November 27, 2019

As families and friends gather to celebrate Thanksgiving and the beginning of the holiday season, and as a strong fall snowstorm brought challenging weather and needed moisture to the plains, I’m reminded of the gratitude that courses throughout our communities and the cooperative business model.
 
At our members’ annual meetings, long-time cooperative members still share stories about when their REA first brought power to their homes, farms and ranches. Cooperative and public power district consumers sing the praises of the linemen and women who safely work to keep the lights on. With the storm in Colorado, Nebraska and Wyoming this week, I’m sure those thoughts of gratitude are top of mind.
 
At Tri-State, we’re grateful to our members.
 
Like any large family, our members share a wide range of views and opinions, but in the end come together behind our most important initiatives, including the pursuit of our Responsible Energy Plan that will bring transformative changes to our cooperative.
 
This week, Poudre Valley Rural Electric Association, which serves consumer-members across northern Colorado, shared the letter below. PVREA expresses their co-op’s strong support for the Responsible Energy Plan and our membership’s work to increase flexibility in their contracts. On these issues, we appreciate our membership’s and our staff’s hard work to advance these important issues as quickly as is possible.

Finally, we’re grateful for our employees and each of their roles in serving our mission of supplying reliable, affordable and responsible power. During the holidays, we are especially thankful to those who work day and night to ensure that we all have power.
 
Being thankful expresses the best of our cooperative model, which in the end is about those who serve, and those who we serve.