TORRINGTON - With its power supply contract ending Dec. 31, 2007, the City Council is weighing its options as to who will provide the city with electricity.

Kevin Gaden, manager of an electrical cooperative called Municipal Energy Agency of Nebraska, spoke to the council this week, suggesting Torrington should choose it over the current supplier, Wyrulec-Tri-State Generation.

Gaden told the council that by joining MEAN the city would not be just joining a cooperative, but that it would be joining 60 other communities which could help one another out and solve their problems.

Ty Abernathy of Mitchell, Neb., and Ron Daggett of Gering, Neb., both MEAN board members, told of the advantages they have seen for their communities and were pleased that each participating member community gets a vote in decisions of the co-op.

"When you go to the meetings, every state is well represented," Abernathy said. "This is a member's organization with low, stable rates which make our citizens happy."

Daggett said when a tornado hit near the city of Lincoln, Neb., a call went out for help to rebuild from the cooperative, and the town of Burwell, where he used to live, sent several people.

"What's good about this organization is we're in it together. We need it," he added.

MEAN was established in 1981 and has tripled its size since, now serving 60 communities.

Gaden hopes Torrington will sign a long-term contract.

If Torrington signs up and begins January 2008, the MEAN contract would last through December 2038.

"Our role is to seek new ways to not provide any negative impacts on the other members," Gaden said. "It would be positive not only for Torrington but the others, too."

Wyrulec Executive Vice President/General Manager Jim Hudelson was at the meeting on Tuesday and listened to the MEAN proposal. He said his biggest concern is the ability of MEAN to provide all the power its members will need.

"I don't think the capacity is there to meet the contract needs," Hudelson said.

Wyrulec has served Goshen County since 1937 and the city of Torrington since 1992.

"It depends when the city council signs the contract - if the council signs the contract next month, I doubt we will be able to come up with the lower rates by then," he added. "Tri-State is re-evaluating the sell and resell rate to determine the rate for Torrington. They're evaluating it right now, and I'm not sure when they will make a decision. It won't be just for Wyrulec, but for all 44 members."

Wyrulec has contributed in excess of $1.2 million to Goshen County Economic Development and has helped with other community projects, Hudelson said.

"We have various projects we've made loans to out of economic development," Hudelson added. "And any excess profit margins Wyrulec has, we have refunded back to the members, depending on their usage. They get paid those in some point in time."