Choctawhatchee Electric Cooperative, Inc., (CHELCO) is a MEMBER OWNED, not-for-profit electric distribution cooperative employing more than 170 people and serving more than 62,000 accounts in Walton, Okaloosa, Holmes and Santa Rosa counties in the panhandle of Florida.

The cooperative owns and maintains over 4,300 miles of line including those on Eglin Air Force Base.

We have six area offices including our headquarters in DeFuniak Springs.

CHELCO is a distribution cooperative that exclusively purchases its energy from PowerSouth Energy Cooperative. CHELCO is democratically controlled by its member-owners, who vote to elect the Board of Trustees. Each Trustee is also a CHELCO member, and they are elected on three-year cycles and represent nine districts throughout our service territory.

History
Although most cities had electricity by the mid-1930s, rural Americans were still in the dark.  The high cost of building electric distribution lines to serve sparsely populated rural areas was thought to be unprofitable.

Then in 1940, with the support of the federal Rural Electrification Administration's oversight and low-interest loans, the people of northwest Florida decided to band together to form CHELCO, a member-owned, not-for-profit electric distribution cooperative.   

Later that same year, CHELCO members met with 10 other electric cooperatives and formed Alabama Electric Cooperative (now PowerSouth Energy Cooperative), a generation and transmission cooperative established to generate the electricity needed by its member co-ops.

CHELCO is dedicated to providing safe, reliable, and affordable electricity and has not had a rate increase since 2012. Membership, in 1940 and today, costs $5.00. 

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Choctawhatchee Electric Cooperative (CHELCO)

Choctawhatchee Electric Cooperative (CHELCO)'s headquarters in DeFuniak Springs, FL, United States

Steve Rhodes

Joyce Szilvasy

J. Matthew Avery

Bryan Gilbert

The Engineering Team at CHELCO is responsible for the planning, design, and maintenance of the cooperative’s electrical distribution infrastructure. This includes developing system improvements, ensuring compliance with safety standards, and supporting operational efficiency to deliver reliable and affordable electricity to the member-owners. The team collaborates on engineering projects, conducts technical evaluations, and provides expert support to enhance the cooperative’s service capability across its service territory.

Engineering Team

The Marketing and Communications team at Choctawhatchee Electric Cooperative (CHELCO) is responsible for crafting and disseminating key messages that communicate the cooperative's values, services, and initiatives to members and the wider community. This team handles member engagement, public relations, advertising, social media, and internal communications, ensuring that both existing and potential members are informed about CHELCO's offerings, updates, and community involvement.

Marketing and Communications

The Information Technology team at Choctawhatchee Electric Cooperative (CHELCO) is responsible for maintaining and supporting the cooperative's IT infrastructure, including its networks, systems, and hardware. They ensure secure and efficient operation of technology resources that are critical for providing reliable electricity services to members. The team includes roles such as Network Administrator, IT Network Engineer, and Lead IT Support Specialist, who collectively manage network performance, troubleshoot technical issues, and support end-user technology needs across the company's service areas.

Choctawhatchee Electric Cooperative (CHELCO)

Org chart

Teams

Engineering Team

Marketing and Communications

Information Technology

Offices

Choctawhatchee Electric Cooperative (CHELCO)

Org chart

Teams

Engineering Team

Marketing and Communications

Information Technology

Offices

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