Board president Weinberg noted in his article that a service mindset starts with asking “What do our members need?” In one form or another, we ask ourselves this question every day. The short answer is that our members deserve the highest value possible.
So, what goes into the calculation of high value? Ultimately, the determination is personal. Reliability, affordability, responsibility, and good member service all go into the equation. The relative importance of each is dependent on the individual member’s needs.
In the pursuit of reliability, Gunnison County Electric Association invests in line maintenance, tree trimming, and the replacement of aging infrastructure. In the pursuit of responsibility, GCEA invests in renewable energy and promotes beneficial electrification. In the pursuit of affordability, we invest in tools, equipment, and technology that make us more productive.
While it is easy to see these tangible investments throughout the valley and it is obvious that they cost money, what is not obvious is how much thought went into these decisions. It is not always apparent how these projects will benefit our members either.
So, why have we constructed three local renewable energy projects in the last two years? In the case of Taylor River Hydro, we can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and save money on 3% of our power supply. As for the two solar projects, which account for 3.3% of our power supply, we can produce renewable energy at the same cost as we would otherwise pay our power supplier. As we pay off the upfront investment in these projects, we will begin to see savings from the solar projects and greater savings from hydro.
GCEA’s rates are designed to recover costs. So, whenever GCEA saves money, you save money.
The demand charge that was introduced this year will help us reduce our wholesale power cost. This is not an additional charge; it is a substitute charge. Because we are recovering part of our costs through a demand charge, we recover less through the kilowatt-hour charge. In 2025, 25% of GCEA’s total cost came in the form of a peak demand charge on our wholesale power bill. This is GCEA’s largest single expense and one that GCEA cannot independently control. By working together, this is a cost we can reduce, and the demand charge provides members with the ability to lower their individual bills while contributing to an overall savings for the membership.
We promote beneficial electrification as a way to help lower costs and manage rates, while continuing to prioritize affordability as a core part of the value we deliver. Thank you for trusting us as your energy provider.
Mike McBride is the Chief Executive Officer at Gunnison County Electric Association.
