Ohio co-ops helped electrify the village of La Soledad, Guatemala, in 2016. This year, we plan to do the same in two additional Guatemalan villages.
I love this time of year. January, for me, is a time of optimism, when I see all the possibilities ahead of us, which both invite us into the unknown and challenge us to improve.
At the same time, the new year affords us the opportunity to look back at the year that was. Before going into our 2018 priorities, let’s celebrate 2017 — which, looking back, turned out to be a historic year for Ohio electric cooperatives. It was a year in which we:
- Completed the construction of our indoor lineworker training facility near Mt. Gilead. Now we have 72 apprentice lineworkers enrolled in the four-year training program, and have provided advanced training to 43 journeyman lineworkers in new programs.
- Rolled out the update and new name for this magazine, Ohio Cooperative Living. With your input, we’ve made efforts to provide a fun, interesting, and informative monthly read.
- Made significant progress with our regulators on finding more common-sense and affordable ways to meet environmental goals at
our power plants. - Maintained a record-high level of member satisfaction, as measured by the American Consumer Satisfaction Index.
- Completed construction of 22 solar installations to supply power to Ohio cooperative members.
All of those things help set the tone for what could be another historic year. Some of our 2018 priorities include:
- Not only assume operational control of the Cardinal, Mone, and Greenville power plants after reaching an agreement with our long-term partner, AEP, but further improving operations there.
- Begin to develop high-voltage grid enhancements in targeted areas of rural Ohio that will improve the reliable delivery of power.
- Bring modern electricity supply to the village of Las Tortugas in a remote area of the Guatemala rainforest.
- Continue to improve economic opportunities in the communities served by Ohio’s electric cooperatives.
- Maintain the power-supply portion of your electric bill at essentially the same rate it’s been since 2012.
Thank you again this year for your continued support and patronage of your electric cooperative. Wishing you God’s blessings and a happy New Year. I see all the possibilities ahead of us, which both invite us into the unknown and challenge us to improve.
