This year, as we celebrate Cooperative Month during the Year of the Cooperative, it’s a chance to reflect on what membership truly means. Membership may mean something different to each of you, but to us it means belonging. It means being more than a customer—you are a member-owner.
The history of electric cooperatives takes us back to 1936, when rural homes and farms banded together to bring light and power to their communities. Families pooled their resources, neighbors worked side by side, and together they made electricity a reality in areas that investor-owned utilities had left behind. While rural life looks different today, the cooperative values of working together for the common good still hold true.
Just like those first members, today you continue to invest in your cooperative through your electric bill. That investment ensures safe, reliable service today, while also supporting the infrastructure and innovation needed for tomorrow. And unlike a traditional utility, the cooperative model means that when margins allow, those dollars are returned to you through capital credits. To me, that’s one of the most powerful parts of being a cooperative—it’s proof that this is your organization.
At Crow Wing Power, every decision we make is made with YOU in mind. We’re not guided by outside investors; we’re guided by the people we serve. That’s the Cooperative Difference. This Cooperative Month, I encourage you to take pride in being a member-owner. Notice the difference, lean into the values that set us apart, and know that we’ll continue working for you—because this Cooperative belongs to you.
Your cooperative, our commitment,
Tim Thompson