About Us

About Clay Electric Cooperative

Clay Electric Cooperative, Inc. (CECI) is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric distribution cooperative headquartered in Flora, Illinois. Since 1944, we have provided safe, reliable and affordable electric service to rural homes, farms and businesses across parts of Clay, Effingham, Fayette, Jasper, Marion, Richland and Wayne counties.

Our purpose has remained simple: serve our members well, operate the electric system safely and responsibly, and strengthen the communities we call home.
 

Our History

In the early 1940s, many rural areas of south-central Illinois still had no electric service. The distance between rural homes and farms made these areas costly for investor-owned utilities to serve. Local residents decided to solve the problem together.

Neighbors met, signed up prospective members and went door to door collecting $5 from each new cooperative member. Those early member investments helped establish a locally owned electric system built to serve people other utilities had passed by.

On September 9, 1944, Clay Electric energized its first lines. The new cooperative served 41 member-owners across 39 miles of line. Electricity transformed daily life: homes gained lighting and modern appliances, while farms could use electric pumps, refrigeration and labor-saving equipment. Just as importantly, the people receiving service also owned the cooperative and had a voice in its future.
 

Growing With Our Members

After those first 39 miles, Clay Electric continued extending service to rural families throughout the area. Over time, its service territory grew to include portions of seven counties. The cooperative’s work also evolved from bringing electricity to unserved areas to maintaining and rebuilding lines, managing vegetation, restoring outages, improving reliability and adopting new technology.

Important modern milestones include the cooperative’s implementation of digital mapping and electronic staking tools beginning in 2015 and its move into a new, more efficient headquarters at 7784 Old Highway 50 in March 2019. Both projects were intended to help Clay Electric serve members more safely and effectively.

Today, Clay Electric maintains 877 miles of energized line and serves 3,237 meters. Despite the scale and technology of a modern electric system, the cooperative remains locally owned and locally accountable.
 

Member-Owned. Locally Governed.

Clay Electric’s members elect a nine-member Board of Directors from nine geographic districts. Directors serve three-year terms, with three districts up for election at each annual meeting. The Board establishes cooperative policy and hires the CEO, while the CEO is responsible for day-to-day operations.

Because Clay Electric is a not-for-profit cooperative, it does not operate to generate returns for outside shareholders. Revenue beyond the cost of providing service is allocated to members as capital credits and may be returned as the cooperative’s financial condition allows. This structure keeps the cooperative focused on long-term service, reliability and the needs of its members.
 

More Than Electricity

Delivering safe, reliable and affordable electricity is our first responsibility, but service to members does not end at the meter. 

Clay Electric also provides:

• Outage response and restoration
• Safety and energy information
• Youth leadership opportunities, including Youth Tour
• Scholarship opportunities
• Support for community organizations and local initiatives
• Access to member benefits through Touchstone Energy and Co-op Connections

These efforts reflect the cooperative principle of Concern for Community and the belief that local quality of life matters.
 

Looking Ahead

The tools have changed dramatically since 1944, but the cooperative’s purpose has not. Clay Electric will continue investing in the people, equipment and technology needed to serve members safely, reliably and responsibly while remaining rooted in the communities that built it.