From its New Deal beginnings as an organization originally supported by federal loans and designed to provide basic electric needs in the sparsely populated Texas Hill Country, PEC has grown to more than 213,000 members, with a AA- bond rating that places it in the top tier of American electric utilities.

“Our asset size is tied directly to the membership growth we continue to experience,” said PEC Financial Manager Mike Vollmer. “We commit these resources in the best interest of our members’ long-term needs.”

Pedernales Electric’s distribution network includes nearly 14,000 miles of overhead line and more than 1,700 miles of underground line. Its 8,100-square-mile service area is larger than the state of Massachusetts.

“As we’ve grown, management has remained committed to customer satisfaction as a major goal of PEC’s service,” Vollmer said.

Rather than cutting back on local offices, Pedernales Electric has grown to 15 offices to provide personal service to its consumers. PEC sold more than 4.2 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity in 2006, with an average interruption time of only 1.3 hours annually per member.

Pedernales Electric’s decision to retain its consumer-oriented approach has resulted in it being ranked one of the top three electric utilities in the nation in the J.D. Power and Associates 2006 Electric Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction StudySM.

“As we’ve grown in size and continue to add membership, management has kept us focused on our commitment to our members and the communities we serve,” Vollmer said. “Our infrastructure, financial reserves to meet long-term contingencies and consumer-oriented philosophy have solidified us as an industry leader.”