Q: How does being a cooperative ensure better reliability?

AWe are owned by the members we serve, and our mission is to provide you with high-quality electric service at the lowest possible cost, rather than making a profit. Because we don’t have outside shareholders that require a return on their investment, our focus is on providing highly reliable service. Instead, we invest in our system, making it more robust and resilient. This leads to faster restoration after weather events. And instead of being reactive, we are able to plan ahead for growth, making sure that we have the infrastructure in place to handle demand.

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Q: Doesn’t that reliability cost more? I thought the goal also was the lowest possible cost?

A The actions we take to increase reliability result in cost savings in the long run, it really is an investment. Restoration efforts are expensive, so keeping outages to a minimum is important, which is a win-win. And by planning ahead we are building our system so that it can be adapted for future growth, which reduces the cost of that growth. We also develop and implement demand control programs, like Connect to Save and Time-of-Use, which help us control peak demand and reduce our wholesale power costs. We’re a member of a statewide network of electric cooperatives, and we use our collective power when negotiating power contracts, and in researching which new technologies will be cost effective for our membership. Being a good steward of co-op finances is essential, and any revenue after expenses and planning for growth is returned to you when it is prudent to do so, in the form of capital credits.

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Q: How does being a cooperative lead to better service?

A Members elect the Board of Directors, who must be members themselves. Most employees live in the service territory, and feel accountable to their family, friends and neighbors about the co-op’s performance. They have a sense of pride in their work. Our employees understand that they work for the membership. It’s a culture that can be very different than for-profit companies. That’s why the MSRs that answer your calls go the extra mile to help you, why our line crew’s sense of urgency is so strong during outages, and why our management team strives for new ways to serve you better.