MECA News

As far as Michigan's electric cooperatives are concerned, there should be “No Barriers” to veterans with disabilities. That’s the name—and the idea—behind Co-Bank’s No Barriers initiative. Designed to help veterans with disabilities transform their lives through curriculum-based experience in challenging environments (think: climbing, rafting and hiking), the program takes place over a five-day expedition in Colorado. As the program sponsor, CoBank will cover [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]