N.Y. Rural Electric Cooperative Law § 14: Powers

§ 14. Powers. A cooperative shall have power:

(a) To sue and be sued in its corporate name;

(b) To have perpetual existence;

(c) To adopt a corporate seal and alter the same;

(d) To generate, manufacture, purchase, acquire, accumulate and

transmit electric energy, and to distribute, sell, supply, and dispose

of electric energy to its members, to governmental agencies and

political subdivisions, and to other persons not in excess of ten per

centum of the number of its members, provided, however, that such other

persons shall become members within one year after they commence taking

electric service from the cooperative; and provided, further however,

that the furnishing by a cooperative of electric cold storage or

processing plant service shall not be deemed to be distributing,

selling, supplying or disposing of electric energy, and provided,

further however, that a cooperative shall not distribute, sell, supply

or dispose of electric energy to any premises or building receiving and

using central station electric service or entitled to receive such

service as provided by section twelve of the transportation corporations

law on the effective date of this chapter or to any premises or

buildings hereafter served by any person, corporation or municipality

supplying central station electric service, if no co-operative service

is available to such premises or building at the time of such

installation, without the consent of the person, corporation, or

municipality supplying or required by said section twelve of the

transportation corporations law to supply such central station electric

service;

(e) To assist persons to whom electric energy is or will be supplied

by the cooperative in wiring their premises and in acquiring and

installing electrical and plumbing appliances, equipment, fixtures and

apparatus by making loans therefor, and in connection therewith to wire,

or cause to be wired, such premises, and to purchase, acquire, lease as

lessor or lessee, sell, distribute, install and repair such electric and

plumbing appliances, equipment, fixtures and apparatus;

(f) To assist persons to whom electric energy is or will be supplied

by the cooperative in constructing, equipping, maintaining and operating

electric cold storage or processing plants, by making loans therefor;

(g) To construct, purchase, lease as lessee, or otherwise acquire, and

to equip, maintain, and operate, and to sell, assign, convey, lease as

lessor, mortgage, pledge, or otherwise dispose of or encumber, electric

transmission and distribution lines or systems, electric generating

plants, electric cold storage or processing plants, lands, buildings,

structures, dams, plants and equipment, and any other real or personal

property, tangible or intangible, which shall be deemed necessary,

convenient or appropriate to accomplish the purpose for which the

cooperative is organized;

(h) To purchase, lease as lessee, or otherwise acquire, and to use,

and exercise and to sell, assign, convey, mortgage, pledge or otherwise

dispose of or encumber, franchises, rights, privileges, licenses and

easements;

(i) To borrow money and otherwise contract indebtedness, and to issue

notes, bonds, and other evidences of indebtedness, and to secure the

payment thereof by mortgage, pledge, or deed of trust of, or any other

encumbrance upon, any or all of its then owned or after-acquired real or

personal property, assets, franchises, revenues or income;

(j) To construct, maintain and operate electric transmission and

distribution lines along, upon, under and across publicly owned lands

and public thoroughfares, including, without limitation, all roads,

highways, streets, alleys, bridges and causeways, upon obtaining from

the state or the county, town, village or other appropriate municipality

the rights, franchises, permissions or consents therefor required by

law, provided, however, that the approval or consent of the public

service commission shall not be necessary to the obtaining of any such

right, franchise, permission or consent or to the exercise thereof or of

any right or privilege thereunder;

(k) To exercise the power of eminent domain in the manner provided by

the laws of this state for the exercise of such power by other

corporations constructing or operating electric transmission and

distribution lines or systems;

(l) To become a member of other cooperatives or corporations or to own

stock therein;

(m) To conduct its business and exercise its powers within or without

this state;

(n) To adopt, amend and repeal by-laws; and

(o) To do and perform any other acts and things, and to have and

exercise any other powers which may be necessary, convenient or

appropriate to accomplish the purpose for which the cooperative is

organized.