By Ken Schlimgen, General Manager
The season of harvest is here, and the temperatures are turning cooler each day. This serves as a reminder that the holiday season is approaching. It is a time for gratitude, generosity and looking out for one another.
At a time when electric cooperative members and our country face an increase in electric rates, it’s worth noting a quiet success story: electric cooperatives. Despite operating in rural areas and small communities far from the spotlight, these member-owned utilities are proving to be one of the greatest gifts to our country.
The numbers speak for themselves. Basin Electric, our cooperative wholesale power supplier, serves 3 million member-owners across nine states. All nine states have electric rates lower than the national average. Across the country, states with strong electric cooperative networks consistently have lower electric rates.
Why? Cooperatives are not-for-profit, locally governed and focused on reliability. Some would say that electric cooperatives are a force for good. We are a grassroots organization that creates practical policies to get rational solutions. We are concerned for our communities, and we engage our members in multiple forums to discuss our challenges and to develop solutions.
Rather than distributing profits to investors, Central Electric reinvests its revenue in infrastructure, innovation and rate relief. We are also more accountable because our customers are member-owners and decision makers. This local control has proven to be a winning formula, especially as our members and families across the country face increasing energy costs.
In a national conversation on increasing energy prices, electric cooperatives remind us that local solutions still work well because they are driven by the membership and for the membership. Cooperatives are a shining model of economic democracy, proving that community-owned institutions can deliver better results and lower costs.
So, the next time you flip a light switch, use an appliance or pay your electric bill, take a moment to appreciate the cooperative difference. For you and millions of Americans, electric cooperatives are more than a reliable provider of electricity. They are a gift.
Until next month, stay safe!