In Pike County, Illinois, the Illinois Rural Electric Cooperative erected a wind turbine in May of 2005. This turbine produces 1.65 megawatts of electricity, enough to power about 500 houses. Costing $1.89 million, the Cooperative stated it could not afford this, but grants from the state and federal government totaled $863,000. The remaining $1,027,000 was financed by a low interest loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Utilities Service.
The Fox Islands Electric Cooperative in Maine erected three windmills in 2009. The windmills provide 4.5 megawatts of power. As this is more than enough power for community needs, excess is sold back to the local grid. Project cost topped $15 million, financed with low interest loans from Diversified Communications and the USDA Rural Utilities Services. The islands served are Vinalhaven and North Haven, which are part of the Fox Islands chain. In neighboring Aroostook County, as of 2009 farmers are considering forming a cooperative of their own and are following the Fox Island's Cooperative's lead in erecting windmills.
In north Minnesota in early 2011, the Arrowhead Electric Cooperative is in the initial stages of installing a fiber-optic communication system in Cook County. This will provide high speed Internet, cable television capabilities and Voice Over Internet Protocol phone communications to the mostly rural county. Fiber-optics are far superior to antiquated copper wires, since the data-handling capabilities exceed copper's limits. Service is slated to begin in late 2011.
The Carroll Electric Cooperative serves Carroll, Columbiana, Harrison, Jefferson, Tuscarawas and Stark counties in Ohio. The cooperative has an ongoing project called the "People for People Fund." This is a social service project, designed to help the needy with their electric bills. The way it works is a community member rounds up her bill, with the change going into the fund. If the bill was $120.40, round up and pay $121, with the extra 60 cents donated to the fund. The cooperative indicates thousands of dollars are raised per year and the money is used to help needy families pay their bills.