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At Missoula Electric Cooperative (MEC), we often tout the many benefits of purchasing all of our power from Bonneville Power Administration (BPA). However, it is the members of MEC who truly benefit from this relationship and its access to what is arguably the greatest collection of energy generating resources in the world – the Federal Columbia River Hydropower system. The Federal Columbia River Hydropower system is a collection of dams controlling and harnessing the power of the Columbia River Basin which begins at its headwaters in British C...
While the holiday season is certainly a time of generosity toward others, there are some who view this goodwill as an opportunity to separate you from your hard-earned money. While there are a great number of scams floating around, those involving perpetrators posing as utility employees are of particular relevance for Missoula Electric Cooperative (MEC) and its members. Below are some of the more common schemes which come and go around the country each year. Over the past several years, we have received reports of members getting phone calls...
With the recent discovery of aquatic invasive species (AIS) larvae in Montana’s waters, the pressure is on to protect this pristine resource which is so vital to recreation, tourism and the overall economy of our state. Last fall, AIS were detected in the Tiber Reservoir east of Shelby, while suspicious samples were drawn form the Canyon Ferry Reservoir, the Missouri River below Toston Dam and the Milk River. While zebra and quagga mussels have been present in waterways from the Great Lakes to the Gulf Coast, Montana has been fortunate up u...
With the holiday season upon us, there is no better time for a discussion of cyber security. According to the National Retail Federation, consumers are forecasted to increase online spending by seven to 10 percent, or as much as $117 billion for the months of November and December. In recent years, news stories have abounded detailing data breaches by large retailers, government agencies and health care providers. It is a fact of modern life that more of us are spending more of our waking time online. In addition to the increased amount of time...
For most of us, it is hard to imagine a life without electricity, yet behind your light switch exists one of the greatest infrastructure systems ever built. Our nation's electric grid traces its origins back to the 1880's, shortly after Thomas Edison's development of a commercially viable electric light bulb. However, our grid has evolved far beyond anything Edison could have imagined – growing into the single largest interconnected machine on the planet. The whole of the grid consists of 450,00...
In November 2015, Missoula Electric Cooperative (MEC) launched its community solar array dubbed MEC Solar for short. Since that time, significant work has taken place at the site adjacent to MEC's substation just south of Lolo. Just before Christmas, installers completed their work and brought the system online. Shortly afterward, the meter was installed which measures all of the electricity produced by the system. To date, the panels have produced nearly 2,600 kilowatt-hours of energy. For...
