Like father, like son. I finally believe in my father Al's energy sense.

I have to confess—I don’t remember much of the 1970’s energy crisis, the 1973 Arab oil embargo, the escalating fuel costs that followed, and the caps on oil and natural gas prices imposed by President Nixon. I was in elementary school at the time. I do, however, remember my dad “telling” me to “turn off the light,” or “close the refrigerator,” or my favorite, “close the door, are you trying to heat the outside?” I did not know it then, but I now recognize that my dad was trying to hold down the household energy costs. I thought he just liked to yell at me.

With currently escalating fuel costs and the increased price to heat our homes, I am now on the front lines of the same “fight” my dad fought back in the 1970s. Over the last several years, I have installed a set-back thermostat, replaced the 1970s vintage single-pane windows, replaced incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescents, added insulation to my attic, put a layer of insulation around my water heater, caulked and sealed every area I could find that leaked air, and even put in foam insulating covers behind the plug and switch plates on all the outside walls. I even find myself “telling” my kids to “turn off the light,” (note: I put a timer switch in their bathroom) or “close the refrigerator,” and my old favorite, “close the door, are you trying to heat the outside?” Unfortunately, I don’t think my kids are any more responsive to me than I was to my dad.

Your co-op at work
While each of us does what we can to hold down our individual energy costs, your electric cooperative board of directors is doing all it can to hold down electric costs, now and into the future. One of our major concerns over the next several years will be the cost and availability of wholesale power in Michigan.

The last major generating plant in Michigan was built in 1989. A recent report by the Michigan Public Service Commission predicts that, if our current demand for electricity continues, Michigan will need to build several new power plants in the next five to seven years or face possible electricity shortages in parts of the state. I am confident it will not come to that since the Michigan Public Service Commission, your electric cooperative and the rest of Michigan’s utilities are well aware of the problem and are acting now to make sure the lights stay on. I do recognize, however, that the cost to heat our homes and power the computers, lights and other equipment in our homes and businesses is not likely to drop dramatically, if at all, in the foreseeable future. That’s not very pleasing to write.

What is pleasing to write is that there are proactive leaders on your cooperative’s board of directors who are doing what they can on your behalf. They are studying the options, keeping up with industry trends, and directing management to offer long-term solutions. All of this is done to ensure a stable, reasonable cost supply of electricity, now and in the future. So, as you do your part to hold down your energy costs, rest assured that someone is trying to do the same thing for your cooperative.

Michael Peters is executive vice president of the Michigan Electric Cooperative Association, which publishes Michigan Country Lines.