CEO’s Message – Planning Ahead
January 2022By Michael S. McWaters, Executive V.P./CEO
New Year’s resolutions come in all shapes and sizes. Some people want to go big, making grand plans to reshape their lives over the next 12 months. Others aim to make small life adjustments they hope will add up to something more in the end.
As a cooperative, our outlook on a new year isn’t that different. We make our own resolutions to continue providing the affordable and reliable service our consumer-members depend on. We dedicate ourselves to finding more ways to improve our system, and we resolve once again to put nothing ahead of the safety of our employees.
That last one is something that requires vigilance throughout the year, especially from our linemen. They train diligently to take on the job, but the work doesn’t stop there. They practice basic skills, continue to learn new techniques throughout their careers, and must always look out for themselves and the other members of their crew each time they go out on the job.
A crucial part of their safety on an everyday basis is the equipment they carry with them. As a cooperative, it is our responsibility to make sure the tools they work with are up to snuff. But our consumer-members might be surprised at just how much equipment it takes for our line crews to get the job done.
In this month’s newsletter, you can get an up-close and detailed look at what our crews carry with them on a daily basis. I encourage everyone to take a few minutes to look it over to get a better understanding of how our linemen bring consumer-members the electricity that powers their homes.
If one of your resolutions is to save money this year, then this newsletter has another welcome surprise. Throughout the year, you’ll be able to find an energy savings tip in each issue of Currents.
Some of you might wonder why a company that sells electricity would want to help people use less of it. But that’s just one of the many benefits that set an electric cooperative apart from other power providers. As a not-for-profit consumer-owned utility, we aren’t concerned with profit. Instead, we focus on bringing you the service you need. So the more energy you save, the more we can keep costs down for everyone.
Together, we can work to make our electric service more reliable, affordable for everyone, and safe for our crews who work so hard to bring it to you. That’s our goal for the new year. Until next month, good luck to all of our consumer-members chasing resolutions of their own.
