Delivering More Than Electricity

If someone asked what a local electric cooperative does for your community, you’d probably respond with the obvious: It delivers power to homes, farms, and businesses. While that is true, co-ops provide far more than electricity to the communities they serve.

Given that Concern for Community is one of the 7 Cooperative Principles, co-ops seek a variety of ways to support community organizations and events. Whether it’s presenting electrical safety demonstrations at schools, sponsoring fairs and festivals, supporting hospitals and the arts, and local non-profits engaged in community service efforts, co-ops and their staff are involved in extensive outreach.

Columbia REA also offers high-speed internet service through Columbia iConnect, a subsidiary of Columbia REA, that was launched more than 20 years ago with a parallel mission to Columbia REA: to provide high-speed internet service in rural and hard-to-reach areas that the major providers were not serving.

“Columbia iConnect employs 6 full-time staff members, all right here in Walla Walla, and we’re still growing,” says Gene Dawes, Manager of Broadband Services.

“As part of Columbia REA, our cooperative business model ensures these employees and these jobs, along with the economic benefits created by bringing high-speed internet to more rural areas, remain in our community rather than flowing out of the area.”

Community members also benefit directly from their co-op’s prudent financial management. As not-for-profit utilities, co-ops return any money that’s left over after covering the cost of operations, maintenance, and improvements to members through what are known as capital credits. When the co-op’s finances are strong, the directors may choose to retire some of those credits by converting a member’s share into a capital credits check or bill credit.

“Columbia REA stands out in the community by putting people over profits, and people around here know that. We’ve been doing things this way for a long time,” Columbia REA Communications Specialist Steve Owens says.

“Yes, it’s part of our culture and we’re proud of that, but it’s also just part of what it means to be a co-op. If you’re not prioritizing giving back to your community in some way beyond your primary mission, you’re not being a very good co-op.”

Whether it’s partnering with the Blue Mountain Action Council on their Backpack Bridge meal program or helping a local volunteer Fire Department with mission-critical equipment upgrades, Columbia REA sees it as a team-building activity.

“In many cases, it is the staff that is helping make decisions on who and where to provide our support and resources,” adds Steve.

“It really is a great feeling to be able to fill in the gaps when and where we can and help local businesses and organizations in a way that will keep resources circulating in our community.”

1 of the biggest community priorities for many co-ops is helping young people. Their motive is more than a little self-serving, because co-ops know leadership efforts help those children and teens become informed, engaged residents who may 1 day serve as the next generation of community leaders and co-op employees. Columbia REA finds opportunities to invest in future generations as another way to support the community.

“We offer up to $18,000 in scholarships annually to local students to give them a bit of a head start on their futures,” notes Scott Peters, CEO.

“As a member-owned utility, we believe it’s of utmost importance, and really our duty, to support the people and businesses and programs right here in our service area whenever possible.”

Co-ops light up communities by delivering safe and reliable electricity to residents and businesses, but their real power rests in the many other ways they deliver the other kinds of energy communities really need to thrive.