Polk-Burnett hosted a legislative breakfast Friday, February 1, with special guests Rep. Gae Magnafici (R-Dresser), Wisconsin Assembly District 28, and Rep. Rob Stafsholt (R-New Richmond), Wisconsin Assembly District 29. Sen. Patty Schachtner (D-Somerset), Senate District 10, was unable to attend.

The meet and greet event was organized by Dairyland Power Cooperative and the Wisconsin Electric Cooperative Association (WECA) to brief state legislators on issues important to us and hear what our elected officials have planned for the next session in Madison. General managers from Dunn Energy Cooperative and St. Croix Electric Cooperative also attended. Cooperatives provided an overview of co-op business model and discussed issues that impact our members, employees and local communities.

Each general manager shared local points of pride. During Polk-Burnett’s presentation, General Manager Steve Stroshane informed lawmakers that:

1. We work hard to be 99.9% reliable for our members, reducing power outages to less than one hour per member per year.

2. We returned more than $1 million in Capital Credits to our members last year.

3. Our EnergySense program paid out $146,000 in rebates last year to help members become more energy efficient and saved more than 1 million kWhs of electricity.

4. We awarded $55,000 in scholarships and $57,000 in Operation Round Up grants in 2018.

5. Co-op employees performed 680 hours of community service in 2018. Volunteer work included Habitat for Humanity, raking for seniors and setting up the Siren Lions Sale.

6. We are using technology to work more efficiently, reduce costs and deliver convenient services, such as SmartHub, outage texting and Beat the Peak alerts.

7. We are the home of SunTuria Solar, a 10-acre array that produces clean energy to benefit all co-op members.

8. We provided a $694,880 Rural Economic Development Loan for a new fire station in the Town of Alden; the zero-interest loan enhances community safety and saves taxpayers $350,000.

9. We recently installed an electric vehicle (EV) charger at Marketplace in St. Croix Falls to help encourage the adoption of EVs in our rural area.

Dairyland, WECA and cooperatives work with local, state and national policymakers from both parties to communicate about industry issues. Meetings with newly elected officials after each election provides an opportunity to build trusted relationships and help lawmakers understand how electric co-ops serve rural communities.