TITLE: Honoring Pedernales Electric Cooperative on the 85th anniversary of its incorporation.

SUMMARY: Honoring Pedernales Electric Cooperative on the 85th anniversary of its incorporation.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, Pedernales Electric Cooperative, the largest electric cooperative in the United States, is marking the 85th anniversary of its incorporation in 2023; and WHEREAS, PEC traces its origins to 1935, when the Rural Electrification Administration was established by the federal government with the purpose of expanding electrical service to rural areas; at the time, rural electrification was a prominent issue in Texas, where only 2.3 percent of farms had power, and after promising to make it a priority for his constituents in the 10th Congressional District, then-Congressman Lyndon Baines Johnson joined with local rancher E. Babe Smith and began discussions with farmers, ranchers, and business leaders about electrifying the Hill Country; and WHEREAS, On May 8, 1938, Pedernales Electric Cooperative, Inc., was formed, and on May 19, Congressman Johnson and representatives from Blanco, Burnet, Gillespie, Hays, and Llano Counties met in Austin to sign an official document incorporating PEC; on September 27 of that year, the Rural Electrification Administration granted PEC a loan of over $1.3 million to construct around 1,800 miles of line, the single largest allotment ever made by the administration; and WHEREAS, On October 27, 1939, the 1,800 miles of transmission line energized through a substation in Bertram, bringing electrical service to the cooperative's first 422 customers in Burnet County; initially, some 3,300 families signed up for the service, and in 1947, PEC was declared to be the largest cooperative in the world; and WHEREAS, Today, PEC's service territory spans 8,100 square miles and more than 387,000 connected meters, an area nearly the size of the state of New Jersey; the cooperative is owned and governed by the members it serves, and it benefits from the leadership of an elected board of directors as well as an executive team, which is responsible for managing PEC's day-to-day operations and overseeing its more than 800 employees; and WHEREAS, Pedernales Electric Cooperative has played an essential role in the lives of thousands of Hill Country residents over the past 85 years, and this noteworthy milestone offers a fitting opportunity to recognize the leaders and members of the organization who have been instrumental to its success; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas Legislature hereby honor Pedernales Electric Cooperative on the 85th anniversary of its incorporation and extend to all those associated with its operations sincere gratitude for their work to "keep the lights on" across Central Texas; and, be it further RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for PEC as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives. Zwiener Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 2163 was adopted by the House on May 25, 2023, by a non-record vote. Chief Clerk of the House