Chugach Electric Association, Inc. members elected three directors to the utility’s seven-member board of directors. Election results were announced Friday night, May 19, at the electric cooperative’s annual meeting. There were 264 members who registered at the meeting, held at ChangePoint in Anchorage, and an estimated 450 in total attendance.

Chugach members re-elected Bettina Chastain and elected Susanne Fleek-Green and Jim Nordlund to the Chugach Board of Directors.

In the 2023 election, 14,156 members cast ballots, a voter turnout of 15.7%  Of the members who voted, 14,091 voted electronically or by paper ballot before the annual meeting, and 65 members cast ballots in person at the meeting.

Bylaw change approved

Chugach members also approved a bylaw amendment creating a bill roundup program that will allow members to roundup their monthly bill to the nearest dollar. Once the program is created, donations made to the program will be managed by a charitable foundation which will oversee distribution of charity support to 501 (c) (3) organizations within the Chugach service territory. The cost to members who participate will be between $0.01 and $0.99 a month, for an average of $6.00 a year.

Member Appreciation Event

Prior to the annual meeting, a member appreciation event was held in the parking lot at ChangePoint featuring power plant tours, bucket truck rides, electric vehicle displays, energy education, and more.

An estimated 1,000  people attended the event which was held from 3 to 6 pm. This is the second year in a row Chugach has held the member appreciation event and annual meeting on the same day. The pairing is a big hit with members who enjoy the chance to engage with the member-owned cooperative.