Incorporated in 1938, the Cooperative's twelve original incorporators took advantage of one of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's "New Deal" programs to electrify the rural areas of Idaho County.
The Cooperative's first 60 homes were energized in September of 1939. Today, the Cooperative serves over 3,000 homes, farms and businesses located in the mostly unincorporated areas of Idaho County and southern Lewis County. The Cooperative also serves the City of White Bird and sections of the City of Kamiah.
In 1996, in order to be more responsive to consumers' needs and to be more flexible in a rapidly changing industry, the Cooperative's Board of Directors approved the refinancing of the Co-op's debt with funds from the private sector. This ended a fifty-seven year association with the Rural Electrification Administration and its successor the Rural Utilities Service. They then set a course of creating a diversified cooperative, one that could offer additional energy services and energy related services to our region.
In July of 1997, the Cooperative began offering propane service to the cooperative's membership and to the neighboring communities of north central Idaho. As of January 1, 2003, this successful business was split-off from the Cooperative into a for-profit corporation. The new corporation, "ICP Inc.," continues to provide propane services to North Central Idaho. ICP is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Cooperative. For service requests or information, ICP may be contacted toll free at 1-877-215-3855 or at 1-208-983-0597.