June 2011

Record Attendance at 59th Annual Meeting

Dear Member:

Midstate Electric’s 59th Annual Meeting on Saturday, May 14, 2011 at the La Pine Middle School had record attendance. 462 registered members and their guests enjoyed the barbecue lunch, health fair, displays, demonstrations and door prizes.  A brief summary of the business portion of the meeting follows: 

Leland Smith, Board President, welcomed members to the meeting and thanked the other directors, management and employees for making Midstate Electric one of the best run electric cooperatives in Oregon.   He reported that Midstate Electric is financially sound and that everything is being done to maximize efficiency and lower operating costs to keep costs as low as possible. He assured members that although we face political challenges, the cooperative’s interests are being well represented at both the state and national levels.

The auditor’s report confirmed that Midstate Electric is efficient and well-run. According to Brent Mickelsen of Blodgett Mickelsen and Naef, with assets of over $57 million, margins of over $2.47 million and equity of 44.81%, the cooperative is in excellent financial condition.

As General Manager of Midstate Electric, my report to the membership provided a review of the cooperative’s accomplishments in 2010 and a look at new and existing programs and services. Listed below are a few highlights:  

  • An update of construction work and information about ongoing maintenance projects that have improved overall system reliability was provided. Outage hours in 2010 were lower than in 2009.
  • In 2010, $376,098 was paid in conservation and weatherization rebates.
  • Since the Touchstone Energy® Co-op Connections Card® was introduced at the Annual Meeting in 2009, members have used the pharmacy discount to fill 15,267 prescriptions saving $342,340.
  • An advanced metering infrastructure system has been deployed throughout most of Midstate Electric’s service territory providing the option for members to participate in a new program, MyUsage.com. The program is comprised of two different program options, PowerPay and PowerView. For information, see page 28.

The Director Election results were as follows: Ken Wilson, District #5, Alan Parks, District #7 and Leland Smith, District #9 were unopposed, so were re-elected to serve the members for another three year term.

Bill A. Kopacz

General Manager

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