The Alaska Village Electric Cooperative in a nonprofit electric utility owned by people in more than 50 villages throughout interior and western Alaska. The AVEC service area is among the largest of any electric cooperative in the United States. The cooperative s members represent various cultures, speak different languages and some live more than 1,000 miles apart. Many of its service areas are only accessible by airplane or marine vessel. The Alaska Village Electric Cooperative has assisted rural communities with stable electric service that has brought positive improvements in health care, housing, schools, water and sewer systems, communications and economic growth. The cooperative operates more than 150 diesel generators that produce a cumulative total of more than 400,000 hours annually. Its power generating and distribution plants are managed by village governments. The Alaska Village Electric Cooperative was established in 1968 and maintains a location in Anchorage, Alaska.