About Us

We are a trusted partner, connecting our members to the resources they depend on. We strive to go beyond expectations to connect our members to a greater world.

Our Story

As the third-largest Michigan-based electric utility and the largest member-owned power company in Michigan, we have succeeded because we’re a well-run business that is committed to providing energy solutions to more than 130,000 meters. Our service area is comprised of 9 districts within 26 counties in western and northern Michigan, from Kalamazoo to the Mackinac Straits. For more than 80 years, our success has been built around the mutual trust we share with our member-consumers. That’s because our members are also the owners of our electric cooperative.

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Our Commitment to Safety

Great Lakes Energy is committed to electrical safety. We follow industry standards and work hard to provide safe working conditions and ample safety training for employees.

Our safety culture emphasizes education, awareness, accountability and respect at all times and plays a key role in Great Lakes Energy’s ability to look out for its members.

Be aware of damage to our power lines during storms:

  • Assume all downed power lines are energized and dangerous. Lines that are de-energized can become energized at any time. Report the downed wire to Great Lakes Energy and remain a safe distance away.
  • In addition to not touching a power line, do not touch a person or object that is touching a power line.
  • If someone touches a power line and is injured, call 9-1-1. Do not attempt to help the victim because you could be injured or killed.
  • Remain inside the vehicle and call for help if a power line falls across it. If the vehicle is on fire, exit without touching the vehicle and ground at the same time. In other words, jump clear of the vehicle with both feet at once; then quickly take short, shuffling steps to escape the danger. Keep your feet on the ground as you shuffle away.

backup generatorIf you purchase a backup generator, a licensed electrician should wire it safely into your home. An improperly wired generator can be deadly to your family and to the Great Lakes Energy lineworkers working to restore your power. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for safely installing and operating the unit.

  • Home wiring that is old, overloaded or outdated can be dangerous. Have it checked by a licensed electrician.
  • Conduct regular safety checks in your home such as testing smoke alarms.

For more on electrical safety, visit www.safeelectricity.org

Great Lakes Energy provides free electrical safety demonstrations to schools (grades 2 – 7) within its service area. Learn more.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Great Lakes Energy is committed to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

 

Great Lakes Energy values our differences as an organizational strength and source of creativity, providing a welcoming, inclusive, and respectful environment. This type of environment benefits not only individual employees, but our entire organization, GLE members and Truestream customers, board of directors, vendor/contract partners and the communities where we live and serve.

 

A diverse workforce is one where people from different groups and with different characteristics are represented. It includes characteristics protected by law, but it’s more than that. It can also include things like different personality types, skills and education levels, for example.

 

Our charge to employees:

The sum of our differences, life experiences, knowledge, inventiveness, innovation, self-expression, unique capabilities and talents that each of us invest in our work represents a significant part of not only our organizational culture, but our reputation and achievements as well. You, and all the unique things that you bring to the table, are the most valuable resource we have. We embrace and accept the things that make each of us unique.

Privacy Policy

Your privacy is important to Great Lakes Energy (GLE), and we strive to maintain your trust and confidence in the way we manage your personally identifiable information. The information we receive about you depends on what you do when you visit our website or interact with us in other ways.

What type of information does GLE collect?

If you are a current or new GLE member, or if you apply for a job at GLE, you will provide personally identifiable information. This may include your account number, name, mailing address, email address, phone number, full or partial social security number or tax identification number, property information, and financial information as appropriate and necessary for service.

When you visit our website to browse, read, or download information:

We collect and store:  the name of the domain and host from which you access the Internet (for example, aol.com or princeton.edu); the Internet protocol (IP) address of the computer you are using; the browser software you use and your operating system; the date and time you access our site; and the Internet address of the website from which you linked directly to our site.

GLE uses “cookies,” which are small text files that a website can place on your computer’s hard drive in order, for example, to collect information about your activities on the site, such as items you place in an online “shopping cart.” The cookie transmits this information back to the website’s computer. If you want to know when this happens or prevent it from happening, you can set your browser to warn you when a website attempts to place a cookie on your computer.

If you choose to identify yourself by sending us an email:

We use personally-identifying information from consumers in various ways to improve our services to you and others. In addition, when you submit an email, you may be contacted by Great Lakes computer technicians and our webmaster, to whom your complaint has been referred.

If you use one of our online forms, the information you provide is up to you. If you don’t provide your name or other information, it may be impossible for us to refer, respond to, or investigate your complaint or request.

How does GLE collect and protect information?

GLE obtains personally identifiable information about you through various sources, such as:

  • Phone, fax, email, social media and other ways by which you choose to communicate with us.
  • Website and mobile applications.
  • Surveys, contests, and other promotions.
  • Third parties such as credit agencies.

The security of your information is important to us.  We follow industry standards and have implemented GLE specific physical, electronic, and procedural security measures to protect this information against loss, misuse, or alteration.

We use industry standard encryption to protect the transmission of information you submit to us when you use our secure online forms.  All the information you provide us through these forms is stored securely offline.  Our transmission and storage of your credit card information is Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliant.

Please note, however, that no method of transmission or storage is 100% secure.  Therefore, while we use commercially-reasonable methods and means to protect your personal information, no one can guarantee its absolute security.

What is GLE’s policy regarding Email?

Internet email is never completely secure. For that reason, GLE will never request you provide any of the following information through email or telephone calls initiated by GLE:

  • Your account user ID.
  • Your account password.
  • Your complete social security number.
  • Your credit card or bank information.

If you use GLE’s online services, such as bill payment or our job application, you may receive emails from us specific to your online transaction. You may also receive electronic newsletters from us. Please pay close attention to any links provided in an email to make sure they take you to the GLE website. If you doubt an email originated from us or one of our service partners, we suggest going to your web browser and typing gtlakes.com in the address bar to navigate to the desired page. We encourage you to forward suspicious looking emails to [email protected].

Every time you receive an email marketing message from GLE, you are offered a choice to unsubscribe or opt out of future email marketing messages from us. Simply click on the unsubscribe or opt-out box within the message.

If you send us an email, remember that email is not necessarily secure against interception. If your communication includes sensitive information such as your bank account, charge card, or social security number, and you prefer not to use one of our secure online forms, contact us by postal mail or telephone.

Does GLE use Social Media?

GLE uses various social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.  We recommend that you review the applicable social media platform’s terms of use and privacy policies to understand your rights and obligations regarding content on social media sites.

Does GLE share Member Information?

GLE respects your privacy.  Our policy is to not divulge or sell member information to third parties.  Therefore, GLE does not share your information except in the following situations:

  1. Any information needed by a GLE employee to respond to member requests for products and services, improve our services, and develop new programs will be shared only with the appropriate employees.
  2. Any information needed by a third party to perform services for GLE, such as, but not limited to, billing and credit card transactions, will be shared with the third party for the sole purpose of providing the contracted service.
  3. Any necessary information will be shared with the appropriate authorities in order to identify and pursue remedies against anyone who attempts to damage, misuse, or otherwise interfere with GLE business and legal interests.
  4. Any necessary information required to respond to a legal process, such as search warrants, court orders, or subpoenas, will be shared to the appropriate requesting authorities.
  5. As aggregate data containing general characteristics of a member group for analysis, reporting, or program design purposes.

May Members share their Information?

A member may share his/her personal information with a third party.  However, when this occurs, GLE  is not responsible for the third party’s unauthorized disclosure or use of the member’s information.

Similarly, GLE is not responsible for the privacy practices of other websites.  You should review the privacy practices of any third-party website before providing such website with Personal Identifiable Information.

What if there is a discrepancy in My Personal Information?

Members with a registered GLE online account may update information using our website and navigate to My Account.  GLE members may also update their information by contacting our call center.

How does GLE make changes to this privacy policy?

GLE reviews its privacy policies on a regular basis.  If there are any questions or concerns with this privacy policy, please email [email protected].

What happens if there is a discrepancy in the information?

GLE members may update their information by logging into their online account here or by contacting our call center at 888-485-2537.

If you have billing or utility usage questions, please contact us:

Great Lakes Energy Member Services
P.O. Box 70, Boyne City, MI 49712

888-GTLAKES (888-485-2537)

privacy policy

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