Co-op News

Rising costs: Signal strength

By Hayley Leatherwood June 2026

At Lake Region Electric Cooperative, investing in tomorrow is helping members hold steady today.

Area view of marina on a lake — Courtesy photo

On a summer weekend at Lake Tenkiller, business blends into the background.

A family pulls up to the dock. Kids jump out first, already halfway to the water. Inside the shop store, a credit card reader hums, inventory updates in real time and a reservation pings through for a last-minute boat rental. Somewhere in the background, a Wi-Fi signal keeps it all moving.

A few years ago, that kind of seamless day would have been harder to pull off.

At Burnt Cabin Marina and Resort, growth has always been driven by customer experience. It’s the clean facilities, family-friendly spaces and a reputation for service that keeps people coming back. But as operations expanded, so did the need for something less visible and just as essential: reliable, high-speed internet.

“We had to operate off satellite,” Bryce Lubbers, marina manager, said. “We had to use paper and phone lines to do everything.”

Today, a fiber connection touches nearly every part of the business from processing payments and managing bookings to supporting guests who expect to stay connected even while unplugging at the lake.

And that shift is part of a much larger story playing out across Lake Region Electric Cooperative’s service area.

Built by members, for members

As electric costs rise across the country, cooperatives are navigating a difficult balance: maintaining reliable service today while preparing for what comes next.

For Lake Region Electric Cooperative, that balancing act starts with a simple principle.

“The decisions that we make — they affect us all,” said CEO Glen Clark. “Our board members are members. Our employees are members. We live here, too.”

That shared reality shapes how the co-op approaches everything from infrastructure upgrades to long-term investments. It also explains why Lake Region stepped into a space few expected an electric cooperative to fill more than a decade ago.

“We weren’t looking for something to spend money on,” Clark said. “But our members needed it.”

At the time, much of the co-op’s rural service territory had little to no access to reliable internet. Satellite service was often the only option. It was slow, inconsistent and increasingly out of step with what modern life required.

So Lake Region did what cooperatives have always done when a need goes unmet: it built the solution.

Through its subsidiary, Lake Region Technology & Communications, the co-op began delivering fiber-to-the-home broadband years before it became a broader trend across the state.

Customers walking down marina porch with happy dog — Photo by Courtney Leeper Gergis

More than convenience

What started as a response to member demand has become something deeper: a foundational piece of daily life.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, that reality came into sharp focus. Students needed to log into classrooms. Patients turned to telehealth. Employees worked remotely from homes that, not long before, had struggled to load a single webpage.

“We were taking hundreds of calls from people who needed internet for their kids’ education,” said Larry Mattes, director of marketing and member services. “It was eye-opening.”

Reliable broadband didn’t just make life easier — it made it possible. In some cases, it’s even reshaping local economies.

RV parks are expanding to accommodate remote workers. New housing developments advertise Lake Region fiber access as a primary selling point. Young families, once hesitant to move back to rural areas, are choosing to stay or return.

“We’ve had developers ask for broadband first and electric second,” Mattes said. “That tells you how much things have changed.”

The cost conversation

Still, as with any major infrastructure investment, questions about cost follow close behind.

Members feeling the pressure of higher electric bills often look for straightforward explanations. But there are layers to understand.

Lake Region’s broadband and electric operations are structured separately. The fiber subsidiary operates as its own entity and pays the co-op to use infrastructure such as poles, just like any third-party provider.

That revenue becomes one piece of a broader financial picture designed to support long-term stability.

“There’s a vision to it,” Clark said. “We’re still in that phase where you’re paying on the front end, like any large investment. But there will come a day when that broadband helps offset some of the rising costs.”

Mattes echoed that perspective, noting that the co-op is constantly looking for ways to manage what it can control, like extending the life of equipment, improving efficiency and using technology to reduce operational expenses.

“Some of that technology we use now is powered by the very network the co-op built,” Mattes said.

From the office, crews can now restore power remotely in certain situations. Automated systems can detect and isolate faults, reducing outage times and limiting the need for extended field work. Over time, those efficiencies translate into real savings.

“It’s about being good stewards,” Clark said. “Of both the electric side and the broadband side.”

Front of marina with jetski docked on floating blue dock — Photo by Courtney Leeper Gergis

A different kind of return

For cooperatives, success isn’t measured in quarterly profits. It’s measured in service, stability and the strength of the communities they support.

That’s what makes investments like fiber both challenging and necessary.

“It’s economic development,” Clark said. “For us, that’s what keeps our communities alive and thriving.”

And while the financial return may take time to fully materialize, the impact is already visible.

Businesses are growing. Schools are better connected. Families have access to the same tools and opportunities as those in larger cities.

In Hulbert, Clark noted, residents have access to internet service that rivals what’s available in much larger urban areas — often at a more affordable price.

“That’s something any city would be proud of,” he said.

Looking ahead

At Burnt Cabin, the focus remains on the details that keep people coming back: clean facilities, a well-run store, a place for families to gather.

Behind the scenes, the connection keeps everything moving. Payments process without delay. Reservations come through instantly. Guests check in when they need to, then get back to the reason they came.

It’s not the kind of thing most visitors notice.

And that’s exactly the point.

Because when it works the way it should, connection fades into the background, leaving more room for everything else.

On the water, that might look like a family staying a little longer than planned enjoying the new inflatable park the marina has just installed on the water.

For the co-op, it looks like something just as meaningful: members building lives, businesses and communities with the tools they need to keep going.

The future of the utility industry is anything but certain. New technologies, evolving energy demands and economic pressures continue to reshape the landscape.

But if there’s one constant, Clark said, it’s the role of the cooperative.

“Whatever comes next, we’ll be here,” he said. “We’ll have our sleeves rolled up, and we’ll be moving forward with our members.”