EEA is a member-owned rural electric cooperative and its day-to-day work serving its member-owners is guided by the seven cooperative principles.

All of us at one time or another have experienced the inability to find an item we needed to purchase, or have had to settle for a different or novel solution to our requirements. Now imagine that solution at prices three or four times the cost of what one used to pay prior to 2020. That has been the ongoing nature of the post-pandemic, worldwide supply chain crisis.

To address the housing shortages, the town of Buena Vista and local building manufacturer Fading West recently broke ground on the Midland Apartments; a 60-unit, income-restricted building that will provide much-needed affordable housing in the area.

In Simla, Colo., a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held for three new electric buses and chargers, thanks to grants from the 2022 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus Program. Big Sandy School District was among the lottery winners.

Spring training and the start of Major League Baseball season means different things for Tri-State employee Chris Gilbreath, father of Colorado Rockies pitcher Lucas Gilbreath.

As a cooperative, we know that when people come together, we can achieve greater results than any one of us could have done alone.  Such was the case in the electrification of the Dahlia Station, a key depot along the Amarillo-to-Albuquerque pipeline managed by NuStar Energy – one of the nation’s largest independent liquids terminal and pipeline operators.  

Electric utilities play a critical role in society by providing the essential service of electricity. However, this service also carries significant responsibilities, especially in areas prone to wildfires. Wildfires have a massive impact on electric utilities in several ways including structural damage, power outages, and increased costs. For those living in wildfire areas, it’s a growing concern.

Located about five hours away in Buena Vista, Colorado, served by Tri-State member Sangre de Cristo Electric Association, real estate developer Fading West is finding solutions to meet the needs of affordable housing for essential workers in the community.

Last week, cooperative colleagues joined Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association at the annual 2023 Communications and Energy Services Conference in Westminster, Colorado. Tri-State has hosted the event for over two decades, bringing together 42 members and key partners from across 200,000 square miles of the West. The theme of “Co-op Campus” this year provides opportunities for members to learn from each other.