CEO’s Message – December 2023

It’s December, which usually means I fill this back page with thoughts, facts and figures from the past year, and share our plans for the next 12 months. I like to do this because, for 1 thing, it’s my job to keep you all informed about what’s happening here at your co-op. I also do it because I love being part of a co-op, and I hope you all do to. It’s a unique position we are all in (by the way, yes…I am also a member).

As members, we benefit directly from the good work the co-op does with its basic mission of providing safe, affordable, dependable electricity. But the cooperative spirit that created Columbia REA nearly 85 years ago, and still drives us every day, allows us to share our successes with our community in many ways. Through scholarships, grants, sponsorships, and other activities, we pride ourselves on being involved and doing what we can, where we can, whenever we can, to help our communities thrive.

And we are just one small co-op. There are over 900 electric cooperatives around the country, some very large and many smaller than us. But we all share the same passion for the communities that we serve and the members that help us carry out that mission. And the economic impact made by America’s electric cooperatives is significant.

Between 2018 and 2022, electric cooperatives in Washington state were responsible for:

• $1.9 Billion to Washington’s Gross State Product (GSP).
• An average of 1,713 family-wage jobs per year.
• $821.1 Million in labor income.

Over that same 5-year period, Washington’s electric cooperatives also retired more than $67 Million in capital credits. That’s money straight back into the pockets of co-op members. which brings us back around to my favorite topic for December: Columbia REA. Your co-op did have another successful year, and eligible members will be receiving capital credits checks soon.

Columbia REA came through 2023 on solid financial footing as we head into the new year; a year that will be marked by continuing negotiations on a new BPA rate contract that will determine the cost of power for the next 20 years, renewed discussion of things like electric vehicles and system capacity, dams and hydropower, and ongoing emphasis on energy efficiency and clean-energy alternatives such as nuclear, wind and solar.

We are all part of something pretty special here at Columbia REA. I feel fortunate to be a part of it. I am also very proud, as we all should be, that this company has been able to contribute to the places we call home in so many ways, and will continue to be a positive force in the community for many years to come.

Happy Holidays and a Merry Christmas to all.

Best,
Scott Peters, CEO