Florida Keys Electric Cooperative

Overview

Carrying a Cooperative Legacy Into the Future

Florida Keys Electric Cooperative (FKEC) is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric utility serving the Upper and Middle Keys. Since its founding in 1940, FKEC has played a central role in bringing reliable power to island communities that face unique geographic and environmental challenges. Guided by cooperative principles, the organization exists to serve its members, return value through capital credits, and reinvest in the long-term strength of the community it powers.

FKEC first partnered with Powerful years ago to design its website, and as the cooperative continued to grow and evolve, the time felt right for a thoughtful refresh. The organization wanted its website to reflect who they are today: progressive, forward thinking, and deeply connected to their members and environment. Their goals were to increase engagement, encourage greater use of online tools to reduce phone calls and email inquiries, and present FKEC as a modern utility that still feels grounded in cooperative values and community spirit. Powerful worked closely with FKEC to create a site that supports everyday needs like outages, billing, and service requests, while also telling the story of a cooperative that is preparing for the future.

A Modern Look Inspired by the Keys

FKEC wanted its website to reflect the same clarity, progress, and environmental care that guide how it serves its community. Shaped by island life and surrounded by water, the cooperative has long balanced reliability with innovation, and it needed a site that expressed that same mindset. The goal was to present FKEC as a forward-thinking, trusted community partner that delivers safe, high-quality power while remaining deeply connected to the place and people it serves.

Powerful and FKEC collaborated closely to create a premium design inspired by the natural environment of the Keys. Cool ocean tones, soft gradients, and flowing wave elements echo the surrounding water and coastline, reinforcing themes of clarity, steadiness, and forward movement. These visual details appear throughout the homepage and interior sections, creating a calm, cohesive experience that feels modern while still grounded in place.

Just below the hero, clearly defined sections bring FKEC’s top communication priorities to the forefront. Visitors are guided to storm resources, capital credits, and scam alerts without having to search. Each reflects a real and ongoing need within FKEC’s service territory. Storm resources acknowledge Florida’s unique weather patterns and hurricane season. Capital credits highlight the cooperative model and the value returned to members. Scam alerts help protect members from fraud, reinforcing trust and care. Together, these features show that FKEC leads with preparedness, transparency, and accountability.

To balance the clean, modern design with warmth and personality, Powerful also created a custom illustrated footer that celebrates the spirit of the Keys. The illustration features mangroves, snorkeling in Key West, utility lines over water, tropical marine life, and the iconic bridges that connect the islands. These details reflect the environment and culture that shape FKEC’s service territory and daily work. The footer adds a friendly, human touch to the site, reminding visitors that FKEC is a cooperative rooted in community and place, not a distant utility. This visual moment of warmth reinforces connection and belonging, while still aligning with the site’s modern, forward-thinking look.

Turning Information Into an Experience

FKEC wanted visitors to spend more time engaging with important content instead of skimming or leaving the site quickly. Like many utilities, the cooperative has a wide range of information to share, from outage procedures and billing details to cooperative benefits and community programs. Much of this content is essential, but it can feel overwhelming when presented in long blocks of text. The goal was to present this information in a way that felt approachable, organized, and engaging for both longtime members and first-time visitors.

Powerful introduced visualized pages to reshape how information is presented across the site. These pages organize content into clearly defined sections supported by imagery, icons, and seamless layouts.

A strong example of this approach is the Member Guide page. Instead of relying on paragraphs of text, the page is structured around key topics such as billing and payment options, outage reporting, community programs, energy efficiency efforts, green initiatives, and the cooperative difference. Each section offers a clear snapshot of the topic, supported by visual cues that help visitors quickly understand what FKEC offers and where to go next. Important concepts like capital credits, board governance, and community involvement are presented in a way that feels friendly and accessible.

The visualized Member Guide supports FKEC’s goal of increasing engagement by encouraging visitors to spend more time on the page and explore additional content. For someone new to the area, the Member Guide offers a welcoming introduction to what it means to be part of a member-owned cooperative. Visitors can quickly find information about reporting outages, paying a bill, and understanding how FKEC serves its community. Instead of feeling uncertain or overwhelmed, they leave the page feeling informed, confident, and encouraged to engage.