April 2026

March 27, 2026

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Annual Meeting Issue

We invite all members to join us at our 39th Annual Meeting on Thursday, May 14, at our Friendship office (401 E Lake St, Friendship, WI). Registration begins at 4 p.m. and the meeting begins at 5 p.m. Be sure to bring your Annual Meeting notice (postcard shown to the right) to the meeting for easy registration!

Your voting participation is highly encouraged for the upcoming director election. For more details on the Annual Meeting, click here.

This issue includes:

  • How to Vote
  • Director Candidates
  • General Manager & Board Chair Report
  • Cooperative Financials
  • Lineman Appreciation, YLC, and more

Review our Meeting Rules & Voting Procedures, which are approved by the Rules Committee.

 

How to Vote

Every year, we host an Annual Meeting to provide cooperative updates to our members and conduct our director elections. All members have the right to participate in our director election. Below are frequently asked questions along with a few snippets that show what our online voting site looks like. Learn about your voting options for the director election.

What are my options to cast a ballot?

    • Request an absentee ballot by calling (800) 831-8629, emailing Stacey McManus at smcmanus@acecwi.com, or filling out the request form on our website. Ballots must returned to our Friendship office by May 13 at 12 p.m.
    • Log in to your SmartHub account and click the “Vote Now” button to be directed to our voting site. Online voting closes May 13 at 12 p.m.
    • Attend our Annual Meeting on May 14 and cast a ballot in person from 4-5 p.m.

Can I vote online and in person?

    • No. Once a ballot is cast, an electronic or absentee vote will not be discarded in favor of another voting method per our meeting rules and voting procedures.

When does voting open?

    • Absentee and online voting are available April 1- May 13 at 12 p.m. In person voting will be at our Friendship office on May 14 from 4-5 p.m.

What if I live in a district that isn’t up for election?

    • All members are eligible to vote, regardless of the district you live in. You can cast a vote for one director per district that is on the ballot. Our second cooperative principle is Democratic Member Control, which means we are controlled by our members (the elected board of directors) and all members have the right to cast a ballot.

This is a preview of the voting ballot, whether you access SmartHub on a desktop computer or mobile device.

 

Director Candidates

Candidates running for director seats have each been asked to submit a short biography. Some candidates have provided their contact information if you would like to reach out with additional questions. Note that no edits have been made to the candidate’s submissions. Learn more about each candidate by reading their biographies.

District 4 – Jim Bays
Read biography

District 6 – Gary Skolarz
Read biography

 

 

 

 

District 7 – Becki Clayborn
Read biography

District 7 – Russell J. “Rusty” Schieber
Read biography

District 7 – Renee Wendt
Read biography

 

General Manager & Board Chair Report

Pictured l-r: Board Chair Aaron Hoernke & General Manger Jon Congdon

Reliability
Electricity isn’t a luxury like it was 80 years ago; it’s a critical part of our daily lives. Whenever you want to charge your phone, watch the big game, or host a family holiday event, we’re there for you. At times, power outages may occur that are out of our control, but we do our best to restore those outages as quickly and safely as possible. In 2025, our members had power approximately 99.9988% of the time.

To continue our commitment to reliable service to you, we’re building additional infrastructure and continuing to perform maintenance on our distribution system. This includes line patrol, pole changes, and other necessary upgrades. Last year, we added the new Dixie substation to our system, which is located about five miles southeast of Adams. We’ll begin work on our new Colburn substation this year to serve our members for years to come.

Clean Energy
As a distribution system, we don’t generate our own electricity; we purchase our power from Alliant Energy. Through Bright Ideas, our member engagement survey on our website, we’ve heard from members how important it is to them to have clean, renewable energy. Similar to the fact that we don’t generate our own electricity, we reap the benefits of clean energy from Alliant Energy.

Their most recent Climate Report indicates that 36% of their energy sources come from renewable energy. Ultimately, Alliant’s energy mix is our energy mix since we purchase power from them.

Legislative Engagement
As topics and bills related to electric cooperatives are introduced at the state and national levels, we dive into how they will impact our members and the cooperative. Our focus is to keep our members front of mind, ensure grid reliability, cooperative governance, and consumer protection.

Rates
Through our Bright Ideas survey, rates topped the chart for the topic that members want to hear more about. Reviewing rates is a slow process, and we conduct a cost of service study every three to five years to ensure rates align with the cost of power and maintenance to our system. Our rates are based on the different electrical needs of our members. A residential home requires different equipment than a large campground, farm, or business. Not only do we factor in the equipment needed to serve different types of services, but we also look into how much energy they use.

Saving money and energy is a big priority for our members. To help guide members, we advertise energy-saving tips, promote rebates available through Focus on Energy, and encourage members to explore our Time-of-Day rate. To learn more about our rates, click here.

$4 Million Special Patronage Capital Retirement
As a cooperative, any additional margins we have each year are refunded to our members through patronage capital.

We’re happy to announce that your board of directors has approved a special $4 million patronage capital retirement (refund) to members who had service with us in 2025. The board of directors reviewed year-end financials, which indicated that our excess margins were due to:
  • Day-to-day efficiencies at the co-op
  • We came under budget in other areas across the co-op
  • We’re secure in our operating margins
  • Lower than budgeted power supply costs
  • Strong cash flow, particularly from our investment in West Riverside Energy Center
Returning patronage capital reflects the cooperative principle of members sharing in the financial success of the organization they own. This special retirement is in addition to the general retirement we process typically in the fall every year. Bill credits will be applied to accounts during the June billing period. If your retirement amount is over $600, you can expect a check in the mail.

Eye On The Future
Keeping up with advancements in technology is nothing new; however, the increasing need for electric generation and the pressure of demand on our grid have been top of mind. The needs of our members have drastically changed over the last 30-50 years. We used to talk about electrification in the household, and today we’re talking about the impact of data centers and artificial intelligence.

There is a lack of transmission lines being built due to hurdles with environmental concerns, regulatory holdups, and consumer pushback. We understand people don’t want a massive transmission line on their property, but our industry is facing a great need for additional generation. Once that generation is built (a new solar field, for example), we need to have a way to transport that electricity to keep up with the demand.

There’s been a lot of research and development surrounding nuclear energy. It’s forecasted that small modular reactors may start to come online in the 2030’s. The challenge now is to find a nuclear design that is cost-effective, safe for our environment, and can minimize the impact on communities.
Battery storage is another buzzword recently, but it isn’t entirely the answer. Storing energy and releasing it onto the grid helps alleviate the energy stress during peak demand times, but batteries don’t contribute to 24/7 energy generation that our members need.
Virtual power plants are another concept you may have heard about. This is when utilities partner with members that have smart grid technologies (like electric vehicle chargers, solar panels, smart thermostats, and battery storage) to “sell power” back to the grid. To be clear, we are not offering this and we are not planning to at this time. We believe it’s up to the member to determine how they want to manage these smart grid features.
As we plan for the future, our vision is to be our members’ trusted source of safe, reliable electricity, superior customer service, and community support. Having a balance of coal, nuclear, natural gas, and renewable energy generation sources gives our industry flexibility. We’re committed to the members we serve, the communities we live in, and the rural landscape we call home.

 

Statement of Operations

 

Balance Sheet

Together, these two statements outline the cooperative’s stability and year-to-year financial performance. The balance sheet helps show whether we have the financial strength to maintain and improve our distribution system, while the statement of operations shows whether we collected enough to cover costs. Margins are retained to support the operations and future of the cooperative and, over time, returned to members through patronage capital.

 

Lineman Appreciation Day

Our crews are always ready when it matters most—leaving family dinners, working through the night, and heading into challenging conditions to restore power as safely and quickly as possible. That readiness is not accidental. It comes from rigorous training and a shared commitment to serving our members.

We understand the frustrations any time the lights go out, bringing everyday life to a halt. We’re incredibly grateful to our members for your patience and encouragement during these times. Linework is demanding, physical, and at times, it can be dangerous. Our crews approach each job with a focus on safety and teamwork.

On April 18, we celebrate Lineworker Appreciation Day, but one day is hardly enough. Every day, we thank our team of safety professionals for their service and dedication to our members.

  • Friendship Linemen: Garrett, Eric K., Tim, Garin, Bryce, Garri, Logan
  • Pardeeville Linemen: Chris C., Bill K., Brett, Jason H., Don, Kurt
  • Wautoma Linemen: Brian S., Jason K., Ryan, Brian M., Tom, Lucas 

 

Patronage Capital Allocations

On your May bill statement in the bill message area, you’ll see your patronage allocation. You can think of allocations as a piece of ownership in our cooperative based on how much your electric bill is over the course of the year. Over time, your allocations are refunded to you as approved by your board of directors. Learn more about patronage capital at www.acecwi.com/patronage-cap.

 

Youth Leadership Conference

Youth Leadership Conference will be July 14-16 at UW-Stout, and students can now register to attend! Students currently in their sophomore or junior year of high school are encouraged to register for this fun, three-day leadership event. The deadline to register is Friday, June 5. Click here to learn more about YLC.

 

Energy Tip

 

april is Safe Digging Month

Whether you’re planting a garden or installing new fence posts, remember to dial 811 before you dig. Let’s work together to keep our communities safe and prevent damage to underground utilities. When you contact 811, they will notify relevant utility companies to mark underground lines, free of charge, using colored flags or paint. This process usually only takes a few days.

Different colors are used to mark underground utilities, and each color is universal:

 

Recipe

Broccoli Grape Salad
Recipe from Kathy Wurster of Pewaukee, WI

INGREDIENTS:

  • 4 c fresh broccoli
  • 1 c chopped celery
  • 1/2 c chopped green onion
  • 1/2 c bacon crumbles
  • 2/3 c slivered almonds
  • 2 c red and/or green grapes
  • 1 c mayonnaise
  • 1/2 c sugar
  • 1 Tbsp vinegar

 

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Wash broccoli and use florets only. Set aside. Finely cut celery and onions.
  2. Fry bacon until crispy. Place bacon on a paper towel and crumble.
  3. In a large bowl, alternate broccoli, grapes, almonds, onions, bacon, and celery into large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix mayonnaise, sugar, and vinegar until smooth. Pour the dressing over the salad mixture and toss.