Voting for one trustee position and proposed Bylaw Amendments occurred in person at the meeting and via mail. Shane Barrett, trustee for District 1 and also the sole nominee, was re-elected as the District 1 trustee.  Shane received 315 yes votes and 41 ballots were left blank.  The Bylaw changes had 297 yes votes and 58 no votes.  HCE’s Bylaw books will be updated soon for our membership or can be found online here. The HCE Board of Trustees remains the same: Shane Barrett, President- District 1 Havre Leslie Smith, Vice ...

Eighty-seven years ago on May 11th, 1935, President Franklin Roosevelt created the Rural Electrification Administration (REA). On that same day, a co-op in Mississippi became the first REA-financed co-op in the country to energize its lines. In November 1939, Mrs. Roosevelt hosted a few visitors for tea. One of those visitors, Harry Slattery of the REA, shared many human-interest stories with Mrs. Roosevelt. She decided on her next trip, she would visit farms that had recently been connected to electricity and share their stories in her new...

VIEW OUR 2022 HCE ANNUAL MEETING NOTICE BOOKLET The 77th Annual Meeting of Members of Hill County Electric Cooperative, Incorporated of Havre, Montana, will be held on Saturday, May 14th, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. in the Ballroom of the Student Union Building on the campus of Montana State University Northern in Havre, Montana, to take action on the following matters: The election of one trustee of the Cooperative. Voting may occur via mail or in person. Proposed Bylaw Amendments. Passing upon reports of officers, trustees and committees for ...

You have probably seen Hill County Electric’s crews out in the field or working on power lines. It is no secret that a lineman’s job is tough, but their job is essential and must be done, often in challenging conditions. Linemen are committed to their career. It is not just a job; it is a lifestyle. The long hours and dangerous conditions present every day can take a toll. Their job is listed as one of the top 10 most dangerous jobs in the U.S. During severe weather events that bring power outages, HCE’s linemen are usually the first ones c...

In previous magazines, HCE has provided information on Demand Rate/Metering. For informational purposes, HCE is going to start displaying a kW Demand component on your monthly bill. It will appear side by side with your Monthly Usage if you are a Residential, Annual or Small Commercial account. What is Demand? Simply put, energy is the amount of power you consume, while demand measures your impact on the grid to deliver that power. Demand refers to the maximum amount of electrical power that is being consumed at a given time, as opposed to...

For the shortest month of the year, February is packed with holidays like Presidents’ Day and Valentine’s Day and to a few lesser known “national” days like National Tater Tot Day and even National Tortilla Chip Day ’d like to recommend another national holiday and this one is not just for February. For Hill County Electric Cooperative (HCE), every day is Cooperative Member Day. Here are few reasons we love serving our members: The co-op wouldn’t exist without our members. HCE exists to serve you, our members. Members are the reason we wer...

I would like to congratulate HCE Board Trustees Leslie Smith and Nick Siebrasse on receiving their Credentialed Cooperative Director certificates from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA). Being elected to serve on any Board is more than just attending meetings. The electric cooperative industry faces new challenges daily. Board members are required to constantly increase their knowledge of the electric utility industry. It is also important for Trustees to have knowledge and understanding of the cooperative principle...

Safety is our number one priority at Hill County Electric (HCE). Our days without a loss time incident number are well over a year. HCE’s focus on safety comes from our Safety, Loss Control and Compliance Specialist, Todd Solomon, our employees and management team. After 30 years of dedicated service to HCE and Triangle Communications, Todd has announced his plans to retire. Todd and his wife began working at HCE and Triangle Communications in 1991 as groundskeepers which also included inside office maintenance. While working for HCE and T...

Winter is coming whether we like it or not. One thing we can do is be prepared to stay safe and warm during winter storms. Everyone at HCE cares about your safety and we want everyone to be prepared. Our service is very reliable, but events out of our control can still cause outages. The extreme temperatures we face along Montana’s HiLine during the winter months can be dangerous. Heavy snow and ice can result in downed power lines. During these situations, HCE’s crews work as quickly and safely possible to restore power. The safety of our ...