The ECE Credentials & Election Committee met February 16, officially approving director candidates for Districts 1, 3, and 6 for the 2026 election. View all candidate profiles on pages 3-7 of the March/April Co-op Advantage newsletter.
If you’re a member in a voting district, be sure to cast your vote online or by mail. Options include a traditional paper ballot, online voting via our website, scanning a barcode with your smartphone, or using the SmartHub app. Official ballots will be mailed April 1, with online voting opening that same day at 8 a.m. To ensure your vote is counted, all paper and online ballots must be received by Survey & Ballot Systems by 8 a.m. April 22. Please note that ECE does not handle the distribution or tabulation of ballots.
Don’t miss ECE’s 90th Annual Meeting on April 23 at the Braham Event Center. Join us as we shine a light on the 7 Cooperative Principles that guide everything we do. Enjoy hot appetizers starting at 5 p.m., then settle in for the meeting at 6 p.m. sharp. The evening features highlights from 2025, in-person voting on proposed Bylaw Amendments, director election results, and prize drawings to close out the night.
ECE's bylaws were last amended and restated in 2012. Since that time, significant changes have occurred. The board of directors has drafted proposed Bylaw Amendments that reflect current operations, including the launch of broadband internet services, and ensure ECE remains responsive to member needs while upholding cooperative principles.
Program is now closed. All trees have been claimed.
Members who ordered a tree should receive it around April 6. If you have questions regarding your tree order, please call the Arbor Day Foundation at 1-855-234-3801.
We’re teaming up again with the Arbor Day Foundation's Energy-Saving Trees program to offer free trees to ECE members.
As we head into year four of ECE Fiber construction, your cooperative continues expanding to bring reliable internet to the communities we serve. Each new mile of fiber we install helps close the digital divide by supporting community businesses, facilitating remote education, broadening telehealth access, and ensuring families stay connected.
Over the past three years, construction has spanned five counties, resulting in over 2,600 miles of fiber lines built. That progress has laid a strong foundation, and we’re not slowing down. In 2026, we plan to continue our momentum by expanding into three additional counties in Wisconsin while also completing projects already underway in existing service areas.
If you’d like to follow our progress, visit the interactive map at ecefiber.com to see where service is currently available and which areas are coming next. Your co-op is looking forward to everything 2026 has in store. We’re grateful for your continued support as we expand ECE Fiber’s reach!
Let's connect!
ECE Fiber now has a Facebook page! The page will serve as a hub for timely updates, project milestones, upcoming events, helpful tips, and more—all focused on connecting with the communities we serve.
With rebates on everything from appliances to ground source heat pumps, it’s easy and cost-effective to make your home more energy efficient. Check out our 2026 residential rebates.
At this year’s annual meeting, you will be asked to consider a proposed bylaw update. Bylaws are the foundational governing document of your co-op. They define membership, voting rights, and governance processes, while ensuring ECE operates fairly and consistently.
Unlike investor-owned utilities, cooperatives are not driven by outside shareholders. We are guided by the needs of the communities we serve. When you receive service from ECE, you are not just a passive customer at the end of the line. You’re a member and an owner, with involvement in key decisions.
Membership carries both benefits and responsibilities. You have the right to vote on key matters (including this year’s bylaw changes and director election), share in the cooperative’s financial success through capital credits, and help shape our long-term direction.
As the electric and fiber industries continue to evolve, it’s important that ECE’s governing documents remain clear, legally sound, and aligned with current operations. As a result, these proposed changes reflect our entrance into the fiber internet business, along with guidance from our national representatives. Over the last year, bylaw changes were carefully reviewed, discussed by your board of directors, and are ultimately being brought forward for your approval.
Please be sure to review the proposed changes and take part in the live, in-person vote at our annual meeting on April 23. Your engagement is what keeps this cooperative accountable, resilient, and built to last.
ECE’s second annual Legislative Reception was held in Braham January 21, bringing together Representative Jeff Dotseth, Representative Nathan Nelson, and Senator Jason Rarick. Updates were shared by ECE, Great River Energy, and the Minnesota Rural Electric Association, with discussion focused on net metering, the nuclear moratorium, wildfire mitigation liability, data center growth, carbon free planning, and other major regional projects.
Read the full recap, including detailed policy issues and discussion highlights.