Rita Blanca Electric Cooperative, Inc. is a distribution cooperative (Texas 145 Dallam County) with headquarters in Dalhart, Texas, serving portions of Dallam, Hansford, Hartley, Hutchinson, Moore, Oldham, Potter, and Sherman Counties.
Rita Blanca's service area lies in the northwestern Panhandle of Texas, and includes about 5,500 square miles at elevations of 2,900 to 4,600 feet. The topography varies from the Canadian River basin, which, with its tributaries, is the major drainage basin of the area, to the upland high plains of north Texas. Except for small streambeds which that are dry during most of the year, the major portion of the service area is relatively flat. The Ogallala Aquifer lies underneath most of the area. Water is abundant in the service area. Because of the relative flatness of the terrain, the land is well suited to surface irrigation with minimum land preparation.
The growing season is approximately 190 days. Principal crops are corn, grain sorghum, alfalfa, and wheat. The economy of the region is highly dependent on the agricultural and oil and gas production, with changes affecting the population, load growth, and electricity sales. The maximum demand for electricity occurs during the summer, primarily from irrigation and air conditioning loads during the hot and dry periods.