The Michigan Municipal Electric Association (MMEA) and MECA recently ran a storm response exercise, in which a major ice storm hit south central Michigan. In the simulation, damage from the storm was widespread and impacted multiple municipal and cooperative utilities across the State. The exercise dictated that more than 60 crews were requested by seven different utilities. It was the task of the [...]
Spartan Renewable Energy (Spartan) is one of seven member-owners of Wolverine Power Cooperative (Wolverine). It was created in 2006 with the goal of selling power at retail under Michigan’s Electric Choice Program. The long-term vision for Spartan has always been the development of renewable energy projects. For this reason, it was set-up as a for-profit corporation. As a for-profit entity, it can use [...]
On Veterans Day, Midwest Energy Cooperative donated more than $2000 to two programs that provide services and supports for local veterans. The member-owned cooperative encouraged the community to recognize veterans by lighting up homes and neighborhoods with energy efficient green LED bulbs. Midwest purchased bulbs and made them available for a minimum $5 donation. All proceeds, plus an additional $250 Midwest donation, went to [...]
The Michigan Electric Cooperative Association (MECA) is pleased to announce the addition of Tom Ulatowski as Safety and Loss Control Instructor starting November 23, 2016. Ulatowski’s primary responsibility will be to deliver safety program training in order to enhance safety awareness and to minimize injury, lost-time accidents and property damages. “The goal is for all of our safety program participants to return home [...]
In a presentation ceremony at the National Rural Electric Cooperative (NRECA) Region 4 meetings in Grand Rapids Sept. 8, NRECA’s new CEO Jim Matheson recognized recently retired GLE Director Dick Walsworth and Director Bob Kran. Walsworth was recognized as a member of Wolverine Power Cooperative’s board of directors. A letter in July from NRECA’s Interim CEO Jeffrey Connor credited Walsworth with leadership that contributed [...]
Wolverine Power Cooperative (Wolverine) announced on Sept. 27 that one of its member-owners, Spartan Renewable Energy, Inc. (Spartan) will commence construction this fall on a 1.2 megawatt solar array in Cadillac (SpartanSolar - Wolverine), across from Wolverine’s headquarters facility. Wolverine will purchase 100% of the output from the project – the largest in Northern Michigan, for the benefit of its member-owners. “SpartanSolar represents our [...]
High-speed internet is no longer a luxury; it is becoming a necessity. As reliable high-speed options have become the norm across significant portions of America and the world, much of rural America has remained unserved and underserved. Wolverine Power Cooperative has partnered with Michigan co-ops to explore the possibility of working together to provide broadband internet to their members. The first step is a [...]
At the last Alger Delta board meeting, Director Nancy Gardner-Platt announced she was stepping down from her position on the board. She and her husband are moving down state to be closer to family, which makes her no longer eligible to serve on the board. Gardner-Platt served as a director for seven years representing Alger Delta’s District 3, which includes Grand Marais and Burt [...]
Timothy Brechon of Paris and John LaForge of Delton were recently elected by Great Lakes Energy members in their district to three-year terms on the electric cooperative’s board of directors. Incumbent Robert Kran of Free Soil was also re-elected to the board. Brechon and LaForge are the first directors to be elected to these districts. Election districts were created in 2014 when Great Lakes [...]
The Presque Isle Electric & Gas Co-op Board of Directors recently approved participation in CoBank’s “Sharing Success” program, a $3 million charitable fund designed to benefit cooperatives and the charitable groups they support throughout rural America. CoBank is a nonprofit, cooperative bank that PIE&G uses and is a member of. Under the program, CoBank matches contributions by its cooperative members to the charitable organizations [...]
