Montrose - Daily Press

MONTROSE�  - It’s been a “slow burn,” but the local electric cooperative has decided to break ties with the state’s rural electric association effective April 30.

Delta-Montrose Electric Association� (DMEA) announced Friday it will no longer be a member of the Colorado Rural Electric Association.

Increasing membership fees and a continuing feeling of misrepresentation led to the decision, said DMEA General Manager Dan McClendon.

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“I don’t think I can point to any one thing that CREA has done. It’s been more of a slow burn for several years and, more recently, a feeling of our input and desire to see CREA be more cooperative with the Legislature and be more proactive in supporting some of these issues we have an interest in,” he said.

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Comments

Concerned wrote on Feb 11, 2010 7:09 AM:

" fedupconsumer - couldn't have said it better. Your're right on the money. The board's self-serving GREEN agenda and inability to cooperate with Tri-State, CREA while hiring lobbyists is detrimental to the vast majority of members. VOTE THE BOARD OUT - elections will be coming soon. "




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fedupconsumer wrote on Feb 10, 2010 10:37 PM:

" It's time for DMEA to focus on core business. No more wasteful research and development that only benefits few members. No more green programs (you guys are a distribution cooperative it's time to act like one). Get back to what we members really are after: Safe, reliable and affordable energy. Stop grand standing (tri-state contract not signed and now dropping out of CREA). CREA protects cooperatives and gives them a collective voice. It's time to vote out these board members.. they have lost sight of what an electrical cooperative is. "




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conserned res wrote on Feb 10, 2010 7:16 AM:

" it may be true that DMEA 'donates' the xmas light power to the city but the fact is they bill residents for it and the proof lies in december bills that shot through the roof, its not a donation at all, DMEA is redirecting the charges, which is easy for them to do. the local govt may be p to their eyeballs is this too! "




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Concerned wrote on Feb 9, 2010 6:24 PM:

" hey knowthefacts - your only choice if you don't like it - is to move. we DONT HAVE A CHOICE of electric companies. And don't think that DMEA knows this. they just don't care. They're all about perception. We need to collectively vote in the upcoming election of the board members. Just like the government, vote all incumbents out!!!!! "




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workingman wrote on Feb 9, 2010 3:33 PM:

" I say leave the employees out of the riff that the public has with DMEA. Most of the working people at DMEA don't even know what goes on behind the scenes. Most of them have the job of keeping the lights on. I worked for two other large utilities and did not have any control over what happened with the operation of the company. "




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knowthefacts wrote on Feb 9, 2010 12:26 PM:

" I believe our electricity in this area is very economical and reliable. If the power is off more than an hour it is rare especially if there are a large number of customers involved. If you don't like the price and service you get here go somewhere else. DMEA is one of the few companies that you get personal service from and can talk to a real person. "




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Fed Up with DMEA wrote on Feb 9, 2010 8:31 AM:

" Maybe the headline should have read "Membership Unhappy With DMEA" instead of on up the ladder. But, when we realize that as others have posted, we can take them on if they aren't going the direction the members feel is right. They have lost sight of where need to be and have gone off chasing rainbows and pursuing personal legacies. They need to stop now! "




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Concerned wrote on Feb 9, 2010 7:55 AM:

" I heard that DMEA donates the electricity for the downtown Christmas lights, maybe that's why the City feels they can continue to run them so long after Christmas is over, this is a complete waste of useful energy. "




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MountRose wrote on Feb 8, 2010 8:48 PM:

" I listened to DMEA and they said to go out and buy a bunch ofEnergy efficient bulbs and appliancces. Now our house is full of those crappy dim bulbs and energy efficent appliances and our bill still went up over 75%. There's something fishy at DMEA. I don't trust them. "




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Local wrote on Feb 8, 2010 5:57 PM:

" hey bc - please define small percentage. I know for a fact that all the linemen get 8% raises next year, along w/some other employees. How does DMEA justify that big of a raise in this economy?And if they're getting 8%, what is dan mcclendon getting. probably cant publish that!! Don't blame our high bills on Tri-State when you're paying people like you do. "




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BM wrote on Feb 8, 2010 4:33 PM:

" I think DMEA's agenda is far too green for our budgets. Elect a board member who is more balanced. The board controls the manager. They want to be the greenest Co-op in the nation, and they don't care what it costs us as members. With Gov Ritter going out, lets vote in some common sense people to the board. Pay attention to the next election. They left Colorado REA because they weren't green enough for DMEA. Enough is enough. "




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wow wrote on Feb 8, 2010 7:33 AM:

" My Christmas lights go off the 1st. This bill was from 12/15 1/13 . That means that only 16 days of my bill would have had Christmas lights on it. The prior bill would have had an entire month and this bill was up from the last bill.

We also switched all our lights bulbs out to the energy efficient bulbs around the 1st. So I'm still calling BS on this bill. "




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goober clooney wrote on Feb 7, 2010 11:26 PM:

" We're always getting attacked by our capitalist overlords in one way or another. When will we ever get a break? Prices go up but wages seldom do. We're all just Gerbils on a wheel and being bred for people who do unkind things with gerbils. "




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huh wrote on Feb 7, 2010 10:31 PM:

" I think the increase had more to do with Christmas lights than fraud. They may not be the best or the cheapest but the department of weights and measures was here last month and checked up on them and other local businesses. "




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bc wrote on Feb 6, 2010 6:13 PM:

" The 8% pay increase does not take affect until Feb.of 2011 and it is a small percentage of the employees. Everyone took a freeze in wages this year. When it comes to rate increases talk to Tri-State. DMEA's rates stayed the same.
t "




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Jimbo wrote on Feb 6, 2010 11:11 AM:

" Does anyone have a rationale why the bills have jumped so much in the last two months. Mine have almost doubled from years past? Nothing has changed that much in our usage that would warrant the large increase the bills show? Are the meters messing up? "




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wow wrote on Feb 5, 2010 10:05 PM:

" We had a big increase as well. There is no reason for us to have a $200 electric bill in the winter when our heat is gas. "




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Why wrote on Feb 4, 2010 6:32 PM:

" Why is DMEA paying for a lobbyist? Look at the minutes from the board meeting - go to ww.dmea.com and click on dmea member information and board meeting minutes and agendas and look at Dec. 15th minutes.
what are we as members lobbying for? I know dmea is pushing for green energy, but this is ridiculous!! "




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Native Son wrote on Feb 4, 2010 8:24 AM:

" Do not forget, we as a membership can have a voice if we push back hard and often. We elect these board members and to be complacent and not do anything to about these out of control mavericks is an acceptance that the rate increases and behavior is ok. It is not, and we should tell them so! Go public, put them on the front page, and don't them continue to put our coop on the path to ruin! "




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Native Son wrote on Feb 4, 2010 8:18 AM:

" If everyone is as unhappy as the posts are pointing, then do something about it. Contact your member elected board members, establish a petition, push for the removal of McClendon and Metheny. They have been there far too long and have make incredibly expensive salaries. Don't let the "coop" concept fool you. They are in it for the money, and we foot the bill! "




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Local wrote on Feb 4, 2010 7:16 AM:

" I've heard from an employee that they will be handing out 8% raises next year - what do you suppose that will do for our rates??? How do you justify that in this economy? I urge you to contact your DMEA board member immediately. "




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Concerned wrote on Feb 2, 2010 7:40 AM:

" Just wait until you have to pay the bill for the hydro-electric plant on the South Canal - that only runs 6 months out of the year!!! Sound decisions being made out there at DMEA - and the highest paid manager in Montrose to boot!!! "




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bj wrote on Feb 1, 2010 6:56 PM:

" There was a big increase. What can we do as a group?
It will only get worse if we cant stop it now. "




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question wrote on Feb 1, 2010 3:20 PM:

" I would like to know how happy everyone is with the DMEA bill from last month? did everyone else show a massive increase and fictional usage? I know of at least 13 people who have. "




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MR wrote on Jan 31, 2010 9:56 AM:

" I'm sure that out of this, DMEA will yet again find a reason to raise our rates. That company is such a joke. "




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time is now wrote on Jan 31, 2010 8:04 AM:

" as an unregulated utility DMEA already has the power the manipulate rates whenever they like.
that company answers to no one. 1500 signatures and a vote by special election would put the public utilities commission in charge of regulation.

otherwise local electric bills will skyrocket, and we have already seen bills of several people and business falsified or fabricated. the metering DMEA uses is ripe for fraud, this action would be the first step.

DMEA got caught, and their superiors were notified, thats the only reason for this action. "




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