About MEA

To our MEA Members,

Our members are the heart of our cooperative – we were created and built by our members, and 80 years later we are still member-owned and member-driven in all that we do. Our cooperative works non-stop to deliver reliable power to our members, while reducing costs, stabilizing rates, and providing the highest level of customer service.

While we work to power today, we also plan for powering our communities in the future. Our new strategic plan focuses on collaboration with other utilities, our communities and our members. It also looks to the future with a balanced approach to innovate our infrastructure, provide more options to our members, and plan for the long-term stewardship of our organization and the changing world around us.

As a member-owner of this cooperative, we appreciate you and hope you take advantage of your benefits including participating in our elections, the annual meeting, community events, and providing us with your ideas and feedback on how we can do better. At MEA we always look forward to serving you.

-Tony Izzo

Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

The Electric Cooperative Story

Matanuska Electric Association, Inc., Alaska’s oldest existing and second-largest electric cooperative, is owned and operated by its 56,000+ members. MEA’s service area covers more than 4,700 miles of power lines in Southcentral Alaska.

MEA is governed by bylaws and articles of incorporation that are voted on and approved by the membership. Elections are held each spring as part of the annual meeting process; members of the seven-seat Board of Directors are elected then.

Our Mission:

To provide safe reliable energy at reasonable rates with exceptional member service and commitment to the community we serve.

What is an Electric Cooperative?
Electric cooperatives are private, independent electric utilities, owned by the members they serve. Democratically governed businesses, electric cooperatives are organized under the Cooperative or Rochdale Principles, anchoring them firmly in the communities they serve and ensuring that they are closely regulated by their consumers.

Electric cooperatives began to spread across rural America after President Franklin D. Roosevelt created the Rural Electrification Administration (REA) in 1935. The Executive Order establishing the REA and the passage of the REA Act a year later marked the first steps in a public-private partnership that has, over the last 70 years, bridged the vast expanse of rural America to bring electric power to businesses and communities willing to organize cooperatively and accept responsibility for the provision of safe, affordable and reliable electric power.

Today more than 900 electric cooperatives power Alaskan fishing villages, dairy farms in Vermont and the suburbs and exurbs in between. They provide reliable and technologically advanced service to 40 million Americans while maintaining a unique consumer-focused approach to business.
7 Cooperative Principles
  1. Voluntary and Open Membership — Cooperatives are voluntary organizations, open to all persons able to use their services and willing to accept the responsibilities of membership.
  2. Democratic Member Control — Cooperatives are democratic organizations controlled by their members, who actively participate in setting policies and making decisions.
  3. Members’ Economic Participation — Members contribute equitably to, and democratically control, the capital of their cooperative.
  4. Autonomy and Independence — Cooperatives are autonomous, self-help organizations controlled by their members.
  5. Education, Training, and Information — Cooperatives provide education and training for their members, elected representatives, managers, and employees so they can contribute effectively to the development of their cooperatives.
  6. Cooperation Among Cooperatives — Cooperatives serve their members most effectively and strengthen the cooperative movement by working together.
  7. Concern for Community — While focusing on member needs, cooperatives work for the sustainable development of their communities.

Goals

  1. Strengthen MEA's safety program
  2. Develop a process to prioritize investment and leverage infrastructure and technology
  3. Create a comprehensive employee development plan
  4. Maximize efficient power generation and energy delivery
  5. Recognize and capitalize on exernal opportunities
  6. Strengthen regulatory effectiveness
  7. Embrace process improvement throughout the organization
  8. Solidify financial position