Co-operative Energy Ltd was formed in December 1994 with the aim of developing a co-operative response to the privatisation of the energy industry.

The inspiration for the co-operative's establishment was the experience and history of electric co-operatives in the USA which at the time served 12% of the USA population, owned and maintained 43% of the electric distribution lines in the USA, employed nearly 60,000 employees and served 36 million people in 47 states.

Since its establishment, Co-operative Energy Ltd was either directly or indirectly involved in short-lived successes which never consolidated or develioped.

In 1998 Co-operative Energy Ltd organised a purchasing group based on aged care agencies who had a choice of electricity retailer because their electricity consumption was at least 160 megawatt hours per year and this work was facilitated by Aged Care Victoria and the Commission for Mission, Uniting Church.

The co-operative negotiated a three year contract for 18 agencies with an average savings of 32%. This compared favourably with a 1998 survey by the Australian Chamber of Manufactures of 410 large businesses who were contestable before 1 July 1998 and concluded that there had been average savings of 26%.

Despite this success, Co-operative Energy Ltd did not have the resources and capacity to build on it in future years. This was complicated by specific circumstances with Aged Care Victoria corporatising itself and changing its leadership. The welfare sector itself was more interested, and remains, more interested in developing relationships with governments and corporations rather than co-operatives.

Subsequently, Co-operative Energy Ltd was involved in the formation of Our Energy in February 2002. This initiative was supported by the WAW Credit union  which has members and branches throughout North East Victoria. By 2002 Our Energy had grown to include 465 businesses, 300 farms and 2800 residential consumers. To this would be added the loads of the individual councils.

Attempts to generate serious negotiations and offers from retailers failed and subsequent tentative proposals from individual retailers either were not sufficiently attractive to justify a switch or never materialised.

Since 2002 the principals of Co-operative Energy Ltd switched their priorities and without this commitment the co-operative was on hold until it was decided to formally wind-up another co-operative that had ceased being active and could no longer justify its continued registration.

#David Griffiths was a founding member and director of Co-operative Energy Ltd and its Secretary since its formation.