Events of Interest
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1936 |
November 27 - Application to State of Montana for License to operate as Sun River Electrification Association |
| 1937 |
April 10 - First organized as Sun River Electrification Corporation Board of Directors: S.F.Hackersmith, J.J. Morris, A.L. Meyer, C.G. McDermott, Kurt Knudson, P.L. Hame, Hy Hanson - $100,000 loan authorized to build lines in Cascade and Teton counties |
| November - Office was rented in the Simms Bank building, furnished with rented desk, chair, typewriter, and file cabinet | |
| E.P. Harwood appointed manager | |
| First electric service lines were built from Vaughn to Simms and north to the Fairfield Bench | |
| 1938 | May - Headquarters moved to Fairfield into rented space, building and land purchased in the same location as the current office |
| 1939 | August - name changed from Sun River Electrification Assoc. to Sun River Electric Cooperative, Inc. |
| September 26 By-laws formalized | |
| 1940 | R.C. Sherman becomes General Manager |
| 1941 | Certificate of Membership list grows to 720 |
| 1946 | Art A. Wells becomes third manager of SREC |
| 1950 | Reorganized Generation and Transmission Cooperative, Charlie McDermott appointed director |
| 1954 | SREC becomes member of National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) |
| 1955 | Board of Directors rescind the recommendation calling for replacement of Manager Art A. Wells |
| B.F Waldron becomes General Manager | |
| 1957 | Member equity 29.17%, total assets $2,200,167, and total member equity was $641,758 |
| 171 people attend Annual Meeting | |
| Rod Hanson becomes fifth manager of Sun River Electric | |
| 1958 | Manager's report of system growth: |
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1942 - 91 kwhs/mo/account |
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| 12 miles of 69,000 volt transmission line and substation built to Brady | |
| Board of Directors hear feasibility report on Gibson Dam and Sun Butte Dam from Harold Aldrich and M.W. Drazich of the Bureau Of Reclamation | |
| System changes completed to necessitate joint use of poles with 3-Rivers Telephone Cooperative | |
| 1959 | Rates: |
| First 40 kwhs - $3.50 Next 40 kwhs - 4 cents/each Next 120 kwhs - 2.5 cents/each Over 200 kwhs - 2 cents/each |
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| 1960 | Security lights offered to membership for lease |
| 1961 | Transmission line to North Augusta Substation completed–SREC took over management of Central Montana Power Cooperative and continued managing until 1975 |
| 1962 | Great Falls Tribune Dr. Heinz Speilman, asst. professor of agriculture economics at Montana State University, Bozeman |
| Reports: | |
| 1935 - 10% of nation's farms have electricity 1962 - 97.6% of nation's farms have electricity |
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| Gold Medallion Home Program offered | |
| 1964 | Spring flood devastates the area |
| Kwh rate is 2.1 cents per kwh | |
| 1972 | Henry and Irene Zanto win grand prize at annual meeting, a trip to the NRECA Annual Meeting in Dallas, TX. |
| The image of a city slicker against a country bumpkin was false, and he placed blame on media that wanted a story, stated Lawrence Pettit, campaign manager for Tom Judge in the 1972 governor's race was the guest speaker at the 1972 Annual Meeting | |
| 1975 | June flood SREC loses truck in Teton River, employees unharmed |
| 1976 | 51 irrigation pumps added to system (In 2011 there were 836 active irrigation services) |
| 1977 |
Commissioner of Agriculture, Gordon McOmber, is guest speaker at Annual Meeting - 650 people attend Annual Meeting |
| Electric cooperatives feeling pinch of Colstrip delay | |
| January 25 Articles of Incorporation extended to "Perpetual Existence" | |
| 1978 |
"We can't build hydro plants because of snail darters. We can't build coal-fired plants on account of pollution. Gas fired plants are out because of a shortage of natural gas. Oil is out because of a lot of reasons. Nuclear was ruled out at the November election, and the only people who can afford solar are the movie stars. Our hands are being tied. We just can't do anything, any place." Rod Hanson, SREC Manager |
| 1979 |
Office building remodeled - $203,000, F.L. Zion, contractor SREC had a 24% demand increase. Conservation promoted by Manager Rod Hanson. "Energy conservation is the cheapest, cleanest, and quickest energy resource available." |
| S.T. McFarland completes 27 years of service on the SREC Board | |
| 1981 | Senator John Melcher is guest speaker at 44th Annual Meeting. Melcher often was called "the best friend Montana agriculture has" |
| 23 miles of transmission line built to Highwood | |
| 1982 | Lead topics: "REA Loan Program in Jeopardy", "Reagan Administration wants Market Price vs. Cost of Production" |
| 1983 |
Montana Power Company proposes 122% increase to Cooperatives. In May the Cooperative looses 700 poles in worst storm of the Cooperatives 46 year history. In one 9-mile stretch east of Conrad only two or three poles were left standing. Power was restored in two weeks. |
| 1984 | FERC allows 86.5% increase request from MPC to Cooperatives to pay for Colstrip 3 |
| 1985 | 80 miles of transmission line built, funded by WAPA to better serve SREC area |
| 1986 |
Transmission line from Bole Substation to Ashuelot Substation completed |
| Jim Eskridge takes over as General Manager | |
| 1987 |
50 year anniversary Honored guests: Past board members: Morton Higgins, Leland Garner, George Huffman, S.T. McFarland, Robert Lindberg, and Alvin Meyer, Sr. |
| 1989 | New transmission line to South Augusta Substation completed |
| 1990 | Transmission from Pendroy to Agawam completed |
| 1991 | South Conrad Substation expanded and Midway Substation constructed |
| 1997 | Joint resolution between Glacier, Marias, Sun River, and Hill County Electric Cooperatives to share major equipment |
| 1998 | Present General Manager Scott Odegard hired |
| 2005 | SREC office remodeled ($197,000) |
| 2006 | Harvey Bremer retires with 40 years of service to the Cooperative. This is the longest tenure of any employee ever to work for SREC. |
| 2007 | March - Annual Meeting - SREC celebrates 70 years of service to you, our members! |
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| 2008 | SREC adds a new substation "North Fairfield" |
| 2009 | The metering program changes from "Turtle Meters" to "TWACS Meters" |
| 2012 | March - Annual Meeting - Sun River Electric celebrates it's 75th Annual Meeting! |
