A Message From Your Manager - Paul Montgomery, BREC CEO 

I hope this letter finds you well. My name is Paul Montgomery, and I have the honor of serving as the CEO of Black River Electric Cooperative. With a background of over 26 years at the cooperative in Engineering and Operations, I have spent much of my career focused on ensuring the safety, reliability, and efficiency of electrical systems. This experience gives me a deep understanding of what it takes to maintain the high standards we set for our cooperative.

We are grateful for the trust you place in us to provide safe, reliable, and affordable electric service to your home or business. At BREC, our mission is to serve you, our members, first and foremost. That’s why, after careful consideration, I must inform you of an upcoming rate adjustment. I want to take this opportunity to explain the reasons behind this necessary change.

As a cooperative, we purchase the electricity we deliver to you from our power provider. Unfortunately, the cost of this power has increased. In fact, the cost of wholesale power is our single largest annual expense, and the rising prices have a direct impact on the price we must charge to continue providing reliable service. These increases are beyond our control, but they are critical to ensuring that we can continue meeting the needs of our growing communities.

The growing demand for electricity is not only a sign of our continued vitality, but it also drives increased costs. Additionally, the costs of materials and equipment needed to maintain and improve our electrical system have risen sharply. The price of everything from electric poles to meter loops have gone up, and these increases affect the cost of keeping our system intact and operational. Last year we shared an infographic showing some of our material increases. This year, we’ve updated this infographic since the cost of materials continues to rise. 

As a not-for-profit cooperative, our goal is always to serve you, our members. While we understand that rate increases are never easy, this adjustment is necessary to continue providing the high-quality service you depend on.

We are committed to transparency, and I personally want to ensure that you are well-informed during this time. If you have any questions or concerns about this rate adjustment or how it will affect your bill, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our member service team. 

Beginning with bills due April 10th, the service availability charge will increase by $5 per month and kilowatt-hour costs will also increase slightly. Combined, the increase amounts to approximately thirty-four cents more per day, for residential members using 1,500 kwh per month. 

Thank you for your understanding and continued support. It is a privilege to serve you, and we are committed to ensuring Black River Electric Cooperative remains a trusted provider of reliable, safe, and affordable electricity.