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Who We Are

Access to Energy is Access to Opportunity

At ODEC, energy means more than infrastructure. It powers homes, business, schools, farms, and hospitals. Put simply: energy powers the opportunities that help communities prosper.

The power of ODEC isn’t found in facilities alone. It’s found in the shared values, collective strength, common purpose, and cooperative model that brings people together. For more than 75 years, we have partnered with our 11 member distribution cooperative to help ensure access to energy isn’t a privilege, but a promise enjoyed by the 1.5 million people we serve across Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware.

Learn more about our story:

Cooperative Difference

Lead with service.

  • ODEC exists to serve member cooperatives, and through them, champion local communities.
  • Cooperatives are not-for-profit organizations, owned by the members they serve, and governed by locally elected Board made up of fellow members living on the lines served by the cooperative.
  • ODEC is governed by a 22-person Board made up of each CEO of our member cooperatives and one Board member elected from our members’ Boards. That means, in every decisions we make, we put the needs of the people we serve first—investing in affordability, protecting low rates, and delivering long-term reliability.

Because of this unique cooperative structure, our first question is never “what works for us,” but rather “what works best for the communities we serve.” When people come first, decisions look different.

Our Focus

Who We Are

Old Dominion Electric Cooperative is a not-for-profit wholesale generation and transmission electric cooperative owned by those we serve.

What We Do

  • ODEC buys, makes, and moves power for our cooperative members in Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware
  • By balancing a dynamic mix of generation resources, purchasing electricity, and offering energy programs, we provide safe, reliable, and environmentally responsible power at a stable and affordable cost.
  • We plan, invest, and innovate for the future—optimizing resources, strengthening ODEC’s financial position, managing rate impacts, and mitigating enterprise risk.

Why We Do It

  • To power and empower our members and their communities, because access to energy is access to opportunity.
  • Our investments fuel economic growth and create local jobs in the communities we serve.

How We Do It

  • Through effective leadership, we utilize collective strength of our members, our employees, and other cooperative organizations to provide a risk-managed power supply portfolio and other value-added services.

1948

ODEC was incorporated

600K

Meters served

1.5M

Residents served

Our Values

Rooted in cooperation and driven by service to our member cooperatives and the communities they power, ODEC’s values guide how we work, how we make decisions, and how we deliver on power mission every day.

Safety

We promote an accident-free, secure and healthy work environment with the goal of eliminating at-risk behaviors and unsafe conditions.

Integrity

We do the right things by maintaining high ethical standards, focusing on fairness and respect, embracing diversity, and never compromising our values.

Accountability

We accept responsibility for our actions and for the effective use of people’s talents, environmental resources, and physical assets.

Service

We are committed to serving our members and their member-owners by providing reliable, environmentally balanced power supply at the lowest possible cost.

7 Cooperative Principles

1

Voluntary & Open Membership

Cooperatives are voluntary organizations, open to all persons able to use their services and willing to accept the responsibilities of membership without gender, social, racial, political, or religious discrimination.

2

Democratic Member Control

Cooperatives are democratic organizations controlled by their members, who actively participate in setting policies and making decisions.

3

Members’ Economic Participation

Members contribute equitably to, and democratically control, the capital of their cooperative.

4

Autonomy & Independence

Cooperatives are autonomous, self-help organizations controlled by their members.

5

Education, Training & Information

Cooperatives provide education and training for their members, elected representatives, managers, and employees so they can contribute effectively to the development of their cooperatives. They inform the general public, particularly young people and opinion leaders, about the nature and benefits of cooperation.

6

Cooperation Among Cooperatives

Cooperatives serve their members most effectively and strengthen the cooperative movement by working together through local, national, regional, and international structures.

7

Concern for Community

While focusing on member needs, cooperatives work for the sustainable development of their communities through policy. In additional to the 7 cooperative principles, qualifications for membership and the rights and obligations of our members are defined by law and established in our cooperative bylaws.

Quick Facts About ODEC