Surprise Valley Electrification Corporation (SVEC) Geothermal Project at Paisley, Oregon is a unique project where a rural electric utility and nearby ranchers are working in cooperation to produce renewable power. Rural electric cooperatives have played a major role in bringing electrical power to rural America and they are now poised to play a major role in developing small geothermal resources scattered throughout their service territories. Rural electric cooperatives were formed in the early 1900s providing a critical mechanism to build and maintain power systems throughout the nation and especially in rural areas, including the western U.S.