Approximately 400 members and guests attended the 70th annual meeting of East Central Energy (ECE) held Saturday, April 8 at Cambridge-Isanti High School in Cambridge, Minn.

This yearís theme was ë70 years of Great service ñ guaranteed.í ìWe care, probably more than most business do, about our customers. Customers own this company,î said Garry Bye, president and CEO. ìGreat service ñ guaranteed is not a slogan that we look at once in a while. We stand behind it with a promise that if we fail to meet a guarantee, our member gets a credit right off their bill.î

ECEís strong financial year enabled continued investment to maintain highly reliable service to all itís members, whether residential or business. ìDespite continued cost increases for equipment, fuel and everything ECE buys, we are able to control costs and achieve revenue growth,î continued Bye.

ìTotal revenue increased from $71 million in 2004 to $77 million in 2005. A larger than expected margin from Great River Energy, our power supplier, helped to further enhance our nearly $7 million margin compared to just over $3 million in 2004.î

The election results for the twelve positions on the ECE Board of Directors were announced at the annual meeting. This is also the last stage in the merger of ECE and Head of the Lakes Electric Cooperative. The new directors elected by the members include:

District 1 ñ James W Haasis, Foxboro, Wis. and Diane Zimmerman, Superior, Wis.

District 2 ñ David Deutschlander, Pine City, Minn. and Robert W Thompson, Pine City, Minn.

District 3 ñ John A Jackson, Shafer, Minn. and Lyle Steltz, Rush City, Minn.

District 4 ñ Joseph J (Joe) Morley, Cambridge, Minn. and Gerald E. (Jerry) Nelson, Cambridge, Minn.

District 5 ñ Linda Laitala, Ogilvie, Minn. and Donald J Martens, Mora, Minn.

District 6 ñ Robert J Kaeter, Sauk Rapids, Minn. and David Tellinghuisen, Foreston, Minn.

Joe Morley was re-elected Chairman of the Board in the board meeting following the annual meeting.

In 2005, the Board of Directors authorized ECE to return $1.4 million in capital credits to past and current members. Throughout the years, ECE has paid more than $48 million in capital credits to member-owners, more than any other electric cooperative in Minnesota. Members were also offered a new choice with capital credits in 2005, where they could choose to donate the dollars to charity. ìIím proud that generous ECE members contributed $71,000 in the programís inaugural year,î says Bye. ìThis yearís non-profit recipients included Habitat for Humanity, The American Red Cross, Operation Round Up, and Salvation Army heat share.î

Other ECE accomplishments in 2005 include maintaining reliable and safe service as exemplified by increasing the safety accreditation score by more that 10 points to an overall 95 out of 100 (the highest score received in Minnesota and Wisconsin); investing more that $13.5 million to improve the distribution plant and equipment, thereby assuring reliable service; and investing another $3.5 million to keep the power lines free of tree branches and vegetation that can disrupt service.