East River to hold 56th Annual Meeting and Candidates Forum on Sept. 6

Sept. 1, 2006

Sioux Falls -- East River Electric Power Cooperative will hold its 56th annual meeting on Wednesday (Sept. 6) at the Sioux Falls Convention Center. Several hundred electric cooperative officials and utility industry colleagues have been invited to attend the event with the theme "Cooperatives: Leading the Way."

In their annual report, East River Board President Wayne Wright and General Manager Jeff Nelson will describe how East River and its 21 member distribution systems in eastern South Dakota and western Minnesota are leading the way -- developing new facilities to meet the growing demand for electricity and providing other valuable services to member-consumers.

Following lunch, the recipients of the East River's annual Eminent Service Award will be recognized. The keynote speaker during the luncheon will be Michael S. Hacskaylo, administrator for Western Area Power Administration. Hacskaylo oversees the agency of the U.S. Department of Energy that markets and delivers federal power to nearly 700 electric cooperatives and utilities in 15 western states. Approximately 30 percent of East River's bulk power supply comes from clean, renewable federal hydropower.

The highlight of the afternoon session will be a Political Forum at 1:15 p.m. Candidates for governor, public utilities commissioner and U.S. Congress will speak on issues important to the utility industry and rural America.

After the candidates forum, activities conclude with the annual business meeting.

Headquartered in Madison, S.D., East River is a power-supply cooperative that delivers wholesale power through a 2,600-mile transmission system to 21 member electric distribution systems. These distribution systems in turn provide retail electricity to 85,700 homes and businesses in a 36,000-square-mile service area, covering 41 counties in eastern South Dakota and nine counties in western Minnesota. East River and its member cooperatives belong to an alliance of 630 Touchstone Energy Cooperatives in 45 states, delivering energy and energy solutions with integrity, accountability, innovation and commitment to community.