October Is National Cooperative Month

When you think of October, pumpkins, Halloween and beautiful fall foliage naturally come to mind. But October is notable for another reason – it’s National Co-op Month! This is the time of year when cooperatives across the country, including Tri-County EMC, celebrate who we are and more importantly, the members we serve.
  
Cooperatives are different than other types of businesses. When the market declines to offer a product or service, or does so at a very high price, co-ops intervene to fill the need. 

There are 29,000 co-ops in the US today, and 900 of those are electric co-ops, like Tri-County EMC. Electric cooperatives power 56% of the nations landmass, bringing power to 42 million people. 

Similar to how Tri-County was built by members who came together to bring electricity to our community, cooperatives work for the common good. Your electric co-op exists to provide safe, reliable and affordable energy to you, the members of the co-op. Equally important is our mission to enrich the lives of the members we serve. 

We are well-suited to meet the needs of the community because we are locally governed. Tri-County’s leadership team and employees live right here in the community. Our board of directors, who helps set long-term priorities for the co-op, live locally on co-op lines. They were elected to the position by neighbors like you. 

We know our members (that’s you!) have a valuable perspective. That’s why we are continually seeking your input. Whether through community events, our social media channels, surveys or the annual meeting, we want to hear from you to ensure the co-op is meeting your needs.

Our close connection to the community ensures we get a first-hand perspective on local priorities, thereby enabling us to make more informed decisions on long-term investments, such as community solar programs, equipment and technology upgrades and electric vehicle programs. 

Another feature that sets our co-op apart from a traditional utility is one of our core principles, “Concern for Community.” Through scholarships, employee volunteer hours, Operation Roundup Grants, Bright Ideas Teachers Grants and the Washington Youth Tour, we make it a goal to invest in the communities we serve. 

Ultimately, the larger community benefits from these programs because of you and your neighbors. You empower the co-op through your membership and through your participation in and support of these programs – rounding your bill to the next dollar for Operation Roundup, for example.

We hope you will think of Tri-County EMC as more than your energy provider, but instead as a local business that supports this community and powers economic development and prosperity for the people. We will continue to learn from our members about their priorities so that we can better serve you – because your electric co-op was built by the community, for the community. (85869001)

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