I hope you were able to enjoy time with family and friends during the holidays and are able to take a moment to catch your breath as we transition into a new year. Once again, the year flew by too quickly, and while I can’t predict what 2024 will bring, I can give you a small glimpse of what 2024 will look like at your electric cooperative.

Opportunities for you to engage in the business of the cooperative will always remain a top priority for us. Keep an eye open for event dates and times as we grow our member participation numbers to all-time highs. Whether it’s our drive-thru annual meeting, drive-thru district meetings, Kilowatts and Brats member appreciation picnics or Co-op Kids Day, we have something fun and informative for kids of all ages. 

If you can’t make it to an event, look for us in your community. We continue to bring the cooperative principle, Concern for Community, to life through our participation in community events and parades or by impacting local organizations through grants from the Central Community Foundation. 

When considering the energy industry on a national level, I predict continued price volatility. The availability of firm power, federal legislative activity and the future integration of renewables all impact the cost of power at the wholesale level.  

Along with power cost volatility comes the increasing cost to support day to day operations. This includes everything from the cost of fuel, which is used to operate and maintain our 4,500-mile electrical distribution system that spans seven counties, to the cost of materials needed to construct new and replace old infrastructure. These factors heavily impact your cooperative, and ultimately create the need for a rate adjustment across multiple rate classes, both residential and commercial. These rate adjustments will be implemented this spring.

Every year comes with its own set of challenges, unknowns and new opportunities. I think 2024 will bring with it opportunities that will ultimately help position the cooperative for the future as we continue to provide you safe, reliable and affordable service.