Cooperative (CHELCO). Powering our community, empowering our people!

  • Home
  • About Us
    • About CHELCO
    • Careers
    • CHELCO NEWS
    • Contact CHELCO
    • Key personnel
    • Press Releases & Media Contact
      • CHELCO's annual charity golf tournament raised over $8k
      • CHELCO powers-up first co-op solar array in NW Florida
    • The Cooperative Difference
    • Trustees and elections
    • Annual Reports
    • CHELCO Bylaws
    • Recipes
  • Storm Center
  • Member Service
    • New Member Service
    • Capital Credits
    • CHELCO Rates
    • New Construction
    • Offices & Hours
    • Statement & Billing Options
    • Ways to Pay
  • Energy Efficiency
    • Energy Efficiency Programs
    • Renewables
    • Electric Vehicles
    • Outdoor & Decorative Lighting
    • Switch to Save
    • Surge Protection
    • Heat Pump Rebates
    • Energy Audits
    • Energy calculators
    • Together We Save
    • State and Federal Programs
    • Energy Efficiency Cost Benefit
    • Manufactured Home Rebates
    • Energy Savings - Beat the Peak
  • Education & Community Programs
    • Operation Round Up
    • Members Helping Members
    • Education Programs
    • Co-op Connections Discount Program
    • Scholarships
    • Youth Tour
    • Annual Meeting
    • Co-ops Vote
    • CHELCO Charity Golf Tournament
    • Economic Development
  • Blog
  • Podcast