Utility Cooperative development and Prescence in the Appalachian and rural area of Virginia

Abstract:

The cooperative world is a practice of community and economics, where the wellbeing of individuals and community is prioritized by the 7 cooperative values. Democratic member control, Member economic participation, Autonomy and independence, Education, training, and information, Cooperation among cooperatives, Concern for community and Open and voluntary membership.

 Cooperatives can be small cleaning businesses to larger community housing aid cooperatives. Being cooperative means sharing the resources one has available to promote mutual growth, for example, a small cleaning cooperative can do the cleaning for the housing cooperative therefore creating both a benefit relationship. This is different than just hiring the cheapest cleaning company to do the work because the principles of cooperatives ensure that the work being done is ethical and socially responsible.

 Regarding public services, such as electric cooperatives, there are resources that do not focus on sole profit or maximization of profit, rather it focuses on providing typically rural communities with the electricity or public infrastructure that benefits the citizens of a rural area. It is apparent that in the New River Valley area both electric or utility cooperatives and most importantly other types of cooperatives are not part of the business cycle. One of the purposes of this investigation is to determine the reasons or factors that do not allow utility cooperatives to operate in the area.