Electricity came to most cities in the United States in the 1930s, but rural residents were left in the dark. The Federal Government established the Rural Electrification Administration (REA) to help solve this problem. The REA offered low-interest, long term loans to existing electric utilities, which allowed them to extend service to the sparsely populated countryside. Most investor-owned companies refused to participate believing that rural residents would not use enough electricity to make the venture profitable.

Therefore, rural Americans took the matter into their own hands and formed cooperatives, applied for loans from the REA and set up their own electric systems. As part of this process Intercounty Electric, Mitchell and Tri-County Electric, Plankinton were formed; Intercounty Electric in 1944 and Tri-County Electric in 1947.

In 2000, Intercounty and Tri-County consolidated to become Central Electric Cooperative, Inc. Since consolidation, Central Electric has branched out and provides an array of sales and services for the general public. We service all brands of appliances and sell GE and SpeedQueen brands. Our electrical service department offers service for farm, residential and commercial wiring, and our HVAC department provides service and installation of all your heating and cooling needs.