REA Annual Meeting Reminder, 2026
Hello Fellow OCREA Members,
You are receiving this email because you are on my old list of OCREA members, which is extremely outdated. Unsubscribe if you do not want to receive these ≈yearly emails.
This is your annual reminder that your electric company is a cooperative! You have a say in how it is run.
The 2025 annual members’ meeting is Saturday, June 27 at 10 am at the Chassell High School, 41585 U.S. Highway 41, Chassell, MI 49916.
All members are invited. You can make a difference and get a free lunch! And door prizes!
This meeting often does not have a quorum (50 people), which prevents important business from being done. The meeting gives you a chance to:
- meet the coop staff and directors;
- learn and ask about energy efficiency programs, brush removal, meter upgrades, rate changes, energy portfolio, service outages, the financial state of the cooperative, board policies, plans, etc.
- And to vote on policies that guide the cooperative.
You can be represented by proxy, per the coop bylaws:
Fifty (50) members present in person or represented by proxy shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at all meetings of the members.
Proxy Form; fill this out and give it to a member attending in person:
A member at the meeting may represent up to five proxy voters. (Members participating by proxy do not get lunch 😄.)
Information and notes:
- Director elections are underway for two directors. Voting has closed; results will be presented at the annual meeting. Nominating petitions are supposed to be posted online, but I don't see any yet. See *below for rules on nominating petitions.
- District 2: Ewen/Trout Creek/Lake Mine; current director Paul Koski
- District 6: Boston Location; current director Mildred Ann Gasperich
- A Special Meeting was held on May 18th to discuss rate increases, to start in September 2026. Details in the minutes from that meeting.
- After ongoing complaints from members, board meetings are now open to members, and also accessible online. Schedule and links.
- Participation Policy:
- Some members continue to complain about member-to-member communication. Currently members are not allowed to access the member list (policy). (Incidentally, my independent email list—this one—was compiled from a member list released years ago before the policy was implemented.) The only official way for a member to reach other members is to pay out-of-pocket for a postal mailing. This policy blocks people from exchanging information about board elections. Surely current technology can provide a better solution.
- The board is setting up a committee to review the Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws (perhaps in response to persistent pressure from some members). Maybe they can resolve the communication problem.
- CEO Dallas Aho will be reviewed in June 2026.
- Meeting minutes are available for past board meetings and annual meetings.
- The most recent tax filings for OCREA are nicely summarized by ProPublica (for 2024, filed Sept 2025).
Renewable Energy
- Net metering update: As clarified at last year's meeting, the updated 2025 rules only changed how much you will receive for any banked energy remaining if you leave the program. Specifically:
If a Member-Consumer terminates service with the Cooperative while having a net metering credit amount on their account, the Cooperative shall refund the remaining credit amount at a rate of 5.6 cents/kWh to the Member-Consumer following a final reading by the Cooperative of the Member-Consumer’s net meter
This change does not affect continuing net metering rates and processes.
- From last year's meeting: Question: What is the percentage of net metered solar power on the REA grid? What is the cap?
- Answer: We’re currently at 6%. At this time, we do not have a net metering cap.
- Note: the written rules still state there is a 1% limit.
- My questions on how OCREA is managing the global energy transition:
- Renewables now generate 33.8% of electricity globally [Ember]. Why only 19.6% for OCREA?
- Does OCREA have a policy to promote home batteries? GM's new EVs can serve as battery back-up for home electricity, which can protect people during outages, and can also smooth grid operations.
- What is OCREA doing to promote electrification of heating and cooking to help shield members from spikes in fossil fuel prices? Over 200,000 heat pumps are running in Maine, saving homeowners over $1000/year compared to propane.
Posted answers to questions submitted during 2025 Annual Meeting
Answers to questions and comments from 2025 Annual Meeting
Ontonagon County REA Annual Meeting Questions/Comments
1. Have there been offers to purchase the REA? If so, what is the status of any offer?
a. There have not been any offers to purchase the REA
2. How do people give input on open meetings?
a. You can call or email the office and talk to Dallas or Kelsey.
daho@ontorea.com or kelsey@ontorea.com (906) 884-4151
3. What is the percentage of net metered solar power on the REA grid? What is the cap?
a. We’re currently at 6%. At this time, we do not have a net metering cap.
4. A few years ago, there was talk about the REA considering a solar generating planton the brown fields. Is that still being considered? Why not? “Solar is cheapest.”
a. This is not an option with our current purchased power agreement.
5. Would the BOD be willing to entertain having a “At Large” director? Would need Bylaws change. Interested in position but do not want to run against our current BOD because they do a great job!
a. That is definitely something that the REA board can discuss.
6. How many applied for “Youth Tour”?
a. There were 4 applicants in 2025.
7. When does the fiscal year end for the REA?
a. December 31
8. When is the audit to be completed and when is it required to be brought to the members? According to the Bylaws it is to be brought before the members at the next annual meeting is this correct?
a. Audit reports shall be presented to the members at the following annual meeting
9. Why was the audit not complete until Dec of 2024 as noted in the Dec 20th 2024 meeting minutes?
a. The 2023 audit was not completed due to the fact that the former CEO left in April of 2024 and at that point had not been started.
10. Whose responsibility was it to make sure the auditors had the necessary information to complete the audit?
a. It is the CEO’s responsibility to make sure the auditors have the necessary information to complete the audit. During the time that the audit would normally be completed there was no CEO and then an interim CEO.
11. Who was the CEO during the year 2023?
a. Eugene Soumis
12. Is Mr. Aho an accountant as noted in the Feb 2024 minutes? If this is correct, was it necessary to hire an accounting firm?
a. Mr. Aho is not an accountant. There will need to be an adjustment made to the minutes.
Comments
• There needs to be a limit on how many comments/motions are made by one member. It was ridiculous.
• Gluten free food options – rolled meat without a bun, rice Krispie treats
• Door prizes only to members. Employees and DOB not eligible – speaks volumes to members.
• 2 – opens meetings – in evenings. Yearly – this is what CEC does and it works – or limit at monthly meetings. Member must set up appt.
• Let the BOD do their job! We voted them in…. Good job BOD!!!
• Round up program. To give back to the community.
• Thank you, BOD, for allowing “Youth Tour”. Awesome! How many applied?
• Thank you for making the outage map available on the website. Some suggestions to improve accessibility to the map:
o Put a link on the Ontonagon REA main website page. I found the map by accident when I logged in to pay my bill this month. I happened to scroll down in my account page and noticed the outage map link. Shouldn’t have to log in to see the map.
o The outage map link should go to the map, not a summary list.
o Either:
▪ add a link for the summary list too or
▪ land at the map (from the outage map link) and provide a link to see the summary.
• We have added the “Outage Center” tab at the top of the webpage. There is a link to the outage map on that tab. Thank you for the suggestions!
* Nominating petition rules (for board elections)
Section 8. Petitions
Petitions by the membership authorized under these Bylaws shall be on forms prepared and available from the Cooperative.
(a) All members signing such petitions shall include their service address.
(b) Each member’s signature appearing thereon shall be dated as of the date of signing.
(c) The person circulating the petition shall be a member of the Cooperative and shall include at the end of each petition sheet his or her service address and attest that he or she circulated the petition and is acquainted with the persons who signed the petition in his or her presence.
Bring your questions, meet other members, and ...
Did I mention prize drawings and lunch!?
See you in Chassell on Saturday, June 27th!
- Sarah
p.s. This is my own unofficial email list; I do not have access to the coop's members list. Use the links here to subscribe or unsubscribe.
p.p.s. This newsletter is sent via my CRAG site, which is not affiliated with OCREA.
