History

Founded on May 10, 1932, at a time in which a country-wide electrical grid was being established, it had its first official Extraordinary General Assembly on September 4 of that year. The purpose of the meeting was to solve the problem of the capital invested being insufficient to cover the expenses of constructing the network to distribute electrical energy to all the members of the cooperative. After lively discussion, it was unanimously decided by all the founder members to reinforce their share. On August 30 of the following year, it contracted with «Santos & Matos, Lda» to supply electric energy to the Cooperative, approved in a meeting of the Administrative Council, presided by Father Floriano Dias Pereira, the Parish priest of Lordelo and director and founder member. Augusto Dias Castelo was the Treasurer and Antonino Ferreira Passos, José Ferreira da Costa and Abílio Moreira das Neves were Committee Members.

The Cooperative thereby became responsible for the supply of electrical energy to Lordelo, but its great aspiration was to construct a private generator. This project was aired in 1940, but quickly abandoned due «to the shortage of the materials provoked by the state of the European war». However, in this same year, the supply of electrical energy for public and private illumination was discussed, and the offer of a 4-month loan of a 10 KVA transformer, received as bonus on the contract with «Eléctrica Duriense, Lda» was accepted. This was installed in the cabin ceded by the firm «Santos & Matos», until that belonging to «A Lord» could be built. However things did not run well. 1942 was considered a disastrous year because of extreme financial hardship: the borrowed generator burned out, its repair being very expensive; the Winter storms caused endless mishaps in the power-line network and the new generator acquired also burned out. To make matters worse, in 1948 a fierce debate arose between the members over the location for building the much desired medium voltage transformer station, which lead to the resignation of the Administrative Council. But these problems did not prevent the organisation, at the meeting of April 7, 1954, from approving the project for two more transformers to be built in the parish.

However, with the collaboration and good will of all concerned, this first phase and installation and development of the Cooperative was concluded, and from the early fifties the Institution began to show a profit. It therefore became possible, to turn its attention generally towards the community and begin to develop its facet of solidarity. One of the first measures taken, in meeting of the 8th of March 1953, was to offer the supply of electrical energy to the Church and Chapels of the Parish, and to finance the expenses of installing electricity in the Parish Hall, the place where the Cooperative habitually met, in this way initiating its social action on behalf of the community of Lordelo.

However a shared space in the Parish hall, the customary meeting place of the Cooperative, could not fully satisfy its needs since it made the proper functioning of the administrative services and archives difficult and hindered supplementary activities. Therefore in 1955 a new dream arose, that of exchanging the Parochial Hall in favour of its own headquarters. Therefore, the purchase of a land for its construction was unanimously approved in the Extraordinary General Assembly of February 23rd, 1958, which also dealt with the public illumination of the parish. On December 27, 1959 the Administrative Council met for the first time in its own building, located in Entroncamento.

In the 1970’s, the Cooperative once again experienced difficult times due to the unfavourable economic climate, reaching their peak in 1986, when it appeared that its incorporation into EDP (Electricidade de Portugal) was imminent, as happened to most of the cooperatives in Portugal. However, it was able to overcome those difficulties; outstanding debts were renegotiated and in 1987 it entered a phase of development and expansion that has continued to the present day.

The Cooperative continued to provide electricity and maintain an electrical grid in the parish of Lordelo, along with its programme of social solidarity and support, until on September 29, 1996 the Extraordinary General Assembly approved the authorization for the constitution of a Foundation dedicated to the cultural, social and sporting development of the Community of Lordelo. This is already a very well-known reality of the people of Lordelo.

Currently «A Lord» has notable assets, its own administrative facilities, warehouse, vehicles and a modern and capable distribution network, human resources that can respond to the consumers' needs and ensure a rigorous and effective administration.

This process of proactive intervention and competence was rewarded in 2001 by receiving the status of Public Service body (Entidade de Utilidade Pública).

Today, the «Cooperativa de Electrificação A LORD, C.R.L.» is inseparable from the city of Lordelo, a bond that has already established its place in history.