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Anaheim, Calif., February 27 – Texas Co-op Power and Editor Kaye Northcott today received the prestigious George W. Haggard Memorial Journalism Award for 2007, conferred by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA). The award recognizes and publicly commends the editor and publication that demonstrate the most lucid, forthright, and effective presentation of ideas advancing the objectives of electric cooperatives and issues that affect them and their consumer-owners.

NRECA Chief Executive Officer Glenn English and NRECA President Jack F. Wolfe Jr. presented the award to Northcott at the NRECA’s 66th Annual Meeting here. The magazine is published by Texas Electric Cooperatives, the statewide organization representing the interests of cooperative electric utilities in Texas and the consumer-members they serve.

“Texas Co-op Power worked hard to find common ground on complex issues for 59 member cooperatives in Texas. The magazine succeeded in its goal to present the complexity of current and future electricity generation in a clear, engaging fashion,” English said.

English was referring to the magazine’s major feature series, “Energy Reality Check,” which, according to the Haggard Award panel of judges, was “an extremely readable and understandable discussion of important issues, giving readers a sense that their co-ops are working with them on the hard issues we face today.”

Texas Co-op Power Editor Northcott said, “The magazine’s goal was to present the growing challenges surrounding climate change, the strain on generation and transmission, and rising electricity rates to educate consumers and narrow the ‘reality gap’ in their understanding about the nation’s energy situation. The articles tackled the complexity of energy options and constraints, following a simple formula. We presented an overview of each of the various fuel sources, along with an information box outlining the pros, cons and outlook for future use,” she said.

Texas Electric Cooperatives President and CEO Mike Williams acknowledged that the frank presentation of the issues was well received. “Texas co-op general managers and readers alike praised the articles for their clarity, and one industry-related corporation asked for permission to distribute reprints because they provided such a good grounding in the issues,” Williams said.

With a circulation of 1.2 million Texans, Texas Co-op Power has the largest reach of any other monthly magazine in Texas and goes to readers in almost every part of the state, according to Northcott. “The magazine is customized for 62 separate editions. A single co-op near Dallas/Fort Worth has three—one for Frisco, one for McKinney, and one for the more rural areas. We strive to make the editorial local and relevant, thus increasing the credibility of the content,” she said.

The Haggard Award judges also praised the magazine for excellence in the “foundational aspects of a publication: outstanding writing, graphics, photography, and design. The magazine contains a beautiful mix of interesting stories that captured the look and feel of Texas and Texans and does so in a way that includes the electric cooperative message.”

In addition to judging magazine entries for forthrightness, clarity, and balance, the Haggard Award competition encourages co-ops to raise the standards and professional excellence of statewide publications, to recognize the publications’ contribution to the electric cooperative network nationwide, and to strengthen cooperative education and member relations programs. The judges praised the winner for its design and layout: “A+ for clarity. Beautifully laid out, excellently illustrated with high-quality photography and spot art.”

“Truly one of the best,” one judge concluded. “I would look forward to receiving this magazine if I were a Texas co-op consumer.”

The award memorializes George W. Haggard, a former statewide editor, statewide manager, and REA official who championed the creation of electric cooperative statewide publications, which consistently rank among the most widely read consumer publications in the United States. They reach more than nine million households, or 22 million readers, every month in 38 of the 47 states in which electric cooperatives provide service. Twenty publications were entered in the 2007 competition. More than 9,000 representatives from cooperative electric utilities across the nation attended the NRECA Annual Meeting and Expo, February 22-27, at the Anaheim Convention Center, during which they will set NRECA’s legislative and organizational agenda for 2008. NRECA is the national service organization that represents the nation’s more than 900 private, not-for-profit, consumer-owned electric cooperatives, which provide electric service to more than 40 million people in 47 states.

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