Originally published in VTDiggerDecember 5, 2021 By Mark Bushnell To the popping of flashbulbs, Gov. George Aiken flipped a switch and started the generators at the newly founded Washington Electric Cooperative in East Montpelier. That moment, back in 1939, was a staged political event captured live on radio and by photographers for the next day’s newspapers. Photo ops are rarely …
WEC Warns Members of Phone Scam
December 17, 2021 Washington Electric Cooperative, Inc.P.O. Box 840 Church StreetEast Montpelier, VT 05651 Contact: Susan Golden 800-932-5245 || susan.golden@wec.coop East Montpelier, VT – Washington Electric Cooperative (WEC) has heard a report of at least one member receiving a telephone call from someone claiming to be from WEC. The member was told their account was overdue and that they risked …
Washington Electric Co-op Appoints Louis Porter as General Manager
September 14, 2021 Washington Electric Cooperative, Inc.P.O. Box 840 Church StreetEast Montpelier, VT 05651 Contact: Louis Porter (802) 595-3691 President Stephen Knowlton (802) 223-2230 East Montpelier, Vt: The board of the Washington Electric Cooperative (WEC) has selected Louis Porter of Calais as the new General Manager for the eight-decade-old member-owned rural electric utility. “As a cooperative, our mission is closely linked …
WEC Urges Members to Apply for VCAAP II Arrearage Grants
July 30, 2021 Washington Electric Cooperative, Inc.P.O. Box 840 Church StreetEast Montpelier, VT 05651Contact: Patty Richards, 802-223-5245 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Washington Electric Cooperative Urges Members with Overdue Billsto Apply for State COVID Arrearage Grants East Montpelier, Vt: Washington Electric Cooperative (WEC), a member-owned electric utility serving rural central Vermont, strongly encourages members overdue paying their bills to apply for support …
Washington Electric Co-op General Manager Patty Richards to Depart January 2022
East Montpelier, Vt: Patty Richards, who has led Washington Electric Cooperative (WEC) as its general manager since 2013, has announced she will step down January 14, 2022. “It has been a wonderful experience leading this innovative and 100 percent renewable electric cooperative over the past eight years. It has been a privilege and honor to serve WEC’s members. I am …
Washington Electric Cooperative Recognizes Electric Utility Lineworker Appreciation Day April 18
East Montpelier, Vt: April 18 marks the national day of recognition for lineworkers: the people who keep the power on all across America. Washington Electric Cooperative (WEC) is proud to honor its hardworking line crews. The job of lineworkers requires skill, teamwork, high-stakes problem solving, physical effort and courage in the best of conditions. When outages occur, lineworkers are called …
Washington Electric Cooperative Urges Members to Apply for up to $10,000 in State Grants to Pay Past-Due Bills
East Montpelier, Vt: Washington Electric Cooperative (WEC) urges its members to apply for state assistance covering past-due electric bills and other utility bills. Grants are avail-able to households, businesses, and nonprofits unable to pay utility bills as a result of COVID-related economic hardship. Utilities may include Vermont electric; natural gas; landline; private water; municipal, community, or fire district water and …
Vermont utilities warn customers of phone scam today –
Published in VT Digger – 9/3/2020 Utilities Warn of Scam Threatening to Cut Power Unless Customers Make Immediate Payment; Encourage Customers to Hang Up and Report Scam Colchester, VT – Vermont utilities are warning customers of a phone scam today. In a sudden surge of calls, the scammers claim to be from a Vermont utility, including Green Mountain Power (GMP), …
Cooperatives: in the business of strengthening communities
By Patty Richards and Rebecca Towne This summer, both of our rural electric cooperatives, Vermont Electric Cooperative (VEC) and Washington Electric Cooperative (WEC) made grants to organizations promoting food security in our respective service territories. In seeking ways to support our members, especially during the pandemic, we wanted to offer direct benefits to people in our communities. One volunteer at …
Washington Electric Offers Record Breaking Credits to Members
Co-op returns $770,000 in capital credits to membership East Montpelier, Vt: This fall, Washington Electric Cooperative (WEC) will return the largest amount of patronage capital in its history to its current and former membership. The Board of Directors opted to return $770,000 in capital credits: an increase of $20,000 over the amount returned to members in 2019. “Increasing the credit …