A history of electric cooperatives

By Dena Eakles | rural Ontario

To all ratepayers of Vernon Electric Cooperative:

This is the first in a series of informative columns produced by Dena Eakles of Echo Valley Hope https://echovalleyhope.org. The intention is to increase awareness and involvement with our energy cooperative.

As a cooperative member, you are one of 10,000 voices that can steer the direction of Vernon Electric Cooperative, VEC.  

Our history: On May 11, 1935, Roosevelt signed an executive order establishing the Rural Electrification Administration (REA). A year later, the Rural Electrification Act was passed and the lending program that became the REA began. It soon became evident that investor-owned utilities were not going to use the federal loan funds available to serve the more sparely populated rural areas. However, loan applications from farmer-based cooperatives poured in, and electric cooperatives made rural electrification a reality. In 1937, the REA drafted the Electric Cooperative Corporation Act, enabling the formation and operation of not-for-profit, consumer-owned electric cooperatives. That included VEC.

In general, cooperative members maintain equal status, work together for the good of the community and follow seven guiding principles:  voluntary and open membership; democratic member control; member economic participation; autonomy and independence; education, training, and information; cooperation among cooperatives; and concern for community.

From the VEC website, https://www.vernonelectric.org: “Cooperatives are democratic organizations controlled by their members, who actively participate in setting policies and making decisions. The elected representatives are accountable to the membership. In primary cooperatives, members have equal voting rights (one member, one vote), and cooperatives at other levels are organized in a democratic manner.  Cooperatives are autonomous, self-help organizations controlled by their members. If they enter into agreements with other organizations, including governments, or raise capital from external sources, they do so on terms that ensure democratic control by their members and maintain their cooperative autonomy.”

At the annual meeting in April of this year, members passed a resolution asking for a cost-benefit analysis of locally sourced energy (solar, wind, etc.), which retains the revenue in Vernon County versus outside developers, which tend to pull finances away from our area. This was a step toward more transparency. It remains up to each of us to ensure our cooperative is working in the best interest for the “common good” of every member. 

Question to ponder and to ask: How has VEC demonstrated willingness to comply with the resolution passed in April 2022?

Comments are closed.

  • Letter to the editor: Is Big Brother already listening?

    March 14th, 2024
    by

    By DANI SULIK | Kendall When George Orwell’s novel 1984 was published in 1949, it was seen as a fictional cautionary […]


    Letter to the editor: Vote no on constitutional amendments

    March 14th, 2024
    by

    By JOAN KENT | La Farge Some things are not what they appear. Like the two constitutional amendments on Wisconsin’s April […]


    Letter to the editor: Oath/pledge

    March 14th, 2024
    by

    By LEE D. VAN LANDUYT | Hillsboro An oath is a solemn promise regarding one’s future action or behavior. Our Pledge […]


    Letter to the editor: Questions remain about Vernon County Landfill

    March 11th, 2024
    by

    By CATHY LUND | Viroqua I appreciated the well-articulated article Gail Frie wrote in the paper regarding the landfill. It is […]


    Letter to the editor: Vernon County and Wisconsin are national leaders in landfill safety

    February 8th, 2024
    by

    Recently I became aware of information being circulated in the county through social media and emails that questions the safety of the Vernon County landfill.


  • Your Right to Know: Don’t charge records requesters for redactions

    February 6th, 2024
    by

    You’ve already paid for them. They’re yours. But if you want to see the public records that show what your government is doing, some state lawmakers want you to pay again — this time, for redactions.


    Letter to the editor: Transgender lunacy: Let’s just call it nuts!

    February 5th, 2024
    by

    By BOB BREIDENSTEIN | rural Ontario Nuts! That the latest U.S. Supreme Court justice, at her confirmation hearing, with a bewildered […]


    Letter to the editor: The clock is ticking

    February 5th, 2024
    by

    You’re thinking, “She’s complaining about the Republicans again.” And you’d be right.


    Letter to the editor: Democracy vs. dictatorship

    February 5th, 2024
    by

    Otto von Bismarck once said: “Only a fool learns from his own mistakes. The wise man learns from the mistakes of others.” 


    Letter to the editor: Warm memories and perspectives 

    February 5th, 2024
    by

    Winter meant skating, ice and roller skating. The new pavilion in Ontario has taken the place of the old Ontario Community Hall for skating.


    Letter to the editor: In defense of grammar

    January 4th, 2024
    by

    By DANI SULIK | Kendall Who doesn’t love grammar? Okay, so you may not love it, but you know when it’s […]


  • Archives