{"id":35397,"date":"2020-10-01T07:00:35","date_gmt":"2020-10-01T14:00:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.penlight.org\/?p=35397"},"modified":"2020-10-01T07:00:35","modified_gmt":"2020-10-01T14:00:35","slug":"penlight-celebrates-national-co-op-month-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.penlight.org\/penlight-celebrates-national-co-op-month-2\/","title":{"rendered":"PenLight Celebrates National Co-op Month"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"BlackYour vote matters – October is National Cooperative Month, and it\u2019s a good time to reflect on our commitment to Gig Harbor and the Peninsula.<\/p>\n

Your actions matter! In 1924, when Tacoma Power was building a transmission line through the peninsulas to deliver power from its hydro project at Lake Cushman on Hood Canal, our community members came together to form an electric utility.<\/p>\n

The founders of Peninsula Light chose the co-op model because many farmers in the area were already familiar with how it worked. PenLight\u2019s first articles of incorporation were adopted in July 1925, and the peninsulas were energized in December 1926. Today, there are more than 900 electric co-ops nationwide, and most began with the purpose of serving rural areas, like ours did back then, too.<\/p>\n

PenLight has grown as our community has grown. We serve more than 33,000 electric meters, making us the second-largest co-op in the state. We cover 112 square miles in Gig Harbor, Fox Island, and Key Peninsula, and 75% of our service is residential.<\/p>\n

\"SignaturesAs a member of our co-op, you have a vote during our election process each year to decide who will represent the membership on our board of directors. You can also choose to donate money through your electric or water bill to help those less fortunate in our community through Project Help.<\/p>\n

While innovation has changed a lot of the energy business, our core values have remained constant during the past century because we are a cooperative. Our core purpose is to continually improve the quality of life in Gig Harbor and the Peninsula. We continue to be stewards of your member dollars and strive hard to provide reliable power at low rates.<\/p>\n

The Seven Co-op Principles<\/h2>\n

\"BlackAt PenLight, our goal is to serve our members with integrity, dedication, and respect. These core values are what drive our employees to achieve excellence in serving our members.<\/p>\n

In addition to our own cooperative\u2019s values, PenLight adheres to the same seven principles all cooperatives follow. These principles guide our decisions, from how we run the co-op to how we engage with our local communities.<\/p>\n

While we set aside the month of October to celebrate what it means to be a member-owned cooperative, these seven principles remain strong and form what we believe to be the cornerstone of service to our members.<\/p>\n