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 Welcome to our Cooperative Solutions Page
We hope that you look into the stories below to see how progressive cooperatives in the USA are meeting their responsibility to provide sustainable energy programs to their member-owners. We also encourage anyone to submit links and stories that deserve to be featured as best practices for electric cooperatives.
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Polk Burnett Electric Cooperative, Wisconsin
Many thanks to a progressive electric co-op member for sending this new program available to Polk-Burnett Rural Electric Cooperative in Wisconsin. Members of the cooperative approached their board to join the state wide energy efficiency program, after investigating, the board members voted to get involved in the program that offers many incentives for energy efficiency improvements.
Beginning January 1, Polk-Burnett members are eligible for Focus on Energy rebates
If you’re thinking of making an energy efficiency improvement to your home, farm or business, you may want to wait until after the first of the year – Polk-Burnett’s board of directors unanimously approved joining Wisconsin’s Focus on Energy program, beginning January 1, 2010. This means members will qualify for savings in the form of Focus rebates and incentives on eiligible purchases made after January 1, 2010.
“As a co-op, it’s important to take a proactive role in helping to conserve energy and protecting our natural resources,” said Polk-Burnett General Manager Bill Schmidt. “We look forward to working with Focus on Energy to provide energy saving opportunities and benefits to co-op members.”
About Focus on Energy
Focus on Energy helps manage our state’s growing demand for electricity by offering information and incentives on energy efficient products and renewable energy generation.
What will Focus on Energy cost?
The cost to offer the state-adminstered program here at Polk-Burnett is $8 per year or 67¢ per month, per member. All co-op members will see this new fee added to their monthly electric bill beginning in January; it will pass through to the state’s Focus on Energy program. We encourage everyone to take advantage of the benefits of Focus on Energy to bring this money back to our community in the form of energy savings.
Note: Only qualifying purchases made after January 1 will be eligible for rebates. Visit the Focus on Energy website http://www.focusonenergy.com
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United Power Electric Cooperative, Colorado
United Power is an electric cooperative operating in Colorado along the Northern Front Range. They have over 60,000 meters and have introduced an innovative cooperative solar program called called Sol Partners http://www.unitedpower.com/solpartners.aspx where members can purchase individual solar panels that are a part of a large commercial solar array operated by the cooperative. United Power also offers incentives to its members for both solar PV and solar hot water installations.
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Iowa Lakes Electric Cooperative, Iowa
In January, the National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation (CFC) awarded the Iowa Lakes Electric Cooperative $43 million in Clean Renewable Energy Bonds (CREBs) from the Internal Revenue Service to fund the development of two wind energy projects in Northwest Iowa. Read the full story about many agencies working together to bring clean energy to cooperatives here: http://www.nreca.org/AboutUs/CooperativeDifference/20080207WindProjects.htm
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Delta Montrose Electric Cooperative, Colorado
Delta Montrose Electric Association in Colorado is a standout rural electric cooperative in terms of its prioritization of efficiency over coal. DMEA has established a goal to be the leader in efficiency among the nation's cooperatives, including becoming the benchmark in "environmentally feasible projects and distributive energy technology." DMEA has also set a goal of attaining a 10 percent share of its territory's heating and air conditioning market by 2010 by promoting energy efficient technologies. In addition, DMEA aims to deliver energy savings to its customers by 2010 that are equivalent to 25 percent of its 2000 electricity sales revenue. Read more at the company website http://www.dmea.com/
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