Voluntary and Open Membership: Cooperatives are voluntary organizations, open to all persons able to use their services and willing to accept the responsibilities of membership, without gender, social, racial, political or religious discrimination.
Democratic Member Control: Cooperatives are democratic organizations controlled by their members, who actively participate in setting policies and making decisions. The elected board of directors is accountable to the membership.
Members' Economic Participation: Members contribute equitably to, and democratically control, the capital of their cooperative. At least part of that capital is usually the common property of the cooperative. Members allocate surpluses for any or all of the following purposes: developing the cooperative; distributing capital credits according to co-ops' individual formulas; and supporting other activities approved by the members.
Autonomy and Independence: Cooperatives are autonomous, self-help organizations controlled by their members. If they enter into agreements with other organizations, including governments, or raise capital from external sources, they do so on terms that ensure democratic control by their members and maintain their cooperative autonomy.
Education, Training and Information: Cooperatives provide education and training for their members, elected representatives, managers and employees so they can contribute effectively to the development of their cooperatives. They inform the general public, particularly young people and opinion leaders, about the nature and benefits of cooperation.
Cooperation Among Cooperatives: Cooperatives serve their members most effectively and strengthen the cooperative movement by working together through local, national, regional and international structures.
Concern for Community: While focusing on member needs, cooperatives work for the sustainable development of their communities through policies and activities accepted by their members.
STEC's headquarters facility is located at the Sam Rayburn Power Plant Complex on the Guadalupe River just outside Nursery, Texas. Transmission line and substation service facilities are also located in Pearsall, Texas and Donna, Texas.
Power provided by STEC to its members is generated from a variety of energy sources, including wind, lignite, natural gas (NG), diesel fuel, and hydroelectric.
Primary generation sources, totaling 1,316 MW of capacity, are:
- Sam Rayburn (NG Combined Cycle, NG Internal Combustion, Diesel) - Nursery, TX
- Pearsall Power Plant (NG Reciprocating Engines, NG Steam) - Pearsall, TX
- San Miguel Power Plant (Lignite) - Christine, TX
- Magic Valley Generating Station (NG Combined Cycle) - Edinburg, TX
- Amistad Dam Power Plant (Hydroelectric) - Del Rio, TX
- Falcon Dam Power Plant (Hydroelectric) - Falcon, TX
- Peñascal Wind Power Project (Wind) - Sarita, TX
Delivery of electric power is made through approximately 2,196 miles of overhead electric transmission lines rated at 345, 138, and 69 kV (thousand volts) that connect 190 step-down substations to our member cooperatives' distribution systems.