FROM THE GENERAL MANAGER/CEO: Dennis Svanes

October is here, and that means two things: cooler evenings under the Friday night lights and the celebration of National Cooperative Month! This is always a special time for us to pause and reflect on what it means to be part of a cooperative family. We exist to serve you, our members, not shareholders, and that makes all the difference.

To help celebrate, we’ll be hosting a couple of high school football community tailgate events later this month. It’s a great chance to share some food, fellowship, and hometown spirit. We hope you’ll join us! 

While October is about celebrating, it’s also a time to have honest conversations about the challenges we face together as a cooperative. One of the biggest is how electricity is billed. 

Most members are billed based on kilowatt-hours (kWh) each month, the total amount of electricity used. It’s a simple system and familiar — if you use more, you pay more. However, behind the scenes, much of what your cooperative pays for wholesale power is tied to demand, measured in kilowatts (kW).

Demand is the highest amount of electricity used at one time, even if it only lasts for a few minutes. Think of our power grid like a highway: The road has to be wide enough to handle rushhour traffic, even if it’s not full most of the day. Similarly, our cooperative must maintain infrastructure to meet peak demand moments, whether they happen on the hottest July afternoon or the coldest January night.

Here is the challenge: While much of our costs come from being ready to meet those peaks, most member bills are based only on total monthly usage. This can create a mismatch. A member who uses 1,000 kWh steadily may cost the cooperative less than a member who uses 1,000 kWh but in short, high demand bursts. Yet under the current system, both pay the same. 

As a cooperative, we are continually exploring ways to better align billing with the costs we face. Our goal is fairness and sustainability — ensuring that every member pays their share while keeping rates affordable for all.

So as we celebrate National Cooperative Month, let’s remember that cooperation isn’t just a principle … it’s how we work together to face challenges, keep the lights on, and strengthen our communities, from your homes to our local football fields.

(Originally printed in October's KCL Centerspread)