Sun River Electric Cooperative was first organized as Sun River Electrification Corporation on April 10, 1937 at a meeting in the courthouse in Great Falls, Montana. A Board of Directors consisting of S.F. Hackersmith, J.J. Morris, A.L. Meyer, C.G. McDermott, Knut Knutson, P.L. Hame, and Hy Hanson authorized a $100,000 loan from the Rural Electrification Administration to build power lines to rural residents in Cascade and Teton Counties.
In November of 1937 an office was rented in the Simms Bank Building and was furnished with a rented desk, chair, typewriter and file cabinet. The Sun River Electric office was moved to Fairfield in May of 1938, where an office space was rented also. A building and land were later purchased, this is the same location as the existing office building.
The first electric service was installed in the Sun River Valley from Vaughn to Simms and north to the Fairfield Bench. Today Sun River Electric serves consumers in Cascade, Teton, Pondera, Lewis & Clark, Chouteau, Liberty, Toole, and Judith Basin counties. The main headquarters is located in Fairfield. There are two outposts with three linemen located in Conrad and Highwood. Sun River Electric currently has twenty-four employees and two meter readers. The Board of Directors consists of seven members, Mark Lindberg, Herb Pasha, Roberta Rohrer, Darell Stott, John Burgmaier, Leonard Sivumaki, and H. R. (Randy) Parker.
Past and Present SREC Board Members
by DistrictDistrict #1 S.F. Hockersmith 1938-1940 R.A. Parker 1940-1941 Walter Eggler 1941-1944 Johns J. Zeller 1944-1950 Ralph Clark 1950-1962 Art Stockamp 1962-1962 George Huffman 1962-1983 Lloyd Meland 1983-1989 Wade Jacobsen 1989-1990 Al Eli 1990-1998 Leonard Sivumaki 1998-Present District #2 J.J. Dugan 1938-1938 R.E. Frost 1939-1945 Fred Kirby 1945-1946 Leland Garner 1946-1954 Stanley Stelling 1954-1990 Dan Freeman 1990-1991 Mark Lindberg 1991-2007 Richard (Dick) Artz 2007-present District #3 Otto Jenkins 1937-1949 C.O. Burdick 1949-1952 C.R. Dyer 1952-1955 Ralph Bishop 1955-1988 Dennis Fladstol 1988-1997 Neil Baquet 1997-2001 John Burgmaier 2001-Present District #4 A.L. Meyer 1938-1947 Louis Kronebusch 1947-1949 Martin R. Higgins 1949-1952 S.T. McFarland 1952-1979 Roberta Rohrer 1979-Present District #5 C.G. McDermott 1938-1973 Ron Ostberg 1973-1998 H.R. (Randy) Parker 1998-Present District #6 C.K. Malone 1939-1940 Paul Kropp 1940-1950 Charles W. Field 1950-1971 Bill Johnson 1971-1992 Darell Stott 1992-Present District #7 Ben Gossack 1939-1954 Geo C. Groskoph Jr. 1954-1983 Will Thrasher 1983-1994 Herb Pasha 1994-2006 Robert (Bob) Pasha 2006-Present
| Events of Interest in the History of Sun River Electric - | |
| 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. WellsB.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:
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 ReclamationSystem changes completed to necessitate joint use of poles with 3-Rivers Telephone Cooperative
|
| 1959 | Rates:
|
| 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:
|
| 1962 | 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 2006 there were 735 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. "Energyconservation 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 44 th 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
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 30
SREC celebrates 70 years of service to you, our members!
|
[ Home ] [ History ] [ Ripples Newsletter ] [ Community Service ] [ Military_Appreciation ] [ Programs ] [ Emergency Numbers ] [ Call Before You Dig ] [ Cooperative Principles ] [ Trustees ] [ Employees ] [ Jobs ] [ Safety ] [ Apply for Service ] [ Billing Rates ] [ Capital Credits ] [ Scholarships ] [ Customer Owned Generation ] [ Other Links ] [ Email ]