Chariton Valley Electric Cooperative obtains our power from a system of cooperatives that is organized into three levels or "tiers," each with its own set of responsibilities.

Distribution Cooperatives

• The system's top tier is made up of 51 distribution cooperatives like Chariton Valley Electric in Missouri, southern Iowa and NE Oklahoma.
• Distribution cooperatives provide electric service directly to members, including businesses, farms and households.
• Distribution cooperatives accept the responsibilities including installation and maintenance of power lines from substations to members homes, planning for the future needs of their service area, working with communities to encourage economic development and helping their members learn to conserve energy.

Transmission Cooperatives

• At the second level of the system are the regional cooperatives that transmit power to distribution cooperatives.
• Northeast Missouri Power Cooperative, located in Palmyra, Missouri is one of these. Below is a map of their service area.
  
• Transmission cooperative work on a regional level as construction agents and also own and maintain all electrical systems above 161-kilovolt.

Generation Cooperative

• The system's third tier is the generation cooperative.
• Associated Electric Cooperative, located in Springfield, Missouri is responsible for generation and power procurement. Below is a map of their service area.
  
• AECI’s mix of resources, include:
  • thermal generation facilities
  • hydropower access
  • interconnections with neighboring utilities
• Associated also provides other miscellaneous services for the transmission and distribution cooperatives.

The three-tier system is a very successful partnership
The three-tier system creates specialization at each level of the system. All three systems benefit from the partnership, enabling each tier to react quickly to changes that help improve the competitiveness of the entire system.