I had the opportunity to attend Minnesota Rural Electric Association’s (MREA) Annual Meeting in St. Paul this February. Joining me were several of Todd-Wadena’s directors (Miles Kuschel, Tom Brichacek, and Kristine Spadgenske) and TWEC Member and Energy Services Manager Allison Frederickson. This is always time well spent as we get to meet one-on-one with our […]
Category: CEO Column
2023 Legislation — Carbon Free by 2040 // February 2023 CEO Column
Todd-Wadena Electric Cooperative and other rural electric cooperatives across our state share a common goal of providing safe, reliable, and affordable power for our members. We have a long history of coming together to serve people in rural communities. Over the years, cooperatives have adapted our business practices to continue providing reliable and affordable energy […]
The Impact of Rising Costs // January 2023 CEO Column
All of us have had our budgets top of mind lately, from groceries to gas and everything in between. Todd-Wadena Electric Cooperative (TWEC) is no different. We are seeing significant increases across the board – from the cost of poles to transformers and equipment. Not only are we seeing cost increases in our day-to-day operations, […]
Highlights from 2022 // December 2022 CEO Column
Happy holidays from Todd-Wadena Electric Cooperative! All of the employees and Board of Directors would like you, our members, to know how much we appreciate you. We hope you have a happy and safe holiday season and a prosperous new year! As 2022 comes to a close, it’s a good time to reflect on the […]
Load Management // November 2022 CEO Column
We’ve been fortunate to have such great fall weather this year, but the frigid temperatures of winter will be here before we know it. Our heating systems will soon be pushed to the max, but we are doing our best to make sure your budget is not. Todd-Wadena Electric Cooperative (TWEC) understands the expense of […]
Concern for Community: A Defining Principle for Co-ops // October 2022 CEO Column
Celebrated nationwide during the month of October, National Co-op Month is an annual opportunity to look at the many aspects that make cooperatives unique. Cooperatives are motivated by people and their needs, not by profit. The seven cooperative principles guide electric cooperatives to operate differently from other utilities, putting the needs of their members first. […]
Responsible Energy Transition // September 2022 CEO Column
Our power supplier, Great River Energy (GRE) has began preparing its Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), which must be filed with the State of Minnesota next spring. I was invited to attend a stakeholder meeting in late August, whereby GRE laid out its plan for transitioning its power resource portfolio further away from carbon-based fuels and […]
Democratic Process // August 2022 CEO Column
The democratic process is at the heart of everything cooperatives do, and it all starts with member participation in electing your board of directors each year at our annual meeting. We call that “grassroots” efforts because you are advocating for change at the local level, at the “root” of the organization. Cooperatives are also involved […]
Reliability // CEO Column July 2022
Reliable power is an expectation that many of us never have to think about and hadn’t until events in other parts of the United States exposed how fragile the grid can be. Both California (2020) and Texas (2021) suffered blackouts that impacted thousands of customers. As of late, and much closer to home, there have […]
Dedicated Employees // CEO Column June 2022
The May storms that hit not only Todd-Wadena’s service territory, but many of our neighbors as well, brought unprecedented outages. As our team of employees worked hard to restore power as quickly and safely as possible, we were encouraged by the support we received from cooperative members. I want to take this opportunity to thank […]