Valley Electric talks successes, future in Pahrump, beyond

Valley Electric Association drew in hundreds to its annual meeting where highlights of positive advancement the cooperative has experienced in the past 12 months were given, along with other positive messages from the venue’s widely-known guest speakers.

Dozens of member-owners trickled into the Pahrump Valley High School starting in the late morning on Saturday to check out the advancements Valley has already experienced over the past year and what’s in store for the future at the event dubbed “Our Community. Our Co-op. Our Evolution.”

Thomas Husted, CEO of Valley Electric Association, highlighted these successes during his presentation inside the high school’s auditorium, which he said were “historic.” The massive $61 million in profits for 2017, the sale of Valley’s 230-kilovolt transmission system to Chicago-based Gridliance Holdco for nearly $200 million and putting $50 million in reserves were just a few of the financial highlights Husted spoke on.

Husted also pointed toward the potential for financial success as energy choice could become a reality if Nevada voters vote yes on Question 3 in the 2018 election cycle, along with talking about a 10 percent rate reduction in the early part of 2017.

Fiber-optics

The expansion of the cooperative’s fiber-optic network was also discussed at the meeting. Valley made a big push for Beatty to become the first all-fiber community in the state in 2017 and plans for the Pahrump area are rolling out in 2018.

Other forward-looking business was the unveiling of what will be known as “The Center” — a development that Husted said would serve Pahrump’s youth and older population.

Husted said it was a civic center, a community center, recreation center, senior center and cultural center. On the interior of the large-scale complex will be an auditorium for concerts, plays and other events.

The Center will also house multiple full-size basketball courts, a gymnasium, weight and workout rooms and much more. The Center is set to break ground in 2018. On the development parcel, which will sit just west of the cooperative’s 800 E. Highway 372 location, is also pegged to contain commercial space for lease. According to a Valley spokesperson, the cooperative will be seeking tenants that complement “The Center.”

Husted was preceded by two other famed speakers: six-time Olympic gold medalist in swimming, Amy Van Dyken-Rouen, who was paralyzed from the waist down following an ATV accident in 2014; and reality TV star Danny “Count” Koker of Count’s Kustoms.

A look inside

Before the presentations in the afternoon, eventgoers had a couple hours of other festivities. Doors opened at 11 a.m. to Valley’s annual meeting at the Pahrump Valley High School.

Upon arrival, member-owners of the cooperative were greeted with a row of about a half-dozen antique and modern trucks used by the utility that sat across from the entrance to the main event. Adjacent to there, closer to the main entrance, eventgoers grabbed a quick snack before embarking on what Valley had in store for the rest of the day.

Lunch was also served in the school’s cafeteria prior to the main event in the auditorium. Outside the cafeteria, displays of The Center could be seen among the dozens of people hanging out in the courtyard. Valley Communications also had a display dedicated to information about its new digital TV and phone services, both of which rolled out in the past several months.

The event ran for nearly five hours for those who came from beginning to end. The venue ended with hundreds of dollars in cash and prizes given out to member-owners through a raffle.

Proposed changes to the cooperative’s bylaws passed, Valley reported at the meeting.

Contact reporter Jeffrey Meehan at jmeehan@pvtimes.com. On Twitter: @pvtimes