A little about San Bernard Electric Cooperative, Inc. 

San Bernard Electric Cooperative, Inc. had its beginning in 1939, when several leaders from Austin and Colorado Counties became interested in securing service for their farms. As a result of their efforts, the cooperative was incorporated in November of 1939.

The cooperative derived its name from the San Bernard River, which is the common boundary between Austin and Colorado Counties. The first 89 miles of power lines were built in 1940 and energized on December 31st, 1940. They served 141 members in the rural areas of Colorado and Austin Counties. The construction was financed by a government loan through the Rural Electrification Administration (REA).

Currently the Cooperative has approximately 3,900 miles of line serving approximately 25,000 meters in parts of eight Texas counties – Austin, Colorado, Lavaca, Waller, Montgomery, Harris, Grimes and Fayette. San Bernard Electric Cooperative, Inc. no longer borrows government loan funds. When financing is required for system construction, funds are obtained from (CFC) a financial cooperative.