Joe Brannan, who has been CEO of North Carolina’s Electric Cooperatives since 2012, is retiring next April, the group said.
The organization represents the North Carolina Electric Membership Corp., the N.C. Association of Electric Cooperatives and Tarheel Electric Membership Association. The state’s 26 cooperatives serve 1 million households and businesses in 93 of the state’s 100 counties.
Brannan joined the not-for-profit group in 2006 as chief operating officer. 
“Joe has led cooperatives through a period of unprecedented change in the electric utility industry from new grid capabilities and generation needs to sharp increases in demand and evolving consumer expectations,” Susan Flythe, the membership corporation’s board president, said in a release. She is the general manager of Cape Hatteras Electric Cooperative.
The cooperative provides wholesale electric generation and transmission services to members, mostly in rural areas. Membership has grown from 2.5 million members in 2012 to 2.8 million now.
The N.C. EMC had revenue of $1.17 billion in 2023, according to its most recent tax filing. Brannan received total compensation averaging about $2 million a year between 2021-23.
Like other utilities, the group balances demands for reliable electricity with a commitment to sustainability. Its fuel mix is more than 60% carbon-free, mostly through its partial ownership of nuclear power plants. Its operation also includes five microgrids, 19 community solar farms and 13 solar storage sites.
Before joining the N.C. group, Brannan worked for an Indiana-based energy marketing company and Allentown, Pennsylvania-based PPL, an investor-owned utility. He is a graduate of Penn State University with an MBA from Lehigh University.
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