To Co-op Currents: As a 30 year industrial and commercial IBEW journeyman electrician, I recently became aware of a dangerous situation with trees that had fallen and brought powerlines into the street. Trees had been coming down in this specific spot on a semi regular basis, nearly hitting a moving vehicle and regularly bringing down powerlines into the street. When …
An appreciation to WEC lineworkers
By Don Douglas We experienced the first widespread outage on Friday, December 16, 2022 with most everyone back on by Saturday, December 17. The next storm wasn’t so easy. It started in the early morning hours on Friday, December 23. That’s when Board President Steve Knowlton lost power, along with many members in East Montpelier. Despite all the things that …
High speed internet reaches Central Vermont
CVFiber groundbreaking echoes rural electrification efforts of 1930s and 1940s “What we’re doing will be transformational the same way rural electrification was transformational to central Vermont.” Jerry Diamantides On December 21, 2022 – the peak of holiday season, between two winter storms – several dozen central Vermonters and state officials arrived at the Calais Town Hall to mark the groundbreaking …
President’s & General Manager’s Message
Why this was WEC’s most expensive storm ever, and what’s next 40 broken poles, $900,000+ in damages. How WEC plans to respond to members’ needs for the next one Storm recap Steve: As a WEC member and Board member, I want to start by expressing my appreciation for the efforts of all WEC employees in restoring power during this outage. …
Winter Storm Elliott coverage
By the Co-op Currents Editorial Committee On December 23, 2022, Winter Storm Elliott reached Vermont with extremely high winds coming from an unusual direction, and a thaw followed by a temperature plunge that created icy conditions so fast, state officials warned drivers to get to wherever they planned to spend the night by 3 p.m. It was a historic storm …
Three incumbents run for re-election to Board of Directors
Every year, WEC’s membership elects three fellow members to serve on the Co-op’s nine-seat Board of Directors. The members who serve in these critical roles oversee management and staff and make policy and leadership decisions for the member-owned electric utility. Three incumbent Directors are running for re-election in 2023: Don Douglas of Orange, Treasurer; Jean Hamilton of Plainfield; and Mary …
Winter Storm Elliott: How does it compare to previous storms?
By Barry Bernstein Winter Storm Elliott, or the Christmas 2022 storm, will prove to be the most expensive storm in WEC’s history, but not the longest one in terms of days out. It was part of a storm front that put 200 million Americans on a winter alert: that’s two thirds of the US population. It was preceded by a …
Special: Winter Storm Elliott coverage and letter to members from GM Louis Porter
Dear Fellow Members of Washington Electric Cooperative, I want to thank you for your patience during the recent outage, for caring for your neighbors, and for the encouragement and kindness you showed WEC staff. WEC has recovered from experiencing one of its most destructive storms in recent history. At the start of our restoration efforts, 5,700 members were without power …
2023 Annual Meeting Scheduled for May 4
Board Candidacy and Bylaws Petition Deadlines Due Feb/March The 2023 Annual Meeting will be held on Thursday, May 4. For the first time since 2019, the Annual Meeting will be in-person at WEC’s warehouse. More event details will follow in future issues of Co-op Currents. Every year, the Annual Meeting marks the election of three members to WEC’s Board of …
Financial assistance, scam awareness, Sign up for outage alerts, Board vacancies
Have your finances taken a hit? Don’t let your WEC bill go past due, or grow beyond what you can manage. Help is available: A Member Services Representative will help you put together a budget that works for you. Plus, there are state programs that may help pay down your bill. Call us today, and we’ll help you put together …