From the CEO's Desk: By Doug Tracy

Though the first quarter of 2024 is almost at its end, Cuivre River Electric Cooperative continues to look ahead, exploring ways to improve our services. As our nation increasingly relies on electricity to power the economy, keeping the lights on has never been more important. We’re committed to powering –– and empowering –– our community at a cost local families and businesses can afford.

So how are we working to ensure reliable and affordable power while adapting to a changing energy landscape and our community’s evolving needs? 

One critical component of reliable power is the mix of energy resources used to generate the electricity that keeps the lights on across our multi-county service area. You may not realize it, but CREC doesn’t generate electricity. As the distribution part of the three-tier cooperative model, we purchase wholesale power from our generation provider, Associated Electric Cooperative, Inc (AECI) and it is transmitted to us by Central Electric Power Cooperative (CEPC). From there, CREC distributes it to homes and businesses throughout our community. According to AECI’s latest data, our current energy resource mix is made up of 11% wind energy, 42% natural gas, 4% hydro and 33% coal, with the last 10% being purchased power. 

While we’re increasingly using more electricity generated from renewable energy sources, we still depend on a diverse energy mix to ensure reliable power. It’s important to know that the output from renewable sources such as wind and solar does not typically coincide with when we need resources to meet peak load –– early in the morning on a cold winter’s day or late in the day on a hot summer day. That is why having a diverse power supply that includes baseload resources like coal and gas is crucial.

In addition to managing a reliable energy mix, CREC uses technology to enhance our local grid, limit service disruptions, and improve outage response times.

Advanced metering technology, also known as AMI, enables two-way communication between the co-op and members. In the event of a power outage, AMI helps pinpoint the exact location of the outage and can even analyze damaged or tampered meters. AMI helps CREC save money with real-time data and ultimately improves power reliability. 

Proactive tree trimming is another way we limit service disruptions. Scheduled trimming keeps power lines clear from overgrown limbs that are likely to fall. Drone inspections of lines and vegetation have allowed us to reduce labor and equipment costs while bolstering reliability. 

One of the best methods for improving our services to you is monitoring trends and leading practices from other electric co-ops in Missouri and across the country. Learning from each other is one of the many benefits of the cooperative business model because for us, it’s about cooperation, not competition.

 
As the year rolls on, CREC will continue working to provide the reliable, affordable electricity you expect and deserve –– for today and tomorrow.