McMinnville Electric System

Overview

Strengthening Connection Through Modern Design

For more than 85 years, McMinnville Electric System (MES) has delivered safe, reliable, and clean electricity to the residents and businesses of McMinnville and surrounding areas. Founded in 1939, MES has grown alongside its community. With a mission centered on dependable service at the best possible rates, and a team known for professionalism and care, MES continues to evolve under new leadership while honoring its legacy of innovation and safety.

As MES looked toward the future, its leadership recognized an opportunity. The organization was already modern and forward thinking in operations, generation, and sustainability efforts. Its digital presence needed to reflect that same momentum. MES partnered with Powerful to redesign its website with three clear goals: increase engagement with customers, represent MES as modern and progressive, and create intuitive navigation that makes essential information easy to find. The result is a site that strengthens communication, supports programs, and helps MES serve its community even more effectively.

A Homepage Designed to Inform & Invite

MES wanted to create more opportunities to connect with customers by highlighting services and programs that often go unnoticed. Many visitors arrive at a utility website with a single task in mind, yet that moment also presents a chance to share resources that can improve how they manage energy, save money, or interact with their provider.

Powerful implemented the Laurelhurst blueprint, a promotional layout designed to spotlight initiatives through clear visual storytelling. The homepage is structured to guide visitors through featured topics using strong imagery, concise context, and descriptive calls to action. At launch, MES prioritized two important focus areas: convenient payment options and energy-saving incentives. Each section presents an inviting photo, a bold headline, supporting text that explains the benefit, and a clearly labeled button that leads to deeper information. The design keeps content approachable while making it easy to explore further.

This structure transforms the homepage into an active communication tool rather than a static introduction. Visitors immediately see how MES can support them—whether through flexible ways to pay a bill or programs that encourage smarter energy use during peak demand. By placing these initiatives front and center, MES can extend awareness, encourage participation, and reinforce its role as a helpful resource. The layout mirrors the organization’s forward-thinking mindset while strengthening day-to-day engagement with the people it serves.

The Laurelhurst blueprint also helps MES stay aligned with its mission of delivering reliable and efficient service. Programs tied to conservation, billing flexibility, and grid reliability now receive consistent visibility, helping customers make informed choices.

Highlighting Service Beyond the Meter

MES is deeply involved in its community. From participating in the Christmas Parade to awarding grants and recognizing milestones, the organization consistently shows up for McMinnville. The goal was to ensure those efforts were visible and easy to share. In a small community, those stories matter. They build trust and reinforce relationships.

To support that goal, Powerful integrated the News Releases app directly into the homepage experience. The three most recent stories automatically populate in a clean, visual layout, each with a strong image, clear headline, and published date. Visitors can quickly scan recent highlights and click into the full story for more context. This keeps the site feeling current and reinforces the steady presence MES maintains throughout the year.

The Calendar & Events web app extends that same visibility to upcoming moments. Board meetings, office closures, and community events are displayed in a structured, easy-to-read format. Important dates are no longer tucked away on an internal page. They are presented upfront, helping visitors plan, participate, and stay informed.

Both tools are simple for MES staff to update, making it efficient to keep information fresh. As new stories unfold or events are scheduled, the website reflects those changes in real time. MES is already making a difference across McMinnville. The News and Calendar sections ensure those efforts are seen, shared, and remembered.