BEATTY -- Valley Electric Association's customers can breathe a sigh of relief based on CEO Tom Husted's remarks at the cooperative's District 3 annual meeting in Beatty March 17.

Husted said, because of the company's cost-cutting efforts and an advantageous long-term wholesale power contract it had negotiated, the rate increase, which has been postponed on a month-by-month basis, will be held off for the rest of the year.

In October 2008, the company had forecast the need for a 21.9 percent rate increase. Now it is anticipating an increase of 6.6 percent -- about 1 percent per year -- through the year 2016.

Husted said 2008 was a good year for the cooperative despite the economic downturn. The number of customers grew by 1.5 percent, which is slower than in the past but actually about what the national average had been.

Despite the larger customer base, the amount of power sold decreased, probably because of warmer winter weather and the slowing of the economy.

When asked what effect solar power projects in area might have on the company, Husted said that it could be "a huge opportunity for your co-op."

He said that Valley Electric's new NW 230 KVA transmission line, which should be completed in a couple of years, could be used to "wheel" power from solar plants, bringing revenue to the co-op, and that they might even be in a position to purchase some of the power.

Husted said a lot of attention is focused on Nye County for renewable energy projects. Most is on solar power, but there is some interest in wind projects and even on geo-thermal.

Beatty businessman Richard Johnson, who ran unopposed, was re-elected as a director for District 3.

VEA's 2009 annual meeting will be held in Dyer this year, on April 25. Beatty residents wishing to ride the bus to the meeting, will need to call the company to reserve a seat in advance, and the bus will leave from in front of the Beatty Community Center at 9:15 a.m.