June is always a special month here at Noble REMC.

For nearly half a century, it is when we’ve held our annual meeting, where we’re able to engage with our members about the state of the cooperative and announce the results of the board of directors’ election.

This year is no different. In looking ahead to the upcoming annual meeting – June 14 at 5 p.m. on Facebook Live – it’s nice to look back and celebrate what the cooperative was able to accomplish in 2021.

Safety remained our top priority. The co-op hit a benchmark in earning 37 consecutive years of safety accreditation through our statewide and national organizations, and our safety performance measurements were better than Indiana’s three-year average. In addition, we tested and treated more than 1,400 poles, as well as inspected around 1,100 residential meters for accuracy, with no reported discrepancies. 

Preparing for electric vehicles became a priority. We created our time-of-use rate pilot program, Charge Ahead, for members who own electric vehicles and to prepare for the future wave of EVs. This allows members to charge their vehicles at a lower rate during our off-peak hours to ease the demand on our system during those hours.

We also invested in our own electric vehicle, a 2021 Mustang Mach-E, to help educate members on the benefits of going electric. If you see our energy advisor, Brian Hawk, driving it to his next energy audit, give him a wave!

Giving back to our community continued in our 85th year. Whether it’s for energy efficiency, quality of life programs or environmental efforts, Noble REMC had another great year of investing in our community and its residents.

Receiving a record number of EnviroWatts grant applications, the co-op was able to give $2,650 to two projects in our community aimed at improving the local landscape. We also awarded nearly $41,000 in Operation Round Up grants to 28 organizations helping to boost residents’ quality of life.

And for our members who invested in energy-efficient upgrades, whether residential, commercial, industrial or agriculture, we rewarded them with more than $114,000 in Power Moves cash back rebates. Those upgrades will save an estimated 939,244 kilowatt-hours.

While these points hit on only a fraction of the achievements from 2021, we’re proud of the work Noble REMC was able to accomplish for the benefit of our members and look forward to another year of progress and innovation.