ELLSWORTH – Not only is Midstate Electric Cooperative (La Pine, Ore.) the first electric cooperative on the West Coast to become a CHARGE™ avliate, but it also marks the first time a general manager has joined CHARGE™ twice.

Midstate CEO/General Manager Jim An –

derson was the general manager at Jump Riv er Electric Cooperative (Ladysmith, Wis.) when JREC became one of CHARGE EV, LLC's 31 founding cooperatives. Ander son joined Midstate Electric Cooperative in 2021. As he settled into his new role, he knew the organization would complement the co operative’s work on their own electric vehi- cle program.

"The EV industry is growing nationally, and it is the perfect time to bring CHARGE™ to Central Oregon. I hope that by joining CHARGE™ for the second time, it will elicit interest from our sister cooperatives to build a charging network across our collective ser vice areas,” Anderson said. “My objective in bringing the CHARGE™ brand to the West Coast is to provide our members with a recognizable and reliable charging platform they can trust. Co-ops have this unique op – portunity to lead the way on EV initiatives and public education, and I want to ensure we can do this in a unified and strategic way. I look forward to the possibility of our local EV owners pulling up the online map of pub – lic co-op chargers and planning their road trips solely on co-op power. The benefits of joining this network are endless and I am excited about this newly established partner ship.”

CHARGE EV, LLC, is a national electric vehicle charging network and promotion al brand powered by electric cooperatives that supports the growing number of elec – tric-powered cars, trucks, and buses. The 94 CHARGE™ avliates are part of a nation – wide cooperation-among-cooperatives eort (the sixth Cooperative Principle) which helps promote and educate members about EVs.

"We are pleased that Jim and the Mid – state Electric Cooperative team are joining the CHARGE™ brand,” said Nate Boettch- er, president of CHARGE EV, LLC. "It will be great to collaborate once again and bring in more perspectives to extend our reach and help guide the future of the CHARGE™ brand.”

CHARGE™ avliates benefit from access to EV-focused companies, such as ZEF Ener – gy. ZEF manufactures EV charging units that will work with many cooperatives' existing load management programs. The technology allows members to delay charging their EV until o-peak hours when electricity prices are lower.

Submitted by Nate Boettcher

Affiliate electric cooperatives in the CHARGE network are creating a network of electric vehicle charging stations across the nation.