John Barr

Lynches River Electric Cooperative was organized in 1939 to provide electricity to citizens in rural areas where electric energy was not currently available. In the 1930s, private power companies were not interested in serving remote areas. It was more profitable for them to serve primarily towns and along main highways. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt created the Rural Electrification Administration in response to the needs of rural citizens. Early cooperative incorporators were required to collect a $5 membership fee from those choosing to become part of the cooperative. A right-of-way easement and three members per mile of power line were essential in an area before plans were made to build a power line. The first power lines were energized in late 1939 with approximately 710 original members and 175 miles of line. Today, Lynches River is the area's leading provider of reliable electric energy and services. With over 20,000 consumers, Lynches River is the 13th largest electric co-op in South Carolina. Lynches River Electric Cooperative serves Chesterfield, Kershaw and Lancaster counties.