MREA Annual Meeting // CEO Column March 2023

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 […]

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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 […]

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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. […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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