WHAT IS SE-MA-NO ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE ?
YOU and approximately 6,000 other member/owners are Se-Ma-No Electric Cooperative.
Your Electric Cooperative was organized in 1945 as a member-owned, non-profit cooperative to supply electricity to rural portions of the Seymour, Mansfield and Norwood areas (Diggins to Mountain Grove). Se-Ma-No serves portions of the cities of Mountain Grove, Mansfield and Seymour plus the city of Norwood and rural areas along Highway 60 from Diggins to Mountain Grove.
Today Se-Ma-No Electric Cooperative is a major business with assets of over $16 million and annual operating revenues in excess of $6 million. Se-Ma-No owns and maintains over 1,000 miles of distribution lines served from seven sub-stations owned by Sho-Me Power Electric Cooperative, which provides electricity to the cooperative.
Control of the cooperative is by the members through a nine member board of directors serving three year terms, with three members elected each year at the annual membership meeting.
In addition to the annual meeting, members are kept informed of the cooperatives activities through releases to local news media, special mailings, by employees and board members and the Rural Missouri magazine published by the Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives.
As a member your are encouraged to keep informed and to contact the coops office when you have questions about rates, service, energy conservation and special use programs. All members are encouraged to attend the annual membership meeting to hear reports, elect directors and participate in the business portion of the meeting.
In addition to your membership in Se-Ma-No you are part of nine REC's which make up Sho-Me Power Electric Cooperative and Fifty-three REC's in Missouri, Oklahoma and southeast Iowa that make up the Associated Electric Cooperative, Inc., that generates electricity at the Thomas Hill and New Madrid power plants and strategically located gas fired plants throughout their system.
Se-Ma-No is also part of the nationwide rural electric family of some 1,000 cooperatives that service some 25 million Americans. Rural Electric Cooperatives own and maintain nearly one-half of the nations power poles and lines stretching across over 75% of America to bring electricity to rural areas. With only five consumers per mile (compared to 40 for investor-owned and municipal utilities) it takes extra effort to provide up-to-date, reliable service. The low line densities and constant rising cost of operation have presented rural electric cooperatives with a tremendous challenge to provide reliable service and affordable rates. But the job has been done, and through the cooperative system, will continue to meet the needs of Se-Ma-No Electric member/owners.