March 2026
As we celebrate Cooperative Living’s 80th anniversary, we’re reflecting on the milestones that have shaped our story. From the beginnings of the electric cooperative movement in the 1940s to today, these moments highlight a legacy of service, resilience and community. In this issue, we’re reminded of the strength of that history — and the people who continue to build it.
We are celebrating Women’s History Month with our Cooperative Focus article on Virginia’s first female governor, Abigail Spanberger. We were honored to speak with the governor, who has made energy policy a top priority. She recognizes electric cooperatives and the members we serve as vital to our economy and as key partners in addressing today’s energy challenges.
This issue also includes another installment of our Grid Watch series focused on energy issues — this time examining how rising expenses affect your bill and the steps cooperatives are taking to manage those increases responsibly.
The strength of cooperatives comes from our people, something we saw during recent winter storms. Co-op teams worked around the clock to restore power — outages that were thankfully fewer than expected — and to share emergency resources with cooperatives as far away as Minnesota and New England.
That spirit of selfless service is why we also honor the life of Jim Guy, who devoted his career to advancing the cooperative model and shaping many of the laws that support it. We have many stories to tell and milestones to reflect upon. Thank you for reading and for learning how cooperative thinking continues to make a difference.
Brian S. Mosier, President & CEO
Virginia, Maryland & Delaware Association of Electric Cooperatives