About 330 members gathered for their cooperative’s 88th annual meeting April 18 at the Braham Event Center. Read more.
Join ECE and Great River Energy at our third Pollineighbor Party, scheduled for Saturday, June 15 from noon-5 p.m. at the 100 Acre Homestead (6360 60th Ave., Princeton, MN).
Delicious food will be available to purchase from a farm-to-table food truck and free activities for the whole family—including trivia prizes, farm animals, and more—plus enjoy acres of wildflowers and honey hives. Don’t forget to check out the farm’s locally-crafted food and wares.
For the safety of the free-range animals, please leave your pets at home. Watch ECE’s Facebook page for more information!
Backfeed is when power flows in reverse from your home back onto ECE’s power lines. This can be deadly. Never connect your generator or distributed generation system to a wall outlet! Planning on something permanent? Have a licensed electrician wire an automatic or manual transfer switch.
Remember, generators produce carbon monoxide, which is an odorless, colorless gas. Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include dizziness, headaches, nausea, and fatigue. Never operate a generator inside your home or partially enclosed spaces, and always operate away from doors, windows, and vents. Direct the exhaust away from your home.
Check out more valuable tips to protect yourself and our crews.
Throughout the last year ECE Fiber has grown immensely, and this progress wouldn’t be possible without the help of our contractors! Between local and out-of-town crews, our contractors are working hard to ensure ECE Fiber lines are built safe and are future-proof. Members throughout the 2023-25 construction areas will likely see these crews working in their neighborhoods. Here are a few reminders as we enter construction season.
- National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative (NRTC) and ITG Communications are our two out-of-state contractors that will be working on the fiber lines. These crews will have “Contractor for ECE Fiber” stickers on the side of their vehicle.
- All ECE Fiber representatives that will need to enter a member’s home to install equipment WILL have official ECE identification badges. For your safety, do NOT allow someone without proper identification into your home.
- ECE Fiber representatives and contractors will NEVER come to your home and ask for a deposit to get you on the construction schedule. When in doubt, call us at 1-800-254-7944.
- A positive member experience is our main goal! If there is damage to your property due to ECE Fiber construction, our contractors WILL come out later and fix the damage.
- If you have concerns about your property, please email us at [email protected], and we will route your concerns to our crew managers.
- To meet our 2024 goals, ITG will work on the weekends to construct the main fiber lines, and members may be able to schedule home installation on weekends as well.
We are looking forward to a great construction season and continued growth for ECE Fiber!
Interested in ECE Fiber internet service? Visit ecefiber.com and submit your address!
If you…
- Are in an area we are currently connecting, you will be able to place an internet order and get connected this year!
- Are not in an already connected area, you can express interest by pre-registering your address. Once you are pre-registered, we can contact you when it is time to place your internet order!
Upgrade your home with the revolutionary technology of a heat pump water heater, offering unparalleled efficiency and savings. Using ambient air temperature, these innovative systems transfer heat into your water tank, utilizing up to 60% less energy compared to traditional water heaters.
Embrace consistent hot water supply and enjoy extended durability with minimal maintenance requirements. With a heat pump water heater, you're not just investing in comfort; you're enjoying reliable performance and substantial cost savings for years to come.
With a $500 rebate* and up to a $2,000 tax credit available, the time to save is now! Learn more here or call ECE to find out how you can experience the difference firsthand.
*Minimum size 50 gallons; must be ENERGY STAR® rated.
Did you know trees cause the majority of ECE power outages? Unobstructed power lines make it easier and safer for our crews to repair or service power lines.
No Barriers Warriors experience
America’s rural communities are home to millions who have served in our armed forces, many of whom are living with a disability. ECE has teamed up with our financial partner, CoBank, to support local veterans with disabilities through the No Barriers Warriors program, which offers five-day expeditions in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. The program fosters camaraderie and helps veterans push through adversity. Activities are tailored to accommodate disabilities and PTSD.
To be eligible, veterans must be an ECE member and have a VA disability rating. No Barriers will evaluate nominations and select the final participants, and CoBank will cover the full cost of any veteran selected.
Applications were due May 27, 2024. Check back in 2025 for details about next year's experience.
As the landscape of technology and energy continues to evolve, East Central Energy is committed to progress, resilience, and bringing value to you. As we navigate these dynamic times, we’re excited to share the latest strides in our journey.
One of our most significant projects today is the ongoing expansion of ECE Fiber, our revolutionary broadband product. With ECE Fiber, we’re bringing blazing fast internet to communities that have been overlooked for decades by for-profit providers. By bridging the digital divide, we're ensuring that everyone has access to fast and reliable internet, unlocking new opportunities and possibilities for our members.
Simultaneously, we are strengthening our electric infrastructure with our largest construction work plan in history. From retiring aging conductors to upgrading substation equipment, our focus is on enhancing the reliability of our grid and integrating cutting-edge technologies to bolster resilience. These efforts are crucial for safeguarding your power supply, particularly in the face of growing demand and unforeseen challenges.
The goals of these two projects intersect as we work to ensure the clearance and integrity of the poles where fiber is being built. As we place fiber under the electric conductors, our engineers are using technology and site visits to keep our system safe and dependable. When upgrades are needed, our line crews replace poles and associated equipment to solidify reliability.
To support these capital-intensive initiatives, we're actively pursuing grants to offset associated costs. These grants are instrumental in accelerating our progress, enabling us to deliver the benefits of ECE Fiber and our grid resilience initiatives more swiftly and effectively.
At ECE we're not just building infrastructure; we're building a foundation for the future. Together, with your continued support, we're charting a course towards a brighter, more connected, and resilient tomorrow.
Thank you for the opportunity to serve you.
Justin