Jeff Wilson of VEC to Take Over from Don Douglas as Vermont’s Representative to National Rural Electric Cooperative Association Every eight years, the boards of Vermont’s two rural electric cooperatives alternate which sends a representative to the board of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA). There are 48 NRECA reps: one per each state that has electric co-ops. In March, WEC Treasurer Don Douglas
February 25, 2026
High Coventry Performance Insulates WEC from Raising Rates We hear the message loud and clear from members: they think their electricity is expensive… It’s our goal to keep costs reasonable within the constraints we face. – Stephen Knowlton Two decades ago WEC’s Board made the decision to build and invest in our in-state renewable generation plant, and it’s paying dividends to members, because it costs
February 25, 2026
WEC Community Remembers Board Vice President Mary Just Skinner “She was totally dedicated to cooperative principles. She was a lot of fun, she had a good sense of humor, and she was engaged in life and the community—in all aspects of it.” – Richard Rubin In early January 2026, WEC Board Vice President Mary Just Skinner passed away unexpectedly while visiting family in California. She
February 25, 2026
Barry Bernstein: Comparing WEC and GMP Bills I’ve been an active member of the Co-op for more than 50 years, and as a director and President of WEC’s Board of Directors for over 20 years. One of the questions I still get asked is why are WEC’s residential electric bills higher than Green Mountain Power’s, the investor-owned utility that serves the more densely settled parts
February 25, 2026
Monday – 1/19/26 3:00 p.m. Crews have restored power to all members. Thank you for your patience. Remember: if you see lines down, do not touch or approach them. They could still be energized. Please report any downed wires or trees by calling WEC immediately at 1-802-223-5245 or 1-800-932-5245. Monday – 1/19/26 @ 2:15 p.m. WEC is experiencing an outage on the Greensboro feeder in the Walden, Stannard, and
January 19, 2026
Pending Public Utility Commission Approval, WEC Rolls Out Tier III Annual Plans Incentive programs help WEC members save money as they reduce their carbon footprints. Through Vermont’s Renewable Energy Standard (RES), all of the state’s electric utilities are required to help members shift their energy use from fossil fuels to other sources like electric power. This requirement is called Tier III, and members often experience
January 7, 2026
WEC was created by neighbors who banded together to bring electric power to their farms and villages when for-profit utilities would not invest in rural Vermont. Concern for community—a principle shared by all cooperatives—is a priority at WEC. Staff, volunteers, and many members live into it in many different ways—from everyday support services, to donating capital credits to the Community Fund, to seasonal programs. Member
January 7, 2026
Over 10 years, a three-phase grant cycle totaling $217,000 from the Vermont Low Income Trust for Electricity (VLITE) helped WEC fundamentally change its members’ access to electric vehicles by investing in charging infrastructure, and building out an early system for flexible load management. VLITE is a public-benefit nonprofit with a significant ownership stake in VELCO (Vermont Electric Power Company), Vermont’s transmission-only electric utility. It uses
January 7, 2026
October is Co-op Month, and it’s also conference season. While I attended a committee meeting related to my duties on the board of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), several of my fellow Board members and GM Louis Porter attended the conference for our regional association, Northeast Association of Electric Cooperatives (NEAEC), which includes co-ops in Vermont, New York, New Hampshire, Maine, and Rhode
January 7, 2026
By Stephen Knowlton I believe that net metering incentives going forward could be productively recast to instead promote the storage of solar energy by batteries or other means. Washington Electric has recently reached the milestone of registering its 1,000th net metering member. That means that nearly 10% of WEC’s members have solar net metering arrays, and they produce roughly 10% of the electricity consumed by
January 7, 2026
Factors Impacting WEC’s Rates and Members’ Bills Proceeding with the RES with new mandates, the state should scale back earlier programs that are no longer effective in producing renewable electricity at the lowest reasonable cost. – Steve Knowlton The most important and successful thing we can do as a utility is keep our total cost of electricity down for all members. – Louis Porter Affordability
January 7, 2026
Co-op Currents invites members to write in with their honest experiences buying and installing hot water heat pumps, cold climate heat pumps, electric vehicles, and other new electric tech. Your tips and advice are valuable to fellow members considering similar purchases. Submit your stories to currents@wec.coop. Stories will be published as time and space allow. Co-op Currents will contact you to confirm before publication. Please
January 7, 2026
Wednesday – 1/7/2026 – 11:00 AM Crews have restored power to all members. Thank you for your patience. Remember: if you see lines down, do not touch or approach them. They could still be energized. Please report any downed wires or trees by calling WEC immediately at 1-802-223-5245 or 1-800-932-5245. 1/7/26 – 9:00 AM WEC is experiencing 4 outage events with 134 members without power. This is due to
January 7, 2026
Tuesday, December 30, 2025 – 2:15 pm All outages in WEC territory have been restored. About 29 remain out of power statewide. Thanks to WEC’s incredible line crew, dispatchers, members services representatives and others who have worked so hard over the last two days, and to our members for their patience. Remember: if you see lines down, do not touch or approach them. They could still
December 29, 2025
Friday, December 19, 2025 – 7:30 pm WEC crews have restored power to all members. We do anticipate more winter weather including high winds this weekend so please be prepared for the possibility of additional outages. Thanks to the WEC line workers for their efforts to restore power today. Remember: if you see lines down, do not touch or approach them. They could still be energized.
December 19, 2025
Thursday Nov 6, 2025 – 7 pm WEC crews have restored power to all members. Remember: if you see lines down, do not touch or approach them. They could still be energized. Please report any downed wires or trees by calling WEC immediately at 1-802-223-5245 or 1-800-932-5245. Thursday – 11:30 a.m. WEC is currently experiencing an outage in the Fayston Waitsfield area impacting 64 members. Crews found two broken
November 6, 2025
Tuesday, Nov 5, 2025 – 3:30 pm All outages in WEC territory have been restored, although we anticipate additional wind overnight and tomorrow. About 400 remain out of power statewide. Remember: if you see lines down, do not touch or approach them. They could still be energized. Please report any downed wires or trees by calling WEC immediately at 1-802-223-5245 or 1-800-932-5245. Tuesday, Nov 5, 2025 – 2 p.m.
November 4, 2025
Friday, Oct 31, 2024 – 3 pm Power has been restored to all WEC members, although we anticipate additional windy conditions later tonight and into tomorrow. Thanks to WEC’s terrific line crew members, dispatchers, member services representatives and others who worked overnight and today and to WEC members for their patience. Remember: if you see lines down, do not touch or approach them. They could still
October 31, 2025
By Susan Alexander So, what’s really in it for me if I transfer my gas dollars into electric dollars? Aside from the benefits to our air quality, the real reason is that as a member of a co-op, and helping to make that co-op financially strong, we can all benefit from an increase in the number of kWh sold. – Susan Alexander Cooperatives exist in
October 30, 2025
Being prepared is taking responsibility for the safety and comfort of yourself and those around you. That means staying informed, having the supplies you need, and making wise choices. As winter storm season approaches, the Co-op asks all members to please prepare for the possibility of outages. During major storms, outages can last several days. This annual checklist is published in Co-op Currents to help
October 30, 2025