MECA Safety Director, Joe McElroy, was recently presented the Leroy M. Vanderpool Recognition Award at the January Quad State Instructors Winter Conference. “I am beyond humbled to receive this award,” McElroy said, “there are multiple people within the Quad States group who are more deserving to be chosen.” Leroy Vanderpool was a pioneer in safety at the co-op level. His contributions to Quad [...]
Two Thumb Electric Cooperative (TEC) journeyman linemen recently put their safety training into action when they responded to a house fire on Atwater Road, between Ubly and Parisville. On the afternoon of October 3, Jim Vogel and Shane Maurer were returning from a jobsite when they noticed what appeared to be flames coming from the back corner of a house, but they didn't [...]
MECA celebrated National Co-op Month with a series of "Cooperative Foundations" workshops in October, which focused on co-op history, principles, and purpose. "We used to offer a similar half-day workshop in partnership with NRECA," says Doug Snitgen, Executive Vice President at MECA. "But, when we discovered that NRECA no longer offers their course, Great Lakes Energy asked if MECA could develop something to [...]
More than 864,000 Michigan households were left without power last week after multiple rounds of severe windstorms rolled through the state. Gusts of up to 104 mph leveled hundreds of trees and launched trampolines and other debris into the branches of those left standing. MECA Safety Director, Joe McElroy, was stranded at a Safety Summit conference in Florida when the calls for mutual [...]
More than 1,500 electric cooperative leaders from across the country participated in the NRECA Legislative Conference this week (April 20-23). While the annual conference typically includes a full schedule of in-person meetings with members of Congress in their Washington, D.C. offices, ongoing coronavirus restrictions required all appointments to be held virtually this year. Michigan used two teams of managers, staff and directors to [...]
The remote town of Onaway, Michigan—population 880—is not an obvious pick to install a new electric vehicle (EV) charging station. While most EV charging stations today are in urban areas or along expressways, Michigan’s electric cooperatives are planning for a different future. Placing chargers in rural areas will allow EV drivers to visit smaller communities, while providing a boost to local economies. Michigan’s [...]
Presque Isle Electric & Gas Co-op (PIE&G) continued the recent trend by holding its 83rd Annual Membership Meeting as a live, online event. The meeting was live streamed from the co-op headquarters building in Onaway via Zoom video conference. A multi-camera setup allowed directors in attendance to stay 6-feet apart and only remove face coverings when presenting. “This was a really creative solution,” [...]
190 Electric Co-ops Among Qualified Bidders The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has released the list of qualifying bidders and a map of available territories for the upcoming Rural Digital Opportunity Fund auction. This $16 billion auction opens up the opportunity to extend broadband to these rural areas of electric and telephone cooperatives, consortiums, and other local community-based entities. The auction is expected to lead [...]
From social distancing to face coverings, the coronavirus pandemic has forced the world to adapt to new ways of doing things. For many cooperatives, this includes creative solutions for the annual membership meeting. Earlier this month, Cherryland Electric Cooperative and Alger Delta Cooperative Electric Assn. held virtual annual meetings online—a first for both co-ops. Incumbent directors Tom Van Pelt and David Schweitzer were [...]
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Michigan electric cooperatives have temporarily suspended disconnection of delinquent electric and gas accounts. While not required, all Michigan co-ops have agreed to abide by a non-disconnect affirmation that largely mirrors a Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) order which directs investor-owned utilities to suspend disconnects and waive late fees until June 1. However, this effort to support member-consumers in [...]
