Central Electric Power Cooperative

    A Powerful Location

The eight distribution cooperatives and their generation cooperative, Central Electric, are part of a statewide system which ensures that its customers have reliable and affordable energy.

A part of the statewide system is Associated Electric Cooperative, Inc. (AECI), headquartered in Springfield, Missouri. In 2005, the AECI annual member peak demand reached a record 3,999 megawatts, which is a 7.8 percent increase above the previous all-time peak set in 2003. Total energy sales were 22.8 million megawatt-hours in 2005 with member sales 7 percent above 2004. Associated forecasts member energy sales and peak demand will continue to grow 2.3 percent annually during the next 10 years and is preparing to meet that load growth with a diverse mix of resources. The cooperative will receive power from the state's first utility-scale wind farm, expected to begin operating at the end of 2006. Associated also  is  completing construction of a 580-megawatt combined-cycle plant to serve member systems in 2007, and the cooperative has proposed building a coal-based power plant near Norborne, Mo.,  to serve members' year-round power supply requirements..

Central Missouri offers a hard-to-beat business climate. A combination of favorable factors - reliable and affordable energy, a central location, major interstates, low taxes, flexible financing, and an excellent work force - have provided a climate which has proved to be very favorable for business success.

Central Missouri also offers an excellent place to live. National surveys and magazines, like Money Magazine, have consistently ranked the region and its communities as exceptional places to live. Residents here enjoy low cost of living and low crime rates. Real estate is still some of the most affordable in the country.

There are numerous outdoor recreational opportunities in central Missouri, from lakes with beautiful resorts to rivers for boating and fishing. There are also millions of acres of public forest lands for hiking and hunting in Missouri. Missouri also offers wineries, shopping and wonderful restaurants. And two major cities - Kansas City and St. Louis - are only a short distance away.

If you would like additional information on what Missouri has to offer or would like building and site information, please contact Nancy Gibler, director of business development.