The Cooperative Advantage - October 2023 CCL CEO Article
By Ruth Marks, MVEA CEO
Celebrate National Co-op Month with MVEA
This month, Mountain View Electric Association joins electric cooperatives across the U.S. in inviting our members to help us celebrate National Co-op Month. There is no better way to celebrate National Co-op Month than to celebrate our members who make it possible. I want to personally invite you to attend our Member Appreciation Day lunch on Wednesday, October 11, at the Falcon office. This year a Member Appreciation Pool Party was held in Limon in early August, so we are moving the celebration to Falcon this month. We will be grilling up brats and hot dogs and giving away some fun items to celebrate National Co-op Month. I hope to see you there!
Why do we celebrate National Co-op Month? It’s a great opportunity to celebrate our co-op members and our unique business model that is based on the Seven Cooperative Principles: Voluntary and Open Membership; Democratic Member Control; Members’ Economic Participation; Autonomy and Independence; Education, Training and Information; Cooperation Among Cooperatives; and Concern for Community. Born from a need for a service, and created solely to maximize benefits to its members rather than to shareholders, cooperatives play an important role in communities across the nation.
Since MVEA was founded in 1941, our focus has remained steady on providing safe, reliable, affordable, and responsible energy to our members. In this current energy landscape, consumer expectations are far different than they were decades ago. While we remain focused on our founding principles, we are adapting to keep pace with changing technology, evolving needs, and member expectations. As an electric co-op, we want to serve as your trusted energy advisor to help you manage your electric use as well as providing advice and information on a broad range of energy topics.
For example, if you’re looking for ways to save energy, visit www.mvea.coop/save-energy-money for energy-saving tips and ideas to increase the energy efficiency of your home. Understanding how your home uses energy can help determine the best ways to modify electric use to manage your monthly bill.
Your digital meter, paired with online account management through SmartHub, is a powerful tool to help you become more energy efficient. With daily and hourly energy reads available, your digital meter and SmartHub account will help pinpoint high energy use spikes so you can avoid them in the future. Visit www.mvea.coop/payment-options to learn more about SmartHub.
Are you interested in purchasing a rooftop solar system? We are here to help. Investing in a solar system is a major decision, and it’s important to fully understand the costs, responsibilities, and potential energy savings. We currently have more than 3,000 residential solar accounts spread throughout our service territory. As the demand for solar power has increased, so has the number of calls we receive from members regarding costs and logistics. If you have questions about going solar, please contact us or visit www.mvea.coop/interconnection.
MVEA’s fiber broadband expansion is deeply rooted in the co-op’s concern for community as well as the Board of Director’s dedication to serving the membership through long-term fiscal stewardship. Bringing high-speed internet access to members in MVEA’s service territory has been a goal for many years. When complete, the network will span nearly 5,800 miles of fiber and will provide 100% of our members access to high-speed internet. It all goes back to serving MVEA’s members — now and in the future.
Whether looking for new technologies to help members manage their electric use, incorporating evolving technology into the home, or bringing high-speed internet to rural communities, electric co-ops, like MVEA, are taking the lead on innovative ways to better serve their membership. “We’re here to serve you.” These words can sound generic, but to us — YOUR electric cooperative — they mean everything.