Looking at What Lies Ahead

Published on Thursday, August 29, 2024 in Governance and Transparency

As long as I can remember, I have always wanted to understand how electricity works, and in 1985, this Nebraskan farm boy headed off to Lincoln to start an education as an electrical engineer. The electric grid is more complicated than I could have ever imagined. It is often referred to as the greatest machine in the world. To this day, I am fascinated by what an incredible engineering marvel it is, how much electricity has improved the world, and how we cannot live without it.

I graduated from the University of Nebraska in 1990, and after a short stint at my local co-op, I went looking for a new adventure. I applied for and was hired as the engineering manager at Fruit Belt Electric Cooperative in 1995. Twenty-nine years later, I am honored to have been selected as the new President and CEO of Midwest Energy & Communications.

I have seen many changes throughout my tenure at MEC. Let’s start with the merger with Southeast Michigan Electric Cooperative in 1998 and the name change to Midwest Energy Cooperative, then, more recently, to Midwest Energy & Communications. Back then, we used to dispatch outages and track crews on a peg board; now, we have GPS in all vehicles, an outage management system, and remote control of most of our breakers. We had members read their own meters when I started. Now, all meters are read remotely from the office. Then, there was the expansion into the propane business over 25 years ago, and now, any MEC member can get world-class internet in their homes and businesses with MEC fiber. It’s hard to believe, sometimes, how far MEC has come.

Yet the more things change, the more they stay the same. I was recently given a Country Lines magazine by a colleague from March 1996. The stories covered how to get reliable internet access, how soon we’d be driving electric vehicles, and new utility reforms! Talk about déjà vu! The other thing that has not changed is that everything we do, every decision we make, and every new initiative we consider is always with the members’ best interests in mind. That is my favorite part of working at MEC. We all know that we work for you, and we always look out for our members.

In the next few years, MEC will continue to change, and as with any business, I expect challenges. I anticipate unprecedented growth in electric sales due to the electrification of vehicles, appliances, and home heating. Additionally, MEC will keep expanding our fiber footprint to connect many more unserved communities with broadband. We will continue to work hard to prevent or at least reduce any effects from a shortage of power on the grid due to the closure of carbon-based generation and growth in electric demand. Finally, as always, MEC will continue to advocate on your behalf with local, state, and federal officials to ensure that your voice is heard when new regulations or mandates are proposed.

These will be exciting times, and you can rest assured that your team at MEC is ready for whatever adventures and opportunities lie ahead. I can’t wait!