Clay Koplin will become Matanuska Electric CEO on Jan. 7

Matanuska Electric Association members in the Palmer-Wasilla-Mat-Su service area will get a new chief executive as the cooperative faces years of rising fuel costs tied to its Cook Inlet natural gas supply. MEA announced Aug. 21 that Clay Koplin will become CEO on Jan. 7, 2027. He succeeds Tony Izzo, who has led the cooperative since 2016 and will retire next spring.

Koplin leads Cordova Electric Cooperative, an islanded microgrid, and chairs the Alaska Energy Authority Board of Directors. Cordova Electric announced that Koplin will retire after 28 years there, including 19 years as CEO.

Izzo joined MEA in 2012 after serving as president of ENSTAR Natural Gas. MEA said he is retiring after more than 45 years in the natural gas and electric utility industries, including more than 25 years in Alaska. He and Koplin will work together through the transition to preserve continuity for members, employees and operations, the cooperative said. Izzo will continue to advise MEA on gas supply and other strategic matters into the new year.

The transition lands in the middle of MEA's natural gas supply uncertainty. MEA says 84% of its power comes from Cook Inlet natural gas. The Cost of Power Adjustment rose from $0.07879 to $0.10195 per kilowatt-hour for the third quarter of 2026. That adds about $14.53 a month for a typical residential member using 623 kWh. Base rates did not change.

MEA's all-requirements gas contract with Hilcorp expires April 1, 2029. The cooperative told the Alaska State House Finance Committee in June that members should expect bills to rise about 5% a year for three years. LNG imports could add $21 to $31 a month after 2029.

At a July 28 press conference at Anchorage City Hall, Izzo called the gas supply situation "the most critical issue I have faced" in a 45-year career.

MEA's announcement and its homepage were the only direct documentation of the transition identified at publication. Neither states contract terms, compensation, or any effect on rates.