A proposal to remove dams along the lower Snake River in Idaho has been presented to the U.S. Congress to preserve the native salmon population but has been met with opposition across the Pacific Northwest. Montana Electric Cooperatives’ CEO Gary Wiens argued recently on Voices of Montana this would be counterproductive to meeting carbon-free ...
Interview With NRECA Rules Committee Chairman Mark Hayden & MECA Treasurer Dennis Nelson
Voices of Montana Host Tom Schultz chats with Missoula Electric Cooperative General Manager Mark Hayden, who also sits on the NRECA Rules Committee, and Lower Yellowstone Rural Electric Cooperative Director Dennis Nelson, who’s Treasurer for the Montana Electric Cooperative Association, about the recent push towards renewable energies, t...
NRECA President Chris Christensen: ‘Collaboration Must Remain a Hallmark’ of Co-ops
NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Continued collaboration among electric cooperatives will help all co-ops face the challenges of an uncertain future, NRECA President Chris Christensen told co-op leaders Tuesday at NRECA’s PowerXchange. “It’s that diversity of experience that allows us to work together to tackle common challenges,” the Montana rancher and f...
NRECA Meeting Improving Cooperation Among Montana Electric Co-Ops
The National Rural Electric Cooperatives Association’s annual meeting and TechAdvantage 2022 Conference and Expo wraps up today in Nashville Tennessee. Tuesday on Voice of Montana, DeeDee Isaacs President of the Montana Electric Cooperative Association and board member of Tongue River Electric Cooperative talked about the importance of s...
Rural Electric Co-Ops Pushing For Federal Capital For Clean Energy Expansion
The energy industry is making an effort toward clean energy solutions but that can put rural electric cooperatives in a tricky position. Gary Weins, CEO of the Montana Electric Cooperatives Association, recently explained on Voices of Montana.
MECA Expands Support for State Management of Sage Grouse
(Nashville, TN) – At the annual meeting of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association this week in Nashville, the Montana Electric Co-operative Association (MECA) brought a Resolution to urge the NRECA to support allowing state management of the Sage Grouse, particularly if the species is listed under the Endangered Species Act....
Voices of Montana Live From the NRECA 2022 PowerXchange Part 1
Thousands of rural electric cooperatives are meeting in Nashville this week to discuss the current challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, and it’s a Montanan leading them. Join us for the discussion with Montana Electric Cooperatives’ Association CEO Gary Wiens, Wyoming Rural Electric Cooperatives’ Association E...
Rural Montana Editor Re-Elected as National SEA President
(Nashville) – At the 2022 annual meeting of the National Electric Cooperatives Statewide Editors Association (SEA), held in conjunction with the NRECA PowerXchange on March 6, Montana’s Ryan Hall was re-elected to lead the national organization of editors, staff and publishers of the nation’s rural electric consumer-member publications. At ...
Energy CO-OP CEO Points Declining Salmon Numbers To Climate Change
In an ongoing debate along the lower Snake River concerning breaking up its dams to save the dwindling Salmon population at the cost of a major energy supplier. Montana Electric Cooperatives Association CEO Gary Wiens says another environmental factor is affecting the Salmon.
Electric CO-OP CEO Highlights Potential Of Hydropower During Extreme Weather
Extreme cold spells like the one Montana is currently experiencing can make carbon-free energy generation difficult with options like wind and solar. Montana Electric Cooperatives Association CEO Gary Wiens recently highlighted benefits of hydropower from dams like the lower Snake River during this time of year.