What’s the benefit of public power in our current era? By Louis Porter Most members of Washington Electric Cooperative know why and how electric cooperatives in general, and WEC in particular, came into being. They know the history of rural territories, whose lack of population density and rugged landscapes made electrification difficult, expensive, unprofitable, and therefore unappealing to investor-owned utilities. …
Public Power in the Public Interest
By Louis Porter, General Manager Vermont’s power system is the cleanest in the country, from a carbon perspective. Since Vermont’s Renewable Energy Standard took effect in 2016, utilities have made enormous progress reducing emissions. Public power utilities make sure our power purchases are both environmentally and financially sustainable. Beyond provision of power, our mission includes community and environmental impact. Today, …