Explore every episode of the podcast Co-op Energy Talk

Join Cherryland's Communications and Member Relations Manager Courtney Doyle as she sits down with CEO Rachel Johnson to discuss her personal journey through breast cancer. In this heartfelt episode, Rachel shares her experience from diagnosis to recovery, how she balanced being a leader and a patient, and the lessons she's carrying forward. Tune in for a candid conversation on resilience, leadership, and the importance of supporting those facing cancer. You'll also hear about valuable local resources available for individuals and families navigating cancer treatment.

Cherryland Electric Cooperative CEO Rachel Johnson discusses the highlights of the September 23rd Board of Directors meeting.

Join Communication & Member Relations Manager Courtney Doyle as she sits down with Cherryland Electric Cooperative CEO Rachel Johnson and Wolverine Power Cooperative CEO Eric Baker to discuss the exciting journey towards providing 100% carbon-free energy by 2030. Learn about the strategic decisions, innovative projects like the Palisades nuclear plant, and the importance of reliability and affordability as they lead the charge in Michigan’s energy future.

Cherryland Electric Cooperative CEO Rachel Johnson discusses the highlights of the August 19th Board of Directors meeting.

Cherryland Electric Cooperative CEO Rachel Johnson discusses the highlights of the July 22nd Board of Directors meeting.

Join Communication & Member Relations Manager Courtney Doyle as she sits down with Cherryland Electric Cooperative CEO Rachel Johnson and Wolverine Power Cooperative CEO Eric Baker to dive into the unique partnership between the two cooperatives. They discuss how their collaboration enhances service reliability and innovation. Discover the history, challenges, and future prospects, and learn how it continues to serve you, the member.

Cherryland Electric Cooperative CEO Rachel Johnson discusses the highlights of the June 24th Board of Directors meeting.

Join Communication & Member Relations Manager Courtney Doyle in this episode of the 'Co-op Energy Talk Podcast' as she sits down with CEO Rachel Johnson to reflect on the highlights from the past year at Cherryland Electric Cooperative.

Cherryland Electric Cooperative CEO Rachel Johnson discusses the highlights of the May 20 Board of Directors meeting.

Join Communication & Member Relations Manager Courtney Doyle in this episode of the "Co-op Energy Talk Podcast" as we dive into Cherryland Electric Cooperative's switch to an upgraded metering system. Courtney chats with Jason Rice, metering supervisor, and Chris Vermeulen, Engineering and IT Manager, about the shift from the TWACS system to newer, more efficient technology. They'll discuss the significant improvements in outage reporting, system management, and data accuracy that this upgrade brings. Listen in to learn how these changes will boost reliability and service quality for all Cherryland members.

Cherryland Electric Cooperative CEO Rachel Johnson discusses the highlights of the April 22 Board of Directors meeting.

In this episode, Communication & Member Relations Manager Courtney Doyle sits down with Patrick Kelley, the founder of Léargas Security and Critical Path Security, to explore the evolving landscape of cybersecurity and practical strategies for safeguarding your digital footprint.

Cherryland Electric Cooperative CEO Rachel Johnson discusses the highlights of the March 18 Board of Directors meeting.

In this episode, Communication & Member Relations Manager Courtney Doyle sits down with Cherryland's CEO, Rachel Johnson, and Controller Brad Pavwaski to delve into the cooperative's recently proposed rate change. 

Cherryland Electric Cooperative CEO Rachel Johnson discusses the highlights of the February 19 Board of Directors meeting.

Cherryland Electric Cooperative CEO Rachel Johnson discusses with Cherryland's COO Frank Siepker about the monumental achievement of reaching 99.99% electric reliability.  Read more about this topic in our CEO Column.

Cherryland Electric Cooperative CEO Rachel Johnson discusses the highlights of the January 29 Board of Directors meeting.

In this engaging episode of Co-op Energy Talk, Cherryland Electric Cooperative's CEO Rachel Johnson delves into the dynamic world of energy with Michigan's 93rd House District Representative Graham Filler. They explore the complexities of nuclear power, local impacts, and energy policies shaping Michigan's future, offering listeners an opportunity to understand and contribute to the evolving energy dialogue.

Cherryland Electric Cooperative CEO Rachel Johnson talks through highlights from the December 18th Board of Directors meeting.

Cherryland Electric Cooperative CEO Rachel Johnson talks through highlights from the November 27th Board of Directors meeting. 

Cherryland Electric Cooperative CEO Rachel Johnson talks through the recent decision on capital credits with Cherryland CFO Mark Wilson. 

Cherryland Electric Cooperative CEO Rachel Johnson talks through highlights from the October 23rd Board of Directors meeting. 

In September, we announced that our power supplier, Wolverine Power Cooperative, signed a power purchase agreement that will pave the way for the restart of the Palisades Nuclear Power Plant. This marks the first time that a shutdown power plant would be restarted. There's a lot that goes into how that happens, what's next, and why this agreement is so impactful and beneficial to Cherryland members. On this episode of Co-op Energy Talk, we sit down with Cherryland CEO Rachel Johnson and Wolverine President and CEO Eric Baker to learn more.

Cherryland Electric Cooperative CEO Rachel Johnson talks through highlights from the September 25th Board of Directors meeting.

Since 1997, Cherryland Electric Cooperative has helped local businesses take advantage of millions in federal funding available only through through the USDA and electric cooperatives. In this episode of Co-op Energy Talk, Cherryland Communications and Member Relations Manager Courtney Doyle sits down with Cherryland CEO Rachel Johnson and most recent loan recipient Left Foot Charley Owner and Winemaker Bryan Ulbrich to talk about how this program enables rural economic growth, what Left Foot Charley's plans are, and why Cherryland is committed to participating in this program.

Cherryland Electric Cooperative CEO Rachel Johnson talks through highlights from the August 28th Board of Directors meeting.

Cherryland Electric Cooperative CEO Rachel Johnson talks through highlights from the July 24th Board of Directors meeting.

For 13 years, Cherryland was included in a state mandated energy waste reduction (EWR) program. The mandate required us to incentivize a 1% reduction in annual electric sales by offering specific rebates to members for things like energy star rated appliances and lighting upgrades. When that mandate expired in 2021, it opened a door to expand and adapt our energy use programs in a number of ways. Now, Michigan lawmakers are considering reinstating that mandate for cooperatives and even increasing it. In this episode of Co-op Energy Talk we sit down with GDS Associates Managing Director Rich Hasselman and Cherryland CEO Rachel Johnson to talk about the programs we developed in the absence of the mandate, how they’ve expanded our offerings to our members, and whether or not this proposed mandate will be beneficial for cooperatives, like Cherryland.

Cherryland Electric Cooperative CEO Rachel Johnson talks through highlights from the June 26th Board of Directors meeting.

Cherryland Electric Cooperative had the exciting opportunity to host National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) CEO Jim Matheson at our 85th Annual Meeting. He spoke with members about what's happening with electric cooperatives at a national level. In this episode of Co-op Energy Talk, Cherryland CEO Rachel Johnson and NRECA Board President Tony Anderson sat down for a deeper discussion on the challenges at hand and what members can do to be part of the solution.

Cherryland Electric Cooperative Member Relations Manager Rachel Johnson talks through highlights from the May 22nd Board of Directors meeting.

After June 15, 2023, Rachel Johnson will take over as CEO of Cherryland Electric Cooperative. While she's been an important part of the leadership team at Cherryland, and you may have seen her at events or heard her host this podcast, you may not have had the chance to get to know Rachel on a deeper level. In this episode of Co-op Energy Talk -- we're getting to know your new CEO!

Cherryland Electric Cooperative Member Relations Manager Rachel Johnson talks through highlights from the April 24th Board of Directors meeting.

After 20 years of dedicated service to Cherryland Electric Cooperative, and 40 years dedicated to electric cooperatives across the country, Tony Anderson is retiring. But his work isn't over quite yet! Listen in as we take a walk down memory lane, hear the moments Tony treasures most from his impressive career, and what's next for him on the road ahead.

Cherryland Electric Cooperative Member Relations Manager Rachel Johnson talks through highlights from the March 20th Board of Directors meeting.

Cherryland Electric Cooperative Member Relations Manager Rachel Johnson talks through highlights from the February 27th Board of Directors meeting.

Just days before Christmas, Winter Storm Elliot created some dangerously cold conditions from Texas to Tennessee, up through the Midwest and parts of the east coast. While many of you were enjoying time at home with your family, many of those working in the utility industry were sitting uncomfortably close to needing to take measures we’ve never taken before in order to keep the lights on. Some regions were even forced into rolling blackouts. In this podcast – Wolverine Power Supply Cooperative’s Chief Operating Officer Zach Anderson joins Cherryland Member Relations Manager Rachel Johnson to talk about the storm, why it caused so many issues, and the impact it had.

Cherryland Electric Cooperative Member Relations Manager Rachel Johnson talks through highlights from the January 23rd Board of Directors meeting.

The Board of Directors will vote on a proposed rate increase in January, set to go into effect in March. As a not-for-profit electric cooperative, we only increase our rates when absolutely necessary. We know a rate increase isn’t anyone’s favorite news, but with rising costs and extreme market volatility we need to make a change in order to bring rates back in line with our costs. Cherryland General Manager Tony Anderson and Member Relations Manager Rachel Johnson talk through the changes, how they impact members, and why they're necessary.

Cherryland Electric Cooperative Member Relations Manager Rachel Johnson talks through highlights from the December 19th Board of Directors meeting.

Cherryland Electric Cooperative Member Relations Manager Rachel Johnson talks through highlights from the November 22nd Board of Directors meeting.

Cherryland Electric Cooperative Member Relations Manager Rachel Johnson talks through highlights from the October 17th Board of Directors meeting.

Cherryland Electric Cooperative Member Relations Manager Rachel Johnson talks through highlights from the September 26th Board of Directors meeting.

1. For every $1.00 you spend on your Cherryland bill, $0.70 goes directly toward power supply purchases. But buying that energy isn't just a quick "Add To Cart" and checkout, it's a lot more complicated than that. In this two-part podcast, Member Relations Manager Rachel Johnson sits down with Wolverine Power Supply Vice President and CFO Zach Anderson to talk about the history of the energy market, how the current state of the market is impacting power supply prices, and what that means for Cherryland's energy portfolio in the future.

For every $1.00 you spend on your Cherryland bill, $0.70 goes directly toward power supply purchases. But buying that energy isn't just a quick "Add To Cart" and checkout, it's a lot more complicated than that. In this two-part podcast, Member Relations Manager Rachel Johnson sits down with Wolverine Power Supply Vice President and CFO Zach Anderson to talk about the history of the energy market, how the current state of the market is impacting power supply prices, and what that means for Cherryland's energy portfolio in the future.

Cherryland Electric Cooperative Member Relations Manager Rachel Johnson talks through highlights from the August 22nd Board of Directors meeting.

Safety is a top priority for Cherryland Electric Cooperative. We want to keep our employees safe, our members safe, and our community safe. In this episode of Co-op Energy Talk Cherryland Member Relations Manager Rachel Johnson sits down with the co-op's Safety Director Jeff Puffer to talk about everything from electrical safety myths to how to set up a free and personalized safety training with our linemen.

Cherryland Electric Cooperative Member Relations Manager Rachel Johnson talks through highlights from the July 25th Board of Directors meeting.

Cherryland Electric Cooperative Member Relations Manager Rachel Johnson talks through highlights from the June 17th Board of Directors meeting.

Cherryland Electric Cooperative Member Relations Manager Rachel Johnson talks through highlights from the May 23rd Board of Directors meeting.