By Mike Heise
October is National Co-op Month – a time to celebrate what makes electric cooperatives unique. As a member-owned cooperative, everything we do is guided by one goal: providing safe, reliable and affordable electricity while serving the best interests of our 34,000 members across the Eastern Upper Peninsula.
Reliability doesn’t happen by chance. It requires year-round planning, maintenance and investment. One of the most effective ways we improve reliability is through our vegetation management program. Trees and branches remain one of the leading causes of power outages in our region, particularly during storms. By proactively trimming vegetation along our rights-of-way, we’re reducing outages, improving safety for our crews and members, and helping restore power more quickly when severe weather occurs. It’s an investment that benefits our entire membership.
We’re also making strategic investments in the future of our electric system. Our hydroelectric plant continues to provide approximately 25 to 30 percent of Cloverland’s fuel mix, delivering clean, renewable energy while helping keep power costs among the lowest in the state and supporting Michigan’s evolving energy requirements. Ongoing capital improvements to our generation and distribution systems ensure these valuable assets continue serving our members reliably for years to come. Visit cloverland.com for detailed articles on our engineering and generation plans.
Keeping members informed is equally important. We encourage you to stay connected through Michigan Country Lines, Cloverland.com, our social media channels, and email communications. If your phone number or email address has changed, please let us know so you can receive timely updates on tree trimming and planned outage notifications. We’re also working to expand our communication options through text messaging.
We understand that members have questions about topics such as data centers and other issues affecting our industry. That’s why we encourage you to review our data center Q&A on cloverland.com for the latest information. Your feedback also plays an important role in shaping our cooperative. Whether through member surveys, phone calls, emails or attending our monthly Board of Directors meetings—in person or by phone—we welcome your participation.
Thank you for being part of Cloverland Electric Cooperative. During National Co-op Month and throughout the year, we’re proud to serve you and remain committed to powering our communities with reliability, transparency and member-focused service.