Door Prizes, Truck Giveaway, and Diesel Discussion at CVEA Annual Meeting

On Thursday, May 7, 163 registered members from the Copper Valley Electric Association met at the Glennallen Community Center for the CVEA annual meeting. A similar meeting was held on May 5 for members in Valdez.

In Glennallen, dinner was provided by the Roadside Grill. Dozens of door prizes provided by CVEA and other businesses were given away, including the grand prize, a 2009 Chevy truck that was won by Michelle Peterson.

Members of the CVEA co-op and their families were welcomed into the community center lobby with trinkets and gifts, opportunities to speak with different members of the CVEA staff, a photo booth, an electrical wire safety demonstration, and more, before the annual meeting was called to order.

According to a budget report from Board Treasurer Jan Maslen, the CVEA is in a financially sound situation. Maslen discussed the 2025 Annual Report. Fuel costs were slightly lower than they were in 2024 due to a decrease in the cost of crude oil from the North Slope. 

We all know prices are high in 2026, but the full annual picture for the utility company is not yet known. Rates did increase in March due to high diesel prices. They should go back down as hydroelectric power becomes more available. The date and amount depends on rainfall, but it is usually about May 11 according to CVEA staff.  

CEO Jaime Matthews discussed the organization’s primary strategic goals, including decreasing dependence on diesel fuel. To this end, Matthews mentioned several hydroelectric projects being developed or optimized, like the Allison Creek hydroelectric project, which in its ten years of operation has replaced over 13.5 million gallons of diesel. CVEA is in the process of relicensing for the Solomon Gulch hydroelectric project through the federal government. 

A Tiekel River hydroelectric project has the potential to generate seven times the power of current systems, and its feasibility is being discussed and weighed against the more than a billion dollars in expenses it would require, a cost which as of right now would make the project financially infeasible. 

Net metering is also currently available- through which co-op members can sell unused power made from renewable sources on their own property back to CVEA. 

Matthews reported CVEA also wants to build financial strength by continuing to seek out grants and decrease operating expenses. This year, CVEA cut around $178,000 of controllable spending from their budget. Matthews also praised the CVEA team for a record of zero lost-time safety incidents in 2025; a decrease in tree-related outages; and continued power service in spite of high winds.

During the meeting, the CVEA Community Foundation recognized some of this year’s scholarship recipients. Graduating seniors Reese Noble, Kayla Abbott, and Monica Bryan each received college scholarships; Alicia Hicks received a continuing education scholarship; and Timothy Somers, who is this author’s son, received a scholarship to attend a youth leadership rally in Idaho.

Public comment on three changes to the CVEA tariff, or rules, is due on May 21. 

CVEA proposes to close its offices at 5:30 p.m. instead of the current 6:00 p.m. time. In a public meeting April 21, Matthews shared CVEA had been tracking office visits in 2025 and 2026. There were a total of 19 office visits in 2025 between 5:30 and 6:00, less than 1.5 percent of total traffic. As of April 21, there were 5 visits in 2026 in both Valdez and Glennallen. 

CVEA proposes to add a condition to installment loans that customers must be connected year-round until the loan is paid off. This would eliminate the need to create separate billing for loan payments for customers who disconnect seasonally. 

The last proposed change is to establish an electric vehicle (EV) rate schedule. According to Matthews, CVEA is the only utility on the road system without an established EV rate schedule. EV charging stations would be charged at the large commercial rate. 

A technical change of a ”distribution delivery charge [that] would replace the demand charge” would make new stations eligible for federal funding. It would also make it feasible for the current EV charging station by the Glennallen Subway to operate at a higher rate, charging vehicles faster. 

Matthews also noted that the EV station is primarily used by transient, road-tripping or long haul drivers. The station is therefore “a way to capture revenue from people who are passing through,” as opposed to co-op members. 

The CVEA board will next meet on June 18, with a new option for the public to dial in and join remotely.

Disclosure: CVEA is a Copper River Record advertiser.