Cherryland Electric Cooperative Podcasts

Cherryland Electric Cooperative Member Relations Manager Rachel Johnson talks through highlights from the May 22nd Board of Directors meeting.By Cherryland Electric Cooperative

After June 15, 2023, Rachel Johnson will take over as CEO of Cherryland Electric Cooperative. While she's been an important part of the leadership team at Cherryland, and you may have seen her at events or heard her host this podcast, you may not have had the chance to get to know Rachel on a deeper level. In this episode of Co-op Energy Talk -- we…

Cherryland Electric Cooperative Member Relations Manager Rachel Johnson talks through highlights from the April 24th Board of Directors meeting.By Cherryland Electric Cooperative

After 20 years of dedicated service to Cherryland Electric Cooperative, and 40 years dedicated to electric cooperatives across the country, Tony Anderson is retiring. But his work isn't over quite yet! Listen in as we take a walk down memory lane, hear the moments Tony treasures most from his impressive career, and what's next for him on the road a…

Cherryland Electric Cooperative Member Relations Manager Rachel Johnson talks through highlights from the March 20th Board of Directors meeting.By Cherryland Electric Cooperative

Cherryland Electric Cooperative Member Relations Manager Rachel Johnson talks through highlights from the February 27th Board of Directors meeting.By Cherryland Electric Cooperative

Just days before Christmas, Winter Storm Elliot created some dangerously cold conditions from Texas to Tennessee, up through the Midwest and parts of the east coast. While many of you were enjoying time at home with your family, many of those working in the utility industry were sitting uncomfortably close to needing to take measures we’ve never ta…

Cherryland Electric Cooperative Member Relations Manager Rachel Johnson talks through highlights from the January 23rd Board of Directors meeting.By Cherryland Electric Cooperative

The Board of Directors will vote on a proposed rate increase in January, set to go into effect in March. As a not-for-profit electric cooperative, we only increase our rates when absolutely necessary. We know a rate increase isn’t anyone’s favorite news, but with rising costs and extreme market volatility we need to make a change in order to bring …

Cherryland Electric Cooperative Member Relations Manager Rachel Johnson talks through highlights from the December 19th Board of Directors meeting.By Cherryland Electric Cooperative

Cherryland Electric Cooperative Member Relations Manager Rachel Johnson talks through highlights from the November 22nd Board of Directors meeting.By Cherryland Electric Cooperative

Cherryland Electric Cooperative Member Relations Manager Rachel Johnson talks through highlights from the October 17th Board of Directors meeting.By Cherryland Electric Cooperative

Cherryland Electric Cooperative Member Relations Manager Rachel Johnson talks through highlights from the September 26th Board of Directors meeting.By Cherryland Electric Cooperative

For every $1.00 you spend on your Cherryland bill, $0.70 goes directly toward power supply purchases. But buying that energy isn't just a quick "Add To Cart" and checkout, it's a lot more complicated than that. In this two-part podcast, Member Relations Manager Rachel Johnson sits down with Wolverine Power Supply Vice President and CFO Zach Anderso…

For every $1.00 you spend on your Cherryland bill, $0.70 goes directly toward power supply purchases. But buying that energy isn't just a quick "Add To Cart" and checkout, it's a lot more complicated than that. In this two-part podcast, Member Relations Manager Rachel Johnson sits down with Wolverine Power Supply Vice President and CFO Zach Anderso…

Cherryland Electric Cooperative Member Relations Manager Rachel Johnson talks through highlights from the August 22nd Board of Directors meeting.By Cherryland Electric Cooperative

Safety is a top priority for Cherryland Electric Cooperative. We want to keep our employees safe, our members safe, and our community safe. In this episode of Co-op Energy Talk Cherryland Member Relations Manager Rachel Johnson sits down with the co-op's Safety Director Jeff Puffer to talk about everything from electrical safety myths to how to set…

Cherryland Electric Cooperative Member Relations Manager Rachel Johnson talks through highlights from the July 25th Board of Directors meeting.By Cherryland Electric Cooperative

Cherryland Electric Cooperative Member Relations Manager Rachel Johnson talks through highlights from the June 17th Board of Directors meeting.By Cherryland Electric Cooperative

Cherryland Electric Cooperative Member Relations Manager Rachel Johnson talks through highlights from the May 23rd Board of Directors meeting.By Cherryland Electric Cooperative

For years, we’ve talked about what would happen if there wasn’t enough electricity to go around. This year, the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) released a report warning that “what if” question may become a reality as soon as this summer. MISO says Michigan and several other states are potentially as much as 1,200 MW short of the po…

Cherryland Electric Cooperative Member Relations Manager Rachel Johnson talks through highlights from the April 25th Board of Directors meeting.By Cherryland Electric Cooperative

Technological advancements have made the power grid more reliable and more robust. While that is a huge benefit, this increasingly digital approach comes with some cybersecurity concerns. In this episode, Cherryland Member Relations Manager Rachel Johnson sits down with Cherryland General Manager Tony Anderson and National Rural Electric Cooperativ…

Cherryland Electric Cooperative Member Relations Manager Rachel Johnson talks through highlights from the March 28th Board of Directors meeting.By Cherryland Electric Cooperative

Cherryland Electric Cooperative Member Relations Manager Rachel Johnson talks through highlights from the February 28th Board of Directors meeting.By Cherryland Electric Cooperative

What happens when we don’t have the material we need to keep your lights on? Thankfully, that’s not a question we’ve had to answer at Cherryland Electric Cooperative in large part due to our membership with RESCO (Rural Electric Supply Cooperative). In this episode, we talk with RESCO V.P. of Sales and Manufacturer Relations Doug Booher to dive int…

Co-op 101 is a sub-series of Co-op Energy Talk designed to educate our membership and those interested in learning about the cooperative business model. In this episode, Cherryland Electric Cooperative Member Relations Manager, Rachel Johnson, explains capital credits, how they work, and why they're valuable to both the membership and the cooperati…

Like all cooperatives, Cherryland is governed by a board of directors elected by our membership. They oversee the major decisions that impact the way Cherryland operates and ultimately how we serve our membership. In our new Meet the Board series, we're helping you get to know the people making those decisions not only as co-op leadership, but also…

In part two of our special series on power supply, Cherryland Electric Cooperative General Manager Tony Anderson, Wolverine Power Cooperative President and CEO Eric Baker, and Cherryland Member Relations Manager Rachel Johnson dive into their thoughts on what the future holds for power supply and what that means for the industry, co-ops, and the me…

Let's talk power supply! As Cherryland prepares to implement a power supply cost recovery charge, also known as a PSCR adjustment, we wanted to sit down and discuss why the charge is necessary, how it relates to power supply, and the driving forces behind some of the challenges we're seeing with power supply at the moment. Listen in as Cherryland G…

Last month’s record-breaking cold snap in Texas left dozens dead and millions without power. Now, as temperatures return to normal and citizens recover, questions and concerns over the resiliency of Texas’s energy grid continue to mount. Listen in as we discuss what happened, the lasting effects this event will have on Texas, and the lessons to be …

America has voted and there is no doubt that there will be a lot of changes on the horizon. Listen in as we welcome Louis Finkel, Senior Vice President of Government Relations at the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, to discuss the results of this past election and the effect it could have on energy legislation and regulation and our…

Cherryland Electric Cooperative was built by its community. So, when times get tough, it’s our duty to help. Listen in as Rachel and Tony discuss the advantages of being a part of a co-op and how they played into some big news regarding pandemic relief for Cherryland members.By Cherryland Electric Cooperative

When you want electricity, we’ve got to deliver. It doesn’t matter if you have a scorching 100-degree day and everybody has their A/C cranked on high, we need to meet that demand. But what if you had a week of 100-degree heat? What if there wasn’t enough electricity to meet that demand? Listen in as we discuss this scenario with Zach Anderson, CFO …

Northern Michigan is opening up following a multi-month shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For the local business community, this is an opportunity to try and get back to what they do best. Listen in as we welcome Warren Call, CEO of Traverse Connect, to discuss the challenges local businesses faced during the shutdown, the work Traverse Connec…

Co-op Energy Talk hits the road! Earlier this year, Tony sat down with co-op leaders from across the country while attending the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association's Annual Meeting in New Orleans. Listen in as they discuss what they've seen over the years and what trends they believe we should be watching to prepare for the future.…

You know it well: member control is the cornerstone of any co-op. So, pandemic or not, a co-op board of directors still needs to function. Listen in as we discuss the steps Cherryland and its board have taken to adapt to this "new normal," including updates on board meetings, the board election, and the 82nd Annual Meeting. Learn more about the Che…

Since our last episode, we saw the first cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) reach the Grand Traverse region and Governor Whitmer enact the "Stay Home, Stay Safe" Executive Order across the state. Listen in as explain what Cherryland has done to respond to the pandemic since, including providing updates on core services, billing policies, and co-op fin…

By Cherryland Electric Cooperative

By Cherryland Electric Cooperative

They say, "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas." Well, it would be hard to hide the Gemini Solar Project, a 690 MW solar array (with 380 MW of lithium-ion storage) soon to be built just outside of the famous Nevada city. Listen in as we discuss the details of this historic project and its impact. Do you have feedback? Email us at pr@cherrylandele…

Of Michigan's 83 counties, 59 are classified as rural, all playing important roles in the state's economy. As these rural communities face their unique challenges of the future, state level support and representation is becoming ever more vital. Spearheaded by the Northern Michigan Chamber Alliance, one initiative calls on Governor Whitmer to creat…

Cherry Capital Airport is the fourth largest commercial airport in Michigan... and it's not stopping there. They recently added two new carriers and several new nonstop flights, bringing their non-stop service up to 15 cities. Listen in as we sit down with Airport Director Kevin Klein to discuss both the opportunities and the challenges this time o…

When problems arise, co-ops have a hard time sitting idly by. So, when the co-ops' tax exempt status is threatened, we head straight for the Capitol. Listen in as we reflect on Cherryland's recent trip to Washington, D.C. and discuss the top issues facing co-ops today with board members Dave Schweitzer and Gabe Schneider.…

After 34 years of hosting WTCM's morning show, Representative Jack O'Malley returns to the microphone to reflect on his first year representing Michigan's 101st District (Leelanau, Benzie, Manistee counties) in Lansing. Listen in as we chat with him about energy policy and a variety other topics coming out of the Capitol.…

Come on, we've all done it: sat on a beach, sipping a cool beverage, and wondered what was going on with the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) that day. The MPSC regulates utilities in order to ensure safe, reliable, and accessible energy at reasonable rates for Michigan residents. Listen in as we discuss the MPSC and Michigan's energy futu…

In June, Cherryland announced that it is making a three-year commitment of $100,000 annually to Habitat for Humanity–Grand Traverse Region to fund a program aimed at repairing low-income homes in need of weatherization improvements in the Grand Traverse region. Listen in as we discuss this partnership with Habitat for Humanity's executive director,…

With climate change as a priority for candidates in upcoming elections, a whole slew of carbon proposals are being thrown out there, including the Green New Deal, Evergreen Economy Plan, a carbon tax, etc. Do one of these game plans offer a realistic way to cross the goal line? Listen in as we discuss the challenges facing decarbonization and how t…

Who doesn't love a good crossover episode? In this special episode, we share the mics with the guys from Mirror Finish, Great Lakes Stainless's podcast, to learn about each other's businesses, talk about energy, and have a little bit of fun.By Cherryland Electric Cooperative

Cherryland's Jim Carpenter is not just a line superintendent. He's a singer, whittler, guitar player, runner, and outdoorsman; a real renaissance man. After 39 years of service, the co-op's renaissance man is retiring. Listen in as we sit down with Jim and discuss his nearly four-decade long career at Cherryland.…