‘Texas Co-op Power’ Marks 80 Years

Since Volume 1, Issue 1 of Texas Cooperative Electric Power was published July 1, 1944, the publication that became Texas Co-op Power has been a trusted voice for Texas electric cooperatives, bolstering a movement to light up rural areas and tell the stories of the people who live there.

TCP doesn’t look much like the four-page broadsheet that reached 14,000 readers in 1944, but the digital platform that draws tens of thousands of online readers each month and reaches 1.9 million mailboxes is still built around a highly customizable print magazine that delivers on the original promise: shining a light on the good work of co-ops and the people and places that they serve.

“The magazine’s original mission to empower rural communities remains unchanged,” says Editor Chris Burrows. “Texas Co-op Power is a brand that readers grew up with. They know and trust us to deliver co-op news and illuminate co-op principles with engaging and approachable stories about the people, places, history, culture and recipes that make our state great.”

TCP has partnered with Fredericksburg Cast Iron Co. to celebrate 80 years with a reader giveaway for the ages: 80 skillets with special sleeves emblazoned with the TCP logo. Co-op members can enter at texascooppower.com.

Milestone Moments in Texas Co-op Power History
August 1944: Texas Cooperative Electric Power publishes its first recipe, for fruit-stuffed spareribs.
February 1945: The magazine’s name is shortened to Texas Co-op Power.
May 1960: Two-color printing debuts.
May 1984: Full-color photos are introduced.
May 2003: The first TCP cookbook, featuring 250 reader recipes, is printed—to the tune of 24,000 copies over two runs.
Early 2004: The print magazine reaches 1 million in circulation.
September 2009: TCP joins Facebook.
August 2010: The first digital stories are published on TexasCoopPower.com.
July 2020: TCP joins Instagram.