PIE&G Leadership University | Fall 2026 Cohort
You own it.
Come see how it works.
Go behind the scenes of PIE&G and discover how your member-owned cooperative delivers the electricity, natural gas and fiber broadband that power, heat and connect Northern Michigan. Two half-day sessions. Eight to 12 members. Access no one else gets.
Applications close October 16. Only 8–12 spots available.
The Invitation
Most people never see what it takes to keep the lights on, the heat running and the signal strong.
Informed members build stronger communities. This is where that starts.
You do more than pay a bill to PIE&G. You own part of it.
As a member of a not-for-profit cooperative that delivers electricity, natural gas and fiber broadband across Northern Michigan, you have a say in how your co-op is governed, where it invests and how it plans for the decades ahead. But ownership only means something if you can see what you own.
PIE&G Leadership University is a two-session, half-day program built to show you exactly that. Over two mornings this fall, a small group of members will go inside the cooperative — into the operations center, out to the electric, gas and fiber equipment, and across the table from the people who make the decisions.
You’ll learn how a co-op is different from an investor-owned utility. You’ll see where every dollar of your electric and natural gas bills actually goes, and how a rural cooperative came to build a fiber broadband network of its own. You’ll hear what it took to bring the system back after the 2025 ice storm, and you’ll get an honest look at the challenges heading toward Northern Michigan over the next 10 years.
At-a-Glance
- 2 sessionsHalf-day each, about 4 hours
- 8–12 membersSmall by design
- PIE&G HQ + field sitesOperations center, gas and fiber facilities
- Fall 2026Nov. and Dec. sessions
- $150 per sessionStipend
Who This Is For
PIE&G Leadership University is open to any engaged co-op member. It’s built for people who are curious about how things work — and who want to put that understanding to use.
Prospective board members
Anyone considering a run for the PIE&G board, now or someday.
Emerging community leaders and business owners
People shaping what happens next across the PIE&G service area.
Young professionals
Members early in their careers who want a working knowledge of the energy and broadband infrastructure their community runs on.
Members interested in co-op governance
If you’ve ever read an annual meeting notice and wanted to know more, this is the program.
Anyone curious about how their cooperative works
No utility background required. No experience necessary.
You don’t need a background in energy, finance or governance. You need curiosity and two mornings this fall.
What a Session Looks Like
Every session follows the same shape
Intro
Roughly four hours, three parts, and a meal. Here’s how a morning at PIE&G Leadership University runs.
01 — Presentation and Roundtable
PIE&G staff and leadership walk through the session’s core topics in a classroom or roundtable setting. Real numbers, plain language, and time for the questions you actually want answered.
02 — Guest Speaker
A board member, community partner or subject-matter expert connects the co-op’s work to the bigger picture across Northern Michigan.
03 — Tour and Field Experience
Hands-on access to the infrastructure itself — the operations center, electric and gas field equipment, fiber facilities and live crew demonstrations.
Closing Line
Breakfast or lunch is provided at every session.
The Curriculum
Two sessions. The whole picture.
Session 1 covers who owns the co-op and where the money goes. Session 2 covers how the electric, gas and fiber systems work and what’s coming next.
Your Co-op: The Cooperative Difference
Your Co-op: The Cooperative Difference
What You’ll Cover
- PIE&G history and the cooperative business model
- You own this company — what that actually means, and how member ownership differs from an investor-owned utility
- Governance: the board of directors, member voice, elections and the pathway to board candidacy
- The T.R.U.S.T. values — Transparency, Reliability, Unity, Safety and Tomorrow — and what each looks like in practice
- PIE&G’s purpose, mission, vision and strategic pillars
- Three services, one cooperative — how the electric, natural gas and fiber broadband divisions operate under a single member-owned organization
- Your bill, your co-op and where the money goes — power supply versus distribution costs, how gas and fiber are priced alongside electric, operating expenses, capital investment, debt and financing, margins, capital credits, and what actually drives rates
- How to stay involved: committees, board candidacy, advocacy and other pathways
Who You’ll Hear From
PIE&G leadership on what cooperative governance looks like from the inside, a long-tenured member on what the co-op has meant to their family, and a plain-language conversation about electric and gas rates, fiber pricing and capital credits with someone who works with those numbers every day.
Where You’ll Go
A walkthrough of PIE&G headquarters and a meet-and-greet with the executive team and department heads, plus a look at metering equipment and a live fiber broadband demonstration.
Behind the Lines: Powering Northern Michigan
Behind the Lines: Powering Northern Michigan
What You’ll Cover
- From power plant to porch light — generation, wholesale power, transmission, substations, distribution, metering and the member’s home
- From wellhead to water heater — how natural gas moves through the distribution system, what pressure regulation and leak detection involve, and what keeps it safe
- From fiber hut to living room — how PIE&G built a broadband network across rural Northern Michigan, how the fiber system is engineered, and what it takes to keep it running
- Safety: line worker safety, downed lines, natural gas safety, Call Before You Dig, and why safety affects how fast the lights come back on
- Keeping the lights on, the heat running and the signal strong — vegetation management, pole inspections, substations, gas main and service line integrity, fiber splicing and repair, smart grid technology, redundancy and preventive maintenance
- Storm response and emergency management, using the 2025 ice storm as a case study in damage assessment, mutual aid, restoration priorities, FEMA recovery and rebuilding for resilience — including what a major storm means for gas and fiber service, not just electric
- What’s coming: renewables, grid modernization, storage, electrification, broadband expansion and changing member expectations
- How infrastructure grows a region — the role electric, gas and fiber play in business attraction, health care, education, tourism, remote work and quality of life
Who You’ll Hear From
An operations manager or field crew supervisor on what restoration really takes across electric, gas and fiber, an economic development partner on the link between rural infrastructure and community growth, and a board member on how informed members become community leaders.
Where You’ll Go
The PIE&G operations center and a live line worker demonstration. Depending on conditions, a substation, natural gas facility or fiber infrastructure visit as well.
How It Ends
A “Future Member 2035” roundtable on what a PIE&G member will need from the cooperative in the next decade, a closing conversation about what each participant plans to do with what they learned, and graduation with certificates over lunch.
What Participants Receive
Access No One Else Gets
The operations center, the electric, gas and fiber equipment, the crews and the leadership team — up close, in person, with time to ask questions.
Meals at every Session
Breakfast or lunch is provided both mornings.
A $150 Stipend per session
We know your time is worth something. Participants receive a stipend for each session they attend.
Graduation and a Certificate
Complete both sessions and graduate as part of the inaugural PIE&G Leadership University cohort.
Key Dates
October 16 — Applications close
Submit your application by the deadline to be considered for the fall cohort.
Late October — Notifications sent
Selected participants are notified and receive a welcome packet with the agenda, logistics and everything needed for Session 1.
November — Session 1
Your Co-op: The Cooperative Difference
December — Session 2 and graduation
Behind the Lines: Powering Northern Michigan, followed by certificate presentation.
Exact session dates and times are confirmed with participants upon acceptance. Applicants can note scheduling conflicts on the application.
Apply
Apply to PIE&G Leadership University
The application takes about five minutes. Tell us who you are, why you’re interested and when you’re available. Applications close October 16, and 8–12 members will be selected for the fall cohort.
Having trouble with the form? Open the application in a new window.
FAQ
Questions, answered
Do I need a background in energy or utilities?
No. PIE&G Leadership University is built for members with no technical background. If you can read your bill, you’re qualified.
How much time does this take?
Two half-day sessions, roughly four hours each — one in November and one in December. That’s it — about eight hours total.
Where do the sessions take place?
Session 1 is at PIE&G headquarters. Session 2 includes headquarters and field or operations sites. Specific locations and directions come with your welcome packet.
Do I have to be a PIE&G member?
The program is designed for PIE&G members, and preference goes to members. If you’re not sure whether you’re a member — or you’re a community leader who works in the service area — apply anyway and tell us your situation on the form.
I only have one PIE&G service. Should I still apply?
Yes. Members take electric, natural gas, fiber broadband or some combination of the three, and the program covers all of them. You’ll leave understanding the parts of your cooperative you don’t personally buy from — which is a good part of the point.
Is there a cost?
No. There is no cost to participate, and meals are provided at both sessions. Participants also receive a $150 stipend per session.
How many people are selected?
Eight to 12 members per cohort. The group is kept deliberately small so everyone gets real access and real conversation rather than a lecture.
What if I can’t make one of the dates?
Note any scheduling conflicts on the application. The program is built around attending both sessions, so we’ll work with you where we can, but full attendance is what makes the experience work.
What happens after graduation?
Graduates leave with a working understanding of how their cooperative operates and a direct line to the people who run it. Many alumni of programs like this go on to serve on committees, run for the board or become advocates for the co-op in their communities.
Will this program run again?
PIE&G intends to offer PIE&G Leadership University annually, with future cohorts potentially rotating across the service area.
