Grayson-Collin Electric Cooperative (GCEC) was founded in September 1937, a direct result of the Rural Electrification Act (REA) of 1935. In the 1930s, as Americans began to recover from the Great Depression, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the REA as part of his "New Deal." This act established the Rural Electrification Administration, a government agency designed to bring electricity to rural areas that investor-owned utilities refused to serve.



At that time, many rural residents couldn't afford the cost of electrifying their homes. The REA allowed farmers and ranchers in these underserved areas to join, borrow money from the government, and form their own electric cooperatives. These cooperatives began springing up across the country, bringing light and power to homes that had previously been without electricity.



The idea for GCEC was born from this movement. In 1936, an unofficial meeting was held in Celina to discuss the possibility of starting a co-op in Grayson and Collin counties. Following that meeting, local farmers began collecting signatures and membership fees from their neighbors. On September 29, 1937, Grayson-Collin Electric Cooperative was officially incorporated and held its first meeting at a local bank in Van Alstyne.



Since that first meeting, GCEC has remained committed to serving its members with dedication and integrity. While the service area and demographics have evolved over the years, one thing has always stayed the same: our mission to provide the very best service at the lowest possible cost.