Speech from Director Frank Kline

"This is an important meeting for the future of our Co-op and I'm privileged to give you my perspective as a member of your Board.     

 There's an African proverb that says, "For tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today."

 Today, the people on this board see the cost of power, especially Hydro-power, going up, and we see the compelling need to conserve our resources, and we see technology beginning to change how the world distributes, uses, and pays for electricity.

 In fact, the Department of Energy expects technology to change the way we distribute, use, and pay for power to the same remarkable degree the internet has already transformed the way we communicate and interact.

 They make the comparison of Alexander Graham Bell and the tele-comm industry and Thomas Edison and the electric industry.  If Bell were somehow transported to the 21st century he wouldn't recognize the tele-com industry.  While Edison, one of the key architects of the power grid we still use today, would feel right at home in the electric power system.    But resource scarcity, the drive to conserve those resources, and today's real costs are changing that.

 Because of the changes we've made at the Co-op in our metering-technology and rate-structure, we now can and will deliberately and aggressively help our members conserve energy and do it without compromising our fiduciary responsibilities to control costs, balance the budget, and keep the lights on when folks need the power.   

 And it looks like we're the only Co-op in the state that can presently do that.    We're heading into the future prepared, now able to foster conservation and still supply reliable power as it's needed.

 It makes me proud to be a member of this coop and especially proud to be a member of this Board." 

 "For tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today." 

 Thanks for listening and thanks for voting with your eyes on our future.