As Executive Director of the Colorado Rural Electric Association, I have the privilege of traveling around the state to meet with our member co-ops, board directors, CEOs, and lots of other people who are instrumental in keeping the lights on in rural Colorado. That’s always been a part of my job, and this year I traveled to every co-op in every corner of the state to make sure our trade association knows what issues are important to Colorado’s electric co-ops. And while most of my “windshield time” was in the service of supporting CREA’s member co-ops, it also resulted in the opportunity to see so much of our great state; here are some highlights.
I’ve attended meetings all over the state, but I had never been to a co-op meeting in Walden, Colorado, until this summer. Normally, the Mountain Parks Electric Board of Directors meets at the company headquarters in Granby, Colorado. But this past August, the board met in Walden so that members of the co-op in North Park would have an opportunity to see the board in action and provide questions and comments.
In addition to being spectacularly beautiful, North Park is renowned as the moose watching capital of Colorado. I have seen moose all over the state, but I was hoping to see one or two in the official MWC. I guess I thought they would be walking down main street, sort of like in the intro to that old TV show Northern Exposure. Alas, I did not see a moose in Walden, but I did get a kick out of the marquee on the Park Theater that announced: “Please Enjoy Our Six Weeks of Summer.”
Another co-op board meeting took me to Meeker, Colorado. In addition to being spectacularly beautiful, Meeker is the very definition of small-town USA. Folks are friendly, kids run free, and the community square is the perfect setting for all sorts of events, including the summer customer appreciation picnic hosted by White River Electric Association. As with many Colorado small towns, the electric co-op provides not only reliable and affordable electric service, but it also hangs lights at Christmastime, offers scholarships to local high school kids, and supports many other community events.
Meeker also hosts the world-famous Meeker Classic every September, the sheepdog herding competition that attracts dogs and trainers from across the U.S. The communication that takes place between dog and trainer is something to behold. As the owner of a border collie who is, shall we say, less well trained, it’s amazing to see the intensity displayed by authentic working dogs. If you ever need a pick-me-up, put this event on your calendar.
I also made a couple of trips down to southwest Colorado to attend co-op board meetings in Cortez, Durango, Ridgway, Montrose, and Gunnison. In addition to being spectacularly beautiful (maybe you’re noticing a trend in how I describe our fair state?), these co-op territories maintain some of the vestiges of the Old West that Colorado is known for. Sure, there are plenty of multimillion-dollar ranches and high-end retail stores in this part of the state, but you can still have a lot of fun at chuckwagon dinners, bluegrass concerts, dude ranches, and trail rides.
The co-ops in southwest Colorado — Empire Electric Association, La Plata Electric Association, San Miguel Power Association, Delta- Montrose Electric Association, and Gunnison County Electric — all have a proud history of providing electricity to their members in some of the toughest terrain and most difficult weather conditions imaginable. It was a hearty bunch of folks who built the original poles and wires over mountain passes and deep ravines, and that work continues today.
Space does not allow me to recap all the co-op trips I took this year, but it was also my privilege to visit the co-ops that serve the urban suburban areas as well as Colorado’s Eastern Plains. In addition to being spectacularly beautiful (here I go again), the Eastern Plains co-op service territories are home to much of Colorado’s agricultural products that feed the Front Range and are exported around the world. From La Junta to Hugo and from Akron to Holyoke, the co-ops that serve the farms and ranches of Colorado’s Eastern Plains support thousands of producers who literally feed and clothe all of us.
So, it’s been a great year for Colorado’s electric co-ops, and I am blessed to have visited all of them this year. Our best to everyone this holiday season; we hope you get out and enjoy this spectacularly beautiful home we call Colorado!