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 …
Energy Coach
Ask the Energy Coach: When will incentives resume? Dear Energy Coach: I just installed a hot water heat pump and want to take advantage of WEC’s incentives. When will they be available again? You can submit the invoices for any eligible equipment upgrades now – in fact, WEC hopes you will. All eligible equipment upgrades dated from September through December …
Concern for community: WEC maintains winter holiday and relief programs during an expensive winter
In 2022, inflation and high fuel costs combine to pose another challenging winter. Households are aware their dollars don’t cover as much. Just as worrying, the nonprofit programs that help people access basic needs – like food shelves and pantries – are finding donations are down, and their buying power is eroded. “From a service delivery standpoint, our first principles …
Members Write
To Co-op Currents: As a longtime WEC member, I was disappointed by the many negative and one-sided portrayals of solar net metering in the recent Coop Currents. Meeting the challenge that global warming presents to our safety and security requires an increase in new supplies of renewable energy like solar. New solar energy displaces polluting fossil fuels and enables a …