CEO Tyler Carlson Announces Retirement

I have the distinct privilege of announcing that after eighteen years of serving the Co-op and Mohave Electric Cooperative members, MEC CEO Tyler Carlson has decided to retire. Tyler joined MEC during a challenging time in the Cooperative’s history and has led improvements across virtually every aspect of the utility.

Tyler came to MEC from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Western Area Power Administration, Desert Southwest Region in 2008, and became MEC’s CEO in 2010. At that time, MEC’s power costs were very high. The utility had a purchase power adjuster, adding 3.5 cents per kWh on top of base rates. And MEC was forced to immediately initiate a rate case.

Tyler’s approach to controlling power costs resulted in more than $82 million in savings to members over a ten-year period, including a refund or bill credit for members during multiple years.

Tyler prioritized reliability and oversaw nearly $100 million in infrastructure improvements. These investments included transitioning the utility to automated metering, developing our solar projects, installing our first battery energy storage system (BESS) in 2024, strengthening cybersecurity, modernizing substations, and improving system resiliency, all while focusing with the Board of Directors and MEC management on affordability, reliability, and the best interests of our Members.

When our area experienced a severe windstorm with winds exceeding 80 mph, MEC suffered our largest outage in our history in 2022, with 140 wood and concrete poles and 19 miles of line all destroyed. Tyler led us through these dark days, collaborating with multiple government agencies, and coordinating additional crews and equipment from our sister co-ops and other local partners while restoring service under extreme heat. He has also championed the largest investment in pole hardening with more than $20 million to upgrade 1,000 poles to steel or ductile iron throughout the system.

Tyler has always had an open ear for members. Members asked for reliable internet service. They asked, and he listened. In 2020, Tyler launched a first-of-its-kind endeavor for an electric co-op in Arizona, by initiating a plan to construct a fiber-optic network to enhance electric operations and provide our members with reliable broadband internet service where investor-owned telecommunication providers had not upgraded their outdated and aging infrastructure or invested in modern technology.

Tyler was instrumental in securing local power generation here in MEC’s service territory. He worked with Arizona Electric Power Cooperative (also known as AzG&T), MEC’s primary power provider, and helped designate four flexible natural gas powered electric generation units in Mohave Valley which will improve reliability, affordability, and outage support for MEC for decades to come. Tyler advocated for MEC and rural electric cooperatives locally, regionally, and even nationally.

This year as MEC celebrates our 80th Anniversary, Tyler successfully processed our most recent rate case, and MEC has the lowest overall residential bill rates of any co-op or investor-owned electric utility in the state of Arizona. That achievement is a testament to his steady leadership, strategic vision, and unwavering commitment to serving our members.

Please join me and the entire Board of Directors in thanking Tyler for his many years of dedicated service to MEC and congratulating him on this next chapter in his life.

Joe Anderson, President, Board of Directors, District 3