Your electric cooperative remains committed to serving you every day, and to being a positive force in your community.
This past year seems to have gone by in a blur. Families and businesses have been faced with many challenges here in the U.S. — primarily from much higher costs for many of the things we need most in our daily lives but also from the challenges of simply getting what we need, when we need it because of supply chain snarls that stretch around the world.
Conflict has raged on in Ukraine for most of the year, giving us a daily glimpse at the horror that is war. The side effects for the rest of the world are just beginning to show themselves, causing many countries to worry about the availability of food and energy as winter begins to set in.
Here in Ohio, we can consider ourselves rather fortunate. While we have been touched by these broad trends, we also remain relatively insulated from the worst of their effects. Ohio’s electric cooperatives were able to complete the purchase of AEP’s share of the Cardinal generating station in 2022, which promises to provide us a stable source of reliable and affordable electricity for years to come. We have seen increases in the cost to produce and deliver electricity to you this year, but have been able to hold cost increases to about 5%. This contrasts with increases in electricity prices that have averaged 15% for Ohioans that are customers of the large investor-owned utilities — which is similar to what electricity customers have seen in much of the rest of the country.
Your electric cooperative remains committed to serving you every day, and to being a positive force in your community. We remain focused on doing whatever we can to keep your costs down and your service quality second to none.
Electric cooperatives also support the financial needs of the communities we serve, of course through the local taxes we pay but also (in many communities) through “round up” programs as described in the Neighbor Helping Neighbor article. Christmas is at the heart of the season of giving — but of course that doesn’t just mean gifts among family and friends; it also inspires a sense of community obligation to share with those less fortunate, or otherwise in need. We are pleased to be able to be part of the support network every community needs.
Good tidings and blessings on you and your family. We pray for peace on Earth and good will toward all!
