Each spring, Southeastern Electric Cooperative and the region’s other Touchstone Energy® Cooperatives host the Who Powers You Contest, seeking to highlight local figures who are making a difference in their communities. Nominations for the 2026 program will open in February 2026.
“No one succeeds alone, and that is especially true in rural areas, where friends and neighbors in tight-knit communities support, encourage and inspire each other,” said Erica Fitzhugh, Communications and Public Relations Manager at Southeastern Electric Cooperative. “Those people don’t do it for the recognition, but they deserve to be recognized, and we’d like to help make that happen.”
Member-owners, employees, and residents who live or work within the service territory of the region’s Touchstone Energy Cooperatives are eligible to be nominated. Three final winners will be selected by a panel of judges based on the impact that they have on the community. Weekly finalists will be announced and featured on Keloland Living, and the three contest winners will be announced on Keloland Living in May 2026.
The Who Powers You contest grand prize winner will receive a $3,000 prize. A second place winner will receive $1,500 and the contest’s third place winner will receive $500.
“As an electric cooperative, our services extend beyond delivering safe, affordable and reliable power to our member-owners,” Fitzhugh said. “The Who Powers You contest highlights the commitment of our co-op to the communities and member-owners that we serve. We know that our co-op community is filled with people making a difference. Let’s celebrate them!”
To learn more about the Who Powers You contest and to nominate someone in your community, visit WhoPowersYouContest.com.
Please direct any questions about the contest to cbakken@eastriver.coop.
