Congress has passed a new five-year Farm Bill that has sweeping economic and energy efficiency effects for electric co-ops and their members. The Agricultural Act of 2014 is worth $956 billion and ends uncertainty that has plagued farm policy since the last farm bill expired in October 2012. “The Farm Bill is critical to economic development and rural Americans,” says Jo Ann Emerson, CEO [...]
MECA recently hosted an in-state training series for co-op supervisors that was attended by 84 Michigan co-op employees. The NRECA Supervisory Certificate program teaches the core competencies required of supervisors in the areas of leadership, communication and administrative skills. The 3-day training session included courses on topics such as time management, managing change and resolving conflict through negotiation. “Our people were so pleased with [...]
Cloverland Electric Cooperative is seeking a full-time communications manager for their Sault Ste. Marie office. Responsibilities include researching, writing and coordinating the publication of traditional and social media communications, website content management, community outreach activities, and serving as a media liaison. The ideal candidate will have a college degree in communications, journalism, public relations or related major, and at least two years’ communications experience. Benefits and starting [...]
Alger Delta Cooperative has experienced a sad loss in the passing of a director. Bessie Anderson, of Menominee, was fairly new to the board, having been elected in June 2012. “She was enthusiastic about getting involved and attended CCD training in Bay City in August 2012,” says Alger CEO Tom Harrell. “She was a great person and good board member who regularly contributed and had [...]
MECA member-cooperatives participating in the Energy Optimization (EO) collaborative have again exceeded the kilowatt-hour reductions set by the Michigan Legislature in P.A. 295. Overall, the collaborative achieved 114 percent of its 2013 goal. All collaborative members exceeded their residential and Commercial/Industrial (C&I) goals, which included carryovers from 2012. Programs that exceeded target goals were Residential Energy Star; Residential HVAC; Residential Audit and Weatherization and C&I General Business [...]
In his fourth “State of the State,” Gov. Rick Snyder said that Michigan’s comeback is continuing. Snyder shared some welcome news when he said Michigan leads all other states in manufacturing job growth and the addition of nearly 221,000 private sector jobs. The personal income growth rate is tied for No. 1 among Great Lakes states, and the population is seeing its first growth [...]
Nationwide, 24 states have declared propane shortage emergencies, according to the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC), and regional inventories are 43 percent below this time in 2013. This shortage affects about 9 percent of Michiganders using propane as their primary heating fuel, as well as three Michigan electric co-ops that provide propane service. “We have notified all our propane customers of the shortage, and also [...]
A new safety program that would help co-op lineworkers avoid common injuries is being developed by Joe McElroy, MECA safety director, and Heather Johnson, an exercise physiologist from WMU. It focuses on offering a stretching program that would help lineworkers avoid muscle strains. Currently, the program is being tested at Midwest Energy and Holland Board of Public Utilities. McElroy is working with Johnson to [...]
The crippling ice storm that caused power outages for over 500,000 mid-Michigan people during Christmas week affected about 20,450 served by electric co-ops. Co-ops affected most were HomeWorks Tri-County and Thumb Electric, although over 5,000 Great Lakes Energy members were also without power. “At peak, we estimate that over 10,000 of our members were out of power,” says HomeWorks’ General Manager Mark Kappler. The [...]
From the recent launch of its ACRE Co-op Owners for Political Action program, Cherryland Electric now has 109 members signed up, with a current total of $3,672 in contributions, reports Rachel Johnson, Cherryland’s grassroots advocate. Member response came largely from an ad last fall in Country Lines magazine and an ACRE bill insert. “All of these members will be receiving a thank-you letter and [...]
