March 22, 2023
Pierce Pepin Cooperative Services Welcomes National Speaker to 86th Annual Meeting
Ellsworth, WI – Pierce Pepin Cooperative Services (PPCS) will host its 86th Annual Meeting on Thursday, March 30, at the Ellsworth High School Cafetorium. In addition to director elections, voting on a bylaw amendment, and prize drawings, the meeting will also feature nationally recognized speaker Bill LeBlanc of LeBlanc Energy Innovation, and the Wisconsin Veterans’ Museum traveling exhibit “Fur, Feathers, and Fidelity: Military Mascots”. The exhibit celebrates the role animals have played as a source of pride and morale for troops dating back to the Civil War. Read more ...
March 21, 2023
Pierce Pepin Cooperative Services Launches Community Solar Project
Ellsworth, WI – Pierce Pepin Cooperative Services (PPCS) is excited to announce the addition of a 2-megawatt solar array that will come online later this year. PPCS, along with eight other Wisconsin electric cooperatives, has been working with OneEnergy Renewable of Madison, Wisconsin to develop 12 utility-scale solar arrays across the State. Over the next two years, the group will add 22 megawatts of new solar generation, enough to power 4,000 homes. The PPCS project will be located along Highway 35 and County Road K on property that was owned by Tim and Christine Truttman. Read more ...
February 10, 2023
Pierce Pepin Cares Awards First Quarter Grants
Ellsworth, WI – Pierce Pepin Cares, the charitable foundation of Pierce Pepin Cooperative Services (PPCS), recently awarded first-quarter grants to four local non-profits. The Pierce Pepin Cares board approved $1,500 grants to the Ellsworth Gift Box Program, Basics for Local Kids, the Assistance and Resource Center (ARC), and the Free Clinic of Pierce and St. Croix Counties. Read more ...
January 26, 2023
Manore and Moesch Complete Apprenticeships, Earn Journey Status
Ellsworth, WI Pierce Pepin Cooperative Services employees, Austin Manore and Isaiah Moesch, recently graduated from a four-year indentured lineworker apprentice program offered through Chippewa Valley Technical College in Eau Claire and Northwest Technical College in Green Bay, respectively. Manore joined the cooperative May 1, 2018, and Moesch joined the cooperative April 25, 2022. Read more ...
December 30, 2022
SwiftCurrent Connect Celebrates 1,000th Customer
Ellsworth, WI – SwiftCurrent Connect, Pierce Pepin Cooperative Services’ (PPCS) broadband subsidiary, connected its 1,000th broadband customer on December 20, 2022. SwiftCurrent Connect provides western Wisconsin residents with high-speed, reliable fiber-based internet service. In the spring of 2021, the PPCS board of directors authorized the first phase of construction. The first customer was connected just 11 months ago on January 31, 2022. Read more ...
December 9, 2022
PPCS Employees Support Gift-Giving Programs
Ellsworth, WI – In this season of giving, Pierce Pepin Cooperative Services (PPCS) and its employees are working to make this Christmas a little merrier for families in Pierce and Pepin Counties. Read more ...
November 9, 2022
Pierce Pepin Cares Awards Fourth Quarter Grants
Ellsworth, WI – Pierce Pepin Cooperative Services (PPCS) members are helping stock Pierce and Pepin County food shelves through the co-op’s charitable foundation Pierce Pepin Cares. At their October meeting, the Pierce Pepin Cares board awarded $16,000 in grants to eight food pantries; each received $2,000—Pierce County Food Pantry, Elmwood Food Pantry, Plum City Food Pantry, Prescott Area Food Shelf, River Falls Food Pantry, Spring Valley Community Food Pantry, Pepin County Food Pantry and Pepin-Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran-Food Pantry. The board also awarded a $1,500 grant to Prescott Fire Department for the purchase of AEDs and a $1,000 grant to St. Croix Valley SART to help provide mental health vouchers for victims of sexual assault. Read more ...
September 27, 2022
PPCS Co-hosts Powered by Electricity Event
Ellsworth, WI – Pierce Pepin Cooperative Services (PPCS) joined forces with St. Croix Electric Cooperative (SCEC), University of Wisconsin-River Falls Office of Sustainability, and Hope for Creation to host the second annual Powered by Electricity event on Saturday, September 24. Their collaboration brought together local vendors, electric vehicle (EV) owners, and non-profit organizations to celebrate all things electric. Read more ...
September 2, 2022
PPCS Extends EV Tourism in Pierce County with Second EV Charging Station
Ellsworth, WI – Pierce Pepin Cooperative Services (PPCS) hosted a ribbon-cutting event at Belle Vinez Winery in River Falls, Wis., on Friday, September 2. PPCS members and employees, and Dairyland Power Cooperative and River Falls Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Bureau representatives gathered at Belle Vinez to celebrate the installation of a CHARGE electric vehicle charging station. This is the second charging station PPCS has installed with the goal of encouraging tourism in Pierce County by electric vehicle drivers. Read more ...
September 1, 2022
Pierce Pepin Cooperative Services Launches Live Better Little Free Library
Ellsworth, WI – Pierce Pepin Cooperative Services (PPCS) is continuing its mission to increase access to books for the community. On Tuesday, August 30, PPCS employees gathered to dedicate the new Live Better Little Free Library installed on the north side of their property near the electric vehicle charging station. Read more ...
August 29, 2022
Pierce Pepin Cooperative Services Enables EV Tourism to Pierce County
Ellsworth, WI – A little rain didn't dampen the fun on Saturday, August 27, when Pierce Pepin Cooperative Services (PPCS) members and employees, and Dairyland Power Cooperative and Ellsworth Chamber of Commerce representatives gathered at Vino in the Valley to celebrate the installation of a CHARGE electric vehicle charging station. Read more ...
August 16, 2022
Pierce Pepin Cares Grants Awarded to Local Non-Profits
Ellsworth, WI –Pierce Pepin Cares, the charitable foundation of Pierce Pepin Cooperative Services (PPCS), recently awarded third-quarter grants to two local non-profits. The Pierce Pepin Cares board approved grants to the Lund Fire Department in the amount of $1,500 to assist with the purchase of ice rescue equipment and Chippewa Valley Council, Boy Scouts of America in the amount of $1,000 to support scouting activities in Pepin County. Read more ...
August 12, 2022
Berger Sisters Receive Live Better Community Service Award
Ellsworth, WI –The old saying, “two heads are better than one” is very apt in describing the good work done by volunteers Joyce and Marie Berger. Both ladies are recent recipients of the Pierce Pepin Cooperative Services’ Live Better Community Service Award. Read more ...
August 5, 2022
Pierce Pepin Cooperative Services Welcomes Chief Operating Officer
Ellsworth, WI –Scott Freier joined Pierce Pepin Cooperative Services (PPCS) as Chief Operating Officer on August 1. Freier is a resident of the local community, was raised on a dairy farm in Bay City, and attended Ellsworth Community Schools. He holds an associate degree in HVAC from Minnesota State College. Read more ...
August 5, 2022
Pierce Pepin Imagination Library Turns One
Ellsworth, WI - In late 2020, Pierce Pepin Cooperative Services (PPCS) started exploring the possibility of bringing Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to Pierce and Pepin Counties. After receiving approval from the board of directors, it took several months to get the necessary affiliate agreements signed, as well as establish a charitable foundation, Pierce Pepin Cares, to act as the local program affiliate. The Imagination Library was finally launched on August 7, 2021. Read more ...
June 24, 2022
PPCS Awarded $5.94 Million in Broadband Funding
Ellsworth, WI - On Thursday, June 23 the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) announced its latest round of broadband grant winners which included all three projects submitted by Pierce Pepin Cooperative Services (PPCS). In total, PPCS was awarded $5.94 million of the $125 million authorized by the PSC.. Read more ...
June 20, 2022
SwiftCurrent Connect Celebrates One Year and Its 100th Connected Customer
Ellsworth, WI - Pierce Pepin Cooperative Services (PPCS) launched its broadband subsidiary, SwiftCurrent Connect, on July 13, 2021. Just one year later, SwiftCurrent Connect has built over 150 miles of fiber-optic line and its 100th customer was connected in mid-June. Read more ...
May 23, 2022
PPCS Members Provide Support to Local Non-Profits
Ellsworth, WI - Second quarter grants were recently awarded by Pierce Pepin Cares, the charitable foundation of Pierce Pepin Cooperative Services (PPCS), to local non-profit programs. Grants were made to Healing Play, Inc., Our Savior's Lutheran Church, Durand Fire Department, and Pierce County 4H/FFA Livestock Committee. Read more ...
April 21, 2022
Arbor Day Foundation Awards Recognition to Pierce Pepin Cooperative Services as 2022 Tree Line USA Utility
Lincoln, NE - Pierce Pepin Cooperative Services (PPCS) was named a 2022 Tree Line USA by the Arbor Day Foundation to recognize its dedication to proper forest management in the provider's service area. PPCS has received this designation for 17 years in a row. Read more ...
March 10, 2022
Wisconsin Remembers Traveling Exhibit Coming to Ellsworth
Ellsworth, WI - Pierce Pepin Cooperative Services (PPCS) is bringing a traveling exhibit from the Wisconsin Veterans Museum to Ellsworth. The exhibit Wisconsin Remembers: A Face for Every Name is a tribute to lost life and lost potential. Read more ...
March 3, 2022
Constant Receives Live Better Community Service Award
Ellsworth, WI - Donna Constant is Pierce Pepin Cooperative Services' Live Better Community Service Award winner for the first quarter of 2022. Constant received the award and a $100 Visa gift card on March 2 for her generous work volunteering in the Ellsworth community. Read more ...
February 22, 2022
Pierce Pepin Cooperative Services Awards Educational Grants
Ellsworth, WI - Two local schools recently received educational grants from Pierce Pepin Cooperative Services (PPCS) through its Federated Youth Foundation. Ellsworth High School received $1,500 for the purchase of a Lincoln Thunderbolt stick welder. This is part of a project to upgrade their welding lab. St. Francis School received $2,850 to purchase materials that will enhance STEM education at the school. Materials included Lego Mindstorms Robots, Cubelets Creative Constructors Pack and prepared slides for microscopes. Read more ...
February 16, 2022
Local Non-Profits Receive Pierce Pepin Cares Grants
Ellsworth, WI - Three local non-profits recently received grants from Pierce Pepin Cares, the charitable arm of Pierce Pepin Cooperative Services (PPCS). Pierce Pepin Cares is funded by PPCS members who generously round up their monthly energy bills to the nearest dollar through Operation Round Up®, as well as direct donations. Read more ...
January 4, 2022
PPCS Members Reach a Major Giving Milestone
Ellsworth, WI - When Pierce Pepin Cooperative Services (PPCS) launched Operation Round Up® in 1993, everyone was certain it would do a lot of good in our local community. But no one predicted that the commitment of PPCS members to support this charitable giving would eventually translate into over half a million dollars in support for local non-profit organizations. Read more ...