FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact
Nate Boettcher (President & CEO, Pierce Pepin Cooperative Services)
info@charge.coop | 715-273-4355
Midstate Electric Cooperative a West Coast Pioneer in the CHARGE™ Family
Oregon cooperative brings CHARGE EV, LLC, affiliate total to 94
Aug. 10, 2022 – Not only is Midstate Electric Cooperative (La Pine, Ore.) the first electric cooperative on the West Coast to become a CHARGE™ affiliate, but it also marks the first time a general manager has joined CHARGE™ twice.
Midstate CEO/General Manager Jim Anderson was the general manager at Jump River Electric Cooperative (Ladysmith, Wis.) when JREC became one of CHARGE EV, LLC’s 31 founding cooperatives. Anderson joined Midstate Electric Cooperative in 2021. As he settled into his new role, he knew the organization would complement the cooperative’s work on their own electric vehicle program.
“The EV industry is growing nationally and it is the perfect time to bring CHARGE™ to Central Oregon. I hope that by joining CHARGE™ for the second time, it will elicit interest from our sister cooperatives to build a charging network across our collective service areas,” Anderson said. “My objective in bringing the CHARGE™ brand to the West Coast is to provide our members with a recognizable and reliable charging platform they can trust. Co-ops have this unique opportunity to lead the way on EV initiatives and public education, and I want to ensure we are able to do this in a unified and strategic way. I look forward to the possibility of our local EV owners pulling up the online map of public co-op chargers and planning their road trips solely on co-op power. The benefits of joining this network are endless and I am excited about this newly established partnership.”
CHARGE EV, LLC, is a national electric vehicle charging network and promotional brand powered by electric cooperatives that supports the growing number of electric-powered cars, trucks, and buses. The 94 CHARGE™ affiliates are part of a nationwide cooperation-among-cooperatives effort (the sixth Cooperative Principle) which helps promote and educate members about EVs.
“We are pleased that Jim and the Midstate Electric Cooperative team are joining the CHARGE™ brand,” said Nate Boettcher, president of CHARGE EV, LLC. “It will be great to collaborate once again and bring in more perspectives to extend our reach and help guide the future of the CHARGE™ brand.”
CHARGE™ affiliates benefit from access to EV-focused companies, such as ZEF Energy. ZEF manufactures EV charging units that will work with many cooperatives’ existing load management programs. The technology allows members to delay charging their EV until off-peak hours when electricity prices are lower.
About Midstate Electric Cooperative
Midstate Electric Cooperative, Inc. (MEC) is a private, non-profit rural electric cooperative providing electrical power and related services to 17,233 member/owners in parts of four Central Oregon counties: Deschutes, Klamath, Lake, and Lane. The co-op has provided power to residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural members for 70 years. Learn more at https://midstateelectric.coop.
About CHARGE EV, LLC
CHARGE EV, LLC, was created in 2020 by 31 electric cooperatives in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin to promote electric vehicle (EV) adoption. Cooperative affiliates are now located in eight states. As electric cooperatives partner with other companies within the EV industry, CHARGE™ will expand its national charging network to showcase hidden gems throughout rural America. Learn more at https://charge.coop or on social media: @ChargePoweredByCoops (Facebook).
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