2023 New York Laws › REL - Rural Electric Cooperative › Article 2 - Purpose; Organization and Management; Powers › 14 - Powers.

§ 14. Powers. A cooperative shall have power:
(a) To sue and be sued in its corporate name;
(b) To have perpetual existence;
(c) To adopt a corporate seal and alter the same;
(d)  To  generate,  manufacture,  purchase,  acquire,  accumulate  and
transmit electric energy, and to distribute, sell, supply,  and  dispose
of  electric  energy  to  its  members,  to  governmental  agencies  and
political subdivisions, and to other persons not in excess  of  ten  per
centum  of the number of its members, provided, however, that such other
persons shall become members within one year after they commence  taking
electric  service  from  the cooperative; and provided, further however,
that the furnishing  by  a  cooperative  of  electric  cold  storage  or
processing  plant  service  shall  not  be  deemed  to  be distributing,
selling, supplying  or  disposing  of  electric  energy,  and  provided,
further  however,  that a cooperative shall not distribute, sell, supply
or dispose of electric energy to any premises or building receiving  and
using  central  station  electric  service  or  entitled to receive such
service as provided by section twelve of the transportation corporations
law on the effective  date  of  this  chapter  or  to  any  premises  or
buildings  hereafter  served  by any person, corporation or municipality
supplying central station electric service, if no  co-operative  service
is  available  to  such  premises  or  building  at  the  time  of  such
installation,  without  the  consent  of  the  person,  corporation,  or
municipality  supplying  or  required  by  said  section  twelve  of the
transportation corporations law to supply such central station  electric
service;
(e)  To  assist persons to whom electric energy is or will be supplied
by the cooperative  in  wiring  their  premises  and  in  acquiring  and
installing  electrical  and plumbing appliances, equipment, fixtures and
apparatus by making loans therefor, and in connection therewith to wire,
or cause to be wired, such premises, and to purchase, acquire, lease  as
lessor or lessee, sell, distribute, install and repair such electric and
plumbing appliances, equipment, fixtures and apparatus;
(f)  To  assist persons to whom electric energy is or will be supplied
by the cooperative in constructing, equipping, maintaining and operating
electric cold storage or processing plants, by making loans therefor;
(g) To construct, purchase, lease as lessee, or otherwise acquire, and
to equip, maintain, and operate, and to sell, assign, convey,  lease  as
lessor,  mortgage, pledge, or otherwise dispose of or encumber, electric
transmission and distribution  lines  or  systems,  electric  generating
plants,  electric  cold  storage or processing plants, lands, buildings,
structures, dams, plants and equipment, and any other real  or  personal
property,  tangible  or  intangible,  which  shall  be deemed necessary,
convenient or appropriate  to  accomplish  the  purpose  for  which  the
cooperative is organized;
(h)  To  purchase,  lease as lessee, or otherwise acquire, and to use,
and exercise and to sell, assign, convey, mortgage, pledge or  otherwise
dispose  of  or  encumber,  franchises, rights, privileges, licenses and
easements;
(i) To borrow money and otherwise contract indebtedness, and to  issue
notes,  bonds,  and  other  evidences of indebtedness, and to secure the
payment thereof by mortgage, pledge, or deed of trust of, or  any  other
encumbrance upon, any or all of its then owned or after-acquired real or
personal property, assets, franchises, revenues or income;
(j)  To  construct,  maintain  and  operate  electric transmission and
distribution lines along, upon, under and across  publicly  owned  lands
and  public  thoroughfares,  including,  without  limitation, all roads,
highways, streets, alleys, bridges and causeways,  upon  obtaining  from

the state or the county, town, village or other appropriate municipality
the  rights,  franchises,  permissions  or consents therefor required by
law, provided, however, that the  approval  or  consent  of  the  public
service  commission  shall not be necessary to the obtaining of any such
right, franchise, permission or consent or to the exercise thereof or of
any right or privilege thereunder;
(k) To exercise the power of eminent domain in the manner provided  by
the  laws  of  this  state  for  the  exercise  of  such  power by other
corporations  constructing  or  operating  electric   transmission   and
distribution lines or systems;
(l) To become a member of other cooperatives or corporations or to own
stock therein;
(m)  To conduct its business and exercise its powers within or without
this state;
(n) To adopt, amend and repeal by-laws; and
(o) To do and perform any other acts  and  things,  and  to  have  and
exercise  any  other  powers  which  may  be  necessary,  convenient  or
appropriate to accomplish the  purpose  for  which  the  cooperative  is
organized.