Member Dr Community Energy
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
member driven. communityPOWER focused. ™ energyCONNECTION smart. member driven. community focused. energy smart. MARCH 2021 MEMBER SURVEY NOTICE Stearns Electric Association and appreciate about six minutes of your experience. Whether it’s restoring a NRECA Market Research will perform time to share your opinions about power outage or discussing energy a Member Satisfaction Survey this the Cooperative. Your information improvement options for your home, Spring. and your responses will remain answering a billing question or confidential. hosting a community event, we are In April, Stearns Electric Association working hard for you every day. is partnering with the National Rural Although Stearns Electric conducts Electric Cooperative Association surveys among its member- We know your time is valuable, so (NRECA) Market Research Services consumers every year, the rest assured, we will use the results to to complete a residential member Cooperative, through the help of make decisions on matters important satisfaction survey. NRECA, completes these larger to the future of your Cooperative and surveys every three years. By that benefit you, your family and your The survey will take place both by participating in the survey, you will neighbors. phone and email during the week of help us identify where we are serving April 26. Please be aware that you you well and where we might need to Thank you for your honest feedback. may be one of several members who improve. If you have any questions regarding are randomly selected to participate this upcoming survey, please contact in the survey. If you get a call or email We strive to safely provide all us at (800) 962-0655 during regular about a survey from us, it’s legitimate. members with affordable and reliable business hours. electric service, energy solutions that If you are contacted, we would greatly fit your needs, and a positive member NEWS & INFORMATION FROM ANNUAL POWERING AUTO STEARNS ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION p3 MEETING p4 YOU p6 PAY POWER CONNECTION | VOLUME 21 | ISSUE 03 NOTICE THROUGH PROMO CEO’S MESSAGE BLACKOUTS IN TEXAS AND GRID RELIABILITY The extreme cold weather event from less than $50/MWh to $9,000/ Last June, I talked about Great River during the week of February 15 made MWh. This increase caused Texas’ Energy’s power generation portfolio headlines in the United States and independent third-party electricity transition and explained how Great worldwide. The electrical grid, water providers to pass these costs on to their River Energy is planning to retire its systems and natural gas delivery in customers, leading to extremely high 1,150 MW Coal Creek Station. Great Texas experienced catastrophic failure, electricity bills. River Energy also plans to utilize natural leading to power blackouts, and water gas as a fuel at its Spiritwood Station and gas shortages like nothing ever Our wholesale power provider Great power plant, and upgrade the capacity experienced before. This month, I want River Energy is a member of the of its existing peaking plants. to explain some of the reasons why Midcontinent Independent System this failure happened and reassure you Operator (MISO). The MISO system runs With the upcoming retirement of Coal that our wholesale power provider is from Manitoba through the east central Creek Station, we continue to work prepared to continue providing reliable part of the U.S., down to Louisiana, and with Great River Energy and ask future electricity to you. is split into three separate areas. Great strategy questions on behalf of our River Energy is in MISO North, which members. We want to ensure Great operated very well during the February River Energy’s generation resources are The main reason for this failure in polar vortex. sufficient to continue providing reliable Texas was ultimately that its power energy through potential weather grid, water and natural gas systems Great River Energy’s power supply events like these. were not winterized, and therefore resources, which include coal-, gas- and unable to withstand the extended cold fuel oil-based power plants as well as Additionally, it’s important to note temperatures over multiple days. wind energy, performed as planned for that Great River Energy’s natural gas the extreme weather event. Because and wind generation power plants are Several other factors contributed to the MISO called for a “maximum generation” weatherized and prepared for both breakdown of the Texas electric grid. event, all Great River Energy generation extreme cold and extreme heat weather The Texas power grid consists of only was operating at full capacity during this events. Texas generation and transmission time to meet the demand for electricity. facilities. It is not a multi-state, regional Stearns Electric continues to promote system like most other grids in the Great River Energy’s coal-based Coal grid reliability through Great River country. Therefore there was a limited Creek Station and Spiritwood Station Energy, MISO and our own distribution pool of energy available to supply the operated throughout the cold weather system. Being part of a regional significantly increased demand for with no issues. Great River Energy’s integrated electric grid and diverse electricity. peaking stations operated as designed, energy mix assures that we have electric injecting electricity onto the grid quickly service reliability during extreme Additionally, Texas’ generation facilities and dependably when needed. Most of weather. We are up to the challenge rely on natural gas for roughly 60% of Great River Energy’s peaking plants are of achieving reliable service and cost power generation. The cold weather “dual fuel” facilities, which means they competitive electric rates, while being put unsustainable demand on this can operate on fuel oil when demand sensitive to consumer preference for resource. In addition, some bulk natural for natural gas is heightened. alternative forms of energy. gas systems froze up, which cut off the supply of gas to the generation facilities, Additionally, Stearns Electric and Great further impacting energy production. River Energy utilized a robust demand Sincerely, response program to curtail electrical Finally, electrical distribution in Texas is use during peak times. A number of deregulated, meaning that independent load control events took place during third parties can buy bulk electricity and the week of February 15 to reduce the Robin C. Doege Chief Executive Officer (CEO) sell it directly to end-use consumers. demand for electricity. During the week of February 15, the cost of wholesale power in Texas jumped 2 Power Connection | March 2021 ANNUAL MEETING BOARD MEETING TH JOIN US FOR OUR 84 The regular meeting of the Board of Directors of Stearns Electric Association DRIVE-IN ANNUAL MEETING was called to order on January 28, 2021 at 1:00 p.m. at the St. Joseph office of Stearns Electric Association. Manager of Finance Cindy Anderson reviewed the December 2020 financial information reporting continued strong year-to-date gross margins compared to budget due primarily to a lower power cost rate and higher sales volume. The Cooperative’s Annual Meeting was discussed. Directors from districts 1, 7 and 8 were asked submit an election teller’s name for the election process at the Annual Meeting. It is customary for the directors whose districts had elections the previous year to supply the election tellers the following year. Thursday, May 6, 2021 | 7 p.m. VP of Engineering and Operations Stearns County Fairgrounds in Sauk Centre, Minnesota Matt O’Shea described Construction Work Plan projects, inspections and As a member-consumer of Stearns Electric Association, you are also an maintenance currently in progress. owner of the Cooperative. As an owner, you have a voice in the operation Physical meter inventory took place at of our organization. Through attendance at the Annual Meeting, and the year-end with good results, similar to election of your Board of Directors, you help set the future direction of our the past several years. Cooperative. Mr. O’Shea explained how he worked with GRE to create the 2020 Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s Annual Meeting will be Long Range Load Forecast using 2019 a drive-in. Members are invited to listen to our broadcast from the comfort data. The forecast is used for planning of their vehicles or grab a lawn chair and sit outside near our outdoor studies, the Cooperative budget, and stage. Please follow recommended social distancing guidelines and stay at the Construction Work Plan. Mr. O’Shea least six feet apart from others who are not in your household. reviewed the system requirements, sales to members, forecasted line MEETING DETAILS: losses, and system summer and winter Gates Open: 6 p.m. demand charts. Business Meeting: 7 p.m. The Engineering Report provided a three-year trend of applications and GIFTS AND DOOR PRIZES: interconnected distributed energy The first 300 vehicles to arrive will receive a one-pound block of cheese and resources, along with an explanation of one-pound of butter quarters as a gift from the Cooperative. We will also changes to federal tax credits related be giving away 10 - $100 door prizes. You must be present at the meeting to the program. to win. Consistency in identifying reject poles over the past several years has DIRECTOR ELECTION: resulted in a noted improvement. Members in Districts 3, 4, 5 and 9 will have the chance to elect a director for Original reject rates began at 5-6%. The their district in 2021. Due to ongoing restrictions, we encourage members pole reject rate is now less than 2%. in these districts to vote by mail or electronically. A ballot package will be sent to you in April. Voting in person at the Annual Meeting will be an NEXT BOARD MEETING option for those interested. April 29, 2021 Watch for more details in the April Power Connection or visit www.stearnselectric.org for more information.