Pioneer Electric members are invited to join us at the Grant County Civic Center on Thursday, Sept. 14, for the 79th Pioneer Electric Annual Meeting.

Registration begins at 4:30 p.m. in the South Room. Members should enter through the former Civic Center Office door. Signage will be in place to direct members.

Members who did not submit a mail-in ballot must register to vote at the meeting. Members who have already voted by mail-in ballot can visit registration to receive their annual report and attendance gift.

Once registered, members can take part in a FREE meal and find a seat inside the auditorium where the business meeting will begin at 6 p.m.

Trustee Elections

Each year, members are appointed to serve on the committee on nominations. This committee, acting as the voice of the members, is tasked with selecting candidates they believe would make qualified trustees. Those nominated to the ballot must reside in the district they wish to serve and meet the qualifications outlined in the cooperative’s bylaws.

Candidates selected by the committee on nominations are placed on the trustee ballot for election at the cooperative’s annual meeting.
Casting Your Vote

Each member is entitled to one vote on each matter presented on the annual meeting ballot. Pioneer Electric members may cast their ballot one of two ways:

1. Vote by mail.
2. Vote in person at the annual meeting.

Members who opt to submit a mail-in ballot will not be permitted to vote in person at the annual meeting, but are still encouraged to attend.

Vote by Mail

Members received a mail-in ballot attached to their annual meeting notice in August. Ballots cast by mail must be returned to Pioneer Electric’s office properly sealed, no later than Sept. 9 to be considered valid. Instructions on returning your mail-in ballot are included with the annual meeting notice and below.

Commercial members must include a signed resolution (attached to notice) inside their privacy envelope with their ballot.

Returning Your Mail-In Ballot

Step 1: Cast your ballot
Members of Pioneer Electric are entitled to one vote on each matter submitted on the ballot. Please mark your selections clearly.

Step 2: Seal Your Ballot
Once you have made your selections, insert your ballot into the provided privacy (smaller) envelope. Insert the privacy envelope into the provided return mail envelope. Your return envelope MUST include your name, address and account number. Any envelopes lacking an account number will be spoiled.

Step 3: Return Your Ballot
Please return your ballot using the envelopes provided. Ballots must be sealed in the PRIVACY ENVELOPE. Your privacy envelope must be sealed in the RETURN ENVELOPE and received by our office no later than Sept. 9, 2023.

Voting at the Annual Meeting

In-person voting will be available at the annual meeting on Sept. 14 at registration. A marked ballot box will be available for members to place their ballots in once they have finished voting.

Ulysses, Kan.—July 20, 2023— The Pioneer Electric Board of Trustees voted to instate Lindsay Campbell, executive vice president – assistant Chief Executive Officer and general counsel, as interim CEO for Pioneer Electric. Steve Epperson, Pioneer Electric CEO, has been appointed to serve as interim president and CEO of Sunflower Electric Power Corp. Chantry Scott, executive vice president and Chief Financial Officer, was appointed to serve as the cooperative’s interim assistant CEO.

Campbell has served the cooperative as its general counsel since her hire in 2014. In 2020, Campbell assumed the role of assistant CEO.

Scott has served the cooperative since 2011 as CFO. Scott was promoted to executive vice president in 2020.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to lead Pioneer Electric and Southern Pioneer during this transition,” Campbell said. “Pioneer Electric will remain member-focused, continuing forward with the progress Steve as made and our mission of providing safe and reliable electricity to the members we serve.”

Epperson will replace Todd Hillman, who served as Sunflower’s president and CEO since January. Sunflower will begin a search for a new permanent successor as soon as possible.

Epperson has served as the CEO of Pioneer Electric Cooperative and Southern Pioneer Electric Company since 2011.

“I am honored to be chosen by my fellow Sunflower board members to lead Sunflower during this transition period,” Epperson said. “As always, our focus will be on taking care of our members and those they serve by supplying reliable energy at the lowest possible cost. The Sunflower board and staff remain committed to delivering excellent service and innovation our members and communities have come to expect from us.”

Pioneer Electric Cooperative, Inc. is dedicated to providing members with safe and reliable electric service. Headquartered in Ulysses, Kansas, Pioneer Electric is a distribution cooperative owned and controlled by its members. Pioneer Electric serves approximately 15,900 retail electric meters across 10 counties in southwestern Kansas. The system is made up of more than 117 miles of transmission line, 3,600 miles of distribution line and 21 substations. All of Pioneer Electric’s electricity is procured by Sunflower Electric Power Corporation, which is owned by Pioneer Electric and five other Kansas electric co-ops. Pioneer Electric is a Touchstone Energy Cooperative.

*Release provided by Sunflower Electric Power Corp.*

Hays, Kan.—June 22, 2023—Sunflower Electric Power Corp. will develop, own and operate a 20-megawatt solar energy project near Russell, Kan. In January 2022, Sunflower announced its plans to add a second solar facility to its generation portfolio and has since selected a developer and project structure for the Sunflower Electric Solar @ Russell project.
Sunflower is a cooperatively operated wholesale generation and transmission utility serving seven member distribution utilities with a fuel-diverse electric generating mix that includes traditional and renewable resources. Sunflower is the sole off-taker on the 20-megawatt Johnson Corner Solar Project (JCSP), which it co-developed with the National Renewables Cooperative Organization (NRCO) prior to the project coming online in April 2020. The JCSP is currently the largest operating commercial solar facility in Kansas. It will be matched in size in January 2025 with the expected commercial operation of the Russell solar facility.
Sunflower is partnering with DEPCOM Power to design and construct the Russell project, which will produce approximately 53,000 megawatt hours annually, a total that constitutes 1% of the Sunflower system’s total energy needs. The facility, which will be located on 140 acres three miles east of Russell, will have approximately 45,000 solar panels on a single-axis solar tracking system.
Solar energy is desirable because it is available during peak energy use, which aids in ensuring affordability and reliability. The project near Russell will also reduce or eliminate the cost of expensive transmission upgrades due to its interconnection location on the bulk electric grid.
“Each energy generation resource type has benefits, so Sunflower supports an all-of-the-above approach to our generation portfolio,” said Corey Linville, Sunflower vice president, power supply and delivery. “Solar resources produce energy during the hottest days of the year when our system experiences its highest demand. The declining cost of utility-scale solar energy, combined with available tax credits and the opportunity to mitigate transmission costs, will further benefit Sunflower’s members and those they serve.”
Sunflower is again working with NRCO on this project. Sunflower is a founder and member-owner of NRCO, an organization which was formed by electric cooperatives from across the country to develop and deploy renewable energy resources.
“As a member-owned cooperative, we make every decision with the best interest of our members in mind,” said Tom Ruth, general manager of Western Cooperative Electric, which serves in parts of Russell County. “We analyze and consider new technologies to determine if
and when they add value to our system and, ultimately, to those we serve. This is definitely the
right time and place for the Sunflower Electric Solar @ Russell project.”
DEPCOM is currently in the design and material procurement phase of the project.
Construction is expected to begin in the fall of 2023 and last approximately one year.
“DEPCOM Power is proud to partner with Sunflower Electric Power Corporation on the design
and construction of this project,” said Robert Wanless, DEPCOM vice president of business
development. “This project will be constructed using tier-one solar PV technology, including bifacial
solar panels; single-axis tracker racking; and centralized inverter/transformers platforms.
Kansas is an important market for DEPCOM, with our parent company being headquartered in
Wichita. Over the next two years, this project will create hundreds of local jobs.”

About Sunflower Electric Power Corporation
Sunflower Electric Power Corporation, established in 1957, is a regional wholesale generation
and transmission supplier dedicated to serving its members by providing reliable power at the
lowest possible cost consistent with sound business and cooperative practices. Sunflower’s
member cooperatives include Lane-Scott Electric Cooperative, Inc., Dighton; Pioneer Electric
Cooperative, Inc., Ulysses; Prairie Land Electric Cooperative, Inc., Norton; The Victory Electric
Cooperative Association, Inc., Dodge City; Western Cooperative Electric Association, Inc.,
WaKeeney; and Wheatland Electric Cooperative, Inc., Scott City, Kan. Southern Pioneer
Electric Company, Ulysses, is also a member of Sunflower. For more information, visit
sunflower.net.

About Western Cooperative Electric
Western Cooperative Electric Association is a member-owned cooperative headquartered in
WaKeeney, Kansas. Established in 1945, Western now serves more than 12,000 meters and
maintains over 4,000 miles of power lines across western and central Kansas. Together, with
our members’ help, Western Co-op is committed to building a stronger rural America. For more
information about Western, visit www.westerncoop.com.
About National Renewables Cooperative Organization
Formed in 2008 by 21 cooperatives, NRCO aims to increase access to cost-effective renewable
energy resources for electric cooperatives around the country. NRCO provides full origination
and development services for its owner-members and cooperative customers, with nearly one
gigawatt of wind and solar projects completed to date including 59 cooperative-run community
solar farms. For more information, visit nrco.coop.

About DEPCOM Power
DEPCOM Power, a Koch Engineered Solutions company, is a leading energy solutions partner
for the utility solar and broader energy industries providing project development support,
engineering, procurement and construction (EPC), energy storage, repowering and operations
and maintenance services. DEPCOM Power leverages a highly experienced team of
conventional and renewable EPC power industry veterans. Uniquely bankable energy services
are designed to deliver the lowest cost of energy and highest rate of return. For more
information visit, depcompower.com.