4230 Hatwai Road • PO Box 997 Lewiston, ID 83501 (888) 743-1501 (888) 798-5280 (Propane) www.clearwaterpower.com
Board of Directors: ID-1 Richard E. Butler, Culdesac, Idaho President Alan Lansing, Lenore, Idaho Vice-President KNOWLEDGE Kenneth Weiss, Asotin, Washington Secretary-Treasurer M.M. Harris, Saint Maries, Idaho IS POWER Assistant Secretary-Treasurer Access your daily power use with the SmartHub App. Pamela Anderson, Potlatch, Idaho Trusted by 270,000 consumers nationwide. Robert Callison, Kendrick, Idaho Thomas Hutchinson, Craigmont, Idaho 1:16 PM Select Range Options This Week’s Usage > Management & Sta Account 86753 Last Week’s Usage > Current Billing Period > Meter 8675309 K. David Hagen Previous Billing Period > This Year’s Usage > General Manager Last Year’s Usage >
Edwin Ausman Sun, Oct 5 Mon, Oct 6 Tue, Oct 7 Wed, Oct 8 Thu, Oct 9 Fri, Oct 10 Sat, Oct 11 Director of Purchasing and Warehousing 37.8 50.3 48.5 48.0 39.0 41.6 40.2 80 Lisa Hall Manager of Financial and O ce Services 60 Douglas Pfaff 40 Manager of Engineering
Robert Pierce 20 Manager of Member Services Scott Seegmiller 0 Manager of Information Systems Cynthia Tarola
Director of Accounting 0
Lorrie McCabe Daily20 Power Usage Director of Member Services
Stanley Vannoy Online40 Bill Pay
Manager of Operations 60
80
50.3 48.5 48.0 39.0 41.6 40.2
Business Hours: Outage37.8 Reporting Mon, Oct 6 Tue, Oct 7 Wed, Oct 8 Thu, Oct 9 Fri, Oct 10 Sat, Oct 11
Monday - Thursday Sun, Oct 5
Last Year’s Usage >
7:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. This Year’s Usage >
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Meter 8675309 Download SmartHubMeter for free8675309 at iTunes or Google Play Store
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This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Select Range If you wish to fi le a Civil Rights program complaint of 1:16 PM discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, found online at www.ascr.usda.gov/ complaint_fi ling_cust.html, or at any USDA offi ce, or call (866) 632-9992 to request the form. You may also write a letter containing all of the information requested in the form. Send your completed complaint form or letter to us by mail at U.S. Department of Agriculture, Director, Offi ce of Adjudication, 1400 -or- Independence Avenue, S. W, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, by fax (202) 690-7442 or email at [email protected] Visit our NEW web site: www.clearwaterpower.com
32 NOVEMBER 2014 OR-2 Manager’s Message
171 Linden Way Hello CBEC Members, P.O. Box 398 The Columbia Basin Electric Co-op annual dinner and Heppner, OR 97836 business meeting is Thursday, November 6, at the Gilliam (541) 676-9146 County Fairgrounds in Condon. You are invited to join us for a nice meal and lots of information about your co-op and the state www.cbec.cc of electrical affairs. [email protected] The guest speaker this year is Oregon Rural Electric Cooperative Association Executive Director Ted Case. Ted will speak on matters of relevance to our industry from Salem and on his recently published book, “Power Plays,” which concerns the history of the Rural Board of Directors Electrification Administration and the development of electric cooperatives in rural President America. Lori Anderson, Condon Lots of door prizes will be given during the meeting, two directors will be elected, Vice President and you will have the opportunity to ask questions of management and your board. John Qualls, Heppner Registration begins at 4:30 p.m., dinner is served at 5:30 p.m. and the business Secretary/Treasurer meeting starts at 6 p.m. Roy Carlson, Fossil I hope to see you there.
Gary Wilde, Olex Thomas Wolff, Manager Todd Lindsay, Heppner Gerry Arnson, Heppner Deacon Heideman, Ione
Manager Tom Wolff, Heppner
Columbia Basin Electric Cooperative’s main objective is to provide reliable electric service to its members at the lowest cost consistent with good business practice.
32 november 2014 OR-3
2345 River Road Manager’s Report The Dalles, OR 97058 (541) 296-2226 FAX 298-3320 Dear Customers – Our Friends and Our Neighbors, www.nwasco.com We need to pass along a word of caution to all of our Board of Directors customers—and customers of other utilities in the Barbara Nagle, President community—about increasing instances of phone fraud. Dan Williams, Vice President In the past two weeks, we have heard of two instances of Clay Smith, Secretary phone fraud targeted to customers of Northern Wasco County Milt Skov, Treasurer PUD. We fear many other customers may have been or may be Howard Gonser, Director targeted in the future. In cooperation with The Dalles Chronicle, which always has Manager been responsive to sharing important public warning information, we have published Dwight D. Langer two articles in both English and Spanish. The apparent targets thus far have been in our Hispanic community and business community, but all of us need to be on guard. Board Meetings In one instance, a caller told the customer that unless they immediately paid a large Usually the fourth Tuesday of the sum, their electric service would be terminated. The customer was convinced and month at 6 p.m. at the PUD offices, coerced into paying $350! 2345 River Rd. The public is always In another instance, a business owner was advised to immediately pay nearly $1,000 welcome. to avoid having their power turned off. Thankfully, the customer came to our office Our Mission with the calling party still on the phone. The phone’s caller ID actually displayed the PUD’s phone number, which was used illegally. To provide reliable, competitively- We are doing all we can to help all of our customers from being scammed. priced energy and related services that Unfortunately, a growing number of people and organizations are using their benefit our customers, in the tradition technological skills and capabilities to inflict economic harm. of public power. As we know, we must always be on guard and diligent in protecting our personal Our Core Values and Beliefs information and credit information. If you are contacted by an individual claiming to Local citizens championed and fought be a Northern Wasco PUD representative, ask them to provide you with information to create our People’s Utility District. that only a true representative of the PUD would have so you can verify their legiti- They believed—and we believe—in mate purpose for calling. the public’s right to own and control On a happier note, all of us at Northern Wasco PUD wish you and yours a its electric utility. happy Thanksgiving. Come on, turkey and dressing! Today, our values are a legacy from our public power heritage, as well as Until next time, have a great day. guideposts for a changing future. Dwight Langer, General Manager We believe in: Public ownership and local control. Integrity. Keeping power rates as low as possible. Providing quality essential services. Quality customer service. Community involvement.
32 NOVEMBER 2014 WA-5
P.O. Box 31 • 1009 F St. Nespelem, WA 99155 Manager’s Message 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (M-F) Phone: (509) 634-4571 Dear Members, Fax: (509) 634-8138 Your Nespelem Valley Electric Cooperative Board of Trustees enlisted me to act as the interim general manager effective September 8, 2014, filling the position of the recent- email: [email protected] ly retired longtime employee/General Manager Laura McClure. website: www.nvec.org Certainly not easy shoes to fill! Other than performing the duties of the general manager with the help of staff, For after-hours emergencies, I have been charged with assisting the board in the search for a permanent general call 634-4571 to page manager. I am retired from the electrical utility industry and will not be applying an on-duty employee. for the permanent position. Having been here approximately one month as of this writing, I have been impressed with staff and the overall sound condition of your cooperative, both financially and with the electrical system. Staff and board members—both past and Board of Trustees present—have been diligent in their efforts to ensure that you, the members, have a viable electrical utility in the years to come. President We have just started the search process and expect it to take three to six months. Ralph Rise I encourage you to get on the NVEC web page at www.nvec.org to view the advertise- District 2, Elmer City ment and job description. It will give you an idea of what your board’s requirements Vice President are for the general manager position. Albert Preugschat We will keep you informed as changes take place. Until then, it is my pleasure to District 8, Bridgeport serve the members and board. Secretary/Treasurer Doug Adams Monte Joseph Interim General Manager District 5, Nespelem Cindy Corpe District 1, Coulee Dam Brad Dudley District 3, Belvedere Dorothy Palmer District 4, Nespelem Patrick Morin Jr. District 6, Nespelem Gilbert Desautel Jr. District 7, Disautel Chuck Goldmark District 9, Okanogan Board meetings are the fourth Tuesday of every month.
32 NOVEMBER 2014 OR-6 President’s Report
MAILING ADDRESS BPA Regains Control investment utilities, BPA and you as the P.O. Box 1180 It is certainly good news that the U.S. region’s ratepayers make for fish mitigation Philomath, OR 97370 Department of Energy announced last month efforts are working extremely well. (541) 929-3124 it has returned to BPA all of its authority to (800) 872-9036 make personnel decisions following a process Winter Preparedness to address concerns over hiring issues raised in Winter in Oregon brings rain, wind, snow and LOCAL OFFICES audits last year. ice—all of which can wreak havoc on overhead 6990 West Hills Rd. BPA worked with DOE and the office of power lines. While CPI takes pride in provid- Philomath, OR 97370 personnel management to create an action ing you with reliable power, Mother Nature plan to address past human resources mistakes does not always cooperate. Check out the arti- 1900 W Oak Street and train staff regarding recent laws on federal cle on page 28 and make sure you are prepared Lebanon, OR 97355 hiring practices. in the unfortunate event that you are without This decision affirms BPA Administrator power. Elliot Mainzer and his leadership team have Also remember, the days are shorter and Russ Sapp overcome enormous challenges during the past we are spending more time inside. Electrical CHAIRMAN year. fires in the house claim close to 280 lives in the Thad Springer United States each year and injure 1,000 more. VICE CHAIRMAN And the Bad News Faulty wiring is the leading cause, followed by Terry Plagmann Unfortunately, the state of Oregon announced appliance defects and the improper use of elec- SECRETARY in September that it would continue to litigate trical items. the federal hydro system biological opinion. CPI reminds you to check the electrical Kevin Christopher While this is disappointing news, it is not appliances and wiring in your home. Avoid ASSISTANT SECRETARY surprising. Oregon remains at odds with overloading extension cords, replace those the rest of the region’s states and tribes that that are worn or damaged, and avoid cover- Roman Gillen strongly support the BiOp. ing them with rugs. Keep clothes, curtains and PRESIDENT/CEO The reality is the BiOp is the most compre- other combustible items at least three feet from hensive endangered species restoration plan all heaters and do not allow children to play Tony Wilson anywhere, is an enormous ongoing invest- around them. TREASURER/CFO ment by electricity ratepayers and others on In addition, keep electrical appliances away the Columbia River system, and is working, as from wet floors and counters, and pay special www.cpi.coop evidenced by the incredible salmon returns we attention to appliances in the bathroom and have witnessed during the past decade. kitchen. Having a working smoke alarm dra- matically increases your chances of surviving Salmon Returns a fire. An estimated 2.5 million salmon and steelhead are forecast to pass Bonneville Dam this year. Happy Thanksgiving! This is expected to be the largest number of All of us at CPI wish you a happy and plentiful fish to pass the dam since it was built in 1938. Thanksgiving. We hope you enjoy the friends While the forecast for fall chinook has been and family that make this time of year special. revised down from 1.5 million, it is still near last year’s record return of 1.26 million. Roman Gillan Happy Thanksgiving It is encouraging to know that the President and CEO
32 NOVEMBER 2014 WA-7 Benton REA Manager’s Message The Board meets the last Wednesday of each month at 6:00 p.m. Keeping Winter Bills Manageable Trustees: President...... Virgil Boyle Dear Members: Vice -president...... Kyle Shinn Secretary/Treasurer...... Mark Platt Winter is just around the corner, and with it comes Trustee, District #1...... Buddy Treadway Trustee, District #2...... Michael Freepons freezing temperatures. e cold winter months in Trustee, District #3 ...... Jim Moon our region typically result in rising power bills as the Trustee, District #5...... Tim Grow heating system works to keep our home warm and Trustee, District #7...... Connie Krull Trustee, District #8...... Catherine Russell comfortable. But rest assured, you’re not alone in the e ort to manage your power bills. Benton REA has Staff: Manager...... Clint Gerkensmeyer developed a number of programs and services to help Engineering Manager...... Derek Miller our members. Special Services Manager...... Mike Bradshaw Manager of Finance & Admin...... John Porter Benton REA hosts free classes for members to learn the various ways to Operations Manager...... Jeff Ekrut use less energy. e next class is coming up soon so go to page 29 for more I. T. Manager...... Jeff Bastow Member Services Manager...... Troy Berglund information and how to sign up. Attorney...... Terry Mundorf Consulting Engineer...... HDR Benton REA also o ers a number of incentive rebates for members who Auditor...... Blodgett, Mickelsen & Naef make qualifying energy e cient improvements to their home. Members can see all of our energy saving programs under My Energy Savings at www.BentonREA.org. Members can lower their power bill without having to purchase more Main Offi ce e cient products. Page 28 provides ve simple tips to lower your power bill. 402 7th Street Each household is di erent so Benton REA’s Member Services Department P.O. Box 1150 can work with you to evaluate your speci c situation and identify steps Prosser, WA 99350 that you can take. Contact Member Services at 509-786-8265 or email www.bentonrea.org [email protected]. Phone: (509) 786-2913 toll free (800) 221-6987 Also, members can even out the uctuating ups and downs of their monthly Fax: (509) 786-0291 power bill by using our Levelized Billing program. Go to www.bentonrea. org/levelize for more information. Toppenish Offi ce As the cold weather approaches, remember that Benton REA is here, ready to 410 South G Street work with you as we save energy together. P.O. Box 744 Toppenish, WA 98948 Sincerely, Phone: (509) 865-2600
West Richland Offi ce Clint Gerkensmeyer 6095 W. Van Giesen General Manager West Richland, WA 99353 [email protected] Phone: (509) 967-2921
32 NOVEMBER 2014
O c e s
Hermiston O ce 750 W. Elm St. 541 567-6414 OR-8 Boardman O ce 203 E. Boardman Ave. 541 481-2220 UEC’s Secret to Success? Cooperatives Toll-Free One of the bedrock values of rural electric system for accounting, customer billing and 1-800-452-2273 cooperatives is “Cooperation Among Coop- service orders. Based in the Midwest, NISC eratives.” Here are examples that demonstrate has about 750 member-owners, primarily To Report An Outage how Umatilla Electric partners with other co- utility cooperatives and telecommunications Call 888-465-5701 any ops to bring you critical services every day. companies, across the nation. time day or night PNGC Power is a Portland-based elec- Implementation of the NISC system in tric generation and transmission cooperative 2013 was a major undertaking for UEC Directors owned by 14 electric cooperative utilities employees, and represents the fourth genera- with service territory in seven western states. tion of such software since we fi rst converted PNGC traces its roots some of our workload to computers in the President to the 1970s, with UEC as early 1970s. Je Wenholz one of its charter mem- The software can help you with such fea- bers. In its early years, tures as managing your account online, and Vice President PNGC operated out of assists us in improving business processes Bryan Wolfe UEC headquarters in and to better manage day-to-day tasks through Hermiston. integrated software. Secretary-Treasurer Today, with nearly The Cooperative Finance Corporation Bob MacPherson $1 billion in collective is a lender created by America’s electric assets, PNGC utilities cooperative network, offering UEC and other RoseEtta Ansotegui have the clout to offer member-owners low-cost, reliable fi nancing. Lee Docken our Members reliable, Touchstone Energy Cooperative provides us John Otis General Manager low-cost power options and other electric cooperatives with market- Glenn Rohde Steve Eldrige at stable prices. Our 20- ing, Co-op Connections and other services. year Bonneville Power contract provides a Another Midwest-based company, the long-term commitment to a cost-based power Cooperative Response Center, is a coopera- supply. tively owned, 24/7 contact center that handles General Manager Our involvement with PNGC allows us to our after-hour calls. Founded in 1992, CRC Steve Eldrige be directly involved in future resource deci- serves nearly 350 members and associate sions, build equity in generating assets, better members in 42 states, representing more than manage power supply risks and keep future 5 million consumers. Mission wholesale energy costs as low as possible. CRC provides us with a responsive, cost- Ruralite Services is a cooperative that be- effective service, and because of its extensive Umatilla Electric gan as a magazine for Northwest rural electric experience with tornados, hurricanes and Cooperative is a member- co-ops in 1954. The company now produces other major events, we will be well-served in owned business that sells magazines that reach more than 500,000 case a major outage hits our entire system. energy and other services consumers of electric utility companies in You, as member-owners of UEC, have your to improve the quality of Hawaii, Florida and across the West. It offers own stake in these and other cooperatives that life in our communities. information on energy-related topics and deliver services to you all year long. Member news about your local utility. You receive the ownership and control is a wonderful concept, umatillaelectric.com UEC edition in your mailbox each month. in theory and in practice, and we are proud to The National Information Solutions Co- make it vital part of our day-to-day opera- operative (NISC) provides us with our new tions.
32 NOVEMBER 2014 OR-9 105 E. 4th St. The Dalles, OR 97058 Office phone: (541) 296-2740 Manager’s Message Toll-free phone: (800) 341-8580 www.wascoelectric.com Board Member Retirement After 29 years of dedicated service to the electric industry, Neal Office Hours: Harth will retire from the Wasco Electric Cooperative Board of Monday - Thursday, Directors at the end of this year’s annual meeting. 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Neal began his career of service with WEC in 1985. He has Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. served in various capacities, including board secretary for several years and president from 1993 to 2009. He served on numerous Board of Directors co-op committees and oversaw the selection of three different Ron Holmes ...... President general managers. Michael Collins ...... Vice President Jim McNamee ...... Secretary In addition to the WEC board, Neal has served on the board H . Kelly McGreer...... Treasurer of directors of the Oregon Rural Electric Cooperative Association, including as Gary Brown...... Director president in 2000. He served on the board of the Northwest Public Power Association Robert Durham...... Director from 2004 through 2012. During his service with NWPPA, Neal served through all of Robert “Bob” Hammel...... Director the officer positions, including president in 2010 to 2011. He also was a regular Neal Harth...... Director DeOra Patton...... Director participant in the annual legislative rally in Washington, D.C. Neal is highly respected both locally and regionally for his efforts on behalf of Staff rural electric co-op and public power consumers. In 2011, he was the recipient of the Jeff Davis...... General Manager NWPPA John M. George Award for remarkable service to public power. Also in 2011, Marie Wilson. . . . Executive Admin . Assistant Neal received the ORECA distinguished service award. Shannon Bessette...... Accountant I want to thank Neal for the years and countless hours he has dedicated to the Jim Bailey...... Engineering Assistant Jim Green ...... Engineering Technician members of Wasco Electric and cooperatives across the region. His wisdom and Traci Brock. . . . Marketing & Member Services leadership in the boardroom truly has made a difference in your cooperative. Laura Correia. . . . . Customer Service Rep . Thank you, Neal! Jennifer Lindsey . . . . Customer Service Rep . Casey McCleary...... Operations Manager 75th Annual Meeting Michael North...... The Dalles Foreman Robert Gridley...... The Dalles Lineman I would like to invite each member to attend this year’s annual meeting Saturday, Wesley Woods...... Serviceman November 15, at the Civic Auditorium in The Dalles. The doors open for registration Brewster Whitmire...... Field Technician at 11 a.m. and lunch is served at noon. Dan Funkhouser. . . Grass Valley Line Foreman We will have a catered buffet luncheon; musical entertainment; a guest speaker; Gerald Haeffelin . . . . Maupin Line Foreman reports from the board, manager, attorney and auditor; and the election of three Frank Roeder ...... Maupin Lineman Ray Kindley...... Attorney board members for three-year terms. There will be prize drawings throughout the meeting. The information booklets—including resumes of the candidates for election, the program of the day, financial reports and the ballots for the director election—were mailed to each member October 30. The photos and resumes of the candidates are on Mission Statement pages 4 and 5 of this issue of Ruralite. “Wasco Electric Cooperative Inc. We look forward to seeing you at the annual meeting. If you are unable to attend, will provide its members with please mail your absentee ballot to Secretary, c/o Wasco Electric Cooperative, P.O. Box competitively priced, reliable energy 1700, The Dalles, OR, 97058, or drop them at the office by Friday, November 14. and related services.” Jeff Davis General Manager
32 november 2014 Owned By Those We Serve OR-10 Douglas Electric Cooperative Inc., Roseburg, Oregon Phone (541) 673-6616 (800) 233-2733 Be Prepared... Just In Case
O cers Dear Member, President...... Terry Nelson Vice President . . Robert Poage Douglas Electric’s mission is to provide members with reliable service - day and Secretary...... Shirley Cairns night. Employees are constantly at work maintaining equipment, removing trees Treasurer ...... Dick McHa e from rights-of-way, and upgrading the Cooperative’s power system. Director ...... Larry Shipley Director ...... Evan Barnes Despite our best efforts, severe and unusual weather can wreak havoc and cause a Director ...... Carey Weatherly power outage that can last for hours or days. Snow and ice, high winds and lightning are a few examples of natural conditions that can seriously damage power Manager equipment in a large area. Even with crews working around-the-clock, repairs are Dave Sabala time consuming, difficult and often dangerous. (541) 637-0342 We have developed a list of suggestions that can help you during the long hours of Superintendent an outage. One is to put together an emergency kit. Here are a few things to include: Todd Sherwood (541) 580-7205 • Access to a flashlight, radio & fresh batteries. Always keep the batteries separate until you are ready to use them. O ce Manager Paul Leonard • Candles & matches.
Member Services • Bottled drinking water. Be sure to store at least one gallon per person per day. Todd C. Munsey If a storm is forecast, fill the bathtub with water so bathroom facilities can still Douglas Fastnet be used by pouring a bucket of water down the toilet to create a vacuum flush. Todd Way • Clothing. Wear extra layers and cover your head with a hat. Have sleeping bags and blankets handy too. Mission Statement The mission of Douglas Electric • Easy to prepare food items. Purchase items that don’t require much Cooperative, a member-owned cooking - canned or instant soups, stews or chili, packaged freeze-dried and operated cooperative, is meals, and protein or breakfast bars are good to have on hand. to provide a ordable, reliable electric and other compatible • Gas camp stoves, lanterns or barbecues. NEVER use a camp stove or services that enhance the quality barbecue indoors! Be sure to use any lanterns on a flat, stable and non- of life for its members, using pro- flammable surface. Make sure to have extra fuel for cooking outdoors. gressive marketing in conjunc- We’ll keep working to keep the lights on, but be prepared... just in case. tion with sound nancial and management principles. Best Regards,
Dave Sabala General Manager
32 NOVEMBER 2014 Columbia Power Co-op
OR-11 Join Us for Our 65th Annual Meeting
Dear Members,
The 65th annual meeting of the members of Columbia P.O. Box 97 Power Co-op is Saturday, December 6, in the Mitchell High School gymnasium. Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. Monument, OR 97864 and the business meeting kicks off at 10 a.m. (541) 934-2311 There will be lots of door prizes, entertainment, and Toll free (888) 203-7638 the latest co-op news and business reports. As usual, you can count on a great home-cooked meal prepared by some of the finest cooks in the country, so mark it on your calendar and plan to attend. The official notification of the meeting, financial state- DIRECTORS ment, agenda and ballots for the election of directors will be mailed in mid- President Paul Walton November. Vice President Adam Temple The nominating committee met October 3, 2014, to nominate candidates for Sec./Treasurer Tom Campbell those positions that are up for election for this year. The results of that meeting are Dan Cannon as follows: Dave Humphreys • Position No. 4: Represents the Mitchell/Twickenham area. Incumbent Dan Cheryl Jenison Cannon and Pat Perry were nominated for this position. LaReta Jones • Position No. 5: Represents the Dale/Ritter area. Incumbent Paul Walton and Butch Phelps were nominated for this position. MANAGER Subsequent to the meeting, Perry and Phelps declined the nomination and there- Troy Cox fore will not appear on the ballot.
The board of directors meets Co-op News the second Monday of each month. Fire season this year kept everyone busy. At one time we had four large fires—not to mention all of the smaller ones—threatening our lines. Thanks to our crews and all of the fire crews we were able to keep damage to our lines at a minimum. I also would POWER OUTAGE NUMBERS like to thank all of the landowners who helped fight the fires and kept us informed of the fire situation. Co-op office ...... 934-2311 The continuation of the rebuild between Alder Creek and Mitchell was held up Ed Andersen ...... 934-2255 this year because we have not been able to get permitting from the Bureau of Land Guy Andersen ...... 934-2098 Management. Rebuilding the main line between Service Creek and Mitchell is still a Troy Cox ...... 934-2155 priority to us. If we cannot get the BLM to work with us on permitting, we will look Josh Hamilton ...... 934-2133 at options to go around the BLM land. Mike Osborne ...... 934-2067 That about covers the news for now. We hope to see you at the annual meeting in Joe Ringering ...... 934-2198 December. The board, crew and I wish you safe and happy holidays. Gary Warner ...... 934-2961 Brian Woodell ...... 934-2260 Best Regards,
Troy Cox, Manager
32 NOVEMBER 2014 Central Issues Central Electric Cooperative DIRECTORS: OR-12
Chairman Tom Strand, Terrebonne Vice Chairman Dan Steelhammer, Bend President’s Report Secretary/Treasurer Kip Light, Madras Beverly Clarno, Redmond William J. Rainey, Sisters Boyd Keeton, Tumalo CEC Joins Washington Youth Tour Shirley McCullough, Prineville Kelly McFarlane, Powell Butte High schoolers vie for educational trip to Washington, D.C. Kenneth H. Miltenberger, Alfalfa Each summer, many Oregon cooperatives send high school students on a one-week, Attorney Robert E. Maloney Jr. Lane Powell PC, Portland expense-paid trip to the nation’s capital. I am pleased to announce Central Electric will send two high school juniors to take part in the 2015 Washington Youth Tour. STAFF: The youth tour is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn how our federal gov- ernment works, understand the history of electric cooperatives, President meet with congressional representatives and staffers to under- Dave Markham stand their viewpoints on the issues challenging our country and Chief Financial Officer how Congress addresses them, and visit the major historic sites Rawleigh White in Washington, D.C. CEC member-students meet other students from across Operations & Engineering Director Oregon and the rest of the country, sometimes forming long- Bob McConnell lasting friendships. Students will share their experience with co-op members at the Corporate Information Officer 2016 CEC annual meeting. We believe the youth tour rewards exceptional students Lisa Cutter who are our future leaders and enriches our communities by doing so. The trip is June 11-19, 2015. Applications are accepted from November 14 through Member Services Director January 9. The co-op pays for all transportation, lodging and meals. More details Jeff Beaman about the tour and the application form are available on pages 28 and 29. Information Bend District Manager and applications are posted at www.cec.coop. Notifications promoting the opportunity Karen Lewis will be sent this month to all of the high schools in Central Oregon that co-op mem- bers might attend. 24-HOUR Students competing for one of the openings are required to submit an essay PHONE NUMBERS: describing his or her view of the major challenges facing our nation and what solu- tions they envision. A group of finalists will go through an interview to determine Redmond...... (541) 548-2144 Bend...... (541) 389-1980 the two winners. The eligibility requirements are simple: the student must have junior Madras...... (541) 475-3266 standing at the conclusion of this school year and senior status for the 2015-16 year, Prineville...... (541) 447-5321 and the student’s family must be CEC members. Sisters...... (541) 549-5698 We are excited about joining other cooperatives across the state in the Washington Mission Statement Youth Tour, and I hope all of CEC membership’s high school juniors feel the same. The aim of Central Electric Co-op is to make electric energy available to its Sincerely, members at the lowest cost consistent with sound economy and good management.
Board meets the third Thursday Dave Markham of each month at the CEC office, President and CEO 2098 N. Highway 97, Redmond, OR. www.cec.coop
32 NOVEMBER 2014 Board of Directors OR-13 President Cheryl McMahan, Southern At-Large Vice President John G. Herzog, Brookings/Harbor Special Message To those we are committed to—and serve electrically—every day. Secretary/ Treasurer Georgia A. Cockerham, Brookings/Harbor A number of topics came to mind for September. We want to thank members Edward Dowdy, Northern At-Large this month’s back page, so I will take the for their commitment to energy conser- Jim Kolen, Gold Beach opportunity to provide quick updates. vation and energy efficiency. Peter C. Radabaugh, Bandon Call it a “cooperative smorgasbord.” Daryl C. Robison, Port Orford/Langlois Another Scam Attorney—Tyler Pepple Conservation Funds Exhausted First, local restaurants were targeted. The It is with mixed feelings that I tell you most recent round of calls targeted local Staff our energy conservation funding has motels. General Manager/CEO been exhausted. We have no funding The message is the same. The caller Roger Meader until October 1, 2015. These programs claims to be from the local utility and Corporate Services/CFO have been popular with Coos-Curry says the business is delinquent on its Frank Corrales Electric Cooperative members. Since power bill and will be disconnected with- 2006, rebates and incentives have paid in 45 minutes if the bill is not paid by a Operations Manager for duct test and seal work, CFLs, low- credit card. C. Dale Wilson flow shower heads, energy-efficient If you receive one of these calls, do not Manager of System appliances, upgrades for windows and give out any information. Hang up and Planning & Engineering doors, insulation and more efficient heat call one of our published telephone num- Andrew McBride pumps. bers to report the incident. If it happens Marketing and Member Nearly $3 million has been passed after our normal business hours, call our Services Manager along to our membership through these after-hours call center at (866) 352-9044. Christine L. Stallard programs. Members have saved more Our office hours are Monday through than 11.5 million kilowatt-hours in that Thursday from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Be Local numbers same period since 2006. suspicious of calls received outside those Coquille...... (541) 396-3118 The good news is the popularity of hours of operation. It is important to pro- Port Orford...... (541) 332-3931 Gold Beach...... (541) 247-6638 these programs and the money they have tect your personal information at all times. Brookings...... (541) 469-2103 saved our members through lower elec- tric bills. The bad news is the funds for Storm Safety Area office hours 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. this two-year program period were used I hope you have prepared for our winter Monday through Thursday. up within the first year. storms. Report outages when they occur, Closed Friday. As these programs have always been and stay safely away from downed power first come, first served, there may be lines. Rest assured that we will get the After-Hours Outage Number members who installed improvements— lights on as quickly as possible. While we (866) 352-9044 or are installing them now—who will not are working, updates are posted on the Call Before You Dig receive rebates because the money is gone. website at www.ccec.coop and on our 811 Energy conservation programs are Facebook page. We also will keep the designed and implemented through radio stations informed. www.ccec.coop the Bonneville Power Administration. Finally, let me be the first to wish you Funding for these programs is part of and your family a safe and happy holiday our cost of wholesale power from BPA. season. New programs will be announced next —Roger Meader, General Manager/CEO
32 NOVEMBER 2014 www.ccec.coop West Oregon Electric Co-op
652 Rose Ave. P.O. Box 69 OR-14 Vernonia, OR 97064 (503) 429-3021 Toll free (800) 777-1276 www.westoregon.org Manager’s Message A member contacted me recently to say she received a BOARD OF DIRECTORS phone call threatening her with immediate disconnect of President Robert VanNatta her electricity, and she could avoid disconnect only if she (Dist. 2 – Mist, Apiary, Birkenfeld) wired funds from Western Union to an out-of-state bank. Fortunately, she didn’t fall for the scam. Vice President Bob Paleck Please be aware that this scam has been going around (Dist. 5 – Timber, Buxton) for some time now. Call us if you have any questions. Sec./Treasurer Larry Averitt Occasionally, I get feedback about someone posting (Dist. 7 – Manning, Hagg Lake, on the Vernonia Community Facebook page about how Yamhill County) unfair West Oregon Electric Cooperative is for requiring advanced payment for new electric service. Brian Baker It is standard procedure for WOEC to run a credit (Dist. 1 – Jewell, Elsie, Hamlet) check on every request for new service. The level of advanced payment required for Jim Buxton service depends on the results of that credit check from Online Utilities. If the person (Dist. 3 – Vernonia, Keasey) has an excellent credit history, no advanced payment is required. If the person has a Dan Murphy not-so-excellent credit history, the level of advanced payment required increases with (Dist. 4 – Vernonia) the level of risk indicated. This can be as high as two times the highest monthly bill for that account. This policy is in place to protect the membership from having to Rosemary Lohrke write off bad debt. (Dist. 6 – Chapman, Scappoose) You may have noticed the days are getting shorter, the temperature is dropping and we all are spending more time indoors, which means we tend to use more electricity. GENERAL MANAGER ’Tis the season for Christmas lights and space heaters. Bob Perry One question that comes up every year is, “What does it cost to run this stuff?” It is pretty easy to get a rough idea by using a simple formula. Contact the Board: Let’s look at one of those small ceramic cube 1,500-watt space heaters that keeps [email protected] your feet warm while working at a desk. The simple formula is: (watts x electric rate x time)/1,000 = $. In our example of the space heater, it runs eight hours a day. The Board meetings are the third cost of electricity is 14 cents per kilowatt-hour. The cost to run per day (1,500 x .14 Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. x 8)/1,000 is $1.68. Multiply that by 30 days and it costs an extra $50 a month to run Members are welcome. that little space heater. The moral of this story is that it is not the physical size of the heater that matters, it is the wattage it uses. You can use this same formula on heat tapes for water lines, stock tank heaters and Christmas lights. If you really want to know what an appliance costs to run, you can buy a Kill A Watt Electricity use monitor. It plugs into a wall outlet, and you plug whatever you want to monitor into it. We have some in the WOEC office if you are interested in checking one out, but you need to return it.
Until next time,
Bob Perry, General Manager
32 NOVEMBER 2014 787 Bailey Hill Road / P.O. Box 21410 Eugene, Oregon 97402 O ce Phone: 541- 484-1151 OR-16 Website: www.laneelectric.com
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Down the line Chris Seubert, President; Central District Jeri Nelson, Vice-President; Oakridge District Dear Member: Ed Bangle, Secretary; Row River District You are a part of something special in Lane County! Every Fall Pat Dymock, Treasurer; McKenzie District season Lane Electric hosts members dinner meetings in the Jack Billings, Central District communities we serve in south and east Lane County. I Chuck Leighter, Central District experienced these meetings for the first time this year as Lane Susan Knudsen Obermeyer, Oakridge District Electric’s new general manager and it was a delight! I hope that after reading this note, you make a personal GENERAL MANAGER resolution to come out next year to see what gathering with your neighbors and hearing about your cooperative is all about. We have fun and the time is Matt Michel well spent. At each meeting I sat with a group of new friends. We talked about our homes and our MANAGEMENT STAFF gardens, Ducks (and other certain colleges’) football, and shared experiences of when a Tony Toncray; Mgr. Construction & Maintenance Lane Electric lineman gave a friendly wave while restoring power to homes in less-than- Doug Stockdale; Mgr. Engineering Services accommodating weather. I heard a heartfelt appreciation for the work Lane Electric Debi Wilson; Mgr. O ce & Sta Services employees do as well as kind words welcoming me to the community. I’m already looking forward to next year’s meetings and the opportunity to share this rare sense of Dave D’Avanzo; Mgr. Member & Regional A airs community. Speaking of community, I’m sounding the alert to all Lane Electric members that BOARD MEETINGS winter is fast approaching! Is your home prepared for cold temperatures? Do your 4th Monday of each month (Unless otherwise noted) emergency preparedness kits need re-stocked? We are your information resource on Lane Electric’s O ce at 11 a.m. answering these important questions. Check out our website at www.laneelectric.com under the Residential tab to learn about home insulation and heating tips. Under the Outage Info tab you’ll find pictures and lists In This Issue for building your emergency preparedness kit. If you’re interested in any of our weatherization and energy efficiency programs, give our Energy Services department a Feature: Page # call. They’re great to work with and genuinely interested in serving you, our co-op member. 2014 District Remember too that you can save money on your electric bill by monitoring your Meeting Review 4 & 5 home’s energy performance and making changes to your heating or lighting habits. The SmartHub feature on our website can provide you usage information to help you make 1st Call For NRECA good decisions about how you spend your electric utility dollars. Youth Tour... 8 Finally, another vital piece of the Lane Electric community is the Member Assistance Program (MAP) that helps pay part of the electric bill for co-op members in need during By The Numbers... 25 the cold winter season. We recently started a new feature called MAP-Plus that allows you Winter’s Coming... to round-up your monthly bill payment to the nearest dollar and contribute that spare change to the MAP program. It’s easy to care for your local community with Lane Are You Prepared?... 28 & 29 Electric as your co-op. Down the Line... 32 Matt Michel, General Manager
32 NOVEMBER 2014 TM
Blachly-Lane Electric Cooperative 90680 Highway 99 Eugene, OR 97402 OR-17 (541)-688-8711 (800)-446-8418 www.blachlylane.coop Remote-Read Meters and the Start of Pole Testing Dear Members, Mission Statement: Blachly-Lane’s Some Blachly-Lane members have privacy or security concerns primary objective is to provide safe, regarding access to their property. Many have locked gates to cost-e ective, reliable, and keep animals from running loose or have had experience with competitive electrical energy and intruders. service to its members. Traditionally, electric utilities send a meter reader once a month to come on your property to read your meter. This can Board of Directors: be hazardous duty as they run into the occasional protective Ernie Jacksch, Vice Chairman dog or are mistaken for an intruder. (ph: 927-3466) District 1 Blachly-Lane now has a solution for these meter-reading [email protected] issues: remote-read meters. If you would like us to minimize our (Low Pass, Blachly, Deadwood and need to come on to your property, Blachly-Lane can install a remote-read meter in place Indian Creek areas) of your current meter. These meters can be read by driving past your property. There is still a need to inspect the meter installation once a year to make sure everything is in Bob Sikes, Director good working order. Members are notified prior to an annual inspection. (ph: 935-7602) District 2 If you are interested in having a remote-read meter to replace your existing meter, (Fern Ridge and Elmira-rural areas) please call us at (541) 688-8711. A contractor has begun this year’s testing and treating of Blachly-Lane power poles. Cheryl Haskell, Secretary/Treasurer This includes digging around the base of the poles to check for rot, boring several holes (ph: 998-3954) District 3 in the poles and filling them with a fumigant. The fumigant disperses in the wood and [email protected] helps keep microorganisms from deteriorating the wood. Wooden plugs are pounded (Junction City-rural and Hwy 99N) into the holes to keep the fumigant in the poles and water out. The contractor visu- ally inspects the whole structure and notes any maintenance items that need attention. Marlene Northrup, Director Blachly-Lane is required by the Oregon Public Utilities Commission to inspect its entire (ph.998-1216) District 4 system every 10 years, or 10 percent of the system each year on average. [email protected] (Hwy 36, Hall Road and Joe Jarvis North Poodle Creek Road) General Manager Cliff Kelley, Chairman (ph: 935-5728) District 5 [email protected] (Warthen, Sheffler and Walton areas)
General Manager Joe Jarvis [email protected]
32 NOVEMBER 2014 WA-18 Operation Warm Heart Board of Commissioners Unforeseen financial hardships often can create an additional burden for families Dan G. Gunkel President struggling to pay their monthly bills. Since 1989, caring Klickitat PUD customers have given generously to the Operation Warm Heart fund. Ray A. Mosbrucker Vice President Their gifts help other KPUD customers in genuine need who are having problems paying their power bills. Neighbor helping neighbor is a proud Klickitat Randy L. Knowles Secretary County tradition. What is Operation Warm Heart? Jim Smith Operation Warm Heart is a year-round emergency energy assistance program funded General Manager by gifts from KPUD customers. During the past decade, customers have given more Ron Ihrig than $250,000 to help hundreds of families in financial need, often because of a health Chief Operating Officer emergency or change in employment. Holly Dohrman Power Manager Who gets help? How does someone apply? Anita Thompson All of the funds raised by Operation Warm Heart stay in Klickitat County to help Accounting Manager local families in crisis. Gwyn Miller Applications can be completed in any KPUD office and are subject to review by the Human Resources Manager Ministerial Association. There are no income limitations to apply for the Operation Ron Schultz Warm Heart program, and all in need are encouraged to apply. Nominations are Chief Engineer accepted if you are aware of someone in financial need that may be unwilling to apply Jeff Thayer for assistance on their own. Operations Manager Mike DeMott How can I contribute? Customer Service Supervisor You can be part of Operation Warm Heart with a tax-deductible contribution of any amount. There are three easy ways to give: 1. Have a small amount added to your monthly KPUD bill. Most people give just www.klickitatpud.com $1 or $2 per month. Goldendale Office 2. Make a contribution of any amount. All gifts are welcome. 1313 S. Columbus Ave. 3. Place your bill on Operation Round Up, which rounds up utility bills to the Goldendale, WA 98620 nearest dollar, and places the difference into the Operation Warm Heart fund to help (509) 773-5891 needy families. (800) 548-8357 No matter which option you choose, your gift is tax deductible and a great way to show you care. White Salmon Office If you would like to participate, call KPUD at (800) 548-8357 or (509) 773-5891 in 110 NE Estes Ave. Goldendale, and (800) 548- 8358 or (509) 493-2255 in White Salmon. P.O. Box 187 Thank you for supporting this program. KPUD appreciates every donation from White Salmon, WA 98672 big to small, and wishes everyone a warm and happy holiday season! (509) 493-2255 (800) 548-8358 Mike DeMott Customer Service Supervisor
32 NOVEMBER 2014 The power of local service ID-19
www.nli.coop P.O. Box 269 Sagle, ID 83860 Electricity Remains a Good Value For Outages: In today’s world, you won’t find many items that (866) NO-LITES cost less than $5. You can buy a gallon of milk, a (866) 665-4837 gallon of gas or a Big Mac meal from McDonald’s.
For regular business But did you know that an average day’s worth of within the Sandpoint area: electricity costs less than $5? (208) 263-5141 Even in our country’s shifting energy climate, electricity remains a good value. In fact, electricity Outside Sandpoint: has the lowest cost per day of any of the items listed (800) 326-9594 above. And not all of those items are necessary for Board President daily life. Steve Elgar Take a moment to think about your daily necessities: electricity and gasoline, to name two. Then think about the cost of those special treats we allow ourselves to buy Board Vice President on a weekly basis, or maybe even on a daily basis for some items: a Starbucks latte and Eric Anderson that Big Mac meal. We don’t often question the cost of a Big Mac meal, but on aver- Board Secretary/Treasurer age, it actually costs more to buy a Big Mac meal than it does to buy a day’s worth of Judith Simonson power. Yet we sometimes become upset if our electricity rates rise. General Manager It makes sense. We are increasingly reliant upon electricity. For many of us, electric- Annie Terracciano ity has gone from a luxury commodity to a necessity and an expectation. We expect the lights to come on when we flip the switch, and we expect our power to stay on during the best and worst conditions. How else would we keep our food fresh, and Board of Directors by District Dist. No. 1—Eric Anderson, Priest Lake, ID our homes cool in the summer or warm in the winter? (208) 610-1718 It is easy to cut a Big Mac out of your spending routine here and there to save a few Dist. No. 2—Judith Simonson, Noxon, MT dollars. But we cannot easily cut electricity out of our budgets if times get tough or if (406) 847-2643 we decide we want to scale back our spending to save. It is nearly impossible for us to Dist. No. 3—Steve Elgar, Sandpoint, ID think about what our lives would be like if we did not have electricity. (208) 265-0570 Dist. No. 4—David Pemberton, Careywood, ID If at times it doesn’t seem that electricity is affordable, remember this: Even as the (208) 661-5911 demand for electricity grows, annual cost increases still remain low, especially when Dist. No. 5—Kennon McClintock, Moyie Springs, ID compared to other consumer goods such as medical care, education, gasoline and, yes, (208) 267-7064 even Big Macs. Dist. No. 6—G.E. Butch Hagen, Bonners Ferry, ID As general manager of Northern Lights Inc., I am committed to making sure you (208) 819-3191 Dist. No. 7—Jim Woodward, Sagle, ID and your family always have safe, reliable and affordable electric service in your home. (208) 946-7963 So the next time you crave a Big Mac, remember your electric bill, and think about what a great deal you are getting for your dollar.
—Annie Terracciano General Manager
32 NOVEMBER 2014 ID-21 Idaho County Light & Power A Look Back This month’s Manager Message is actually own service territory. Cooperative the president’s report from this year’s annual We also have diversified in securing meeting. So, if you are seeing this before the power we deliver to you. Originally, Ernie delivers it, don’t give it away. P.O. Box 300 and for many years, we relied on one power supplier, the Bonneville Power Grangeville, Idaho 83530 Dear Members, Administration. Today, in addition to Phone: (208) 983-1610 After having celebrated our 75th anniver- BPA, we have a share of the generation Tollfree: (877) 212-0424 sary last year, I would like to take you on from the Priest Rapids project on the Fax: (208) 983-1432 a brief look back at our cooperative. A lot Columbia River. We own and operate Email: [email protected] has changed from that day in 1939 when the small hydro generation plant on John Website: www.iclp.coop we energized those first 60 members Day Creek. And we are a member of the from power lines that consisted of two Northwest Energy Supply Cooperative— Directors thin wires strung on 25- or 30-foot-tall a group of consumer-owned utilities President Ernie Robinson poles set mostly by hand and horse. from seven Northwest states partnering White Bird We have spread out over a diverse to bring energy resources to its members. area, serving river valleys to mountain Diversifying our efforts reaches Vice President John Solberg tops, wide prairies to dense forests, urban beyond our borders in even more ways. Kamiah areas to remote homesteads miles from Through the years, we have partnered the nearest neighbor. with other cooperatives through associa- Secretary-Treasurer Cli Tacke We have grown into a modern util- tions, including the Idaho Consumer- Greencreek ity with state-of-the-art equipment and Owned Utilities Association; regional communications, serving you not only organizations such as the Public Power Frank McIntire through wires delivering electricity, but Council and the Northwest Requirements Kamiah reaching out through the Internet and Utilities; and national associations wireless communications to bring our such as the National Rural Electric Gerald Frei services to your fingertips and to bring Cooperative Association and Touchstone Grangeville you the cooperative message. Energy Cooperatives. We have become more diverse in so Through these associations, we gain Kim Dahler many facets of the electric cooperative the voice to impact important issues that Kooskia business, including financing. We joined affect you and your cooperative, includ- other co-ops across the nation in the ’70s ing state laws, wholesale rates, and even Jim Poxleitner to set up an alternative lender when the congressional legislation and federal Cottonwood Rural Electrification Administration was regulations. challenged by the Nixon administration. My message is to point out how your Attorney Later, we refinanced all of our remaining cooperative has grown through the years Greg FitzMaurice REA loans with that same private lender. to always meet the needs of its members This freed us from REA regulations that and the challenges of the day. Manager would have made it more difficult to Our promise is that we will always Jake Eimers diversify. work our hardest to continue this tradi- That led to the development of ICP tion into the future. Inc., a wholly owned propane company that has grown to serve well beyond our —Ernie Robinson, President
32 NOVEMBER 2014 115 East Main Street WA-22 P.O. Box 46 Dayton, WA 99328 Phone: (509) 382-2578 Fax: (509) 382-2736 Letter from Les... 2929 Melrose Street Walla Walla, WA 99362 For more than 65 years, America’s electric cooperatives have Phone: (509) 526-4041 thrived, growing to meet local needs in different parts of the Fax: (509) 526-3666 country and earning the trust of millions of people. In all Toll Free: (800) 642-1231 our communities we have been a focal point; a connection; a touchstone. ColumbiaREA.coop In 1998 electric co-ops across the U.S. came together to create a new team—Touchstone Energy Cooperatives. Board of Directors Columbia REA is proud to be a part of this national brand Dennis Munden, President within America’s energy industry that champions the value Vic Parks, Vice President of the cooperative difference. Katie Wooldridge, Sec/Treasurer The Touchstone Energy network is made up of close to Les Teel Marc Armstrong, Director 750 local, member-owned electric cooperatives in 46 states. CEO, Columbia REA Eric Johnson, Director Touchstone Energy co-ops, like Columbia REA, collectively Greg Knowles, Director deliver power and energy solutions to more than 30 million members every day. And Bruce McCaw, Director because we are a cooperative, we have a responsibility to support the communities Tim Pettyjohn, Director we serve and exceed expectations there, too. That means we aim to improve the qual- Bill Stonecipher, Director ity of life by participating in local community events such as County Fairs, Balloon Stampede, Ducky Derby, Gran Fondo, Relay for Life & National Night Out. We’re Board meetings are normally the dedicated to serving our members with innovation, integrity, accountability and com- fourth Tuesday of each month. The mitment to community. Together, Touchstone Energy Cooperatives champion the meeting starts at 8:30 a.m. and is cause for lowest-cost, democratically governed energy. usually held in the Dayton office. To us, it’s about how we use human connection to inspire engagement, preference and loyalty. And it’s about how we help transform relationships. Sta Columbia REA, along with other Touchstone Energy co-ops, takes pride in creating Chief Executive Officer, Les Teel innovative programs to better serve our member-consumers and in finding new ways Executive Assistant/HR, to help businesses succeed. We take even more pride in being reliable neighbors in the Jennifer Aichele communities we are a part of. We are on a mission to build a strong local and national Manager of Marketing & presence to electric cooperatives. Member Services, Scott Peters Above all, we each have a voice because we are all members; we are all owners; we are all connected; we are all a part of the cooperative network. Manager of Engineering & Operations, Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about your cooperative. Dave Reller Until next time! Les Manager of Financial Services, Jim Cooper Manager of Communications & IT, Bob Greene Manager of Safety and Regulatory Affairs, KC Dors
32 november 2014 www.columbiarea.coop 16755 Finley Butte Road P.O. Box 127 La Pine, OR 97739 OR-23 www.midstateelectric.coop [email protected] (541) 536-2126 • (800) 722-7219 Manager’s Message Departments Dear Member, attention to what Customer Service ...... Option 3 Engineering ...... Option 4 Oregon electric Marketing ...... Option 5 The state legislature returns in February cooperatives are Operations ...... Option 6 for a full session, which is limited to 160 saying. days. Midstate Electric will actively work As a member- After-Hours Outage and with other Oregon electric coopera- owned business, Emergencies: (541) 536-2165 tives through the Oregon Rural Electric we need your or (800) 752-5935 Cooperative Association to remind law- help to keep elec- makers about the importance of afford- tric rates afford- OFFICE HOURS Monday through Thursday able and reliable electricity. able. Please take 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. This is a time of unprecedented a moment to join Power of Community Closed Fridays and holidays. change in the electric utility industry. by calling marketing at (541) 536-2126, At all government levels, elected offi- option 5, or by emailing your name, BOARD OF DIRECTORS cials could look at raising utility taxes to address and phone number to President increase revenues. [email protected]. Alan Parks, Fort Rock If this legislative session is like the last, Vice President a number of bills will be considered that Thank you for allowing Midstate Bud Kendall, La Pine could dramatically raise the price of elec- Electric to serve you Secretary/Treasurer tricity for Northwest consumers. During this Thanksgiving season, I Ken Wilson, Chemult If our electric cooperative is to provide would like to express my thanks to every- Diana Cox, Christmas Valley affordable power and best represent the one who helps make our rural electric Gordon DeArmond, Crescent needs of you—our members—we need cooperative so special: Robert Reed, La Pine your help. Power of Community is a You, the consumer-owners, to Vic Russell, Fall River • Ron Sommerfeldt, Gilchrist grassroots network of electric cooperative whom the cooperative belongs. Leland Smith, Sunriver consumers throughout Oregon. When • Our board members, who offer asked, these people contact their elected leadership and advice. officials to express support or opposition • Our skilled employees, who provide Board meets the fourth Monday to a bill that would affect electric rates. professional, friendly service daily. of each month at the co-op office. As a Power of Community member, • Our many friends, neighbors and STAFF we will provide you with background business associates, who offer their General Manager material on electric utility issues and support. Dave Schneider newsletters on important state and fed- Happy Thanksgiving! Our office will Operations/Engineering Manager eral legislation. From time to time, we be closed to observe the holiday. In case Dave Munson might ask you to contact your elected of an outage, our after-hours outage line, Marketing Manager officials about a particular piece of leg- (541) 536-2165, will be open 24 hours a Teresa Lackey islation that is being considered. You are day to assist you. CFO/Accounting Manager never under any obligation to do so and Jami Bartunek can cancel your participation at any time. Dave Schneider, General Manager Interim Information Elected officials want to hear from Services Manager our members, the voters. The more Your 2014 member calendar is Shane Stenhjem people they hear from, the more they pay included in this issue of Ruralite. Attorney William Sheridan Jr.
32 NOVEMBER 2014 ID-24
RaftRaft River River Members’ Message RuralRural Electric Electric Co-op Co- Dear Members, The board of directors and management of the cooperative are pleased to announce DIRECTORSDIRECTORS DIRECTORS there will be no rate increases in 2015. The Bonneville Power Administration projects PresidentPresident Larry Henson Gary Jones the wholesale rate will increase by about 7 percent in 2015, but Raft River Electric will President Gary Jones ViceVice President President Dennis Larry Poulsen Monroe absorb this increase until we look at our costs and revenues in 2016. Vice President Larry Monroe Secretary-TreasurerSecretary-Treasurer Larry Monroe Stan Raft River’s board of directors will look at ways to help mitigate these wholesale Secretary-Treasurer Stan Ralph SpencerScissons Blaine Tanner cost increases that are projected to happen every two years throughout the next 20 Spencer Blaine Tanner Stan SpencerDel Dee Kunzler years. The aging hydro system and new environmental regulations are putting upward Del Dee Kunzler Krinn McCoyKrinn McCoy cost pressure on BPA wholesale power costs. Krinn McCoy The cooperative uses technology enhancements to lower costs. We now have the Doug WebbRalph Scissons Ralph Scissons ability to report outages using Smart Hub, which is available as an app for mobile Gary JonesLarry Henson Larry Henson computing devices or can be accessed from your computer or iPad. We urge you to Blaine TannerDoug Webb Doug Webb use this new tool, which allow members to report an outage without calling the after- hours dispatch center. You will receive immediate verification that your incident was GENERALGENERAL MANAGER MANAGER GENERAL MANAGER reported, without going through the process of calling dispatch and enduring the Heber Carpenter Heber Carpenter Heber Carpenter questions that must be asked under the new FTC Red Flag Rules for protecting mem- ber information. OPERATIONSOPERATIONS MANAGER MANAGER Please call our office if you have questions about this new tool or need help getting OPERATIONS MANAGER Kim Smith Kim Smith set up to use this simple and easy method of outage reporting, as well as the billing Kim Smith analysis that is available with this program. BoardBoard meets meets the fourth the Wednesdayfourth Your cooperative staff is always ready to serve all of your electrical needs, so please Board meets the fourth of eachWednesday month of each month let us know if you have questions or concerns. We would like to make sure all of our Wednesday of each month members get the great service they deserve. Thank you for your support. P.O. Box 617P.O. Box 617 P.O. Box 617 Malta, IDMalta, 83342 ID 83342 Malta, ID 83342 Raft River Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc. To Call RaftTo CallRiver Raft River To Call Raft River • OfficeOffice hours hours (208) 645-2211645-2211 • Office hours (208) 645-2211 • Toll freefree (800) 342-7732342-7732 • Toll free (800) 342-7732 (After(After hours hours and and outages) outages) (After hours and outages) WesternWestern Division Division Western Division (All callscalls for for Jackpot, Jackpot, Jarbidge, Jarbidge, (All calls for Jackpot, Jarbidge, Mountain City City and and Owyhee) Owyhee) Mountain City and Owyhee) • OfficeOffice hours hours (208) 645-2211645-2211 • Office hours (208) 645-2211 • Toll freefree (800) 342-7732342-7732 • Toll free (800) 342-7732 (After(After hours hours and and outages) outages)
32 NOVEMBER 2014 Hood River Electric Cooperative OR-26 Manager’s Message Dear Members,
It is with sadness that I report the recent death of co-op director Michael Udelius. Mike died October 13 at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center in Portland. As many of you may know, Mike was a lifelong resident of P.O. Box 125 the Hood River Valley. He enjoyed mountain climbing, skiing 3521 Davis Drive and contributing to the community through his service on vari- Odell, OR 97044 ous governing boards throughout the years. He was a longtime member of the Crag Rats, so it was appropriate that a gathering (541) 354-1233 of family and friends was at the Crag Rat Hut on October 16. www.hrec.coop The event was well-attended, with standing room only at times. Mike was appointed to fill a vacancy on the board of direc- tors at a special meeting of the directors March 28, 2005. He was re-elected for consecutive three-year terms at the annual Directors membership meetings in 2006, 2009 and 2012. President Butch Gehrig I found Mike to be a very engaged and attentive steward of Vice President Patrick Moore your cooperative. It was not uncommon for him to visit the Secretary Bernie Wells office to ask questions or get additional details or information Treasurer Roger Nelson about topics being considered by the board. His diverse back- Gary Bloom ground and experience provided a great foundation from which Opal DeBoard to participate in the governance of HREC and CACHE. I will Doug Mahurin miss his contributions at the monthly meetings. Mike Udelius John McGhee On a positive note, I am pleased to report the financial per- Mike Udelius formance of HREC through the first three quarters of the year has exceeded projections. Though total expenses exceed projec- Manager tions by about 1 percent, gross revenues are approximately John Gerstenberger 6 percent higher than projected. As a result, the net margin at the end of three quarters of the fiscal year is well above expectations. Another positive fact: More than $536,000 of previously Serving rural retained net margins will be returned to those members who Hood River County bought energy from HREC in 1999 and/or 2000. Checks are scheduled to arrive in your mailboxes the second half of since 1945 November. Thank you for the opportunity to serve you!
John Gerstenberger, Manager
32 november 2014 Harney Electric Cooperative
OR-27 Manager’s Message Dear Member,
Your safety is always our concern. Each new season brings its own set of safety hazard reminders, and winter is no exception. Keep electric cords in good condition. Be sure your holiday lighting is installed with safety in mind. Make sure your extension cords are in good condition, with no 277 Lottery Lane damage to the cord or plug-ins. Light strands that have damaged or broken bulbs Hines, OR 97738 should be replaced, or discarded if the wiring appears to be damaged. (541) 573-2061 Overloading your cords by using multiple outlet units on the same cord could [email protected] cause damage to your equipment, or even worse, a fire. Be sure to follow manufac- turer directions. Orovada, Nevada Use the correct outlet. Connect outdoor lighting to a ground-fault circuit inter- (775) 272-3336 rupter. These outlets are designed to break the electrical current in the event of a [email protected] short circuit. Most newer homes have these devices installed in the garage or patio— any place where electricity and water can be in close proximity. That said, GFCI out- www.harneyelectric.org lets should not be considered as a substitute for good safety habits. If you don’t have one of these outlets in your home, consider having an electrician install one for you. Always look up. Winter months can be a good time to trim trees. If you decide to prune one of your trees, be sure to look up for any overhead power lines. If you see a power line nearby, please call us for assistance. We may be able to trim the tree for Board of Directors you, or de-energize the line so you or a contractor can safely remove the tree. President John Ugalde Stay away from down power lines. We always want you to report any down or Sec./Treasurer Gary Miller extremely low power lines, but don’t touch them! Keep others away and call us imme- Frank Albisu diately. Only our employees have the equipment and knowledge required to correct Joe Cronin the problem. Rod Hoagland Your safety is always our concern. If you would like more information on winter Alex Dufurrena safety tips, please call us at (541) 573-2061. Zach Sword Randy Whitaker General Manager General Manager Randy Whitaker Operations Manager Brent Beverly Line Superintendent Jason Hill Electrical Engineer Shane Sweet Office Manager Fred Flippence Attorney Raymond S. Kindley
32 NOVEMBER 2014 United Electric
Co-op Inc. ID-29
Directors Electricity Remains a President Dean Nielsen Vice President Bruce Beck Good Value at United Electric Sec./Treas. Cordell Searle Brent Bowen Electricity. It is a service most of us cannot live without. It pow- Ronald Osterhout ers our homes, our businesses, our lives. And while it may not David Phillips seem like it when you get your bill, electricity also is a great George Toner value. John R. West Electricity is a commodity United Electric provides 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, and we work hard to ensure it is always available when you need it. Most folks do not Jo Elg General Manager think about the value of their electricity until the power goes Jo Elg out. With a reliability rate greater than 99.9 percent, you do not have to think about it often. Director of Engineering Consider the cost of a few items that most of us purchase on a regular basis. The and Operations cost for a gallon of unleaded gasoline shot up an average of 5.8 percent annually Trevor Parke between 2005-2013, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Eggs are not over easy anymore. The cost of a dozen eggs increased an average of 5.4 percent annually. Other Mailing address: staples, such as a loaf of white bread, increased an average of 4.2 percent annually. The 1330 21st St. national average annual increase of electricity was 3.2 percent. Heyburn, ID 83336 Most of us do not think much about $5 these days because in today’s world, $5 does not have much buying power. How many of us can go out to lunch on $5? But Phone: (208) 679-2222 think about this: An average days’ worth of electricity for a residential member of United Electric costs about $4. Unlike gasoline, eggs or white bread, electricity is a Fax: (208) 679-3333 24-hour-a-day commodity. The $5 spent on lunch lasts about 30 minutes. The $4 spent on a day’s worth of electricity lasts—well, all day! Email: [email protected] The United Electric board of directors, management and employees work hard to keep your electricity safe, reliable and affordable. It is in our mission statement: “It is Web address: the mission of United Electric Co-op Inc. to provide safe, reliable power at reasonable www.uec.coop rates, with exceptional service and commitment to the members.” But each of you also plays a role in the price of your power. It is the amount of After Hours: (208) 679-4444 electricity used, not the price of a kilowatt-hour, that is the big reason for higher elec- tric bills. In the past 30 years, the amount of residential electricity used by appliances and electronics has increased from 17 percent to 31 percent, according to the Energy Information Administration. More homes than ever have major appliances and cen- tral air conditioning. Digital video recorders, computers and multiple televisions are common. Homes use more electricity in ways they never did before. You can get the most value from your electricity dollar by managing your use of electricity. That will help lower your monthly bills, reduce the peak demand of the entire system and keep future prices lower for all members. UNITED ELECTRIC Electricity is still a great bargain! CO-OP, INC. Jo Elg General Manager
32 NOVEMBER 2014 AK-34
Board of Directors Will Stark, President Lon Rake, Vice President Dan Stowe, Secretary Fred Williams, Treasurer Michael Johnson, Director Paul Kildal, Director Mary Odden, Director Je Saxe, Director
P.O. Box 45 Glennallen, AK 99588 www.cvea.org Copper Basin District The CVEA Community Foundation is (907) 822-3211 (907) 822-5586 (fax) Thankful To Those Who Round Up!! Mile 187 Glenn Hwy. Valdez District CVEA encourages all members to consider rounding up their electric bill to the near- (907) 835-4301 est dollar amount. Participants who round up their bill contribute between $.01 and (907) 835-4328 (fax) $.99 monthly, an average of $6 a year, to the CVEA Community Foundation. 367 Fairbanks Dr. Individually, this is not a large number, but combined with other CVEA members, After hours outage line it will make a difference. If half of all CVEA members round up their bills each (866) 835-2832 month, the Community Foundation will bring in an amazing $10,000 each year. This money can be used to provide scholarships for students and contributions to Important Dates educational, scientific, and charitable organizations in our communities. November Members can also make a one-time donation by cash, check, or debit card, make a CVEA O ces Closed: monthly donation by adding a specific amount to their CVEA electric bill, and even The CVEA o ces will be closed Tuesday, donate future capital credit dispursements. November 11, 2014, for Veteran’s Day If you’d like to donate to the CVEA Community Foundation, simply fill out the CVEA Board Meeting: The November donation form located on www.cvea.org and bring it, along with payment if required, meeting of the Board of Directors is 2 p.m. to the CVEA office in your district or mail to P.O. Box 45, Glennallen, AK 99588. Thursday, November 20, 2014, in Valdez Call Sharon Crisp, Manager of Member Services, at (907) 822-5506 or (907) 835-7005 CVEA O ces Closed: or email at [email protected] for additional information. The CVEA o ces will be closed Thursday, November 27, and Friday, November 28, 2014, for the Thanksgiving Holiday
December CVEA Board Meeting: The December meeting of the Board of Directors is 2 p.m. Thursday, December 18, 2014, in Glennallen
CVEA O ces Closed: The CVEA o ces will be closed Wednesday, December 24 and Thursday, December 25, 2014, for the Christmas holiday, and Wednesday, December 31, 2014, for New Year’s
32 NOVEMBER 2014 OR-35 A Time for Being Thankful 1115 Pacific Ave. • P.O. Box 433 Tillamook, OR 97141 Dear Customers: Phone: (503) 842-2535 Our world seems to be in the midst of turbulent times with Toll free: (800) 422-2535 many political, economic, health and military issues in the www.tpud.org headlines. But with all of the issues we face, collectively and individually, I believe we still can find many things for which to Office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday be thankful. As citizens of this great nation, we enjoy freedoms and privi- For EMERGENCY service after leges experienced nowhere else in the world. This month is a business hours, call (800) 842-2122 time to honor those who fought and, in many cases, died so we may enjoy those freedoms. We at Tillamook PUD will join Board of Directors with other Americans on Veterans Day, November 11, to honor our veterans for their Ed Jenkins, President patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common Ken Phillips, Vice President good. Harry Hewitt, Treasurer November also brings Thanksgiving and the tradition of celebrating the harvest Barbara Trout, Secretary and giving thanks. Our gratitude extends to all of our customer-owners, because with- Doug Olson, Director out you we would not exist. General Manager Thanks to those of you who send notes and cards expressing gratitude for the work Raymon Sieler we do throughout the year. Thanks to those who are patient with us and who collabo- rate to help us meet our commitments. Board meetings are in the PUD office Our mission at the PUD is to provide safe, reliable power at a reasonable cost, with at 6 p.m. the first Tuesday after the excellent service and commitment to the communities we serve. Because you are our 11th of the month neighbors, friends and family, we are intricately invested in the future of our communi- Mission Statement ties. We aim to improve the quality of life here, and that’s a mission we take seriously. Tillamook People’s Utility District May your holidays be richly blessed and may you live your lives with grateful is dedicated to delivering the best value of hearts. electric services, while continuing our commitment to the customer-owners and Sincerely, communities we serve. Raymon D Sieler Creed General Manager We shall work together to: Provide exceptional customer service; anticipate and strive to exceed our customers’ needs. Provide high-quality and cost-e ective services to our customers. Assure a safe electrical system and working environment for our customers and employees. Operate a nancially stable business. Encourage cooperation and open communication among the customers, board of directors, management and employees of Tillamook PUD. Support all the communities we serve. Be environmentally responsible.
32 NOVEMBER 2014 AK-36 Barrow Utilities and Electric Cooperative Inc. Watch Out P. O. Box 449 Barrow, AK 99723 Phone: 852-6166 for Fumes! Fax: 852-6372 www.bueci.org Combustion appliances — which burn fuels such as nat- Board of Directors ural gas, propane, kerosene, President oil or wood—are usually safe. Price E. Brower But the gases and particles Vice President produced can, under certain Roy Nageak Sr. conditions, damage your health or kill you. Among the Secretary/Treasurer dangerous combustion pol- Don Nungasak lutants are carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and sulfur Doreen A. Ahgeak Herman Ahsoak dioxide. Infants, young chil- Frederick F. Brower dren, the elderly, and people Ellen Leavitt with chronic respiratory and Richard Ungarook Sr. cardiovascular diseases are es- Edith Vorderstrasse pecially susceptible to indoor pollutants. If you are burning fuels in your home, ensure General Manager proper ventilation, do not neglect routine maintenance, Ben L. Frantz and install a carbon monoxide detector. Your life may depend on it!
A message brought to you in the interest of safety by your locally owned and operated electric utility
32 NOVEMBER 2014 AK-37
Owned By Those We Serve BOARD OF DIRECTORS Use a timer and save Bill Nordmark, Chairman (District 7) Tom DeLong, Vice-Chairman (District 2) Plugging in your vehicle doesn’t have to drive up your John Sloan, Secretary (District 6) electric bill Rick Schikora, Treasurer (District 3) Chris Bunch (District 5) Use this formula to calculate the cost of plugging in your vehicle: Frank Eagle (District 4) Aren Gunderson (District 1) (Total watts/1000) x hours used x 20¢ per kWh = Cost Typical engine preheating wattages MAIN OFFICE Midsize vehicle: 600-1000 watts Large car or truck: 1000-1500 watts
758 Illinois Street Based on 600 to 1500 watts, the range to plug in is 12¢ to 30¢ per hour. That’s PO Box 71249 $36 - $90 a month if you plug in overnight (10 hours). Fairbanks, AK 99707-1249 A well-maintained vehicle only needs 2-5 hours of heating time to start; 4-5 Regular Business Phone hours for diesels. Depending on your vehicle and heater type, heating your vehicle (907) 452-1151 for only the required time can reduce your cost down to $18 to $45 per month. Fax (907) 458-6365 Use a timer or switched outlet to make plugging in more economical. Member Services • Timer – programmable to turn the electricity to your vehicle on and off at the times you choose. DISTRICT OFFICES • Switched Outlet – wired to your headbolt outlet, it’s a light switch inside Delta Junction your home that allows you to control the electricity to your vehicle without 1681 Richardson Hwy. going outside. PO Box 909 Delta Junction, AK 99737 (907) 895-4500 Fax (907) 895-5472
Nenana Mile 303.5 Parks Hwy. PO Box 00130 Nenana, AK 99760 (907) 832-5481 Fax (907) 458-6387
Toll-Free Number 1-800-770-GVEA (4832) www.gvea.com
32 NOVEMBER 2014 Golden Valley Electric Association Plumas-Sierra REC
COMMUNITY CALENDAR Manager’s Message
November 3, 10, 17 & 24 Continued from page 32 Youth Opportunities Monday Night Football Taco Feed. Susanville never had a problem with them. Plumas-Sierra and its subsidiary offer Elks Lodge, 400 Main St., Susanville. 6 to 9 p.m. We do all of our own meter work, many life-changing opportunities to For more information, call (530) 257-4810. which helps keep the quality of the local young people, including scholar- installations at the highest level. ships and the Washington Youth Tour. November 7 These programs provide enriching Coppervale Ski Area Fundraiser. LCC Student Outage Preparedness experiences to help young people dis- Union Cafeteria, Susanville. 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. Dinner $12. Live music, silent auction. While our crews work year-round to cover themselves and their roles as citi- For more information, call (530) 258-7635. prevent outages, being prepared for an zens. They also introduce them to the emergency and knowing what to do cooperative way, teaching the value of November 8 & 9 during an outage are vital for personal involvement and commitment to their Vendors Square H.I.T.S. Susanville Indian safety and quick restoration of power. communities. Rancheria Gym, 795 Joaquin St., 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. If your lights start to flicker, turn off Application deadlines are fast Vendors, businesses and craft fair. and unplug sensitive electronic equip- approaching. Don’t let your children For more information, call (530) 249-4159. ment immediately, and reduce any miss out on these opportunities. Please unnecessary load. See page 4 for addi- see page 8 for more information about November 11 tional suggestions, contact information our youth programs. Veterans Day Parade. Entries meet at 10:15 a.m. at the Lassen County Fairgrounds Armory on and safety precautions during an outage. Applications and information are Russell Avenue, Susanville. available on our website at www.psrec. For a parade entry form, call (530) 251-8192. Winter Rate Assistance Program coop, or by calling the Member Services November 13 We are accepting applications for the Department at (530) 832-4261 or (800) Lassen County Chamber of Commerce Mixer. Winter Rate Assistance Program, which 555-2207. Susanville Aviation, 471-920 Johnstonville Road. offers a discounted rate for November If you have any questions, please call 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. through April use to income-qualified me at (800) 555-2207 ext. 6076, or email For more information, call (530) 257-4323. members. me at [email protected]. November 14 WRAP provides information to help Susanville Sunrise Rotary Wine Tasting and members conserve energy and offers a Wishing you a safe and happy holiday Hors d’ Oeuvres. Jensen Hall. 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. discounted electric rate during the heat- season! $30 per person. ing season. For more information, call (530) 251-6324. For more information and an appli- November 15 cation, visit our website at www.psrec. Susanville Choral Society Concert. Susanville coop, or call (530) 832-4261 or (800) Bob Marshall United Methodist Church, 70 S. Lassen St. 555-2207. General Manager 7 p.m. For more information, email [email protected]. Free Home Energy Audits Most of us have turned up the thermo- November 20 stat by now, if even just a little, which Social Media Marketing Symposium. Lassen will soon reflect on our energy bills. Senior Services, 1700 Sunkist Drive. Noon to 1:30 p.m. Free. Lunch available for purchase. Make sure you get the most for your For more information, call (530) 257-4323. energy dollar with a free, in-home energy audit. Our auditor will meet November 27 with you and discuss ways to lower Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot. Lassen Senior your energy use. He or she will look Services, Riverside Drive. 8:30 a.m. Cash or non- perishable food item donations to bene t Meals for sources of drafts and leaks that can on Wheels program. cause discomfort and waste energy, and review individual use patterns. November 28 & 29 To learn more about saving energy, or Mohawk Community Art Faire. Graeagle Fire Hall, 7620 Highway 89, Graeagle. 10 a.m. to to request an energy audit, please visit 4 p.m. our website at www.psrec.coop. For more information, call (530) 836-0446.
NOVEMBER 2014 25 S-SI MA ER U R L A P
R
U P R O PSREC - A L O E C LECTRIC
BOARD OF DIRECTORS: CA-39 President Dave Roberti, Sierra Valley [email protected] Vice President Manager’s Message Fred Nelson, Clio [email protected] Dear Members: lack thereof in certain areas. Secretary/Treasurer We are expanding our fiber optic system as We are asking members in Beckwourth, David Hansen, Doyle communities and customers sign agreements Chilcoot, Clio, Greenhorn, Janesville, Loyalton, [email protected] for service. Milford, Mohawk Vista, Sierraville, the area Dan Kenney, Sloat We expanded into portions of Cromberg/ between Blairsden and Cromberg, West Doyle, [email protected] Sloat in recent weeks, where community mem- West Herlong and West Patton Village to per- Ole Olsen, Graeagle bers banded together making service cost form broadband speed tests from your home [email protected] effective. We are building into Blairsden, where computers and bring or send results to our Tom Hammond, Herlong people have signed up, and down C-Road office. [email protected] to Clio. We have also built into the Graeagle The process is simple. Go to www.speedtest. Meadows subdivision, and by the time we go net. Select the green “BEGIN TEST” button Chris Miller, Litchfield to press, we will have met with the residents of and sit back. The test takes only a few sec- [email protected] La Porte Road and Chandler Road about their onds. When done, print test results and bring Manager interest in broadband services from PST. or send them to us at 73233 State Route 70, Robert (Bob) Marshall Longtime PSREC members can validate the Portola, CA 96122. Please provide your speed [email protected] importance of banding together. While elec- test results by November 21. tricity in the city was common in the 1930s, In the meantime, we are delighted to rural areas remained in the dark. By working announce voice over Internet protocol avail- AS-SIE M RR together, a relatively small handful of ranchers ability, making broadband service via fiber LU A P and farmers formed a cooperative—coming optics more cost effective. PST’s Business together to bring electricity to their commu- Broadband Service is aimed at commercial
T nity in 1937. As more neighbors signed up, the service and small-office/home offices. With PST S E L N E cooperative expanded the system even further. voice service available in January, the bundled C IO O AT The same principles apply today in bring- services will be priced comparable to existing MMUNIC ing better Internet services to our region. Fiber services, but will provide 10 times the speed. Our subsidiary, optic construction is expensive. The more peo- It bears mentioning that we are net-neutral. Plumas-Sierra Telecommunications ple in an area who sign up for service, the more As an Internet service provider, we are com- offers a variety of high-quality cost effective a project becomes for that area. mitted to our customers and treat all data on Internet solutions. In some cases, however, the terrain and dis- the Internet equally—not discriminating or For more information, tances involved make fiber extension cost pro- charging differently by user, content, site, plat- please visit hibitive. The best strategy for these areas is to form, application, type of attached equipment www.pst.coop or call (800) 221-3474 wait to see if we secure additional grant funds. or mode of communication. PST is applying for Rural Broadband Experiment and California Advanced Services Meters For information about any of Fund infrastructure grants, which would help Recently, the Reno Gazette Journal reported on our products, please call facilitate broadband deployment in our region. a series of fires associated with so-called “smart (800) 555-2207 or visit our website at www.psrec.coop Many of you have already performed broad- meters.” I wanted to tell you that we do not band speed tests and provided the results to us. have “smart meters” nor the brand of meters Thank you. These are a crucial component of associated with these fires. We do have radio our grant application. We still need help vali- meters that remotely report use, but we have dating actual broadband service availability or Continues on page 25
32 NOVEMBER 2014 P.O. Box 151000 1600 Great Basin Blvd. NV-40 Ely, NV 89315
(775) 289.8981 (800) 97-POWER [email protected] Mt. Wheeler Power Meters are Safe Smart meters provide the ability to send implementation. and receive data between homeowners The AMR metering system installed Emergency Contacts and their utility. They are receiving a lot of by Mt. Wheeler has provided not only a Ely O ce negative media attention fostered by some financial benefit to the cooperative and (775) 289-8981 recent home fires in northern Nevada. its members, the information is far more While it has not been proven that accurate and is readily available by using Eureka O ce smart meters caused these fires, specula- a handheld scanner anytime during the (775) 237-5693 tion has raised a great deal of concern. month. The meters contain a digital We thought it imperative to assure display and are much easier for members Outside Ely / Eureka Area members that Mt. Wheeler Power does to read. (800) 97-POWER not employ smart meters within our As Mt. Wheeler Power looks at service territory. In 2009, we deployed technology and advanced metering Board of Directors a new metering system. These meter systems, two main factors are considered. are known as AMR meters. The 9,000 First, our large service territory, which District 1 – Ron Miller meters—including the one on your home is more than 16,000 square miles; and District 2 – Bob Swetich or business—employs an automated only two members per mile of line. District 3 – Jerry Morrill meter-reading system. This narrows the number of available District 4 – Don Phillips In comparing the two meters, the solutions that will work efficiently for District 5 – Rick Hendrix primary difference is the smart meters your cooperative. District 6 – Jerald Anderson have the ability for the utility to reach We encourage members to contact District 7 – Sandra Green out in real time and communicate with Mt. Wheeler Power to answer specific District 8 – Wilma Sanford the load. AMR meters, your meter, meter questions. In addition, if you have District 9 – Frank Leon communicates in one direction only by concerns regarding your home electrical sending a reading to the utility when system, please contact a local electrical Proudly serving more than 10,000 requested during our monthly meter- contractor. When dealing with electricity, residents and businesses throughout reading cycle. it is always best to be safe. Nevada and Utah. Mt. Wheeler Power has had no fires or similar items of concern Kevin Robison, with our metering system since the Assistant General Manager Winter hours are November through April; Summer hours are May through October. Winter hours: The Ely office is open Monday through Friday 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Eureka office is open 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“Powering Your Future”
32 NOVEMBER 2014 Wells Rural Electric Company NV-41 Board of Directors CEO Report F. Scott Egbert President A gallon of whole milk is $4.09 for the Mary Wright store brand and $4.29 Secretary/Treasurer for a name brand. A Big Mac is $3.89 and Gerald Anderson a Whopper is $3.99. Jonathan Dahl Make those burgers Kirk Dahl a meal and it quickly Orlin Kidner adds up to $5.79. Gas Fred Montes de Oca is down a bit from its summer high but it is still $3.29 a gallon. By contrast, electricity to Lois Nannini Conservation Central - Your Energy power the entire household of a Wells Rural Jim Whited Conservation $avings Store features energy Electric Company (WREC) owner costs an Bruce Widmer efficient water heaters, LED and compact average of $2.43 per day. That’s quite a bargain Howard Wright fluorescent light bulbs, high efficiency shower considering all that electricity does for us. heads and faucets, ductless heat pumps and Director Emeritus surge protectors. If your order totals $50 or Our basic service charge of $25.42 is also more, shipping is free. As a bonus, the rebates a good value when you compare it to other D. Vernon Dalton that WREC offers to encourage you to buy utilities. Even if you don’t make a single call, the most energy efficient devices available are the basic charge with fees and taxes for a automatically applied to your order at check- land-line telephone is $41.14. Basic cable and Carlin office: out. For example, an LED flood light that satellite television packages start at $29.99 1322 Chestnut Street would normally cost $33.74 would be $18.95. P.O. Box 727 whether or not you watch one minute of programming. According to U. S. News, the Carlin, Nevada 89822 Compare the “up-sells” that any good average monthly bill for a smart phone was a (775) 754-6362 employee at another business should make to staggering $148.00. That’s a remarkable up-sell the “up-sells” WREC offers. It may be more from the basic plans for the newest smart Wendover office: accurate to call our offers “down-sells” since phones that are advertised at $34.99. 1706 West Butte Street more often than not, your employees are P.O. Box 3699 hoping to help you use less electricity through WREC up-sells conservation and energy West Wendover, conservation and energy efficiency. The energy efficiency. I am excited to announce our Nevada 89883 efficient products featured on Conservation newest tool for helping you improve your (775) 664-2204 Central on www.wrec.coop can help you energy efficiency: Conservation Central - Your manage your usage which helps WREC Energy Conservation $avings Store Wells office: control our costs. 1451 Humboldt Avenue Of course we encourage you to continue P.O. Box 365 Clay R. Fitch to buy energy efficient products from local Wells, Nevada 89835 Chief Executive Officer (775) 752-3328 businesses. They are your fellow owners after all. But if the products you need are website: not available, or if you are looking for the www.wrec.coop convenience of online shopping, check out Conservation Central on www.wrec.coop.
32 NOVEMBER 2014 NV-42 Letter from the CEO Investing in VEA’s Future
Assist our community for In recent years, Valley Electric Association, Inc. (VEA) has made a number of signifi- cant investments in an effort to create new economic opportunities for our service less than $1 a month. territory and maintain rate stability for our member-owners. Visit www.vea.coop As a cooperative, providing homes and businesses with reliable and affordable elec- to learn more. tricity is always our top priority. As a result of VEA’s proactive business strategy, our cooperative has not raised its rates since 2010, and our current projections do not call for a rate adjustment until 2018. To support our efforts to keep rates low, VEA contin- Valley Electric Association, Inc. ues to pursue unique, forward-thinking endeavors that provide long-term value. P.O. Box 237 As an example, VEA gained a valuable new source of revenue when it joined the Pahrump, NV 89041 California Independent System Operator Corporation (California ISO) balancing authority in 2013. BOARD OF DIRECTORS This agreement provides VEA with opportunities to maximize the utilization of DISTRICT 1 DISTRICT 2 its transmission system, allowing the cooperative to make excess capacity available to Peter Gazsy Shiela Rau members of the California ISO. This generates millions of dollars each year for VEA, further strengthening our cooperative’s financial position. DISTRICT 3 DISTRICT 4 VEA is also committed to upgrading and maintaining its transmission and dis- Rick Johnson John Maurer tribution infrastructure. In recent years, we have completed a number of significant projects in an effort to meet the future needs of our member-owners. As part of the recent Northwest Transmission Loop Project, we began installing DISTRICT 5 DISTRICT 6 Dave Lowe David Dawson fiber optics on all transmission lines and some distribution lines. VEA now has 124 miles of fiber optic lines that connect the Las Vegas communications hub with our service area. OFFICE PHONE 800-742-3330 (within Nevada) In addition, we are working with other companies to further utilize our transmis- or 775-727-5312, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. sion lines for additional fiber optic lines. This will provide increased revenue and data Monday-Friday, except holidays opportunities for VEA and its members. In the coming months, we expect to have new information to share about our AFTER HOURS & EMERGENCY planned solar energy generation project and a corresponding community solar pro- We are here 24 hours a day, gram. These efforts further serve to highlight VEA’s dedication to investing in the seven days a week for your future of the communities it serves. emergency needs. 775-727-5312 Until next month, Website: www.vea.coop Thomas H. Husted Email: [email protected] Chief Executive Officer
32 NOVEMBER 2014 WA-43
Kittitas County Safeguard Your Home Public Utility with Surge Protectors Most people believe the main cause of a power surge is lightning. When lightning District No. 1 causes an electrical surge, the voltage of lightning is so high most surge protectors cannot withstand the power. Consequently, the only way to be certain your devices will be safe is to unplug them. 1400 Vantage Highway The most common causes of an electrical surge are electrical devices that require an Ellensburg, WA 98926 abundance of power to operate, such as air conditioning units and hot tubs. (509) 933-7200 Which devices should you connect to a surge protector? Foremost are expensive (24-hour phone service) devices, such as computers, stereos, televisions and high-tech kitchen appliances. Office hours: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. When buying a surge protector, the first thing to look for is an indicator light, which tells you if the surge protector is doing its job. If the light is not working, it is Monday through Friday time to replace the unit. You might want to look for one that beeps when it is no longer functioning. Commissioners Good surge protectors come with a UL rating. Do not buy a surge protector without one. You also need to make sure the surge protector is a transient voltage Roger C. Sparks surge suppressor. Numerous UL-rated power strips do not offer surge protection. Paul Rogers You also need to know the joule rating of a surge protector before you buy it. The Shan Rowbotham joule rating is the maximum amount of energy the surge protector can absorb. Find one with the highest number of joules you can, because it provides the most protec- General Manager tion. The joules rating will be noted on the packaging of the unit. Matt Boast A few recommended surge protectors are: • Maruson SUG-B706NT • Tripp Lite TLP606 Assistant General Manager • Tripp Lite SPIKECUBE Brian Vosburgh
Please visit our website to view all approved board minutes: www.kittitaspud.com
The Board of Commissioners meets the last Tuesday of each month in Building B.
32 november 2014 WA-49 Member-owned since 1921 Ohop Consider Holiday Time Savers Mutual Dear Members: As we approach the 2014 holiday season, many of us are busy preparing for a variety of holiday-related activities. It is easy to forget something as mundane, yet important, Light Co. as paying a bill. Therefore, I want to remind you of the convenient payment options I first told you about at the beginning of this year and announce a few new options that have been added.
34014 Mountain Highway E. EBill Eatonville, WA 98328 In addition to being able to make payments quickly, members will find it easy to view their power bills, monthly electric use and payment history on their computer, Phone: (253) 847-4363 tablet or smartphone, 24 hours a day. Members can choose to receive their power Night troubles: (253) 847-4363 bill by email, get a text alert on their cell phone when a payment is due or receive other useful notifications regarding their account. Payment options include Visa, Email: [email protected] Mastercard and our latest addition, electronic check. Go to www.ohop.coop and Website: www.ohop.coop click “View Bill” to get started.
Pay Now This is a simplified, payment-only version of our EBill site. The benefit of using Board of Directors Pay Now is speed and efficiency; no registration is required. You simply enter your President Jerry Walter account number and your last name and make a few quick selections to initiate a Vice President Mel Cox payment. Like EBill, if you choose, your payment method can be securely stored for Sec./Treasurer Frank Hoffman even quicker service. To use Pay Now, go to www.ohop.coop and click “Pay Now.” Director Louie Mettler Interactive Voice Response With our most recently added payment service, IVR, you can check your account General Manager balance and make a payment with Visa, Mastercard or electronic check 24 hours a day, Isabella Deditch 7 days a week over the phone. Call (888) 477-8085 to begin using IVR. Please note, to use IVR you must have a current phone number and PIN on file. If you do not have a PIN, please call our office during normal business hours and we will assign you one.
Recurring Recurring payments are a real time saver that enables you to set and forget. You can be confident your bill is paid on time, every time. Recurring payments can be set up using the EBill site or by calling our office during normal business hours. Recurring payment methods include Visa and Mastercard. Of course, the traditional billing and payment options are still available for your convenience. If you have any questions or need help with any of our new payment options, please do not hesitate to call our office. We are more than happy to assist you.
—Isabella Deditch, General Manager
32 november 2014 WA-50 P.O. Box 1426 45710 SE North Bend Way North Bend, WA 98045-1426 Telephone: (425) 888-0623 Electrical Safety During Storms Toll-free: (800) 472-0208 Fall often brings heavy rain, wind and flooding. Don’t forget to take precautions with www.tannerelectric.coop your home’s electrical system. Keep in mind that debris from storms can ignite easily if it comes into contact General Manager with downed power lines, especially when electrical wires are severed. Standing water and even appliances can become electrically charged. Steve Walter These tips should help keep you safe following storms this season: • Never touch a fallen power line, and assume all wires on the ground are Chief Financial O cer electrically charged. Call Tanner Electric Cooperative to report it immediately. Rob Carr Avoid contact with overhead lines during cleanup and other activities. • In the event of an outage, an alternate heating source—such as a fireplace, propane space heater or wood stove—may be used. Take extreme caution when using Operations Manager these. James Anderson • Plan to stay in an area of the home near the alternate heat source. • Fuel- and wood-burning heating sources should be vented. Be sure to follow Board of Directors manufacturer’s directions. President Ed Stephenson • Make sure carbon monoxide detectors and smoke detectors work properly. Vice President Julie Fromm • Do not use a gas-powered oven for heating. A gas oven may go out or burn Treasurer Susan Serrette-Egan inefficiently, leading to carbon monoxide poisoning. Secretary Mike Hodge • Do not use a gas or charcoal grill inside the home. Do not use charcoal Roger Guay briquettes in the fireplace. If you use a portable generator to power a heating source, be sure the Jeff Gillette • generator is located outside your house for proper ventilation. Do not use a generator Kendel Lyman in an attached garage. Follow manufacturer’s directions for operating the generator. Paul Bay • Take special care not to overload a generator. Use appropriately sized extension Mark Dilger cords to carry the electric load. Make sure the cords have a grounded, three-pronged plug and are in good condition. • Never run cords under rugs or carpets. • Never connect generators to power lines. The reverse flow of electricity can An electric utility owned electrocute an unsuspecting utility worker. by those we serve in: • Have at least one telephone in the house that does not depend on electricity in case of a power outage. North Bend With winter fast approaching, we all need to be prepared for another storm Ames Lake season. Never hesitate to call the office and let us know when the power goes out. Anderson Island We have an after-hours dispatcher available 24/7 to assist members with any service issues that may arise during or after a storm. Tanner Electric Cooperative is an equal opportunity provider and Steve Walter employer General Manager
32 NOVEMBER 2014 WA-52 PL&WCo. Moving to a New Online Platform Parkland Dear Customers,
Light & Water Parkland Light & Water Co. is migrating to a new Enterprise Resource Platform (mainframe computer). Effective November 1, Company we will switch our customer service accounts to this new platform. As part of this change, we close our current online billing system November 1. If you are an online billing customer and want to remain so, look for your instructions on how to open a Owned By new online account on your November bill. If you are not an online customer and receive a bill in the mail, Those We Serve you will continue to receive a mailed bill, but the bill will look slightly different. We apologize in advance for any inconvenience this might cause you during the transition. Once complete, we 12918 Park Ave. believe we will be able to provide better, more efficient service to P.O. Box 44426 all our customers. Thank you for your understanding. Tacoma, WA 98448-0426 (253) 531-5666 General Manager Mark Johnson
Board of Trustees Gary Hauenstein - President Gary Grazzini - Vice President Janet Detering - Secretary Thank You, Elaine Walter - Treasurer Very Much! Charles Nelson - Public Relations During this Thanksgiving season, General Manager we express our thanks Mark Johnson to all of the people who together make our rural electric cooperative a special Incorporated in 1914— kind of place: XX The country’s oldest The consumer/ owners to whom the cooperative belongs. mutual cooperative XX The board members who offer leadership and advice. XX The employees whose daily presence and skills keep everything running smoothly. XX The many friends, neighbors and business associates who offer support and concern. Happy Thanksgiving to all!
32 november 2014 495 E. Columbia River Highway PO BOX 216 OR-60 Clatskanie, Oregon 97016 (503) 728-2163 Office It is that time of year when we turn our thoughts to all of www.clatskaniepud.com the things fall brings. The change in the weather and the leaves changing color, high school, college and professional sports, and of course the holidays. This month we celebrate Office Hours: 8 am to 5 pm Thanksgiving and reflect on everything we have to be thankful Monday through Friday for in our lives. Please call to report outages I would be remiss to not take a moment to thank the great (503) 728-2163 staff I am blessed to work with. They are truly exceptional Automated Payment Center people and I sincerely enjoy working with them. Their dedi- 1-855-430-0765 cation and hard work make it a pleasure to be here. It is also Board of Directors great to be able to work with a dedicated, engaged, and sup- Don Hooper, President portive board. Together we all strive to do our best to serve you, our customers, to Bob Wiggins, Vice President the very best of our abilities. To say this has been a challenging first year would be an Merle Gillespie, Treasurer understatement by any standard. It has been with the support of staff, the board, all of Janet Willey, Secretary you, and of course my dear sweet wife that we’ve been able to work through the chal- Stephen D. Petersen, Director lenges and issues we have faced. Most of the difficult issues have been faced head on and resolved. General Manager Due to the difficult economic times we continue to deal with as a result of the great Marc Farmer recession, there are some of our customers who are still struggling and need our help. As we have done in the past, the staff and board here at the PUD will be conducting CPUD $10 Bill Credit Drawing a canned food drive this month. Last year we more than doubled the previous year’s Account #00151630-00 donations of food. We divided into teams and challenged each other to donate the If this is your account number, most food. We would like to expand our challenge this year to include our customers. please call the office to claim your We will create five teams internally among staff and the board, with a sixth team being prize. Congratulations! you the customers. The contest will start on November 1st and run through November 17th. The collected food will then be divided and donated to our two local agencies, Community Calendar Turning Point and HOPE, to provide for those who need our assistance. We ask for November 2: Fall Back - Time Change your support in our food challenge to make sure everyone has a good Thanksgiving 2:00 a.m., Daylight Savings Time ends, Pa- meal, and also food throughout the year. cific Standard Time resumes. Turn clocks One last thought that is close to my heart, let us take a moment to thank those who back one hour, regain that hour of sleep put their lives on the line to provide for our freedom and the freedoms of others. My lost last spring. son just shipped out overseas for his second tour of duty and so it is obviously on my November 4: General Election Day mind. A card, note or letter of support for those serving our country goes a long way. November 11: Veterans Day Veterans Day holds great importance in my family with both current and past family CPUD office closed in observance of members who have served, and I am very thankful for all those past and present who Veterans Day. ensure the freedoms we all enjoy. November 12: Veterans Day We certainly have a lot to be thankful for in this great country we live in. My son Celebration at Clatskanie Middle/High shared with me what it was like in Iraq and how humbled he was to see the poor living School: Breakfast for all local veterans at conditions, and the lack of freedoms and all the wonderful things we enjoy here that we 9:00 am followed by a program. so often take for granted. Please accept my heartfelt wishes for a happy Thanksgiving, November 19: Clatskanie PUD Board and my thanks for all who are currently serving or who have served our country! Workshop at 5:30 p.m., followed by regular board meeting at 7 p.m. November 27 & 28: Happy Thanksgiving! CPUD office closed. Marc Farmer General Manager
32 NOVEMBER 2014 Board of Directors AK-105 Chairman Robert L. Beans Sr., Mountain Village
Vice Chairman 2014 Scholarship Winners Announced Charlie Curtis, Kiana The Alaska Village Electric Cooperative Board of Directors awarded Secretary scholarships totaling $9,000 to nine students from its member communi- Phyllis Clough, Old Harbor ties for the 2014 fall semester. The following outstanding students were awarded $500 to pursue their educational dreams: Treasurer • Stefan Weingarth of St. Mary’s Helena R. Jones, Ambler • Dallas Chayalkun of Chevak Directors • Ellis Tomaganuk of Scammon Bay Peter Demoski, Nulato • Ashley Brankovic of Mekoryuk Fred Sagoonick, Shaktoolik • Kaylena Charlie of Minto Walter G. Sampson, Noorvik • Zachary Lestenkof-Andrew of Marshall [email protected] • Victoria Hooper of Tununak • Charlie Roberts of Quinhagak Communities Served Colynn Isaacson of Togiak was awarded the Ted Stevens Memorial Alakanuk Mt. Village Scholarship in the amount of $5,000. Established in 2011, this scholarship Ambler New Stuyahok Andreafsky Nightmute is granted to one student who, in addition to the standard AVEC scholar- Anvik Noatak ship criteria, demonstrates strong public and community service to their Bethel Noorvik Brevig Mission Nulato community and rural Alaska. Colynn is working on a master’s degree in Chevak Nunapitchuk education/cross-cultural studies. Eek Old Harbor Ekwok Pilot Station AVEC is proud of the achievements of its scholarship winners, and Elim Pitkas Point Emmonak Quinhagak wishes them the best in their academic pursuits. Gambell Russian Mission Goodnews Bay St. Mary’s Grayling St. Michael AVEC Members Applying for Energy Audits Holy Cross Savoonga Hooper Bay Scammon Bay Small business members from the villages of Teller, Brevig Mission, Huslia Selawik Kaltag Shageluk Shaktoolik and Bethel have pre-qualified for 18 of the 42 commer- Kasigluk Shaktoolik cial energy audit slots available through AVEC’s USDA Rural Business Kiana Shishmaref Kivalina Shungnak Enterprise Grants. The 42 audit slots are filling fast, so be sure to contact Kobuk Stebbins Kotlik Teller Grant Manager Taz Tally at (907) 235-3793 or AVEC at (907) 561-1818 to Koyuk Togiak secure your commercial energy audit for your small business or nonprofit Lower Kalskag Toksook Bay Marshall Tununak organization. Mekoryuk Upper Kalskag Minto Wales Until next time,
Alaska Village Electric Cooperative, Inc. Meera Kohler 4831 Eagle Street Anchorage, AK 99503 President and CEO (907) 561-1818 (800) 478-1818
/AlaskaVillage
32 NOVEMBER 2014 CA-106 65 S. Roop St. Susanville, CA 96130 Phone (530) 257-4174 Fax (530) 257-2558 Frequently Asked Questions www.lmud.org What is LMUD’s policy regarding home generators? BOARD OF DIRECTORS Lassen Municipal Utility District strives to bring customers the most reliable power pos- President Richard Vial sible. Throughout the year, crews work to upgrade and improve facilities, doing every- Vice President Fred Nagel thing within their control to ensure the power flows uninterrupted to your home. Treasurer Jess Urionaguena However, we cannot control Mother Nature. Lassen County winters can be H.W. “Bud” Bowden Jay Dow Jr. extreme. Strong winds, ice and snow can wreak havoc on power lines. If and when an outage occurs, LMUD crews respond as quickly as possible. From STAFF the customer service clerks who operate the phone lines to the linemen working to General Manager restore power, our staff works until the last home has power restored. William H. “Bill” Stewart, CPA Power outages never happen at a good time. In a time when we rely heavily on modern conveniences, being without power can bring our lives to a standstill. Some Assistant General Manager of our customers have installed gas powered generators to alleviate the situation. Doug Smith Generators are a great way to keep your appliances and lights on during an outage. However, keep in mind that generators also pose hazards to you and LMUD employees. Electrical Operations Manager California law requires you to notify LMUD if an electrical generator is used at David Folce your home or business. This information helps us protect our employees. Generators can back-feed electricity into our lines, injuring or killing linemen. Accounting and Finance Manager Before you install a generator, fill out an electrical generator notice. If you are unable Mary Anderson to come by the office, we will mail one to you or download the form from our website at Business Office Manager www.lmud.org. The form helps us track what homes or businesses in our service terri- Keri Richards tory have installed generators. This information is vital to the safety our crews. Once your generator is installed, an LMUD troubleman will physically inspect the Energy Services Manager installation to ensure it does not pose a safety hazard to our line personnel. Theresa Phillips When using a generator keep these guidelines in mind: Electric Superintendent • Select a generator sized to meet the needs of your electrical equipment. The Cort Cortez needs of different homes and businesses vary considerably. • Hire a qualified electrician to install the generator. Be sure a double-throw IT Operations Technician switch is installed. This switch isolates your generator from LMUD’s lines and pre- Nick Dominguez vents power from flowing into the lines. Be sure to have a good ventilation system for the generator’s exhaust. Generators, Executive Assistant • like car engines, produce deadly carbon monoxide fumes. Karen Rollings • As you decide where to locate the generator, consider the amount of noise it In case of an outage: If your electricity is off makes and allow easy access for servicing. for more than a few minutes, call 257-4174. For more information on generator safety, visit the Electrical Safety Foundation Office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., International at www.esfi.org. Monday through Friday. After-hours and The LMUD offices will be closed on Tuesday, November 11, in honor of Veterans weekend calls are answered by a local Day. We also will be closed Thursday, November 27 and Friday, November 28 so our service and immediately forwarded to standby personnel. employees can enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday with their families. We will re-open Monday, December 1. The board meets at 5:30 p.m. In case of an unplanned outage or electrical emergency, our customer service line, the fourth Tuesday of each month. (530) 257-4174, will be manned 24 hours a day to assist you. On behalf of the LMUD Board of Directors and our employees, have a safe and happy Thanksgiving.
32 NOVEMBER 2014 NV-107 2014 Has Been a Busy Year Lincoln County As we begin to wind down 2014, we already are in the planning phase for what we hope to accomplish at the power district in 2015. One of our biggest projects planned Power District No. 1 for next year is rebuilding another section of the main line from Bennett Pass to our substation near Caselton. Our staff engineer Kyle Donohue is completing design of this replacement project, and John Condie and the line crew will break ground in the HC 74, Box 101 spring of 2015. But before we get too far into talking about 2015, I would like to take a Pioche, NV 89043 moment and look back at some of the things we accomplished in 2014. We started the year by rebuilding the southern portion of the main distribution Phone: (775) 962-5122 line that runs through Meadow Valley. That project represented the start of a larger, Toll free: (888) 649-3814 multiyear effort to rebuild the entire line. When completed, the project will give us additional capacity in Meadow Valley and will provide improved reliability for much of the power district’s northern system. During the late spring and summer, we com- Email: [email protected] pleted significant repair and upgrade of the electric system in the Geyser area, includ- ing adding anti-perch devices to eliminate electrocution of eagles. In the summer and DIRECTORS fall we replaced the 75-year-old overhead system in Caselton with new underground President John Christian distribution lines. The new system will improve reliability, lessen the fire hazard from Vice President Ed Wright overhead line contacts with trees and improve aesthetics. In the summer, we received Lee Mathews a grant from the Nevada Governor’s Office of Energy to replace streetlights in Alamo and Panaca. In conjunction with Alamo Power District, this work was completed dur- Bob Rollins ing the fall and will reduce the town’s monthly streetlighting costs by 52 percent. Mike Fogliani We also assumed electric utility responsibility in Rachel. As part of our overall pro- Secretary David Luttrell gram to change every meter in our system to radio-read meters to reduce meter reading time, all of the meters south of Caliente were changed, including those in Rachel and the GENERAL MANAGER Penoyer Valley area. By the end of 2015, we expect every meter in Lincoln County will David Luttrell be changed, thereby reducing the time spent reading meters from 56 hours to 24 hours each month, and allowing meter reading to be accomplished with lower-cost personnel. Another cost-saving project involved redesigning the power district’s website. Board meets the One of our most significant accomplishments this year didn’t involve our electric second Monday system. The power district formed a committee of employees and board members to of each month review its health insurance plan to see if changes could be made that provid employ- ees with appropriate protection while reducing costs. During a seven-month period, the committee developed a proposal to change the power district’s health insurance to MISSION STATEMENT a high-deductible plan with health reimbursement accounts for employees. The plan was adopted by employees and the board. It will take effect January 1. The plan is To construct, operate and maintain expected to reduce costs by $42,000 next year. a system which will provide As I write this report, we still have much more we plan to complete this year, our customers with electric service including tree trimming in the Eagle Valley area, burying lines on a portion of 6th in the most economical and Street in Panaca, adding an equipment building to protect our investment in equip- efficient manner consistent with ment at our headquarters, replacing poles on the Bristol line and installing a fiber circuit for the Lincoln County Telephone System on the Pioche line. Your utility has sound business practice. been busy in 2014 working to make things better for you, our customer. 2015 will be no less busy. Have a wonderful holiday season and a blessed new year. —David Luttrell, General Manager
32 NOVEMBER 2014 OR-400
698 12th St. SE Suite 210 Salem, OR 97301 Case in Point (503) 585-9988 The incredible salmon runs featured in this month’s cover www.oreca.org story provided some of the best news Oregon’s consumer- owned utilities have received in some time. We have made a OFFICERS staggering investment in fish and wildlife programs, and it is Dave Markham, President clearly paying dividends. How do you follow this up? Christopher Seubert, It is a good time for stakeholders to celebrate this achieve- Vice President ment and work collaboratively to maintain this incredible Robert MacPherson, Secretary/Treasurer momentum. Instead, the state of Oregon decided it was Alicia Bonesteele, going to sue over the federal government’s plan to operate Exec. Committee At-Large the Columbia River system for fish populations listed under Bob Durham, the Endangered Species Act. Exec. Committee At-Large Talk about turning off the lights at a party. Considering its Roman Gillen, longstanding proclivity to choose the courtroom over collabora- Immediate Past President tion, Oregon’s decision is probably not surprising. But it is still disappointing. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Recently, Oregon has been the only Northwest state not to Ted Case endorse the biological opinion for running the river, choosing instead to proffer a risky $1 billion scheme to spill more water LEGISLATIVE REPRESENTATIVE over the dams to move the fish down the river. The problem Rachel Kloor is, the science doesn’t support this proposal. The cost would be shouldered by Northwest ratepayers, many of whom are senior OREGON ELECTRIC CO-OPS Blachly-Lane Electric Co-op citizens or on fixed incomes. Central Electric Co-op There is no silver bullet that created such a historic year for Clearwater Power Company fish. Favorable ocean conditions, improved passage, successful Columbia Basin Electric Co-op hatchery programs and a number of other factors contributed Columbia Power Co-op to this year’s abundant returns. But the most critical element Columbia Rural Electric Co-op was the willingness of salmon stakeholders to work together for Consumers Power Inc. the betterment of the region’s iconic symbol. It is a lesson we Coos-Curry Electric Co-op hope the state of Oregon will someday learn. They are welcome Douglas Electric Co-op to the party any time. Harney Electric Co-op Hood River Electric Co-op Lane Electric Co-op Ted Case, Executive Director Midstate Electric Co-op Oregon Trail Electric Consumers Co-op Salem Electric Surprise Valley Electrification Umatilla Electric Co-op Umpqua Indian Utility Wasco Electric Co-op West Oregon Electric Co-op
32 NOVEMBER 2014 Escambia River
Manager’s Message
Members acknowledge that $3.96, plus Share One With Your Neighbor actual postage, is the cost to publish 12 issues a year of Florida Currents (USPS- 8300). Published by Ruralite Services For many Inc., 5605 NE Elam Young Pkwy., years, Escambia Hillsboro, OR 97124—a not-for-profit Oregon cooperative corporation—the River Electric magazine serves the communications needs of consumer-owned electric Cooperative has utilities in Florida. Preferred Periodicals offered the pro- postage paid at Hillsboro, OR 97123 and at additional mailing offices. gram Share One, designed to help Postmaster: Please send address corrections to 5605 NE Elam Young your neighbor Pkwy., Hillsboro, OR 97124. who, due to tem- I hereby authorize Escambia River Electric HOW TO CONTACT FLORIDA CURRENTS porary hardship Cooperative Inc. to add the amount speci ed Have a problem receiving your or misfortune, edition of Florida Currents? Utility below to my current electric bill each month to members should contact the local may need finan- help those less fortunate. utility office listed on the back cover. Clay R. Campbell Nonmembers should contact Ruralite cial assistance with Services, 5605 NE Elam Young Pkwy., their electric bills. Hillsboro, OR 97124; (503) 718-3717; Account Name: ______email [email protected]. If you are willing to share $1 each month, please sign the form at right and Subscription services: Nonmember Account Number: ______subscriptions $12 (U.S.) per year; $25 we will do the rest. We will add $1, or the (foreign) per year. Prepayment amount you have specified, to your elec- required. Allow 4 to 8 weeks for first Amount for Share One Fund: ______issue. Be sure to identify which local tric bill each month. edition you want to receive. Order online at www.floridacurrents.com. Your contribution will be placed in a Address: ______Extra copies: $2 each, pre-payment special account. Funds are available in required. Supply is limited. Identify voucher form for those most needy. The edition, month and year. Contact ______Ruralite Services. Salvation Army screens and recommends needy recipients. Recipients present the Reprint permission: Direct all requests Telephone: ______to Ruralite Services. voucher to EREC, and the amounts are applied to their current bills. MANUSCRIPTS AND PHOTOGRAPHS Date: ______Please do not send unsolicited As we approach the holiday season, materials. If interested in writing for let’s open our hearts and our wallets to Florida Currents, query first. Include a Signature: ______self-addressed stamped envelope for help those less fortunate. writer’s guidelines. Address requests and queries to Ruralite Services.
DISPLAY ADVERTISING INQUIRIES Contact Jessah Willis November 2014 National Country Market Vol. 4, No. 1 611 S. Congress Ave. Suite 504 Austin, TX 98704 Inside (800) 626-1181 or (512) 441-5200 www.nationalcountrymarket.com A Mission to Remember 12 PRINTED IN FLORIDA The Missing in America Project honors Trend Offset Printing Services 10301 Busch Drive North once-forgotten veterans from across the Jacksonville, FL 32218 country with a final salute. © 2014 Ruralite Services Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in Also In This Issue part without written permission is prohibited. Side Roads 10 Travel Journal 19 In the Kitchen 16 Festival Roundup 22 Great Picture Hunt 18 Outdoor Pursuits 24
Your utility pages: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 25, 26, 28, 29, 32
NOVEMBER 2014 3 What if You Threw a Party? ‘Important people’ did not attend United Nations event Commentary There is a saying, “What if would expect world leaders to and less reliable By Gary Smith you threw a party and nobody follow our lead in addressing renewable energy President and CEO came?” I’m not sure how long global carbon emissions. resources cannot PowerSouth Energy it has been around, and I don’t Despite U.S. reductions, and will not be know where it originated. I global carbon dioxide emis- cheaper. If they heard it years ago, but it took sions increased to 35.1 billion were, we would be me a while to understand what tons in 2013—a new record. using them now. it means. Others are starting to China emitted 358 million China, India and understand it now, too. tons more carbon in 2013 than emerging countries know that increased in the past 16 to 26 The United Nations threw 2012—more than the increase and will not follow us at higher years—depending upon which a party last month in New of the rest of the world com- costs to their economies. temperature data set you use— York City, and plenty of envi- bined. China is responsible for Almost a third of U.S. despite a 25 percent increase ronmental activists attended 25 percent of total worldwide households qualify for low- in global carbon emissions? and protested in the streets, carbon dioxide emissions in income energy subsidies, and Those who ask for an demanding more efforts to the previous five years, and we plan to add the higher explanation are accused of reduce carbon emissions. emerging nations contribute costs of a low-carbon future being climate deniers and The people you think another 58 percent. to those households. What against progress. would have been at the party China and India are will we do for our lower- We threw a party. Plenty didn’t come. unlikely to burden their elec- income families? of publicity and protestors China’s President Xi Jinping trification efforts with costly What do we get for our jammed New York streets. We was busy monitoring the carbon emission limits when efforts and the damage to have offered costly EPA regu- student uprisings in Hong significant portions of their our economy? The EPA esti- lation to reduce U.S. carbon Kong. India’s new prime min- populations still lack basic mates its proposed rules to emissions. We have offered ister, Narendra Modi, was electric service. Poorer emerg- curb carbon dioxide emissions to follow Germany into a less in New York, but skipped ing countries also lacking from electric generation will prosperous future with renew- the U.N.’s party to attend an basic electric service will be address a total of 0.18 percent able energy. We have offered event in Central Park focus- reluctant to reduce carbon of global carbon emissions. urgency, drama and hype. ing on global poverty. Russian emission levels at a cost to White House Budget Director President Obama started President Vladimir Putin their developing economies. Shaun Donovan says, “Climate the party by declaring, “For was probably busy plot- It falls to the U.S. and denial will cost us billions all the immediate challenges ting to acquire more Eastern Western Europe to make a dif- of dollars as a hotter planet that we gather to address this European territory. Japan was ference in the remaining 17 reduces GDP and drives up week—terrorism, instability, not interested, with its tran- percent of carbon emissions. deficits while natural disas- inequality, disease—there’s one sition from nuclear electric China, India and developing ters like coastal superstorms issue that will define the con- generation to fossil generation. nations will cheer us on as long impose relief costs on society.” tours of this century more dra- Australia, with its economy still as they don’t have to follow us Will less than a 1 percent matically than any other, and recovering from a failed car- in reducing their emissions. reduction in the world’s car- that is the urgent and growing bon tax, didn’t make it, either. After all, less for us means bon emissions really make a threat of a changing climate.” With all the public- more for them: carbon emis- difference if natural disasters Yet no one that matters ity surrounding the U.S. sions and economic growth. and superstorms are caused came to our party. Maybe Environmental Protection Reductions in carbon emis- by a warming planet? they have higher priorities: Agency’s proposed greenhouse sions will be more expensive. Before putting our econ- poverty, starvation, Ebola gas rule and the predicted Replacing low-cost energy omy at risk, shouldn’t there epidemics, terrorism and eco- impending disasters associ- sources such as coal and be an explanation of why nomic recovery. ated with climate change, you natural gas with higher cost global temperatures have not So should we.
NOVEMBER 2014 7 Nov-2014_Layout 1 10/10/14 3:54 PM Page 2 FKEC NEWS NOVEMBER 2014 WWW.FKEC.COM
FLORIDA KEYS ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE ASSOCIATION, INC. Member Owned Since 1940
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
James J. Boilini District 1, Key Largo • President
Gretchen Holland District 1, Key Largo • Vice President
Michael H. Puto District 4, Marathon • Secretary
Vacant District 3, Islamorada • Treasurer
David C. Ritz District 1, Key Largo
Craig Belcher District 2, Tavernier
Frank N. Hawkins, Jr. District 2, Tavernier
George D. Hertel District 3, Islamorada
Karl M. Wagner Board Expresses Appreciation District 4, Marathon
CONTACT US: to Cooperative Employees (305) 852-2431 • (800) 858-8845 Pay by Phone 1-855-385-9912 FKEC employees were recently recognizes Board President Dr. Jim Boilini. “Their www.FKEC.com for their community service in a resolution dedication to FKEC and this community Mailing Address from the Co-op board of directors. are the keys to this company’s success.” P.O. Box 377, Tavernier, FL 33070 The document from the board reads, On behalf of the board, President “Be it resolved that the members of the Boilini presented the resolution to the Co- MEMBERS SHOULD Board of Directors of Florida Keys Electric op employees at the monthly safety KNOW: Beware of scammers! If Cooperative Association, Inc. express their meetings. you receive a suspicious call individual and collective gratitude and “FKEC employees give back to our from someone threatening to appreciation for the outstanding communities in so many ways,” said CEO community service they perform on a Scott Newberry. “Be it through civic disconnect your power, hang up, continual basis.” organizations, fund-raising, mentoring, and call FKEC at 305-852-2431. “As directors we felt it was important coaching or countless other volunteer Unless otherwise noted, “FKEC NEWS” to formally recognize the employees for work, these Co-op employees take pride in writing, design & photography by: going above and beyond service to FKEC having a positive impact on our Nikki Dunn • [email protected] Edited by: Rebecca Callahan Newman by giving to their communities,” said community and for that we are grateful.” Nov-2014_Layout 1 10/10/14 3:54 PM Page 3
Your Cooperative in the Community
All of FKEC’s employees give back to the community in one way or another. Below are just a few examples of employees’ involvement and contributions to the Upper and Middle Keys communities.
Ashley Arrabal Suzanne Lovell Upper Keys BPW-Director AYSO board member and regional registrar Key Largo Woman of the Moose Jessica L Lugo Key Largo Baptist Church-Bus Ministry Take Stock in Children mentor Don Barton Relay For Life volunteer Community Emergency Response Team Strides Walk for Breast Cancer volunteer United Way of the Florida Cris Beaty Lucy Miranda Keys Stuff the Bus Rotary Club of Key Largo, president elect Relay For Life volunteer Coral Shores High School Advisory Council Strides Walk for Breast Cancer volunteer Sharon Claude Ladies bible study group On behalf of the FKEC Board of Directors President Relay For Life volunteer Scott Newberry Dr. Jim Boilini (left) presents a resolution Strides Walk for Breast Cancer volunteer Rotary Club of Key Largo recgonizing the employees’ constant community Phil Guinta Key Largo Chamber service to all Co-op employees and CEO Scott Little League baseball coach Islamorada Chamber Newberry. FKEC Kickball coach Leadership Monroe County Sara Hamilton T.J. Patterson Florida Keys Wild Bird Center, secretary AYSO assistant commissioner and director Rotary Club of Key Largo Marathon Youth Club Baseball GLEE, President GLEE, vice president Islamorada Chamber of Commerce KAIR, director Leadership Monroe County Monroe County Climate Change Advisory United Way of the Florida Keys, volunteer Committee, member Mike Jenkins Strides Walk for Breast Cancer volunteer Key Largo Volunteer Fire Department Jason Richards AYSO Soccer Little League coach Kim Jones Youth League Basketball and Football AYSO 864 Regional Treasurer coach Heroes Welcome Tribute Treasure Village Montessori – Classroom John A. Stuart Weekend at Hawk’s Cay Volunteer Florida Keys Wild Bird Center, president Maria Jones Rotary Club of Key Largo United Way of the Florida Keys, vice chair Key Largo Chamber of Commerce Leadership Monroe County, board member Rotary Club of Key Largo Coral Shores High School Advisory Council Brian Tiedemann Nicole Kraus Little League baseball coach Islamorada Chamber of Commerce AYSO Soccer coach Take Stock in Children Chris Zischka Upper Keys Football League Treasure Village Montessori, volunteer Panthers Lacrosse Club George Mirabella Upper Keys Athletic Association Commissioner of Key Largo Fire/EMS dist. Upper Keys Rotary Club Key Largo Volunteer Fire Dept. Keith Kropf Key largo Volunteer Ambulance Corp. Food drive for local Upper Coral Restoration Foundation CPR/AED instructor and Middle Keys food banks Reef Environmental Education Foundation Member SAN PEDRO Church in Tavernier Florida Keys Council of the Arts Eucharistic Minister/Sunday School Teacher
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Offices FL-153 Open 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday 26733 U.S. Hwy. 27 East/P.O. Box 519 Moore Haven, FL 33471 CEO’s Message (863) 946-6200 Fax: (863) 946-2150
214 SR 70 West Support Sugar Hill Plan Lake Placid, FL 33852 (863) 531-5000 to Improve Our Future 111 SW Park St. Okeechobee, FL 34974 It seems every time an opportunity to lower our rates comes (863) 467-5111 our way, outside groups come to our “rescue” and kill it. Hendry County businesses have joined forces and are Power Interruption Number attempting to develop an area of more than 40,000 acres around Moore Haven...... (863) 946-6200 Airglades Airport. The Sugar Hill plan includes millions of Phones are answered 24 hours a day, seven square feet for commercial activities and 18,000 homes. days a week, including weekends and holidays. This growth alone would nearly triple our membership, Please have your location or account number providing a much larger base to spread the cooperative’s fixed handy when you call. operating costs, thus lowering rates for all. Jeff Brewington Board of Trustees Can you imagine the job opportunities such a development John “Jack” Coxe, President, District 8 will bring? Not only more choices for working adults, but Lake Josephine, (863) 655-3056 opportunities for our children to remain in the heartland, too. James “Jim” Aul, Vice President, District 7 Forty-six organizations—many of them various divisions Lorida, (863) 441-0441 of the Sierra Club—have signed a letter to Gov. Rick Scott Russell Henderson, Sec./Treas., District 3 asking him to stop the plan. Along with very misleading claims Ortona and Palmdale, (863) 946-0865 Donnie Lundy, Trustee, District 1 regarding the project, they go so far as to state that allowing Moore Haven, (863) 946-0402 the Sugar Hill development to proceed would put coastal Barney Goodman, Trustee, District 2 communities in grave peril. Hendry County, (863) 983-7324 Well what about us? We hardworking, rural, heartland Shannon Hall, Trustee, District 4 Floridians don’t matter? We are already in grave peril with Lakeport and Brighton, (863) 946-3242 Ladd Bass, Trustee, District 5 Hendry County being one of the poorest of Florida’s 67 Venus and Hicoria, (863) 441-2227 counties, and Glades is not far behind. Lee Henderson, Trustee, District 6 We have seen and allowed these same coastal communities to Highlands Park, (863) 633-9281 develop wherever and however they wanted, entirely without our Angela Hodges, Trustee, District 9 interference. How can they now deny us the chance to improve Okeechobee, (863) 801-3140 our fate with a plan we all know will be more environmentally The next meeting of the Board will be at 9 a.m. friendly and more highly scrutinized than any before? November 25 at the Moore Haven headquar- The citizens of Hendry County and their neighbors in ters office. Any changes to this schedule will be Glades County deserve this opportunity to prosper. posted in the lobby of all three district offices. Please join me in the battle for a thriving future by Executive Staff supporting the Sugar Hill plan. Contact Gov. Scott, state CEO Jeff Brewington representatives and senators, and the county commissioners CFO Jennifer Manning and economic development councils in Hendry and Glades CTO Jesse Wallace counties. Dir. of Business Development Paul McGehee I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving holiday. Dir. of Employee Services Yvonne Bradley Dir. of Engineering Travis Turner Dir. of Member Services Margaret Ellerbee Dir. of Operations Tracy Vaughn
32 november 2014 FL-154
Offices GCEC President’s Message 722 West Highway 22 P. O. Box 220 Wewahitchka, FL 32465 Please Take Action With Us (850) 639-2216 or (800) 333-9392 Every day we rely on electricity. We depend on the refrigerator to
9434 Highway 77 keep our food fresh, air conditioning and heating to keep us com- P. O. Box 8370 fortable and lights to see. We also depend on electricity to re-charge Southport, FL 32409 our electronics. Whether it is a phone to keep in touch with relatives, (850) 265-3631 or (800) 568-3667 a tablet for students’ homework or the laptop on which we stream movies, these devices all have become integral to our daily routine. 6243 East Highway 98 At work, we rely on electricity to power our computers, phones Panama City, FL 32404 and lights, which make us productive. Without this consistent, reli- Phone: (850) 481-1188 able and affordable power source, businesses would relocate, jobs would be lost and prices of goods and services would increase. Kinneth Daniels www.gcec.com That is why Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative is concerned about the latest proposed regulations on existing power plants from the U.S. Environmental CEO/General Manager Protection Agency. This round of rules affects the plants on which we rely every day. Michael E. White Cooperatives are different from other electric utilities. We are owned by our mem- ber-consumers. When we look at our power options, we are not driven to make a Trustees profit. We strive to provide the most affordable and reliable electricity possible. President Kinneth Daniels Owning our own plants has allowed GCEC to keep costs affordable. Part of energy Vice President Gary Cox independence is independence from expensive, profit-driven power. However, these Secretary Eddie Jones new regulations could endanger this independent supply of affordable electric power. Treasurer Robert Byrd Our generation and transmission cooperative, PowerSouth Energy Cooperative, built Doug Birmingham power plants when it made sense for our members. The way the new rules are written Jimmy Black could force the closure of plants. Rupert Brown Waylon Graham The EPA has drafted a regulation that Betty Moore adversely and disproportionately affects electric cooperatives. We are telling the Trustees normally meet the third Tuesday EPA this regulation does not work for us. of each month at 12:30 p.m. CST. The When the EPA drafted regulations www.action.coop board meets at the Wewahitchka office in limiting greenhouse gases from new even-numbered months (February, April, power plants, the agency received more than 500,000 emails opposing the regulation. June, August, October and December) and Today, we ask you to again join us. Visit www.action.coop and tell the EPA you can- the Southport office in odd-numbered not afford these new regulations. months (January, March, May, July, Your voice was heard last time. The EPA took note of electric cooperatives. Our col- September and November). lective voice showed co-op consumers were engaged. The EPA needs to understand the impact these regulations have on the people at the end of the power lines. Electric coop- The mission of GCEC is to continually erative members are uniquely positioned to deliver the message that these regulations evaluate and implement technologies will cost Americans more money and jobs. They will not work for rural Americans. and seek solutions that fulfill a Please also ask your friends and neighbors to join us. Ask them to visit www.action. diversified memberships’ changing coop and tell the EPA co-op consumers cannot afford regulation. We can balance expectations for cost-effective, environmental needs with affordability and reliability. dependable utility services through a America needs a healthy economy. America needs jobs. America needs manufactur- dedicated and responsive workforce. ing. Affordable, reliable electricity is the linchpin to these vital assets.
32 november 2014 “W
TO REPORT POWER OUTAGE CALL: 1-877-282-3656
CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS Trimming Trees Keeps the 210 Metheny Road Wauchula, Florida 33873 Hours 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., M-F Lights On 50' Telephone: 1-800-282-3824 enjoy the beauty that trees add FAX: 863-773-3737 to our central Florida area. 40' BRADENTON OFFICE Trees provide cooling shade, a 15105 59th Ave. East home for many species of wildlife 30' Bradenton, Florida 34211 Hours 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., M-F and, in some cases, delicious Telephone: 1-800-282-3824 fruit to eat. But I also enjoy the 20' comfort of knowing power will be NO TREE INDIAN LAKE ESTATES ZONE 17363 County Road 630 available when I need it. 10' Lake Wales, Florida 33898 To protect our lines and keep For your convenience, a payment drop the lights on, Peace River Electric 0 box is located at the front gate. Payments Cooperative maintains our rights- 10' 20' 30' 40' 50' 60' 70' will be posted on the next business day. of-way. Right-of-way (ROW) BOARD OF DIRECTORS maintenance keeps tree limbs and other obstacles away from high-voltage power lines. It’s Bruce Vickers an important part of the service we provide to you, our members, for three PRESIDENT reasons: safety, reliability and cost. John Martin VICE PRESIDENT Our primary concern is the safety of our lineworkers and members. Hollis Albritton, Jr. Properly maintained ROW keeps our crews safe when they are restoring SECRETARY/TREASURER service and maintaining our system. Keeping trees clear of power lines also Harold Schatschneider keeps your family safe. Keeping trees and limbs off of power lines also helps ASST. SECRETARY/TREASURER avoid prolonged outages. Leonard Crawley DIRECTOR As a not-for-profit electric co-op, PRECO strives to keep costs affordable Willie Dawes for you, our member-owners. Fewer and shorter outages saves money for DIRECTOR everyone. When our crews work in well-maintained areas, we reduce the Maurice Henderson risks for employees and equipment too — another way to keep costs low. DIRECTOR Randy Shaw Trees are a significant contributor to power outages on our lines. Over the Chris Portale General Manager & CEO DIRECTOR PEACE RIVER ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE last 12 months, tree growth, downed trees and fallen tree limbs account for Samuel Rawls nearly 15 percent of the power interruptions our members have experienced. DIRECTOR To “cut back” on potential tree-related problems PRECO utilizes a 3-year tree trimming BOARD MEETING program. Davey Tree Expert, our ROW contractor, looks for foliage growing under lines, ATTENDANCE overhanging branches, and leaning or other types of “danger” trees that have the potential Any PRECO member may attend a Board Meeting. Due to building to pull down a power line. It’s a never-ending job — by the time crews finish trimming security requirements and for us activities along our nearly 4,000 miles of distribution lines, vegetation is already beginning to facilitate attendance, members to grow back at the starting point. wishing to attend a Board Meeting should contact the Cooperative In working to keep a safe, reliable and affordable supply of power flowing to your home in a timely manner for logistical or business, we need your help. Let us know if you notice trees or branches that might information regarding the meeting. pose a risk to our power lines. Even more important, before planting trees in your yard, UPCOMING BOARD think about how tall they may grow and how wide their branches may spread. As a rule MEETING DATES November 18, 2014 of thumb, 25 feet of ground-to-sky clearance should be available on each side of our utility December 16, 2014 poles to give power lines plenty of space. Choose tree varieties with care and plant with January 27, 2015 power lines in mind. Trimming trees responsibly helps us keep the lights on, costs down and everyone safe. It’s the “cooperative difference” in action. 32 NOVEMBER 2014
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