October is National Cooperative Month, and you can celebrate by checking out some of the unique opportunities that your local electric co-op offers through its Power Moves^® program. 

As you may know, we at Wabash Valley Power are a generation and transmission cooperative created by and composed of our member co-ops. We partner with all 23 of our members to offer expertise, incentives, and rebates. This reflects your local electric co-op’s commitment to the Cooperative Principles in multiple ways:

Members are (positively) financially impacted by Power Moves incentives. One of the seven principles, Members’ Economic Participation, is reflected in the Power Moves programs. Homeowners may have the opportunity to participate in PowerShift, a program that shifts participants’ energy use to times of the day when electricity is less expensive. Shifting when electricity is used helps lower peak power demand that keeps wholesale power and energy more affordable for everyone. 

Additionally, homeowners might receive a rebate for an energy efficiency upgrade, which also saves money in long-term energy costs. Business owners can take advantage of Power Moves rebates for energy efficiency upgrades at new facilities or when relocating to an area served by your local cooperative. Businesses often use incentives such as these to invest more in their operations; in some cases, a local community’s incentives (including Power Moves rebates) can directly influence where a business owner decides to locate the company. 

Power Moves provides energy efficiency expertise. The Cooperative Principles call for Education, Training, and Information for the co-op’s members. The Power Moves team partners with your local cooperative’s energy advisor, facility managers, and many others to offer information on topics ranging from energy efficient homes, heating and cooling systems, and electric vehicles to retrofit upgrades that can lower long-term energy costs. We even have a list of Do-It-Yourself energy efficiency projects that you can do to improve your home!

Your local cooperative partners with additional Midwestern co-ops to make the program successful. Power Moves is an embodiment of the Cooperation Among Cooperatives principle! Your co-op is one of 23 co-ops across Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri that partner together to create the Power Moves program. By offering the program collectively to more than 310,000 families, farms, and businesses, we can run the program in a more cost-effective way that might not be otherwise possible.

Energy efficiency improvements benefit participants’ pocketbooks – and the environment.  At Power Moves, we say that it pays to save – literally! Power Moves is a win-win program that reflects the cooperative principle Concern for Community. Co-op members earn rebates for qualifying energy efficiency upgrades to their home or business that reduce their long-term energy use. Reducing energy consumption benefits the environment because fewer resources are needed to power those homes and businesses. 

The Power Moves program can provide you with the advice and energy efficiency rebates that can help you and all your fellow cooperative members save! To learn more about how the program can benefit your home or business, visit www.PowerMoves.com or call your local electric co-op and ask to speak to the energy advisor.