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CEO Column: 80 Years of Innovation and Serving Members’ Needs
CEO Column: 80 Years of Innovation and Serving Members’ Needs
March 1, 2025
Eighty years ago, Trico was established to provide essential electric services to rural areas of Southern Arizona not served by investor-owned utilities. As we have grown, evolved, and innovated in how we serve our Members, we have never lost sight of that important duty and we never will. We are honored to be celebrating eighty years of providing energy solutions to the communities of Southern Arizona.
Over the last five years we have been planning to improve the resilience and responsiveness of our electric distribution grid by expanding our ability to communicate with our substations, line devices, and resources. Those resources include our solar and battery sites, but also Member devices like smart thermostats, batteries, and more. Our research and due diligence on the most effective communication technology led us to the decision that a fiber communications backbone, built on our existing electric infrastructure, was the best solution.
This plan offered an interesting opportunity because fiber technology can also be used to provide fast, reliable broadband internet service. Today, reliable and affordable broadband service is a vital service that promotes economic progress, education, and healthcare. Much like with electric service eighty years ago, many residents of Southern Arizona do not have reliable, cost-effective broadband options.
About 18 months ago, Trico’s Board of Directors and Staff started a detailed feasibility study to understand the financial, operational, and technical requirements for offering broadband to Members. The study included a financial analysis, a Member survey, a study of Trico’s system, and a review of the best way to operate and staff the service. Based on the results of that study Trico’s Board has instructed Staff to submit an application to Arizona’s Broadband Equity, Access & Deployment (BEAD) grant program, with the intent of providing broadband internet service if successful in earning the grant.
BEAD represents the state’s largest broadband investment in history. The program is managed by the Arizona Commerce Authority with the goal of providing universal broadband internet access for all in Arizona. BEAD prioritizes extending broadband internet service to the unserved and underserved areas of Arizona, including many rural areas. As an electric cooperative that has been serving underserved and rural communities of Southern Arizona since 1945, Trico believes it is uniquely qualified to provide this service.
We think that with Trico’s extensive utility experience, focus on Member service, and not-for-profit cooperative model, we can excel as a broadband provider. In fact, more than 200 electric cooperatives across the country are already working to provide broadband to their Members.
In early March, Trico submitted a BEAD application, and we are taking practical steps so we are prepared to proceed if awarded a BEAD grant. One of these steps is identifying Member interest in receiving broadband internet service from Trico. Members can visit www.trico.coop or login to their Trico SmartHub accounts to register their interest. This will help Trico to better understand which communities are most interested in broadband service from Trico, collect a list of interested Members who want to stay informed, and effectively plan Trico’s fiber build out.
The final decision on whether to proceed with building a fiber to the home system and offering broadband services will be made after BEAD awards are announced, which is expected to occur in Summer 2025. We encourage you to register your interest and review our website for more information. We are excited for this project and the opportunity to continue providing vital services to our Members and our community.
On behalf of Trico, we hope that you will attend our Annual Meeting on April 5th. Thank you for being our valued Members, and we look forward to the next eighty years!
