NORTH BALTIMORE – On Sept. 20, Hancock-Wood Electric Cooperative members gathered at the Stroh Center in
Bowling Green to hear updates about the operation of their cooperative; learn the results of trustee
elections; vote on proposed bylaw revisions and enjoy the music of chart-topper Jason Michael Carroll
and local vocalist Gabrielle Calvert.
William P. Kale of Portage was elected to begin serving on the Hancock-Wood Board of Trustees while James
Demler and Tom Kagy each won re-election. President and CEO George Walton told members that the
cooperative is continuing its $2.75 million work plan.
"We’re strategically investing in projects that provide future value for our members," Walton
said. He noted the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SDACA) distribution automation system has
reduced the duration of outages by 34 minutes per outage, per member. "This is a significant
milestone for our members," Walton said. In addition, Walton said the cooperative has decreased the
cost of trimming from $3,000 per mile of line down to $900.
Walton received a round of applause when he told members the cooperative was "not projecting any
rate increases for the next several years." He concluded his remarks by asking the members to join
in the fight against proposed Environmental Protection Agency greenhouse gas regulations and becoming
part of the Action Committee for Rural Electrification (ACRE) Co-op Owners for Political Action.
"You can help by becoming part. – This political action committee is your political action
committee," Walton said. "Please consider joining today. The real power comes from you."

Chairman Ed Crawford echoed Walton’s concerns about pending EPA regulations. "We’re facing
regulations that could shut down our coal plants and raise rates for all our members," Crawford
said. "We’re estimating that $40 to $50 per month is what your electric bill would go up." He
urged members to fill out cards at the meeting asking the EPA to reconsider its proposals and also
encouraged them to join the co-op owners’ PAC.
Ohio Sen. Randy Gardner and Ohio Rep. Tim Brown addressed the meeting and presented the cooperative with
a commendation for 76 years of service. U.S. Rep. Bob Latta spoke about issues facing the U.S. energy
sector and the good work the cooperative has done. Rachel Wenzinger, who was selected by her peers to
represent Ohio on the NRECA Youth Leadership Council, spoke about what she learned on this past summer’s
Youth Tour to Washington, D.C.
Members were able to vote on changes to the Hancock-Wood bylaws during the meeting and approved
amendments addressing trustee residency requirements; meeting attendance for trustees, and making minor
corrections to language and formatting in the bylaws.
The evening came to a close with a performance from Carroll whose first album debuted at No. 1 on the
Billboard Top Country Albums Chart in 2007. He has a total of five top 40 hits.
Contributions from sponsors allowed the co-op to waive an initial ticket fee for the event.
Hancock-Wood Electric Cooperative serves more than 10,000 members with more than 13,000 accounts in
portions of Hancock, Wood, Allen, Erie, Hardin, Henry, Putnam, Sandusky, Seneca and Wyandot counties.

For more information, visit the Hancock-Wood Electric Cooperative web site at www.hwe.coop or call
800-445-4840.