Ringing in a new year sparks renewed hope and optimism about the future. For me, it’s a time to reflect on where we are and where we’re going. At the heart of this reflection, I think about ways we can better serve you –– the cooperative members.

Our team at Heartland REMC is always looking ahead, exploring ways to innovate and utilize new technologies to improve our services. As our nation increasingly relies on electricity to power the economy, keeping the lights on has never been more important. We’re committed to powering –– and empowering –– our community at a cost local families and businesses can afford.

So, how are we working to ensure reliable and affordable power while adapting to a changing energy landscape and our community’s evolving needs?

One critical component of reliable power is the mix of energy resources used to generate the electricity that keeps the lights on across the area we serve. You may not realize it, but Heartland REMC doesn’t generate electricity. Instead, we purchase it from our energy provider, Wabash Valley Power, and distribute it to homes and businesses throughout our community. Wabash Valley Power’s current energy resource mix is made up of natural gas, coal, nuclear, and renewables.

Though some of the electricity we use nowadays is from renewable energy sources, we still depend on a diverse energy mix to ensure reliable power is available to our members whenever they need it.

In addition to managing a reliable energy mix, Heartland REMC uses technology to enhance our local grid, limit service disruptions, and improve outage response times.

Advanced metering technology, or AMI, enables two-way communication between the co-op and consumers. In the event of a power outage, AMI helps pinpoint the exact location of the outage and can even analyze damaged or tampered meters. AMI helps the co-op save money with real-time data, improving power reliability and outage restoration for our entire community.

Proactive tree trimming is another way we limit service disruptions. Scheduled trimming keeps power lines clear from overgrown limbs likely to fall. Power line and vegetation inspections have allowed us to reduce labor and equipment costs while bolstering reliability. As technology advancements become more accessible, we anticipate using advanced mapping software to better maintain the environment while providing more reliable service. SCADA, also known as Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition, allows Heartland REMC to control and gather data from equipment in the field. This technology allows Heartland to enable safety settings for linemen working on energized lines, lower costs by monitoring power quality, and gather outage data to help pinpoint the location of the cause of an outage.

One of the best ways to better serve you is to monitor trends and leading practices from other electric co-ops in Indiana and nationwide. Learning from other co-ops is one of the many benefits of the cooperative business model because, for us, it’s about cooperation, not competition.

As we begin focusing on 2024, Heartland REMC will continue working to provide the reliable, affordable electricity you expect and deserve –– for today and tomorrow.