Electric cooperatives were born out of a mission to bring electricity to rural communities across our state, and while that mission continues today, it has grown beyond North Carolina. In the coming months, a group of lineworkers from eight of North Carolina’s electric cooperatives will travel to Guatemala to bring power to a village for the first time.

The project is part of North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives’ Brighter World Initiative, a mission to deliver new opportunities to communities abroad by providing first-time access to electricity.

Previously, the cooperatives had worked in Laphía, Bolivia in 2019, building five miles of power line infrastructure that connected this central Bolivian village to the power grid. More than 75 buildings were connected, including a school, bringing new opportunities and advantages to the 120 residents of the rural, agricultural community.

This spring, 15 lineworkers will join local engineers in a project to bring power to the village of El Plan Nuevo Amanecer. The group will build three miles of primary and secondary line, energizing more than 50 homes, along with two churches, a school and a health clinic — the only one serving the area.

“Being part of a project like this is an incredible opportunity,” said Josh Morrison, a crew supervisor at Union Power Cooperative and crew lead for the trip. “Back home we work each day to serve our communities, and we’re bringing that same commitment with us to serve these people.”

Recently, Morrison joined representatives from North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives on a visit to the village, seeing firsthand where the crew will work and meeting the community members whose lives will soon be changed by access to electricity.

“Meeting these people, you could feel how excited everyone is to soon have access to something we’re accustomed to having every day back home,” said Morrison. “Something as simple as electricity can change these folks’ lives, opening doors to education, healthcare and opportunities we often take for granted.”

North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives will partner with NRECA International, which has been empowering people worldwide since 1962. The organization has helped improve the quality of life for more than 220 million people by providing access to safe, reliable, and affordable electricity and has helped establish more than 250 electric utilities and cooperatives in 54 countries.

NRECA International has been working in Guatemala for more than 30 years. This project will continue the efforts of electric cooperatives from across the country that have volunteered to build similar systems in neighboring villages. 

“I’m proud to work alongside cooperative lineworkers from across North Carolina, bringing our skills and passion together to spark real change,” said Morrison. “We’re helping this community grow, and that’s what our work as cooperatives is all about.”