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Kit
Carson Electric Cooperative is a member owned Electric Distribution
Cooperative. Kit Carson is one of 13 electric cooperatives that
serve rural New Mexico communities, and one of 44 distribution
cooperatives
receiving power from Tri-State Generation and Transmission, out
of Denver, Colorado. Kit Carson serves over 25,000 members in Taos,
Colfax and Rio Arriba Counties. Formed in 1944, Kit Carson is the
second largest cooperative in the State of New Mexico.
In
the 1990’s, the electrical
deregulation movement brought unprecedented changes to the utility industry.
Cooperatives like Kit Carson who have
long served their members, saw the lines between utility services become
blurred, and traditionally integrated products and services have become
unbundled and subject to competition.
In 1998 at the Annual Meeting the current board was instructed by the
membership to explore the possibility of diversifying into like businesses
that were at that time not meeting the needs of the membership.
In 2001,
the board was expanded to 11 members due to the growth of
the Co-op’s service area. With the new board and the
member mandate, the work began to increase and improve the
work of the co-op. The Old Kit Carson Building was renovated
and a new Kit Carson Facility was constructed with additional
space to include a 10,000 square foot building to help provide
economic development to Taos County. The building includes
all new offices, an in-house billing room, two efficiencies
to house standby employees, and plenty of space for expansion.
The cooperative has satellite offices in all five of the districts
it serves. Out reach programs begin with the Public Relations
Department to keep its members informed of the projects and
programs it offers.
In preparation for deregulation, Kit Carson Electric created three divisions
to offer cooperative members different services. Along with Electrical
Service, these include Internet Service, Telecommunications service and
Propane Service.
Kit Carson expanded into Telecommunications to offer a wide range of
services to the community and began providing Internet access. Kit Carson
Internet has been in business since January of 2000 and now has approximately
3000 users. Kit Carson Internet provides local dial access to all of
its members in our service territory. Kit Carson Internet also provides
high-speed Internet via fixed wireless at reasonable costs to our members
in selected areas.
Kit Carson will finance up to $1,000 on a computer for customers in
good standing to purchase a computer. Combined with our new Internet
service, more and more of our customers are now cruising on the Information
Highway. The Cooperative also provides free public access computers at
its main office on Cruz Alta for the general public and in collaboration
with the Town of Taos at the Taos Youth and Family Center for Taos youth.
Kit Carson
Propane sold its first 1000 gallons of propane in October
of 2000. It now serves approximately 3000 customers in Taos,
Colfax and Rio Arriba Counties. The Propane division had its
propane prices fixed at .0999 cents per gallon since it opened
until April 2004. Currently we still have the lowest price
per gallon. The Propane division offers a fixed rate, metered
services, compliance upgrade financing, and safety first philosophy
to it’s members.
Concerned about clean economic development in Taos, The co-op in cooperation
with the Taos Business Alliance and other community organizations, helped
create more jobs for our citizens Kit Carson helped built an addition
to their headquarters for a call center that is now occupied by Advanced Call Center Technologies
from Pennsylvania that provides jobs for northern
New Mexico citizens.
Interested
in preserving a healthy environment, Kit Carson Electric is
the first New Mexico Cooperative offering the Green
Power Option to its
members. Kit Carson offers 100 kWh blocks of wind-generated energy to
customers who prefer to use alternative energy. In cooperation with the "dark
skies" campaign, Kit Carson Electric has shielded Taos County
lights in an effort to reduce light pollution.
Luis
Reyes, Jr., Chief Executive Officer of
the co-op says, "At
Kit
Carson we're very interested in helping the community and contributing
to the market that supports them. We want to be a good neighbor and benefit
the community."
Kit
Carson provides scholarships to deserving college-bound seniors from
its service area through its’ foundation.
The Board of Trustees set up the Kit Carson Electric Foundation, a
private 501(c)(3) with co-op
unclaimed capital credits to set up the Scholarship Fund as well as to
provide monetary grants to non-profit and community organizations.
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