{"data":{"id":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-18-18-437.2","jurisdiction":"us-ok","citation":"Okla. Stat. tit. 18, § 18-437.2","heading":"Powers","body":"A cooperative shall have power:\n\n(a) To sue and be sued, in its corporate name;\n\n(b) To have a perpetual existence unless a limited period of\n\nduration is stated in its charter;\n\n(c) To adopt a corporate seal and alter the same at pleasure;\n\n(d) To generate, manufacture, purchase, acquire, accumulate and\n\ntransmit electric energy, and to distribute, sell, supply and\n\ndispose of electric energy in rural areas to its members, to\n\ngovernmental agencies and political subdivisions, and to other\n\npersons not in excess of ten percent (10%) of the number of its\n\nmembers;\n\n(e) To make loans to persons to whom electric energy is or will\n\nbe supplied by the cooperative for the purpose of, and otherwise to\n\nassist such persons in wiring their premises and installing therein\n\nelectric and plumbing fixtures, appliances, apparatus and equipment\n\nof any and all kinds of character, and to accept and otherwise\n\nacquire, and to sell, assign, transfer, endorse, pledge, hypothecate\n\nand otherwise dispose of notes, bonds, and other evidences of\n\nindebtedness and any and all types of security therefor;\n\n(f) To make loans to persons to whom electric energy is or will\n\nbe supplied by the cooperative for the purpose of, and otherwise to\n\nassist such persons in constructing, maintaining and operating\n\nelectric refrigeration plants;\n\n(g) To become a member in one or more other cooperatives or\n\ncorporations or to own stock therein;\n\n(h) To construct, purchase, take, receive, lease as lessee, or\n\notherwise acquire, and to own, hold, use, equip, maintain, and\n\noperate and to sell, assign, transfer, convey, exchange, lease as\n\nlessor, mortgage, pledge, or otherwise dispose of or encumber,\n\nelectric transmission and distribution lines or systems, electric\n\ngenerating plants, electric refrigeration plants, lands, buildings,\n\nstructures, dams, plants, and equipment, and any and all kinds and\n\nclasses of real or personal property whatsoever, which shall be\n\ndeemed necessary, convenient or appropriate to accomplish the\n\npurpose for which the cooperative is organized; provided, that any\n\nand all such electrical construction and maintenance shall conform\n\nto the requirements and regulations of the National Electrical\n\nSafety Code;\n\n(i) To purchase or otherwise acquire, and to own, hold, use and\n\nexercise and to sell, assign, transfer, convey, mortgage, pledge,\n\nhypothecate, or otherwise dispose of or encumber, franchises,\n\nrights, privileges, licenses, rights-of-way and easements;\n\n(j) To borrow money and otherwise contract indebtedness therefor\n\nand to secure the payment thereof by mortgage, pledge, deed or\n\ntrust, or any other encumbrance upon any or all of its then owned or\n\nafter acquired real or personal property, assets, franchises,\n\nrevenues or income;\nhecate, or otherwise dispose of or encumber, franchises,\n\nrights, privileges, licenses, rights-of-way and easements;\n\n(j) To borrow money and otherwise contract indebtedness therefor\n\nand to secure the payment thereof by mortgage, pledge, deed or\n\ntrust, or any other encumbrance upon any or all of its then owned or\n\nafter acquired real or personal property, assets, franchises,\n\nrevenues or income;\n\n(k) To construct, maintain and operate electric transmission and\n\ndistribution lines along, upon, under and across all public\n\nthoroughfares, including without limitation, all roads, highways,\n\nstreets, alleys and bridges, and upon, under and across all publicly\n\nowned lands, subject, however, to the requirements in respect of the\n\nuse of such thoroughfares and lands that are imposed by the\n\nrespective authorities having jurisdiction thereof upon\n\ncorporations, constructing or operating electric transmission and\n\ndistribution lines or systems; provided that in case an area has\n\nbeen or shall be included, as a result of incorporation, annexation,\n\npopulation growth, or otherwise, within the boundaries of a city,\n\ntown or village, a cooperative which was furnishing electric energy,\n\nor was constructing or operating electric facilities, in such area,\n\nprior to such inclusion, shall be entitled to construct, maintain\n\nand operate electric transmission and distribution lines and related\n\nfacilities along, upon, under and across all existing and future\n\npublic thoroughfares, and to continue and extend the furnishing of\n\nelectric energy or the construction and operation of electric\n\nfacilities in such area without obtaining the consent, franchise,\n\nlicense, permit or other authority of such city, town or village,\n\nsubject, however, to compliance with the lawful safety requirements\n\nof such city, town or village as to the manner of constructing and\n\nmaintaining facilities on such thoroughfares, and subject to payment\n\nof taxes of such city, town or village that may be levied and\n\nassessed as provided in Section 1201 of Title 68 of the Oklahoma\n\nStatutes; and provided further that if such city, town or village in\n\nwhich an area has been or shall be included, as aforesaid, owns and\n\noperates a system for the furnishing of electric energy to its\n\ninhabitants, the cooperative furnishing electric energy in such area\n\nshall transfer to such city, town or village, upon its request, the\n\ncooperative's electric distribution facilities used in furnishing\n\nelectric energy in said area, other than facilities used in\n\nfurnishing electric energy for resale or to premises of the\n\ncooperative, subject, however, to the following requirement: The\n\ncity, town or village shall pay to the cooperative an amount to\n\ncompensate the cooperative for the fair value of the cooperative's\n\nfacilities to be acquired by the city, town or village. If such\n\ncooperative and city, town or village cannot agree upon the amount\n\nto be paid to the cooperative, the city, town or village is\n\nauthorized to file a proceeding in the district court of the county\n\nin which such city, town or village, or any part thereof, is\n\nlocated, for the acquisition of the cooperative's electric\n\ndistribution facilities used in furnishing electric energy in said\n\narea, other than facilities used in furnishing electric energy for\n\nresale or to premises of the cooperative, and the procedure followed\n\nand the method of ascertaining just compensation to be paid the\n\ncooperative will be as provided in Article 2, Section 24, of the\n\nOklahoma Constitution and Sections 53 to 58, inclusive, of Title 66\n\nof the Oklahoma Statutes.\n\n(l) To conduct its business and exercise any or all of its\n\npowers within or without this state;\n\n(m) To adopt, amend and repeal bylaws; and\nive, and the procedure followed\n\nand the method of ascertaining just compensation to be paid the\n\ncooperative will be as provided in Article 2, Section 24, of the\n\nOklahoma Constitution and Sections 53 to 58, inclusive, of Title 66\n\nof the Oklahoma Statutes.\n\n(l) To conduct its business and exercise any or all of its\n\npowers within or without this state;\n\n(m) To adopt, amend and repeal bylaws; and\n\n(n) To do and perform any and other acts and things, and to have\n\nand exercise any and all other powers which may be necessary,\n\nconvenient or appropriate to accomplish the purpose for which the\n\ncooperative is organized;\n\n(o) To have and exercise the right of eminent domain in the same\n\nmanner and by like proceedings as provided for railroad corporations\n\nunder the laws of this state.\n\n(p) To participate with, jointly own or operate or enter into\n\nloans with any person, firm, corporation, limited liability company\n\nor any other kind of business entity including, but not limited to,\n\nprivately owned electric utilities for the construction, operation\n\nor maintenance of electric generation, transmission or distribution\n\nfacilities.","path":["OK Code","Title 18"],"source_url":"https://www.oklegislature.gov/OK_Statutes/CompleteTitles/os18.pdf","current_through":"2026-08-14","vintage":"open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:32:36Z","sha256":"a5501686e873cf198302ef9e6ce1e71f4715298014efa0b828841f69e0dd1da9","source_id":"us-ok","stale":false,"prev":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-18-18-437.19","next":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-18-18-437.20"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}