By Willie LaLonde - Chairperson, Cloverland Electric Board of Directors
On behalf of Cloverland Electric Cooperative’s Board of Directors, I want to sincerely thank the members who took time to attend our town hall-style community meetings in January. Your questions, comments and perspectives are an essential part of how this cooperative operates and your engagement helps guide the decisions we make on behalf of our membership.
As your elected board, we work closely with Cloverland’s staff to ensure the cooperative remains on strong financial footing while continuing to provide safe, reliable and affordable electric service. Over the past several years, that work has required careful planning, difficult conversations and a long-term view of what it takes to serve more than 34,000 members across five counties in Michigan’s Eastern Upper Peninsula. Maintaining 4,000 miles of line, serving 58 islands, responding to severe weather and investing in system infrastructure all require responsible financial stewardship.
The cost-of-service study and resulting rate adjustment are part of that work. While no one welcomes higher costs, the board’s focus has been to balance fairness, system reliability and the long-term health of the cooperative so Cloverland can continue meeting member needs today and into the future. As a reminder, board meetings are open to all members to attend in person or join by phone. Meeting dates, agendas and minutes are available on Cloverland’s website. Thank you again for being engaged, informed and invested in your cooperative. Your input strengthens Cloverland and reinforces the cooperative principle that we are strongest when members and leadership work together.