To strengthen transparency and deepen connections with the communities it serves, CVEC recently hosted three Member Advisory Council meetings, along with a convenient virtual meeting option for members who preferred to participate from home. These gatherings brought members together for an evening of good food, meaningful conversations, and important updates about the electric system that powers their homes and businesses.
Each in-person meeting began with a complimentary dinner, giving attendees the chance to meet cooperative staff, ask questions, and connect with fellow members. The virtual session followed the same agenda and allowed participants to join the conversation and submit questions in real time.
All meetings included an informative presentation focused on several key topics:
Understanding Your Electric Bill
Ryan Dickerson, VP of Finance and Accounting, broke down the components of a typical member bill, helping attendees better understand how energy use, rates, and seasonal factors influence monthly
costs. He explained how the Power Cost Adjustment (PCA) ensures power costs are recovered dollar-for-dollar, adjusting bills up or down depending on fluctuations in wholesale power prices. The presentation highlighted how the PCA protects the cooperative’s financial stability while maintaining fairness for members.
How the Cooperative Purchases Power
Bruce Maurhoff, Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, gave an inside look at the cooperative’s power supply strategy, which includes a balanced mix of generation resources, energy blocks, and market purchases. He highlighted recent volatility in power costs due to increased demand and limited capacity growth, particularly from data centers, and how CVEC is implementing strategies such as voltage reduction, grid-connected solar, and battery storage to mitigate these costs. He also addressed concerns about data centers, clarifying that direct costs will be recovered from the data centers themselves, while the overall market impact of increased demand is being managed through competitive bidding and strategic planning.
Across all divisions and through the virtual format, members expressed appreciation for the opportunity to learn more about their cooperative and the factors that shape their energy costs. By offering both in-person and online participation, the cooperative continues its commitment to transparency, education, accessibility, and the power of working together.
If you would like to view the virtual meeting recording, email us at comm@mycvec.com.
We welcome our members’ participation and encourage those interested in joining CVEC’s Member Advisory Council, to email comm@mycvec.com with your name, account number, and phone number.
