Season’s Greetings from Union County Electric Cooperative

            It’s hard to believe that the end of 2021 is upon us and a new year is just around the corner. While many have faced challenges over the past few years, we also have much to be grateful for. It’s a time of reflection. I’m grateful for my own family as well as my co-op family. At Union County Electric, we’re driven by a sense of mission and purpose. Our team feels a strong connection to our community and our members because we live here too.

While many of our community-focused programs and activities had been canceled or changed over the past couple of years, we have continued finding creative ways to engage with our members. We were excited to get back to our Annual Member Breakfast in November and look forward resuming the programs and services we have in place to help engage with our members to help you become conciencious energy users year-round.

We continue to offer energy efficiency programs to save you money and energy. By offering free Home Energy Audits and selling products such as the Sense Home Energy Monitor, we are able to help you utilize energy more efficiently, saving you money.

Our Operation Round Up program has helped 14 of the most vulnerable members pay their energy bills and supported 20 area non-profit organizations over the past 4 years. By simply “rounding up” your energy bills to the next whole dollar amount, you help others right here in our community.

In addition to helping members in need or providing tools to save, we’re also focusing on the future. In our area, we’re seeing increased interest in renewable energy sources. In recent years, Basin Electric Power Cooperative has been able to adjust our fuel mix by incorporating more renewables. Today, roughly 40% of our fuel mix is comprised of renewable energy sources, such as Wind and Hydro. Utility scale solar generation is in the works and should be online in the coming years. While we have been adding more renewable resources, we continue to focus on reliability as well. The power grid is a delicate balance of ensuring the generation resources are available when you need the energy. We will continue to strive for the right balance of renwable resources without sacrificing the importance of reliability, safety and affordability for our members. 

But one of the most important investment we make is in our local youth. Union County Electric has provided educational and safety classes, as well as scholarships for local students. Additionally, each year through our Youth Tour program, we provide an opportunity to send a high school junior or senior to Washington, D.C. for a week-long immersion to experience democracy in action. 

At the heart of all of these programs is you––the members we proudly serve. Looking back, I’m grateful for so many wonderful community partners and for the positive impact we can continue to make.

Speaking on behalf of our team at Union County Electric Cooperative, we wish you and your loved ones peace, joy and prosperity this holiday season. Until next month, have a safe holiday and God bless.

Quote of the Month: "Always be a first rate version of yourself, instead of a second rate version of somebody else" - Judy Garland, Actress