MECA News

A team of nine Michigan electric co-op representatives spent May 5-7 in Washington, D.C., at the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s (NRECA) Legislative Conference. Team members included Ken Swope, Dave Allen and Bob Hance (Midwest); Rachel Johnson (Cherryland); Brian Burns (Presque Isle); Nancy Gardner-Platt and Tom Harrell (Alger Delta); Kim Molitor (Wolverine), and Craig Borr (MECA). They lobbied the Michigan Congressional Delegation on several [...]

Midwest Energy Cooperative was honored this week with the Expanding Excellence Award for Best Mobility Implementation. The award recognizes outstanding contributions, innovations and excellence in utility customer service. The Cassopolis-based utility’s submission featured the 2013 upgrade of their customer self-service portal to SmartHub, and implementation of the SmartHub mobile application. SmartHub is an online and mobile platform that provides access and two-way communication with [...]

Midwest Energy Cooperative is attempting to change national policy to open the retail marketplace so that other entities (like electric co-ops), can provide real solutions for rural broadband. “Broadband Internet is a necessity for full participation in our economy and society,” explains Bob Hance, President and CEO, Midwest Energy. “Yet in 2014 many Americans, particularly in rural America, are without affordable, quality options.“ The [...]

On March 22, Cloverland Electric Co-op lineworkers Jim Sutton and Phil Den Boer were dispatched to disconnect power at a house fire in Newberry. While on the scene, they witnessed firefighters Glen Pittman and Steve Fossitt enter the burning house and fall through the floor into the basement. Sutton and Den Boer immediately alerted Incident Commander Phillip Nelson who mobilized the firefighters on-scene to [...]

Patty Clark, a community development specialist in Midwest Energy's Adrian office, is the first recipient of a new award called the "Good Neighbor Watch Co-op Community Service Award." Presented by the Michigan Electric Cooperative Association (MECA) during its annual meeting April 9-11, Clark received the award for her outstanding volunteer work. Electric co-ops have a long history of demonstrating the co-op principle of "Concern [...]