Rave Reviews for Great Lakes Energy Fiber-to-the-Home Internet Service
Fifty lucky subscribers were the first to be connected to Trustream before the end of 2018, and the new fiber-to-the-home internet service from Great Lakes Energy is already receiving rave reviews. Earlier this month, Bear Creek Organic Farm shared a Facebook post explaining the dramatic impact Trustream has had on their business and in their daily lives: "IT FINALLY [...]
MECA Expands Outreach With MPSC
MECA and its member co-ops have always valued a positive working relationship with the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC). However, since all of the co-ops have transitioned to member regulation in recent years, interaction between the co-ops and the agency has become much less frequent. While the MPSC no longer regulates rates for co-ops, [...]
Mackinac Bridge Closure Complicates Mutual Aid Efforts
Northern Michigan endured winds in excess of 50 miles-per-hour on Friday, Sept. 21. These powerful gusts took down trees and left thousands of co-op members without power. They also forced the Mackinac Bridge to partially close, which complicated restoration efforts. Alger Delta Cooperative was hit hard. At the height of the event, about one-quarter [...]
Thumb Completes RESAP Audit and Pole Top Rescue Training
The last week of August included a very clear safety focus for Thumb Electric Cooperative (TEC). The co-op completed a Rural Electric Safety Achievement Program (RESAP) audit and provided life-saving Pole Top and Bucket Rescue Training for its operations employees. “I’m proud of how they’re living up to the RESAP goal of continuous improvement,” said [...]
Michigan Crews Spend Holiday Weekend Battling Storm Aftermath
“If there’s going to be a big storm that causes widespread outages, you can bet it will probably happen over a holiday,” claims Joe McElroy, safety director and mutual aid coordinator at MECA. Turns out he may be onto something. That was certainly the case last week as a large-scale outage event took place [...]
Wolverine Power Embarks on Extraordinary Transmission Upgrades
In July, the Wolverine Power Cooperative Board of Directors approved a five-year construction plan to rebuild 600 miles of transmission line—its most ambitious construction goal in the last half-century. “This plan is the culmination of Wolverine’s member teams, Board of Directors, and staff, working together over a decade to develop the technical and financial [...]