Paris High School was filled with member-owners of the EnerStar Electric Cooperative on Saturday, June 10. They gathered for breakfast before the Annual Meeting of Members. Board President Jeff Murphy called the meeting after confirming that a quorum was present. Secretary/Treasurer Greg Robinson then presented the financial report for 2024.
Murphy welcomed members and asked CEO Angela Griffin to share EnerStar’s accomplishments from the past year. He then gave credit to co-op employees for their continued efforts to serve EnerStar’s membership. “The theme for our annual meeting is Working Together, For Our Future. It’s those working on the lines or in the front office fielding your phone calls, working together, doing all they can for the future of our co-op to provide a superior member experience and provide safe, affordable, and reliable electricity,” Murphy stated.
Murphy recognized Board Director Thad Martin of Paris for 5 years of service and Board Director Dan Gard of West Union for 25 years of service.
Griffin was appointed CEO in October 2024 and has been with EnerStar for 35 years. She discussed the two key components that drive the cooperative: reliability and rates. Griffin outlined EnerStar's strategic approach to improving reliability across a challenging terrain that spans 1,500 miles of power lines and includes over 28,000 utility poles. She credited the Forestry Department for its crucial role in preventing outages by proactively managing trees surrounding the electric system. Additionally, Griffin explained that the cooperative is implementing a meter replacement program. While some may view these meters as simply cash registers, today's meters provide much more data and are designed to enhance reliability, reduce outage times, and significantly improve communication during outages.
Griffin addressed the topic of electric rates, stating, “There has been misinformation regarding EnerStar's rates, which have remained fairly stable for the last 10 years.” She clarified, “The confusion arises from the belief that we purchase our power from Ameren and that their recent rate increase announcement will impact EnerStar members. That is not true.”
Griffin explained that EnerStar purchases wholesale power from Wabash Valley Power Alliance, a not-for-profit generation and transmission cooperative that serves electric cooperatives across Illinois and Indiana. She highlighted that the cooperative business model is fundamentally different from that of investor-owned utilities. “Wabash and EnerStar share common cooperative values and a commitment to serving rural communities. We are proud to stand apart, and together with Wabash as our power partner,” Griffin said.
She further clarified that the confusion arises because a separate division of Ameren acts as the transmission provider in downstate Illinois. “While Ameren may deliver power to us through the interconnected electric grid, we do not purchase power from them.”
In her closing statements, Griffin announced that no significant rate increases are currently planned. The cooperative will continue to practice conservative fiscal management to keep rates as low as responsibly possible. After the new year, the cooperative will conduct a Cost-of-Service study to determine if rate adjustments are necessary.
EnerStar Attorney Rob Anderson conducted board elections. Members voted to reelect Granville Colvin, District Three; Jeff Murphy, District Six; and Greg Robinson, District Eight.
Before Murphy adjourned the meeting, a drawing for bill credits was awarded. All registered members in attendance received a $25 bill credit on their energy bill as a token of appreciation from the cooperative for their active involvement in the co-op.