July 2017 Back Page – Summer Is Here!
Posted: August 22, 2017It hardly seems possible that half of 2017 has already slipped by into history. Everything at AVEC has shifted into high gear. You will see a lot of new AVEC faces in your communities as we welcome seasonal employees to help us with all of your service needs.
You also will hear new voices on the phone. We have three new employees in member services who are covering for a retirement, maternity leave and vacations. Please be patient with them as they learn about you and the wonderful communities we serve.
Last month, we welcomed our newest board member, Robert (Bob) Hoffman from Bethel. Bob was elected by the members to represent all of our communities in governing your electric cooperative and moving us forward in our quest to be the best Alaskan utility.
Last month marked our first month providing electric service to the community of Yakutat, a fishing community about 366 miles southeast of Anchorage. Yakutat’s population is 613, similar to Kasigluk or Stebbins. We welcome our newest community!
I recently meet twice with Sen. Lisa Murkowski on energy issues. The first was when I was invited to speak at a forum with her and Jay Faison, the founder and CEO of the ClearPath Foundation. The discussion centered on the current political climate around energy and what we are doing to implement realistic solutions to provide sustainable energy in remote microgrid locations.
The second opportunity arose when I was invited to testify before a field hearing of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. The committee is chaired by Murkowski, who, along with Sen. Maria Cantwell—the democratic ranking committee member—hosted a hearing in Cordova in mid-June. In addition to me, the committee heard from Clay Koplin, mayor of Cordova, Gwen Holdman, Alaska Center for Energy and Power, Geoff Larson, Alaskan Brewing Co, and Dr. Abraham Ellis, Sandia National Laboratory. You can find our testimony at www.energy.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2017/6/hearing-to-examine.
There is never a dull moment around here, but if you are ever in Anchorage with half an hour to spare, drop by our midtown office and someone will be happy to give you a tour. You are, after all, an owner!
Until next time,
Meera Kohler
President and CEO
