BUDA — Pedernales Electric Cooperative — the nation’s largest electric co-op — marked a milestone of sustained growth by placing its 400,000th meter at Station 1 of the Buda Fire Department, located at 209 FM 2770 in Buda.

For more than 85 years, PEC has provided safe, reliable and low-cost power to its members in the Texas Hill Country.

“PEC is rooted in community and so we are delighted to set our 400,000th meter at Station 1 of the Buda Fire Department, an organization that is also committed to serving the community,” said PEC CEO Julie C. Parsley in a news release. “As we look ahead, we are deeply focused on meeting the needs of all our growing communities that depend on the member-focused service we’ve provided over the past 85 years.”

Over the past decade, PEC has experienced historic growth across its service territory, with many of the once rural areas the co-op serves now ranking among the fastest growing in the U.S., including Hays County. The Buda Fire Department has also seen a surge in demand, prompting the need for the department’s new state-of-the-art fire and EMS station, training facility and administrative offices and the site of PEC’s symbolic 400,000th meter.

“The unprecedented growth in northern Hays County and the Buda area has significantly heightened the demand for essential services and we’ve faced an increasing need for expanded capabilities,” Buda Fire Chief Clay Huckaby said. “The realization of this new facility stands as a testament to the commitment of the Buda Fire Department to meet the evolving needs of the community. We are honored to be part of PEC’s history and to enhance our capabilities to provide a higher level of service that the residents of the Buda area expect and deserve.”

In 1938, PEC was incorporated with 3,000 paid memberships. It took the cooperative more than 60 years to reach 200,000 meters in 2005. Since then, PEC’s growth took off and has not slowed down, as it reached 300,000 meters in 2018 and added another 100,000 in just five years, according to the news release.

The following timeline shows PEC’s growth throughout the years:

• 1938: PEC becomes incorporated with about 3,000 paid memberships, sufficient to meet the guidelines of the Rural Electrification Administration loan requirements.

• 1981: PEC connects its 50,000th meter.

• 1986: PEC has 75,000 meters and is growing at nearly 10% annually.

• 2005: By the end of 2005, PEC exceeded its 200,000th meter.

• 2018: By the end of 2017, the cooperative exceeded 300,000 meters.

• 2023: PEC sets its 400,000th meter.

PEC takes tremendous pride in working with its local communities. The cooperative will continue to build and plan for the future with Central Texas’ growth in mind. To best support this growth, PEC crews built more than 580 miles of new line in 2022, enough to reach from Austin to El Paso. PEC is also preparing the next generation of line workers, with more than 100 apprentices working toward their journeyworker designation through the cooperative’s Department of Labor-recognized training program.

“As a member-focused organization, PEC will continue to invest in people, technology and equipment to ensure excellent service and reliability to our members for years to come,” Parsley said.

Additional information about PEC is available at pec.coop.