Manager’s Message – June 2026

Thank You for Joining Us!

Our annual meeting serves as our chance to connect with you, our Northern Lights members. With record attendance, I was pleased to see so many of you at our April 27 meeting.

In addition to enjoying the camaraderie, it’s a time for us to share how we are managing and investing in your cooperative. Northern Lights remains financially strong, supported by solid equity levels and responsible financial management. In 2025, our total utility plant increased by $9 million, reflecting continued investment in infrastructure to support reliability.

More people are choosing to live in the rural communities we serve, increasing demand for electricity. To meet demand, we are strategically investing in our infrastructure through substation improvements. We are currently upgrading 4 substations located in Priest Lake, Laclede, Samuels, and Naples. These upgrades will increase capacity and reliability, ensuring we can continue to provide reliable power as our communities grow.

We also replaced more than 400 poles and upgraded miles of overhead and underground lines. These upgrades include fire mitigation components to help lower risk.

The conditions Northern Lights operates in today are different from those they were even 5 years ago. The hotter, drier summers and more extreme weather have significantly increased wildfire risk in our region. Our responsibility is not just to provide reliable power but to do it safely.

Because of the increased fire risk, we have made 2 important operational changes. First, during times of increased wildfire hazard, we will adjust our power line settings. In simple terms, that means our system will be set to shut off more quickly when it detects a problem. The downside is that you may experience more frequent or longer outages in the summer months.

Secondly, utilities in the Pacific Northwest, including Northern Lights, are implementing plans for a Public Safety Power Shutoff. A PSPS is when a utility temporarily deenergizes power lines in an area where wildfire risk is extremely high to reduce the chance of the utility’s system contributing to a wildfire. This is something we would use only in the most severe conditions, when we have high winds, low humidity, and extreme fire danger.

We will continue to invest in our system, improve our technology, and refine our processes to balance safety and reliability as best we can.

I shared at the annual meeting that what truly sets Northern Lights apart is our people. You are served by dedicated employees and a committed board of directors who care deeply about this cooperative and the communities we call home. We are proud to serve you, and we are grateful for your trust and support.

Thank you for being the most important part of Northern Lights. If you could not attend this year’s annual meeting, I hope you will join us next year. We would love to see you there.

Annie Terracciano
General Manager