Co-op Energy Talk

Cherryland Electric Cooperative Member Relations Manager Rachel Johnson talks through highlights from the June 17th Board of Directors meeting.

Cherryland Electric Cooperative Member Relations Manager Rachel Johnson talks through highlights from the May 23rd Board of Directors meeting.

For years, we’ve talked about what would happen if there wasn’t enough electricity to go around. This year, the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) released a report warning that “what if” question may become a reality as soon as this summer. MISO says Michigan and several other states are potentially as much as 1,200 MW short of the power we’re expected to need this summer. So what does that mean for you and anyone else who uses electricity and what can be done about it? Your host, Cherryland Member Relations Manager Rachel Johnson unpacks that in this episode of Co-op Energy Talk with Cherryland General Manager Tony Anderson and Wolverine Power Supply CEO Eric Baker.

Cherryland Electric Cooperative Member Relations Manager Rachel Johnson talks through highlights from the April 25th Board of Directors meeting.

Technological advancements have made the power grid more reliable and more robust. While that is a huge benefit, this increasingly digital approach comes with some cybersecurity concerns. In this episode, Cherryland Member Relations Manager Rachel Johnson sits down with Cherryland General Manager Tony Anderson and National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) Chief Scientist Dr. Emma Stewart to talk about what those concerns are, what a worst-case scenario looks like versus more realistic threats, as well as the measures in place to protect the grid from a potential cybersecurity breach.

Cherryland Electric Cooperative Member Relations Manager Rachel Johnson talks through highlights from the March 28th Board of Directors meeting.

Cherryland Electric Cooperative Member Relations Manager Rachel Johnson talks through highlights from the February 28th Board of Directors meeting.

What happens when we don’t have the material we need to keep your lights on? Thankfully, that’s not a question we’ve had to answer at Cherryland Electric Cooperative in large part due to our membership with RESCO (Rural Electric Supply Cooperative). In this episode, we talk with RESCO V.P. of Sales and Manufacturer Relations Doug Booher to dive into who they are, why Cherryland and our members benefit from what they do, and the future of supply chain challenges.

Co-op 101 is a sub-series of Co-op Energy Talk designed to educate our membership and those interested in learning about the cooperative business model. In this episode, Cherryland Electric Cooperative Member Relations Manager, Rachel Johnson, explains capital credits, how they work, and why they're valuable to both the membership and the cooperative.

Like all cooperatives, Cherryland is governed by a board of directors elected by our membership. They oversee the major decisions that impact the way Cherryland operates and ultimately how we serve our membership. In our new Meet the Board series, we're helping you get to know the people making those decisions not only as co-op leadership, but also as neighbors and community members. We're kicking this series off with our newest director -- Valarie Handy!

In part two of our special series on power supply, Cherryland Electric Cooperative General Manager Tony Anderson, Wolverine Power Cooperative President and CEO Eric Baker, and Cherryland Member Relations Manager Rachel Johnson dive into their thoughts on what the future holds for power supply and what that means for the industry, co-ops, and the members they serve. Any topics you'd like to hear about? E-mail us at pr@cherrylandelectric.coop!

Let's talk power supply! As Cherryland prepares to implement a power supply cost recovery charge, also known as a PSCR adjustment, we wanted to sit down and discuss why the charge is necessary, how it relates to power supply, and the driving forces behind some of the challenges we're seeing with power supply at the moment. Listen in as Cherryland General Manager Tony Anderson, Wolverine Power Cooperative President and CEO Eric Baker, and our host Cherryland Member Relations Manager Rachel Johnson talk through this complex issue in part one of our two part series on power supply. Any topics you'd like to hear about? E-mail us at pr@cherrylandelectric.coop!

Last month’s record-breaking cold snap in Texas left dozens dead and millions without power. Now, as temperatures return to normal and citizens recover, questions and concerns over the resiliency of Texas’s energy grid continue to mount. Listen in as we discuss what happened, the lasting effects this event will have on Texas, and the lessons to be learned by the energy industry.

America has voted and there is no doubt that there will be a lot of changes on the horizon. Listen in as we welcome Louis Finkel, Senior Vice President of Government Relations at the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, to discuss the results of this past election and the effect it could have on energy legislation and regulation and our nation's electric cooperatives.

Cherryland Electric Cooperative was built by its community. So, when times get tough, it’s our duty to help. Listen in as Rachel and Tony discuss the advantages of being a part of a co-op and how they played into some big news regarding pandemic relief for Cherryland members.

When you want electricity, we’ve got to deliver. It doesn’t matter if you have a scorching 100-degree day and everybody has their A/C cranked on high, we need to meet that demand. But what if you had a week of 100-degree heat? What if there wasn’t enough electricity to meet that demand? Listen in as we discuss this scenario with Zach Anderson, CFO at Wolverine Power Cooperative, and learn more about grid capacity and utility peaking.

Northern Michigan is opening up following a multi-month shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For the local business community, this is an opportunity to try and get back to what they do best. Listen in as we welcome Warren Call, CEO of Traverse Connect, to discuss the challenges local businesses faced during the shutdown, the work Traverse Connect and others did to help our region be the first to reopen, and the other challenges and opportunities that exist as we move forward.

Co-op Energy Talk hits the road! Earlier this year, Tony sat down with co-op leaders from across the country while attending the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association's Annual Meeting in New Orleans. Listen in as they discuss what they've seen over the years and what trends they believe we should be watching to prepare for the future.

You know it well: member control is the cornerstone of any co-op. So, pandemic or not, a co-op board of directors still needs to function. Listen in as we discuss the steps Cherryland and its board have taken to adapt to this "new normal," including updates on board meetings, the board election, and the 82nd Annual Meeting.  Learn more about the Cherryland board of directors and co-op governance at www.cherrylandelectric.coop/governance.

Since our last episode, we saw the first cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) reach the Grand Traverse region and Governor Whitmer enact the "Stay Home, Stay Safe" Executive Order across the state. Listen in as explain what Cherryland has done to respond to the pandemic since, including providing updates on core services, billing policies, and co-op financials.