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Board of Directors:Richard E. Butler, Culdesac, Idaho President

Alan Lansing, Lenore, Idaho Vice-President

Kenneth Weiss, Asotin, Washington Secretary-Treasurer

M.M. Harris, Saint Maries, Idaho Assistant Secretary-Treasurer

Pamela Anderson, Potlatch, IdahoRobert Callison, Kendrick, IdahoThomas Hutchinson, Craigmont, Idaho

General ManagerK. David Hagen

Sta� Edwin Ausman Director of Purchasing and WarehousingLisa Hall Manager of Financial and Office ServicesDouglas Pfaff

Manager of EngineeringRobert Pierce

Manager of Member ServicesScott Seegmiller

Manager of Information SystemsCynthia Tarola Director of AccountingLisa Tuell

Director of Member ServicesStanley Vannoy

Manager of Operations

Business Hours:Monday - Thursday7:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.Closed Friday

ID-1

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LOOK FOR STAR POWER

32 S E P T E M B E R 2013

Board of DirectorsPresident Lori Anderson, Condon Vice President John Qualls, HeppnerSecretary/Treasurer Roy Carlson, Fossil

Gary Wilde, OlexRaymond Harrison, Condon Todd Lindsay, Heppner Mark Wunderlich, HeppnerDeacon Heideman, Ione

ManagerJerry Healy, Heppner

171 Linden WayP.O. Box 398

Heppner, OR 97836 (541) 676-9146

http://[email protected]

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.

OR-2

32 s E p T E M B E R 2013

On average, 26 children in the United States are killed every year while getting on or off a school bus, or while waiting at the bus stop. To avoid such tragedies, drivers are reminded to:

• Carefully back out of driveways. Watch for children walking to the bus stop.

• Slow down. Watch for children walking in the street and playing or congregating near bus stops—especially in the early morning hours, when it may still be dark.

• Be alert. Children arriving late for the bus may dart into the street without looking.

• Obey the law. Yellow flashing lights on a bus mean motorists should slow down and prepare to stop. Red flashing lights mean motorists must stop their cars and wait until the red lights stop flashing, the extended stop sign is withdrawn and the bus starts moving again. Unless there is a median, oncoming traffic also must stop.

Watch for Back-to-School KidsDrivers should take precautions around schoolchildren.

Board of DirectorsHoward Gonser, PresidentBarbara Nagle, Vice PresidentDan Williams, SecretaryClay Smith, TreasurerMilt Skov, Director

ManagerDwight D. Langer

Board MeetingsUsually the fourth Tuesday of the month at 6 p.m. at the PUD offices, 2345 River Rd. The public is always welcome.

Our MissionTo provide reliable, competitively-priced energy and related services that benefit our customers, in the tradition of public power.

Our Core Values and BeliefsLocal citizens championed and fought to create our People’s Utility District. They believed—and we believe—in the public’s right to own and control its electric utility.

Today, our values are a legacy from our public power heritage, as well as guideposts for a changing future.

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.

2345 River RoadThe Dalles, OR 97058(541) 296-2226 FAX 298-3320www.nwasco.com Dear Customers—Our Friends and Our Neighbors,

The Columbia River Treaty: A treaty entered into in 1964 between the United States and Canada. The original treaty had two primary provisions: flood control (this was in the aftermath of the Vanport Flood) and hydropower. At this point in history, the treaty is to be terminated or re-negotiated.

The outcome of a new “modern” treaty is of great value or consequence to the customers of the PUD and all citizens in the Pacific Northwest. The new treaty will be negotiated by the U.S. Department of State. The party that is responsible to advise the State Department in these negotiations, called the “U.S. Entity”, is comprised of the Bonneville Power Administration and the

U.S. Corps of Engineers. The rub: For the past 36 months, the Power Group—a forum for electric utilities,

associations, and other entities that depend upon power produced by Columbia River generating plants—has been engaged in the process, but has not been included in the Sovereign Review Team created to assist the U.S. Entity in the analysis and develop-ment of a recommendation to the U.S. State Department. We feel quite strongly that the draft recommendation recently released by the U.S. Entity does not adequately reflect considerations about the power and economic interests that the Power Group has articulated in the review process.

The end game result: The draft recommendation states one of its goals is “preserv-ing reliable and economic hydropower benefits,” but it is woefully inadequate in speci-fying the amount of inequity in the current and forecast power benefit between the U.S. and Canada. The U.S. (i.e. the Pacific Northwest) is on the short end of the stick to the tune of $250 million to $350 million annually! So, while the customers and citi-zens of the Pacific Northwest pay all the bills—billions of dollars over years past—to date, you do not have a voice in the outcome. This is not acceptable or fair.

Our wish: The Power Group urges that the U.S. Entity’s recommendation should clearly state that any payment made to Canada for downstream power benefits should not exceed one-half of the actual, incremental power benefits achieved through coor-dinated U.S./Canada operations as compared to non-coordinated operation.

We appreciate your support in urging Governor Kitzhaber to support the Power Group’s inclusion.

Until next time, have a great day.

Dwight LangerGeneral Manager

OR-3

Manager’s Report

32 S E P T E M B E R 2013

Board of Trustees President Ralph RiseDistrict 2, Elmer City

Vice President Albert PreugschatDistrict 8, Bridgeport

Secretary/Treasurer Monte JosephDistrict 5, Nespelem

Cindy CorpeDistrict 1, Coulee Dam

Martin OlbrichtDistrict 3, Belvedere

Dorothy PalmerDistrict 4, Nespelem

Patrick Morin Jr.District 6, Nespelem

Gilbert Desautel Jr.District 7, Disautel

Ricard TuplingDistrict 9, Okanogan

Board meetings are the fourth Tuesday of every month.

P.O. Box 31 • 1009 F St.Nespelem, WA 991558 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (M-F)Phone: (509) 634-4571Fax: (509) 634-8138 email: [email protected]: www.nvec.org

For after-hours emergencies, call 634-4571 to page an on-duty employee.

WA-5

32 S E P T E M B E R 2013

Dear Members,Our annual meeting is coming up, and we want you to be a part of this coopera-tive experience. By attending the 74th annual meeting of Nespelem Valley Electric Cooperative, you have the chance as a member/owner to take part in the cooperative’s business.

NVEC celebrates its 74th anniversary at the annual meeting Friday, October 4. Come help us celebrate this special milestone. There will be lots of activities and door prizes, along with the usual business of electing trustees to represent your cooperative.

Inside this edition of Ruralite, you will find an outline of the agenda and activities for the annual meeting, and the list of nominees for the NVEC Board of Trustees positions up for election. Your registration card is also inside this magazine. Please bring the card with you to the annual meeting.

As always, my door is open if you have any questions or concerns. You also may contact me, Cortney or Stephanie in the office at (509) 634-4571.

Sincerely,Laura McClureGeneral Manager

Co-op Marks 74th Year

Dear CPI Members:The summer construction season is always a busy time for CPI, and this year is no excep-tion. In the past few months, CPI has com-pleted major system improvements to increase the reliability of our service to you, extend the life of our equipment and help avoid unex-pected costs. Project locations have ranged from Lebanon and Stayton to Marys Peak near Philomath and Toledo near the coast.

During the week of June 24, CPI performed significant system upgrades out of its Toledo Substation. Two high-voltage breakers were replaced with new ones, and transmission poles in hard-to-access areas were changed. These two breakers get the most severe fault duty of any on CPI’s system because of the harsh weather conditions and storms near the coast.

By replacing these 45-year-old breakers, we will not only improve service at the Toledo Substation, but also four other substations and the 2,900 CPI members they serve.

Not for the Faint of HeartCPI received approval from the U.S. Forest Service and Oregon Department of Forestry to use a helicopter to trim trees in its right of way on Marys Peak. These power lines provide power to several communications companies on top of Marys Peak.

We have never used this method before and found it to be cost-effective, accomplishing in a matter of hours what it would take days from

the ground due to the area’s difficult access.To get the job done, a device called a Heli-

Saw is suspended from the bottom of the heli-copter. The Heli-Saw has eight 30-inch blades and cuts a 20-foot swath as it is flown along the trees, reaching branches unreachable from the ground.

Mobile Substation Pressed Into ServiceCPI’s new mobile substation saw its first tour of duty at the end of July, when we used it to power the Stayton Substation. Transferring electric service to the mobile substation allowed CPI employees to do thorough main-tenance and testing on Stayton Substation equipment.

Maintenance is one of the main reasons we invested in the new mobile substation. It enables CPI to schedule substation transformer work without needing lengthy outages or straining the distribution system and reducing reliability. This will help CPI assess and main-tain aging equipment to prevent costly cata-strophic failures.

One Last ReminderWe hope to see you at CPI’s annual meet-ing on Saturday, September 14. Learn directly about how CPI works to constantly improve our responsiveness to you, and about the many services we provide.

Roman GillenPresident/CEO

OR-6

President’s ReportMAILING ADDRESS

P.O. Box 1180Philomath, OR 97370(541) 929-3124(800) 872-9036

LOCAL OFFICES

6990 West Hills Rd.Philomath, OR 97370

1900 W Oak StreetLebanon, OR 97355

Russ Sapp CHAIRMAN

Thad Springer VICE PRESIDENT

Terry Plagmann SECRETARY

Kevin ChristopherASSISTANT SECRETARY

Roman Gillen PRESIDENT/CEO

Tony Wilson TREASURER/CFO

www.cpi.coop

Kids are back in school. Please drive carefully.

32 S E P T E M B E R 2013

OR-8

Co-op Card Adds Value to Your WalletWe’re always looking for ways to provide value to our members and our community, espe-cially during tough economic times. Umatilla Electric’s Co-op Connections Card is a money-saving tool we’re proud to offer our member-ship. The card connects you with discounts on everything from hotel stays to prescription drugs.

We hope local businesses participating in the Co-op Connections program benefit from increased traffic from Umatilla Electric mem-bers. Businesses can sign up for the program at no cost. For a complete list of all participat-ing businesses in our area, simply log on to our website UmatillaElectric.com and follow the Co-op Connections Card link.

The card also gives you access to online savings at national retailers like Lands’ End, Hertz Rental Cars, Best Western hotels, Philips Lighting and ProFlowers.com. You can check out these great national discounts at the web-site www.connections.coop. One of the most valuable features of the Co-op Connections Card is the pharmacy discount. While it is not insurance, UEC members have saved an average of 39 percent off prescriptions totaling more than $68,000 simply by being a member of the electric cooperative. The logo and infor-mation on the back of your card is recognized at more than 60,000 national, regional and local pharmacies.

As a Touchstone Energy co-op, Umatilla Electric strives to serve our members according to four core values: integrity,

accountability, innovation and commitment to community. Our Co-op Connections Card is one of the ways we live up to those values.

O� cesHermiston O� ce750 W. Elm St.567-6414

Boardman O� ce203 E. Boardman Ave.481-2220

Toll-Free1-800-452-2273

To Report An OutageCall 888-465-5701 any time day or night

DirectorsPresidentJe� Wenholz

Vice PresidentBryan Wolfe

Secretary-TreasurerBob MacPherson

RoseEtta Ansotegui Lee DockenJohn Otis Glenn Rohde

General ManagerSteve Eldrige

MissionUmatilla Electric Cooperative is a member-owned business that sells energy and other services to improve the quality of life in our communities.

umatillaelectric.com

32 S E P T E M B E R 2013

Co-op Connections, the same pro-gram that has saved Umatilla Electric members more than $68,000 on prescriptions, now offers you significant savings on dental, vision, hearing, lab imaging and chiropractic ser-vices. Simply show your Co-op Connections Card at a participat-ing provider and you will receive a discount. Visit UmatillaElectric.com for more information.

105 E. 4th St.The Dalles, OR 97058Office phone: (541) 296-2740Toll-free phone: (800) 341-8580www.wascoelectric.com

Board of DirectorsRon Holmes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PresidentMichael Collins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vice PresidentJim McNamee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .SecretaryH . Kelly McGreer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .TreasurerGary Brown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DirectorRobert Durham . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DirectorRobert “Bob” Hammel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DirectorNeal Harth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DirectorDeOra Patton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Director

StaffJeff Davis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .General ManagerMarie Wilson . . . . Executive Admin . AssistantShannon Bessette . . . . . . . . . . . . . . AccountantJim Bailey . . . . . . . . . . . . Engineering AssistantJim Green . . . . . . . . . .Engineering TechnicianTraci Brock . . . Marketing & Member ServicesLaura Correia . . . . . . . Customer Service Rep .Jennifer Lindsey . . . . Customer Service Rep .Casey McCleary . . . . . . . Operations ManagerAl Rose . . . . . . . . . . . The Dalles Line ForemanMichael North . . . . . . . . . The Dalles LinemanRobert Gridley . . . . . . . . . The Dalles LinemanWesley Woods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ServicemanBrewster Whitmire . . . . . . . . . . . .Field TechnicianDan Funkhouser . . . Grass Valley Line ForemanGerald Haeffelin . . . . . Maupin Line ForemanFrank Roeder . . . . . . . . . . . . . Maupin LinemanRay Kindley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Attorney

Mission Statement“Wasco Electric Cooperative Inc.will provide its members withcompetitively priced, reliable energyand related services.”

Office Hours:Monday - Thursday,7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

OR-9

32 S E P T E M B E R 2013

Power Rate IncreaseLast month, Bonneville Power Administration announced a regionwide average 9 percent increase in wholesale power rates and an 11 percent increase in transmission rates effective October 1, 2013.

The increase in wholesale rates stems from higher costs to operate and maintain the aging hydro system, higher long- term fish and wildlife costs, upgrades to an aging transmission system and the reduced revenues from surplus power sales due to lower market prices for energy.

The Wasco Electric management and board are determin-ing the additional revenue requirements needed to cover the increased cost of power, as well as the cost to continue main-taining its own infrastructure serving the membership.

Later this month, we will announce what the final rate impact will be to the membership and when the increase will take place, likely as early as October 1.

We recognize that a rate increase will be a challenge for many of our members. I assure you we are working diligently to keep the increase as low as possible, yet maintain the system reliability and financial health of your cooperative.

Increasing costs make energy efficiency more important than ever and we will continue to encourage our members to take advantage of our energy-saving incentive programs. The smarter we are about our energy use now, the less power we will need in the future.

WECare DonationsEach year, the cooperative reaches out to its members asking for support of those less fortunate who struggle to make finan-cial ends meet. Your contributions to our WECare program help many families each year, and we are again asking for your support this month.

With your September power bill, you will find a donation card so you can help support your friends and neighbors. Please see page 8 of this month’s issue for more information on the benefits of this program.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns about your cooperative, please call or stop by the office.

Jeff DavisGeneral Manager

Manager’s Message

Dear Member,

� is time of year, electric usage is low, storms are few, the lights are on and members are seldom thinking about their electric cooperative. In a couple of short months, this will change. Usage will increase, as will the phone calls, storms are coming and we’ll be trying even harder to keep the lights on. In the meantime, I have listed a few things you can do to prepare.

Electric Usage - Whether you heat with electricity or not, your usage will increase. More time indoors, lighting, holiday baking and visitors will all increase your usage a bit. Unless you have a heat pump, electric resistance heat could increase your usage dramatically. But unless your usage is radically dif ferent than the previous year, everything is normal.

Outage Preparation - While outages typically last hours rather than days, it’s

still wise to be prepared. Having bottled water, candles and fresh batteries on hand is a good place to start. Our new mapping system certainly helps us determine where

the outages are and helps us address them more e� cient ly, but we still encouarge members to call us... particularly if they have speci� c information with regard to poles and

lines down.

Surge Protection - Protecting your voltage-sensitive equipment should be a huge priority. And I’m not talking about a $3.99 multi-

plug strip, but rather one that will actually pay for your damaged equipment should a surge get through it. In

addition to the normal every-day internal surges from major appliance start-ups, storms, cars and critters can also create situations totally out of our control. At that point, you are responsible for any repairs or damage that may occur.

Last winter was fairly mild with regard to stormy weather, but we never know that this winter will bring. We can only try to prepare for it. Call us if you need help!

Best Regards,

Dave SabalaGeneral Manager

OR-10

OwnedBy ThoseWe ServeDouglas Electric Cooperative Inc.,Roseburg, OregonPhone (541) 673-6616 (800) 233-2733

O� cersPresident. . . . . . . Terry NelsonVice President . . Robert PoageSecretary. . . . . . . Shirley CairnsTreasurer . . . . . . . Dick McHa� eDirector . . . . . . . . Larry ShipleyDirector . . . . . . . . Evan BarnesDirector . . . . . . . . Carey Weatherly

ManagerDave Sabala(541) 637-0342

SuperintendentTodd Sherwood(541) 580-7205

O� ce ManagerPaul Leonard

Member ServicesTodd C. Munsey

Douglas FastnetTodd Way

Mission StatementThe mission of Douglas ElectricCooperative, a member-owned and operated cooperative, is to provide a� ordable, reliable electric and other compatible services that enhance the quality of life for its members, using pro-gressive marketing in conjunc-tion with sound � nancial and management principles.

It’s Not Too Early To Start Preparing For Winter

32 S E P T E M B E R 2013

P.O. Box 97Monument, OR 97864

(541) 934-2311Toll free (888) 203-7638

DIRECTORS President Paul WaltonVice President Dave Humphreys Sec./Treasurer Tom Campbell Dan CannonCheryl JenisonLaReta JonesAdam Temple

MANAGERTroy Cox

The board of directors meets the second Monday of each month.

Columbia Power Co-op

POWER OUTAGE NUMBERSCo-op office . . . . . . . . . 934-2311Randy Sweek . . . . . . . . 934-2743Gary Warner . . . . . . . . . 934-2961Troy Cox . . . . . . . . . . . . . 934-2155Brian Woodell . . . . . . . . 934-2260 Josh Hamilton . . . . . . . 934-2133Mike Osborne . . . . . . . . 934-2067Joe Ringering . . . . . . . . 934-2198

OR-11

32 S E P T E M B E R 2013







BPA to Increase Rates, CEC Reviewing ImpactsThe Bonneville Power Administration—the supplier of virtu-ally all of Central Electric’s electricity—last month announced increases in the cost of wholesale electricity for its utility cus-tomers. BPA will increase its wholesale energy rate an average of 9 percent and its transmission rates by an average of 11 percent. The increases are effective October 1, the start of the next two-year rate period.

BPA’s transmission increase is due to the cost of repairing and replacing significant portions of its infrastructure, and higher operating costs due to tighter security and reliability regulations. To explain its wholesale energy-cost increase, BPA is citing higher costs of operating and maintaining the federal hydroelectric system, and increased funding requirements for the existing long-term agreements for fish and wildlife protection programs. The situation is aggravated by reduced revenues from surplus power sales due to low market prices, something we wrote about in the January 2013 edition of Ruralite. You can find that article by going to the Ruralite archives at www.cec.coop.

Central Electric is analyzing the effect the BPA increase will have on our costs, and will present our findings and recommendations to the board of directors later this month. The board then will decide what, if any, increase in CEC member rates will be necessary to maintain our economic strength, as well as the timing of any such increase. We will keep you updated on the process and resulting decisions.

Certainly, none of us welcomes the prospect of a rate increase, especially during tough economic times. Any decision will be made carefully and will fully consider the best interests of the cooperative and our membership. However, we regard it as one of our primary responsibilities to keep our rates as reasonable as possible.

To support that point, it is important to note that as part of our power purchase contract with BPA, every two years it develops wholesale power and transmission rates through a formal rate-setting process. Each two-year rate period has produced a cost increase for Central Electric and BPA’s other 145 utility customers. However, through cost control and a focus on efficiency, CEC has raised its rates only three times since 1984 and twice in the past 13 years—the most recent being 2010 in the wake of a 7 per-cent BPA increase in 2009 and an overall 23 percent increase from 2000 to 2010.

I want to assure you that we do all we can to control our costs. Our staffing levels are essentially the same as they were at the start of the century and we constantly find ways to improve and maintain the CEC electrical system in ways that save millions of dollars. One reason we do this is to ensure the costs we can’t control—such as the BPA increases—impact our members to the smallest possible degree.

Sincerely,

Dave Markham, President and CEO

OR-12

Central IssuesCentral Electric CooperativeDIRECTORS:

Chairman Tom Strand, TerrebonneVice Chairman Dan Steelhammer, BendSecretary/Treasurer Kip Light, Madras Beverly Clarno, RedmondDavid C. Clemens, SistersBoyd Keeton, TumaloShirley McCullough, Prineville Kelly McFarlane, Powell ButteKenneth H. Miltenberger, Alfalfa

Attorney Robert E. Maloney Jr.Lane Powell PC, Portland

STAFF:President Dave Markham

Chief Financial Officer Rawleigh White

Operations & Engineering Director Bob McConnell

Corporate Information Officer Lisa Cutter

Member Services Director Jeff Beaman

Bend District ManagerKaren Lewis

24-HOURPHONE NUMBERS:

Redmond .............(541) 548-2144Bend ......................(541) 389-1980Madras ..................(541) 475-3266Prineville ..............(541) 447-5321Sisters ....................(541) 549-5698

Board meets the third Thursday of each month at the CEC office, 2098 N. Highway 97, Redmond, OR.

www.cec.coop

Mission StatementThe aim of Central Electric Co-op is to make electric energy available to its members at the lowest cost consistent with sound economy and good management.

President’s Report

32 S E P T E M B E R 2013

Next year is our 75th anniversary. We are planning a lot of activities to celebrate. First, please mark your calendars for a series of area meetings we will have as part of our required annual meeting. As I have mentioned before, we have seen a decline in attendance at our annual meeting and we are seek-ing new ways to interact with those we serve. This is important because it is through interacting with members we learn what we are doing right and what we can do to improve and strengthen the cooperative for future generations.

I hope you will attend one of the district meet-ings. We plan to have tours of our offices, lunch, prizes and a lot of talk about the past and future.

• Monday, June 9, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Coquille CCEC office• Tuesday, June 10, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Port Orford CCEC office• Wednesday, June 11, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Brookings CCEC office• Thursday, June 12, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Gold Beach CCEC officeWe are developing a commemorative book to capture the history of the coopera-

tive’s first 75 years. As we poured through the archives, and pulled together a list of people to interview as part of the research, it became clear we needed to also reach out to you—our members—for your stories, photographs and thoughts about the cooperative through the years. If you or a family member has photographs or stories of life before electricity, living here during construction of the electric system, people instrumental in making our cooperative a success, interesting stories about living here or other historical information, please share with us. If you send photographs, we will scan them and return them immediately. If we use any of your photographs or stories, we will be sure to give you credit.

Please call or email Christine Stallard, marketing and member services manager, with your ideas and stories before the end of September. She is happy to follow up on any leads you have regarding historical information. Call any office and ask for exten-sion 417 or email her at [email protected], or through the Contact Us icon on our website at www.ccec.coop.

We have accomplished a lot in the past 75 years by working together cooperatively. I hope you will help us capture some of that history in the commemorative book and by celebrating our successes next year.

Roger MeaderGeneral Manager

OR-13

Special MessageTo those we are committed to—and serve electrically—every day.

Board of Directors PresidentPeter C. Radabaugh, Bandon

Vice PresidentCheryl McMahan, Southern At-Large

Secretary/ TreasurerJim Kolen, Gold Beach

Georgia A. Cockerham, Brookings/HarborEdward Dowdy, Northern At-Large John G. Herzog, Brookings/Harbor Daryl C. Robison, Port Orford/Langlois

Attorney—Melinda J. Davison

StaffGeneral Manager/CEORoger Meader

Corporate Services/CFOFrank Corrales

Operations ManagerC. Dale Wilson

Manager of System Planning & EngineeringAndrew McBride

Marketing and Member Services ManagerChristine L. Stallard

Local numbersCoquille ........................... (541) 396-3118Port Orford ..................... (541) 332-3931Gold Beach ..................... (541) 247-6638Brookings ....................... (541) 469-2103

Area office hours 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Closed Friday.

After-Hours Outage Number (866) 352-9044

Call Before You Dig811

www.ccec.coop

32 S E P T E M B E R 2013 www.ccec.coop

OR-14 652 Rose Ave

P.O. Box 69Vernonia, OR 97064

(503) 429-3021 Toll free (800) 777-1276

www.westoregon.org

BOARd Of diRecTORsPresident Robert VanNatta (Dist. 2 – Mist, Apiary, Birkenfeld)

Vice President Bob Paleck (Dist. 5 – Timber, Buxton)

Sec./Treasurer Marty Van Dyken(Dist. 3 – Vernonia, Keasey)

Brian Baker(Dist. 1 – Jewell, Elsie, Hamlet)

Dan Murphy(Dist. 4 – Vernonia)

Dixie London (Dist. 6 – Chapman, Scappoose)

New Director(Dist. 7 – Manning, Hagg Lake,Yamhill County)

GeneRAl MAnAGeRMarc Farmer

Contact the Board: [email protected]

Board meetings are the third Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m.Members are welcome.

West Oregon Electric Co-op

What’s insidePage 4-5,Rate Increase InformationCo-op Lighting Lessons

Page 6 & 7Energy-saving tips for college students

32 S E P T E M B E R 2013

Attention West Oregon Electric Cooperative Members:West Oregon Electric Cooperative, Inc. (WOEC) will be holding a Members Meeting to discuss and consider a proposed rate increase that would begin on October 1, 2013. WOEC’s Board is considering a rate change due to an increase in our power supply cost and our cost of service.

All WOEC members are invited to attend and discuss the rate proposal with the Board of Directors and Management.

Member Meeting – Rate ChangeTuesday, September 17th at 6:00 pmWOEC Boardroom ~ 652 Rose AveVernonia, Oregon

Please read page 4 inside this issue of Ruralite for information about the rate design and member meeting from General Manager Marc Farmer.

Surprise Valley Electrification Corp.516 U.S. Hwy. 395 E.Alturas, CA 96101

Phone (530) 233-3511Toll-Free: (866) 843-2667www.surprisevalleyelectric.org

Office open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.Monday through Friday

After hours and outages:Call office numbers above

Staff

Jim Hays, General ManagerBrad Kresge, Assistant General ManagerDennis Reed, Line SuperintendentLynn Culp, Member Service Manager

Board of directorSCraig Joiner, PresidentLookout

Dennis Flynn, Vice PresidentAdel

Raymond Cloud, Secretary/TreasurerNew Pine Creek

Wesley CookCedarville

George JaskaLakeview

John ErquiagaLake City

Duane McGarvaLikely

Board meets the fourth Thursday of the month at the SVE office.

George Jaska remembers the day the lights were turned on at the “home place” near Lakeview.

George was in grade school and they were having a card party at his house. The line crew had built the power line to the homes in the area, but no one at the party knew the house had been “hooked up.” The house was lit by a number of lanterns when one of the children turned on the electric light switch and, to everyone’s surprise and delight, the house lit up for the first time. This was in the summer of 1938.

Surprise Valley Elec-tric has been a big part of George’s life since that first bright night. George was elected to the SVE Board of Directors on September 17, 1977, and has devotedly served the membership, and specifically District 6, for 36 years. George served as board president from 1987 to 1996. He will retire from his position on the board on September 7.

Looking back at his service on the board, George says the people he met and worked with are what have made it special. He will miss the relationship he has with the other board members and adds SVE “has a darn good board in place.”

George’s last duty as an SVE board member will be at the annual membership meet-ing September 7. George looks forward to seeing you at the meeting, so come out for a great day and visit with George, the other board members, staff, and your friends and neighbors.

George Jaska: A Great Friend of SVEC

George Jaska retires from the board this month after 36 years of service to SVEC.

CA-15

32 SEPTEMBER 2013

Dear Member:

As we draw closer to our district meetings this fall, I wanted to remind you to begin thinking about coming out and learning about your co-op. We will hold � ve individual district meetings again this year; one in Oakridge, Eugene, Lowell, Cottage Grove and Blue River. Similar to past years, each of these meetings will be held on a weekday evening. More information will be sent to you as we get closer however, a listing of the dates, times and places are provided on page 25 and below for your initial planning.

You will be receiving an RSVP card to help us better plan for these meetings. Be sure to complete and return your card by the deadline, so you can be entered into a drawing to win a $100 credit on your electric bill.

I look forward to seeing and visiting with you at one of our upcoming meetings.

Down the line

787 Bailey Hill Road / P.O. Box 21410Eugene, Oregon 97402O� ce Phone: (541) 484-1151Website: www.laneelectric.com

BOARD OF DIRECTORSJeri Nelson, PresidentOakridge District

Chris Seubert, Vice-PresidentCentral District

Pat Dymock, SecretaryMcKenzie River District

Chuck Leighter, TreasurerCentral District

Loy Sparks, DirectorCentral District

Jim Hill, DirectorOakridge District

Ed Bangle, DirectorRow River District

MANAGEMENT STAFFTony ToncrayConstruction & Maintenance

Doug StockdaleEngineering Services

Debi WilsonO� ce & Sta� Services

Dave D’AvanzoMember & Regional A� airs

BOARD MEETINGS4th Monday of each month(Unless otherwise noted)Lane Electric's O� ce at 11 a.m.

Rick CrinklawGeneral Manager

32 S E P T E M B E R 2013

MANAGEMENT STAFFTony ToncrayConstruction & Maintenance

Doug StockdaleEngineering Services

Debi WilsonO� ce & Sta� Services

Dave D’AvanzoMember & Regional A� airs

BOARD MEETINGS4th Monday of each month(Unless otherwise noted)Lane Electric's O� ce at 11 a.m.

#1 OAKRIDGE HIGH SCHOOL CAFETERIA47977 West 1st, Oakridge OR

Wednesday, September 25, 2013Dinner at 6:30 PM, Meeting at 7:00 PM

#2 TWIN OAKS WLEMENTARY SCHOOL85916 Bailey Hill Road, Eugene, OR

Tuesday, October 8, 2013Dinner at 6:30 PM, Meeting at 7:00 PM

#3 LOWELL HIGH SCHOOL GYMNASIUM65 S. Pioneer St., Lowell, OR

Thursday, October 10, 2013Dinner at 6:30 PM, Meeting at 7:00 PM

#4 DORENA GRANGE34360 Row River Rd., Cottage Grove, OR

Monday, October 21, 2013Dinner at 6:30 PM, Meeting at 7:00 PM

#5 UPPER MCKENZIE COMMUNITY CTR.54745 McKenzie River Dr, McKenzie Br. OR

Tuesday, October 22, 2013Dinner at 6:30 PM, Meeting at 7:00 PM

2013 ANNUAL MEETING LANE ELECTRIC HEADQUARTERS

787 Bailey Hill Road, Eugene, ORMonday, October 28, 2013

Meeting Begins At 4:30 PM

2013 DISTRICT AND ANNUAL MEETINGSMark Your Calendars

OR-16

President & Manager’s Reports...

2012 In Review...

District Meeting Schedule...

2012 Financials...

Down the Line...

Annual Report Issue...

Feature: Page #

4 & 5

8

25

28-29

32

A Touchstone Energy® Cooperative

Dear Members,Winter is just around the corner. With winter comes a higher electric bill as we turn on more heat and lights. The way to lower electric bills and increased comfort is through energy efficiency.

Member comments on bills and feedback from the annual PNGC Power End Use survey of our members tells us many of you are not aware of Blachly-Lane’s energy-efficiency programs.

Blachly-Lane offers the following energy-efficiency programs:• Efficient appliance rebates• Heat pump rebates• Weatherization rebates• Weatherization loans• Energy Star home rebates• Commercial and industrial lighting and other equipment rebatesBlachly-Lane’s energy-efficiency programs are funded by the Bonneville Power

Administration using a portion of the wholesale power revenue it receives from distri-bution utilities such as Blachly-Lane. You already have paid for these services through your electric rates, so it makes sense to take advantage of them.

You may have heard that in recent months BPA has not provided refunds for Blachly-Lane to pass on to our members. BPA is behind in its rebate process. This is caused by a number of factors at BPA, which are being addressed. Until BPA becomes current in its rebate process, there likely will be some delay in getting your refund. We hope this situation will be remedied soon.

If you are interested in taking advantage of Blachly-Lane’s energy-efficiency programs, go to our website at www.blachlylane.coop for additional information, or contact Carita Lively at (541) 284-2149.

Joe JarvisGeneral Manager

OR-17

Blachly-Lane Energy E� ciency Programs

General ManagerJoe Jarvis

TM

Blachly-LaneElectric Cooperative90680 Highway 99Eugene, OR 97402(541)-688-8711(800)-446-8418www.blachlylane.coop

Mission Statement: Blachly-Lane’sprimary objective is to provide safe, cost-e� ective, reliable, and competitive electrical energy and service to its members.

Board of Directors:Ernie Jacksch, Vice Chairman(ph: 927-3466) District 1(Low Pass, Blachly, Deadwood andIndian Creek areas)

Bob Sikes, Director(ph: 935-7602) District 2(Fern Ridge and Elmira-rural areas)

Cheryl Haskell, Secretary/Treasure(ph: 998-3954) District 3(Junction City-rural and Hwy 99N)

Tom Irwin III, Director(ph: 998-6428) District 4(Hwy 36, Hall Road andNorth Poodle Creek Road)

Cliff Kelley, Chairman(ph: 935-5728) District [email protected](Warthen, Sheffler and Walton areas)

In this issue ...Page 4: Biomethane PlantPage 8: Voice BoxPage 25: James DulleyPage 28: Power Lines

Monthly board meetings on the fourth Monday at 6 p.m. Check the website monthly.

32 S E P T E M B E R 2013

Board of Commissioners

Randy L. KnowlesPresidentDan G. GunkelVice PresidentRay A. MosbruckerSecretary

Jim SmithGeneral ManagerRon IhrigChief Operating OfficerGwyn Miller Human Resources ManagerShannon CrockerChief Financial Officer Holly DohrmanPower Manager

Ron SchultzChief EngineerJeff ThayerOperations ManagerSteve VanTuylInformation Technology ManagerMike DeMottCustomer Service Supervisor

www.klickitatpud.com

Goldendale Office1313 S. Columbus Ave.Goldendale, WA 98620(509) 773-5891(800) 548-8357

White Salmon Office110 NE Estes Ave. P.O. Box 187White Salmon, WA 98672(509) 493-2255(800) 548-8358

WA-18

32 S E P T E M B E R 2013

This month, I would like to give you an update on the Bonneville Power Administration rate actions.

BPA released its record of decision to raise electric rates effective October 1, 2013. According to BPA, the average increase to customers is about 9 percent.

We have expected these results, and this increase was a factor in our electric rate increase earlier this year. So, while there are definitely impacts to our costs, there will not be a PUD rate increase to our customers as a result of this BPA announcement.

No two BPA contracts and custom-ers are identical, and there are different options we can select, so the impacts vary with each utility. The bottom-line impact to your PUD is an increase in our costs from BPA of just less than $1 mil-lion per year. That is a net increase of about 8 percent.

We pay BPA in two major areas: for power and for transmission to get that power to us. Our power cost will increase $750,000 and our transmission costs increase $200,000.

BPA adjusts rates every two years. The process takes 18 months, so they will start the review for the next rate period in about six months. Yes, we soon will be talking with BPA about the potential for a BPA rate increase in 2015.

The largest driver for the rate increase is a decrease in revenues, caused by depressed excess power sales markets. BPA expects that 7.7 percent of the total

increase, or $145 million, is necessary to make up for the fact that its excess sales into the market are down from the 2011 through 2013 rate period.

If this does not seem to make sense, you can go to www.klickitatpud.com and look at the back page article from November 2011, where I discuss this phenomenon.

While there are many smaller areas that add up, other major drivers of the increase are increases in fish and wildlife costs (an impact on rates of 1.1 percent, or $20 million), an increase in the Bureau of Reclamation and the Army Corps of Engineers costs to maintain the dams (2.3 percent, or $43 million) and internal BPA operations (0.6 percent, or $12 mil-lion).

These increases are partially offset by reductions in costs at the Columbia Generating Station (-0.4 percent, or -$8 million) and a reduction on capital spending in the two-year rate period (-3.8 percent, or -$71 million). These capital projects will be completed, but they will not be put into the budgets until later rate periods in an effort to keep cap-ital spending more consistent than it has been in the past.

Jim Smith, General Manager

Manager’s Message

Happy Labor Day! I hope you all enjoyed your sum-mer and are ready for some cooler weather and the beautiful colors of autumn. School is now in session, so remember to slow down in school zones and be on the watch for schoolchildren.

The Bonneville Power Administration adopted a 9 percent average wholesale power rate increase and an 11 percent average transmission rate increase. The new rates will fund needed improvements to ensure the region’s federal hydropower and trans-mission systems can continue to deliver carbon-free, affordable power to Northwest homes and businesses. The new rates take effect October 1, 2013.

The wholesale power rate increase stems from higher costs to operate and maintain the federal hydroelectric system, higher costs to fund existing long-term agreements for the fish and wildlife mitigation program and reduced revenues from surplus power sales due to low market prices. The transmission rate increase is a result of the grow-ing construction program driven by the need to repair and replace aging infrastruc-ture, and increased spending on mandatory compliance and security requirements.

Regrettably, due to the BPA wholesale power rate increase, Northern Lights will be raising rates in the near future. We all wish rates would never increase, but when com-pared to most things, the cost of NLI electricity has remained stable and affordable. Whether you look at state, Northwest or national numbers, even with our rural ser-vice territory, our rates are still among the lowest in the nation. In fact, Idaho has the lowest average kilowatt rate in the United States, and Northern Lights rates are even lower than the state average.

Please be assured we are trying hard to manage the impact of a rate increase on our members. Your board of directors will carefully consider all options and all coopera-tive costs before a rate increase is decided on.

I will continue to update the membership as we proceed through the rate increase process.

Enjoy your September!

—Annie TerraccianoGeneral Manager

ID-19

BPA Announces Wholesale Power Rate Increase

The power of local service

Board of Directors by DistrictDist. No. 1—Eric Anderson, Priest Lake, ID(208) 610-1718Dist. No. 2—Judith Simonson, Noxon, MT(406) 847-2643Dist. No. 3—Steve Elgar, Sandpoint, ID(208) 265-0570Dist. No. 4—David Pemberton, Careywood, ID(208) 661-5911Dist. No. 5—Kennon McClintock, Moyie Springs, ID(208) 267-7064Dist. No. 6—G.E. Butch Hagen, Bonners Ferry, ID(208) 819-3191 Dist. No. 7—Vern Hollett, Priest River, ID(208) 265-5249

www.nli.coopP.O. Box 269Sagle, ID 83860

For Outages: (866) NO-LITES(866) 665-4837 For regular business within the Sandpoint area: (208) 263-5141

Outside Sandpoint:(800) 326-9594

Board President Steve Elgar

Board Vice PresidentEric Anderson

Board Secretary/Treasurer Judith Simonson

General Manager Annie Terracciano

32 S E P T E M B E R 2013

Idaho County Light & PowerCooperativeP.O. Box 300Grangeville, Idaho 83530Phone: (208) 983-1610Tollfree: (877) 212-0424Fax: (208) 983-1432E-mail: [email protected]: www.iclp.coop

DirectorsPresident Ernie RobinsonWhite Bird

Vice President John SolbergKamiah

Secretary-Treasurer Cliff TackeGreencreek

Frank McIntireKamiah

Gerald FreiGrangeville

Kim DahlerKooskia

Jim PoxleitnerCottonwood

AttorneyGreg FitzMaurice

ManagerJake Eimers

ID-21

Dear Members,This is my final installment on our first 75 years. I hope you will join us November 7 at the Elks Lodge to celebrate our 75th Annual Meeting and begin our next chapter.

Regionally, we have seen the environment and the Endangered Species Act become significant drivers in the operation of the federal hydro system, which provides nearly 60 percent of this region’s electric power. The decades-long legal battle over the dams versus fish has led to significant changes in dam operation. Also affecting system op-eration is the impressive growth of wind power. The Bonneville Power Administration website states 4,500 megawatts of wind generation are now connected to BPA trans-mission. It projects another 2,500 MW will be installed in the next two years.

With the viability of wind on the Columbia River, there is increasing acceptance of renewable energy, while the constant drumbeat to remove the dams has cost hydropower support. It should be noted hydro has made it possible to build and use so much wind power because hydro makes the perfect backup for wind. It is impressive how BPA manages the hydro system for so many other demands and constraints, including spill for fish, navigation for river travel and flood control. How ironic it would be to lose the benefits of both clean renewable energies of wind and hydro—as well as the revenue engine that has poured more than $13 billion in re-establishing healthy salmon runs—on the pretext of ecological benefit to this region’s inhabitants, anadromous or otherwise.

On the home front, your cooperative has gradually grown and continues to meet challenges. Through the first 13 years of this century, we have grown to 3,800 active meters serving 3,049 members. Annual sales exceed 50 million kilowatt-hours, but we continue to serve you with the same workforce we did 30 years ago. Our wholly owned propane subsidiary has grown to more than 3,000 active accounts, with an-nual sales exceeding 1.5 million gallons.

In 2008 and 2009, after 70 years of being a self-read system, we installed our auto-mated metering system. We were only the third utility in Idaho to install AMR to all of our consumers.

From early on, we have been a “full requirements” customer of the BPA. However, in the 1990s, your board began to prepare for diversifying our power supply. Today, while we still purchase most of our power from BPA, we also have a small share in generation from Grant County’s Priest Rapids projects. In March 2011, we purchased the John Day Hydro Project. We currently resell the output of both of these projects, helping to offset our power costs. Finally, as the current BPA power contracts went into effect in 2011, limiting each customer’s share of the federal system’s least-cost power—or Tier 1—we joined with 21 other Northwest utilities to procure the additional power we will need far into the future.

That about wraps up 75 years of history. It’s been interesting for me researching and reliving our co-op’s history. I hope you have gained insight on your co-op’s his-tory or perhaps relived some good old memories of your own. Thanks for listening,

Jake Eimers, Manager

Wrapping Up 75 Years of History

32 SEPTEMBER 2013

WA-22

Columbia REA115 East Main Street,P.O. Box 46Dayton, WA 99328Phone: (509) 382-2578Fax: (509) 382-2736

2929 East Melrose Street,Walla Walla, WA 99362Phone: (509) 526-4041Fax: (509) 526-3666Toll Free: (800) 642-1231

ColumbiaREA.coop

Board of DirectorsDennis Munden, PresidentVic Parks, Vice PresidentKatie Wooldridge, Sec/TreasurerMarc Armstrong, DirectorDon Meiners, DirectorTim Pettyjohn, DirectorBruce McCaw, DirectorBill Stonecipher, DirectorEric Johnson, Director

Board meetings are normally the fourth Tuesday of each month. The meeting starts at 8:30 a.m. and are usually held in the Dayton office.

Staff

Chief Executive Officer, Les Teel

Executive Assistant/HR, Jennifer Aichele

Manager of Marketing & Member Services, Scott Peters

Manager of Engineering & Operations, Dave Reller

Manager of Financial Services, Jim Cooper

Manager of Communications & IT, Bob Greene

Manager of Safety and Regulatory Affairs, KC Dors

Letter from Les...As I watch farmers gathering the fall harvest, I remember the seeds of change their predecessors planted in our community. We continue to reap the benefits of their vision, and I’m proud of our work to support the future of farming.

In 1938, a group of farmers and rural neighbors banded together to create Columbia Rural Electric Association. They needed electricity to improve their quality of life and farming operations.

Fast forward 75 years, and I think you’ll agree that it’s been a bountiful harvest. Columbia REA provides electricity to hundreds of farms throughout its service area, in Columbia, Walla Walla, and

Umatilla counties. We help these members keep facilities running as efficiently as possible by offering energy audits, and rebates for agriculture irrigation, building lighting updates, and well pump variable frequency drives (VFD’s), and other custom efficiency upgrades on a case by case basis.

Our valley’s businesses, including farms, can install efficiency measures to cut electric bills and use less energy. Every kilowatt-hour a farm avoids using saves money for all Columbia REA members in the long run. If we use less energy collectively, we can avoid purchasing power on the expensive open market and delay the need to build more power plants in the region.

Even on the farm, energy efficiency doesn’t have to be a complicated effort. Small efforts add up in savings. Consider these steps:

✓✓ Turn off lights when they’re not needed, or install photo- and motion sensors.✓✓ Place a timer on window air-conditioners in outbuildings so they turn off when no one is present. Schedule them to turn back on before you expect to return.

✓✓ When lights, heating, and cooling units can’t be turned all the way off, turn them down and cut wasted energy with dimmers or a programmable thermostat.

✓✓ Keep equipment clean and perform regular maintenance.✓✓ Inspect irrigation systems for leaks and make needed repairs.

That’s just the beginning. For more ways to save energy and money on your farm or at your home, go to www.columbiarea.coop and find the most current rebates offered. Contact Doug Case, Columbia REA’s Energy Efficiency & Marketing Specialist. He can be reached at the Walla Walla Service Center (509) 526-4041 or e-mail to [email protected]. Remember, we’re here to serve you, our members.

Until next time! Les Teel, CEO

32 s e p t e m b e r 2013 www.columbiarea.coop

16755 Finley Butte RoadP.O. Box 127

La Pine, OR 97739

[email protected]

(541) 536-2126 • (800) 722-7219

DepartmentsCustomer Service . . . . . . . Option 3Engineering . . . . . . . . . . . . . Option 4Marketing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Option 5Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Option 6

After Hours Outage and Emergencies: (541) 536-2165or (800) 752-5935

OFFICE HOURS Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed holidays.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS PresidentAlan Parks, Fort RockVice PresidentBud Kendall, La PineSecretary/TreasurerKen Wilson, Chemult Diana Cox, Christmas ValleyGordon DeArmond, Crescent Robert Reed, La PineVic Russell, Fall RiverRon Sommerfeldt, GilchristLeland Smith, Sunriver

Board meets the fourth Mondayof each month at the co-op office.

STAFF General Manager Dave SchneiderOperations/Engineering ManagerDave MunsonMarketing ManagerTeresa LackeyCFO/Accounting ManagerJami BartunekInformation Services ManagerShaun LamarAttorneyWilliam Sheridan Jr.

Manager’s MessageOR-23

Dear Member,

It’s back-to-school time across America. For parents, it can be a bittersweet reminder of the passage of time as we watch our children grow and become increasingly independent. It is also a time when parents think about their safety.

Midstate Electric shares that concern. With the beginning of every school year, our co-op lineworkers keep an eye out for children on their way to and from school. Sometimes it means using their mobile communications to report a problem. At other times it means reporting a suspicious occurrence in a neighborhood. It always means being there to lend a hand, whatever the problem.

At first glance, it may seem that there is little connection between schoolchildren waiting for their bus and the line crew in Midstate Electric’s truck. But look again. Those line crews working on utility poles probably have kids waiting for their school bus right alongside yours. Making sure all of our children stay safe is part of what holds local communities together and is part of the work we take pride in every day.

Bonneville Power Administration Rate IncreaseLast month, I informed you of our involvement in a rate-setting process with our power supplier, BPA. On July 24, BPA adopted a 9 percent average wholesale power rate increase and an 11 percent average transmission rate increase. According to BPA, the rate increase ensures the region’s federal hydropower and transmission systems can continue to reliably deliver carbon-free, affordable power to Northwest homes and businesses. The new BPA rates take effect October 1.

With this much of an increase from BPA, Midstate Electric is forced to impose a consumer rate increase to meet the increased costs. The amount of the rate increase to our members is being evaluated and will be announced next month.

I assure you that through this process, your board of directors, management and employees are working together to reduce the impact of the BPA increase. As always, our goal is to provide you with safe, affordable, reliable power.

Capital Credit Forfeiture NoticeMidstate Electric Cooperative gives notice that unclaimed capital credits are now and have been available since December 2, 2006, at the cooperative office, 16755 Finley Butte Road, P.O. Box 127, La Pine, OR 97739, (541) 536‐2126 or (800‐722‐7219), to the members listed on our website, www.midstateelectric.coop.

In accordance with our bylaws, unless the members named, or their heirs, claim payment no later than Monday, December 9, 2013, the capital credits for patronage during the years 1989 through 1991 will be forfeited to the cooperative as permanent equity.

Dave Schneider, General Manager

32 S E P T E M B E R 2013

32 s e p t e m b e r 2013

P.O. Box 1253521 Davis DriveOdell, OR 97044

(541) 354-1233www.hrec.coop

Directorspresident butch GehrigVice president patrick mooresecretary bernie Wells treasurer roger NelsonGary bloomOpal DeboardDoug mahurinJohn mcGheemike Udelius

ManagerJohn Gerstenberger

Serving rural Hood River County

since 1945

Hood RiverElectric

Cooperative Or-26

Dear Members,The Bonneville Power Administration rate cases are now com-plete, and the new rates for power supply and transmission services are known for the period of October 2013 through September 2015. Our BPA account executives have provided estimates of power supply and transmission costs for the rate period.

The increase to the cooperative for wholesale power is expected to be nearly 8.5 percent. Transmission services will cost Hood River Electric Cooperative about 12.5 percent more under the new BPA rates. Purchased power and transmission services accounted for more than 62 percent of the cooperative’s annual expenses in 2012.

I have plugged the BPA-related cost increases into my preliminary projections for 2014. There is a strong possibility I will ask your directors to consider a retail rate increase that would become effective in 2014. I will keep you informed as more infor-mation becomes available.

I believe at least 25 percent of the money your cooperative sends to BPA for wholesale power is used to support numerous efforts to restore and enhance salmon and steelhead runs in the Columbia and Snake river basins. The billions invested in endangered fish and wildlife by Northwest electricity ratepayers through their utility’s BPA wholesale energy purchases are having a positive result. Six of seven species are showing a trend of increasing abundance for adults returning from the Pacific Ocean to spawn. Survival of juvenile fish through the hydro projects as they pass Columbia and Snake river dams toward the Pacific has improved dramatically—exceeding 98 percent at some projects for some species.

Specific information recently was released in the 2013 comprehensive evaluation of the Federal Columbia River Power System Biological Opinion. The full report and a citizen’s guide—which provides an excellent summary of progress—are available at www.salmonrecovery.gov.

Have a safe and prosperous harvest season.

John Gerstenberger, Manager

Manager’s Message

Board of DirectorsPresident John Ugalde Sec./Treasurer Gary MillerFrank AlbisuJoe CroninRod HoaglandAlex Dufurrena Zach Sword

General ManagerRandy WhitakerOperations ManagerBrent BeverlyLine SuperintendentJason HillElectrical EngineerShane SweetOffice ManagerFred FlippenceAttorneySteve Finlayson

Harney Electric Cooperative

277 Lottery Lane Hines, OR 97738 (541) 573-2061

[email protected]

Orovada, Nevada (775) 272-3336

[email protected]

www.harneyelectric.org

OR-27

32 S E P T E M B E R 2013







P.O. Box 384Challis, ID 83226 Phone: (208) 879-2283 Fax: (208) 879-2596After-hours emergency numbers: Propane: (208) 879-2201 Electric: (208) 879-4900

� e Bonneville Power Administration released the � nal record of decision on BPA power and transmission rates for 2014 and 2015. Wholesale power rates are going up 9 percent on average and transmission rates are going up 11 percent on average. � e impact to SREC is an increase in wholesale power costs of 9 percent, or $210,000 annually.

BPA attributes the power rate increase to the rising cost of � sh and wildlife protection programs and low-surplus power sales. � e transmission rate increase is being driven by construction projects to improve aging power lines and substa-tions, and mandatory security upgrades.

SREC’s non-power costs also have been increasing, which further increases the need to adjust SREC retail power rates. Non-power costs have increased by approxi-mately 3 percent, or $150,000. Power and non-power costs together will require retail power rates to increase by approximately 7 percent.

SREC commissioned a cost of service study in the latter part of 2012. � is study determines the assignment of power costs by customer class. It recently was updated with the new BPA wholesale power and transmission rates. � e study, along with � nancial forecasts, will help the board consider new retail power rates this fall that likely will take e� ect on January 1, 2014.

SREC has deferred approximately $500,000 in revenues that it can use to phase in rate increases, which should lessen the impact to our members. � e deferred rev-enues resulted from the BPA residential exchange settlement. � e SREC board made sure these revenues were not spent so they could ultimately be used to o� set future power rate increases.

Besides rate levels, the board will evaluate rate structures that are more transpar-ent. Rate structure changes invariably create winners and losers, but are necessary to ensure rates are fair, minimize subsidizations and produce enough income to meet the revenue requirements of the cooperative.

SREC has not adjusted retail power rates for seven years despite increases in wholesale power rates and non-power costs in that same period. We are concerned about having to raise power rates now. We will make sure we continually evaluate and implement cost-control measures that make sense.

—Ken Dizes, Manager

ID-28

Manager’s Report

Board of DirectorsPresident Bob BorenVice President Jeff BittonSec./Treasurer Norman WallisMichael MillerDoug ParkinsonEric TilmanChuck Wunch

Manager Ken DizesAttorney Dale Storer

Board meets the third Wednesday of each month

Email: [email protected]: www.srec.org

BPA Increases Put Pressure on SREC

Ken Dizes

32 S E P T E M B E R 2013

Temperatures in July 2013 averaged 4 degrees higher than July 2012. Are you curious how the increase in temperature affected your energy use this year compared to last year? Visit www.uec.coop.

What is the Co-op Connections program and which local businesses participate in the discount program? Visit www.uec.coop.

Do you have a tree in your yard that is encroaching on the high-voltage power line? United Electric offers a Trade A Tree program. Interested in learning about the program? Visit www.uec.coop.

Did you know United Electric offers rebates on water heaters and Energy Star-qualified appliances? Where can you get a rebate form and learn more about addi-tional program offerings? Visit www.uec.coop.

Can you pay your bill without leaving your home, you ask? Yep. Visit www.uec.coop.

Do you have a concern about the service running to your home and would like to have a serviceman from the co-op take a look? You can make that request by filling out a service request form. Visit www.uec.coop.

What makes a co-op different from other types of organizations? Review the seven cooperative principles. Visit www.uec.coop.

It is never too early to teach children about energy safety. Have you seen the infor-mation available at Kids Energy Zone? Visit www.uec.coop.

Clean Hydro. Do you believe in it? We do, too. Visit www.uec.coop.You guessed it! We recently completed a revamp and update of our website and are

promoting the available information—not only useful information such as submitting a service request, but also interesting information such as the Clean Hydro campaign.

Of course just because you can conduct business and glean much information from the website doesn’t mean we don’t want you to stop in the office. Visit 1330 21st St.

Cordially,

Jo ElgGeneral Manager

www.uec.coop

ID-29

On the Web at United Electric

UNITED ELECTRICCO-OP, INC.

UnitedElectricCo-op Inc.Directors President Dean NielsenVice President Bruce BeckSec./Treas. Cordell SearleGary JonesRonald Osterhout David PhillipsGeorge TonerJohn R. West

General ManagerJo Elg

Director of Engineeringand OperationsDick Hagemann

Mailing address:1330 21st St.Heyburn, ID 83336

Phone: (208) 679-2222

Fax: (208) 679-3333

Email: [email protected]

Web address:www.uec.coop

After Hours: (208) 679-4444

32 S E P T E M B E R 2013

Jo Elg

Board of DirectorsWill Stark, President Paul Kildal, Vice PresidentDan Stowe, SecretaryLon Rake, TreasurerMichael Johnson, DirectorJim Manning, DirectorJe� Saxe, DirectorFred Williams, Director

P.O. Box 45Glennallen, AK 99588www.cvea.org

Copper Basin District(907) 822-3211(907) 822-5586 (fax)Mile 187 Glenn Hwy.Valdez District(907) 835-4301(907) 835-4328 (fax)359 Fairbanks Dr.After hours outage line(866) 835-2832

Important Dates

SeptemberCVEA O� ces Closed: The CVEA o� ces will be closed, Monday, September 2, 2013, for Labor Day

CVEA Board Meeting: The September meeting of the Board of Directors has been canceled

OctoberOctober is Cooperative Month!

Ruralite Cover Photo Contest: Photo submissions will be accepted October 1 - October 30, 2013

CVEA Board Meeting: The October meeting of the Board of Directors is 2 p.m. Thursday, October 17, 2013, in Glennallen

32 S E P T E M B E R 2013

Winter is On The WayWinter is on the way for CVEA members and with it comes the end of CVEA’s con-struction season and the start of the winter generation season.

Construction SeasonAs we approach the end of September, we are soon promised colder temperatures, frozen ground, and winter weather. Along with this comes the end of CVEA’s construction sea-son. If you are planning any new construc-tion or an electrical service upgrade before the end of the season, please contact CVEA at 822-3211 in the Copper Basin, or 835-4301in Valdez, as soon as possible.

Winter GenerationHeading into winter, inflows at Solomon Gulch stop and the lake level begins to fall as the water is used to generate hydroelectricity. This is what is called the winter genera-tion season, and it typically runs October through May.

During winter CVEA backs off Solomon Gulch to manage water use, and brings the Cogeneration Plant online which generates the majority of CVEA’s requirements, roughly 75 percent, using fuel.

Due to the high cost of fuel, CVEA members should expect to see higher electric bills throughout the winter generation season, typically beginning in October.

Members can easily see this impact by reviewing their electric bills. There is a sepa-rate line item on the bill that denotes the amount each individual member is charged for the fuel cost associated with their electric usage.

CVEA encourages members to prepare for the fuel charges that will begin to increase their bills starting in October. Visit the CVEA website at cvea.org/resources/pdfs/copHistory.pdf for a rate history or to research individual historical charges.

CVEA also encourages members to take control of their power bill by becoming more efficient with their energy usage. Often times, a substantially higher winter bill is not only caused by high fuel costs, but increased usage during the coldest, darkest time of the year. Preparing a home for winter is the first line of defense against high energy consumption during winter months.

Don’t forget to visit cvea.org, or togetherwesave.com, for many great ways to help reduce energy consumption this winter and lower monthly bills.

If you have questions or would like to review your power bill with a CVEA repre-sentative, contact Sharon Crisp at 822-5506, 835-7005, or email [email protected].

Yu Lan-Fotolia.com

AK-34

Dear Customers:The Bonneville Power Administration has adopted a 9 percent average wholesale power rate increase and an 11 percent aver-age transmission rate increase. Wholesale power and transmis-sion rates are developed every two years through a formal rate-setting process. The new rates take effect October 1, 2013.

BPA rates affect utilities differently depending on the amount of power and type of services they purchase from BPA. The actual rate increase to Tillamook PUD for power is expected to be 8.37 percent. BPA’s power rate increase stems from higher costs to operate and maintain the federal hydroelectric system, higher costs to fund existing long-term agreements for fish and wildlife mitigation and reduced revenues from surplus power sales due to low market prices.

For transmission, the rate increase to Tillamook PUD is expected to be near 9 per-cent. BPA’s transmission rate increase stems from a growing construction program driven by the need to repair and replace aging infrastructure and increase spending on mandatory security requirements.

Tillamook PUD is watching the rate-making process closely. We do not plan a retail price increase to our customers in 2013. However, we do anticipate the need to adjust our rates in 2014 as a result of the BPA increases.

Our board and staff will hold strategic planning and budget sessions to discuss how BPA increases affect our retail rates. We will continue to work hard to operate effi-ciently to keep your power bill as low as possible while keeping your electricity safe and reliable.

Sincerely,Raymon D. Sieler

OR-35

Board of DirectorsDoug Olson, President Ed Jenkins, Vice PresidentKen Phillips, TreasurerHarry Hewitt, SecretaryBarbara Trout, Director

General Manager Raymon Sieler

Board meetings are in the PUD office at 6 p.m. the first Tuesday after the 11th of the month

Mission StatementTillamook People’s Utility District is dedicated to delivering the best value of electric services, while continuing our commitment to the customers and communities we serve.

CreedWe shall work together to:XX Provide exceptional customer service;

anticipate and strive to exceed our customers’ needs.

XX Provide high-quality and cost-effective services to our customers.

XX Assure a safe electrical system and working environment for our customers and employees.

XX Operate a financially stable business.XX Encourage cooperation and open

communication among the customers, board of directors, management and employees of Tillamook PUD.

XX Support all the communities we serve.XX Be environmentally responsible.

1115 Pacific Ave. • P.O. Box 433Tillamook, OR 97141Phone: (503) 842-2535 Toll free: (800) 422-2535www.tpud.org

Office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday

For EMERGENCY service afterbusiness hours, call (800) 842-2122

BPA Announces Rate Increases

32 S E P T E M B E R 2013

That old fridge in your garage might be great for keeping soda and beer cold, but it could be costing you the big bucks.

According to Energy Star, here are the annual electric costs (19.0 to 21.4 cubic-feet, freezer on top models):

1990-1992: Annual cost: $283 1993-2000: Annual cost: $189 2001-2008: Annual cost: $118 If your refrigerator dates back to 1992,

it might be worth replacing it with a more efficient model. An Energy Star quali-fied refrigerator today will cost about $90 annually in electricity. You could recoup the cost in less than five years.

When shopping for a new fridge, keep in mind that top and bottom freezer mod-els use 10 to 25 percent less electricity than side-by-side models (energystar.gov). Also, generally the smaller the fridge, the less energy it consumes.

Refrigerator DisposalWhen it’s time to dispose of an old fridge or freezer, here are some resources. They apply to residential disposal only. Businesses should contact the land� ll in advance.

• City of Fairbanks and Fairbanks North Star Borough:http://co.fairbanks.ak.us/SolidWaste/FORMS/SWUserFees.pdf

• Denali Borough: www.denaliborough.govo� ce.com. Info can be found under the “Borough Land� ll” tab.

• Delta Junction: http://www.ci.delta-junction.ak.us/community/land� ll.htm

Golden Valley Electric Association32 S E P T E M B E R 2013

AK-37

Owned By Those We Serve

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Bill Nordmark, Chairman (District 7)Tom DeLong, Vice-Chairman (District 2)John Sloan, Secretary (District 6)Rick Schikora, Treasurer (District 3)Chris Bunch (District 5)Aren Gunderson (District 1)Frank Eagle (District 4)

MAIN OFFICE

758 Illinois StreetPO Box 71249Fairbanks, AK 99707-1249

Regular Business Phone(907) 452-1151Fax (907) 458-6365Member Services

DISTRICT OFFICES

Delta Junction1681 Richardson Hwy.PO Box 909Delta Junction, AK 99737(907) 895-4500Fax (907) 895-5472

NenanaMile 303.5 Parks Hwy.PO Box 00130Nenana, AK 99760(907) 832-5481Fax (907) 458-6387

Toll-Free Number1-800-770-GVEA (4832)

www.gvea.com

Is This Energy Guzzler Lurking in Your Garage?It might be time to give it the boot

Plumas-Sierra REC

September 4, 11, 18 & 25 Music by the Millpond. Graeagle Outpost and Yacht Club. Millpond, Highway 89, Graeagle. 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. For more information, call (530) 836-2414, or email [email protected].

September 6 American Cowboy Team Roping Association Bud Price Ropings. Lassen County Fairgrounds. Sign ups 6 to 6:30 p.m., roping 6:45 p.m.For more information, call (530) 251-8900.

September 6 & 13Romano’s Certi� ed Farmer’s Market. Sierra Valley Farms, 1329 County Road A23, Beckwourth. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.For more information, call (530) 832-0114.

September 7PSREC Annual Meeting. 73233 State Route 70, Portola. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. EPHC health fair, bingo, kids’ games, business meeting.For more information, please visit www.psrec.coop.

Calpine Marketplace. 103 County Road, o� Highway 89, Calpine. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Arts, crafts, food, beverages, live music, classic cars, games for children. For more information, call (530) 994-3610.

Portola First Saturday Community Yard Sale. Commercial Street, Old Town Portola. 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, call (530) 386-1532, or email [email protected].

September 7, 14, 21 & 28 Susanville Farmer’s Market. 601 Richmond Road. 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.For more information, call (530) 257-3252 or visit www.llttweb.org.

September 14 Fall Crafter’s Festival. Uptown Susanville from Gay to Roop streets. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, call (530) 257-4323.

Susanville Street Rodders High Country Cruise. Lassen County Fairgrounds. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pre-1975 cars and trucks. For more information, call (530) 257-3857.

Lassen Friends of the NRA Annual Banquet. Veterans Memorial Hall. 5:30 p.m. For more information, call (530) 254-6595.

Calpine Lady Elks Sock Hop. Calpine Elks Lodge, 71292 Highway 70, Portola. 5 p.m.. Food and drinks for purchase. Car show, hula contest, karaoke, music, dancing. $5 cover charge. For more information, call (530) 832-5200, or email [email protected].

September 15 & 16Beemer Bash. Plumas-Sierra County Fairgrounds, 204 Fairgrounds Road, Quincy. Racing begins at 9 a.m.For more information, call (530) 283-6272, or email [email protected].

September 17Tapas Tuesday at Longboards Bar & Grill. 402 Poplar Valley Road, Blairsden. 6 to 9 p.m.For more information, call (530) 836-1111, or email longboardso� [email protected].

September 21 Tomato Tasting Festival and Purses for Pets. Every Bloomin Thing, 705-670 Highway 395 E. 2 to 6 p.m.For more information, call (530) 251-2330.

September 25 Community Supper – Portola. Father Burns Social Hall, S. Pine Street and Taylor Avenue, Portola. 6 to 8 p.m.For more information, call (530) 832-4441.

September 28 Celtic Festival. White Barn in Blairsden, 8989 Highway 89. 5 to 9 p.m.For more information, call (530) 836-6811, or email [email protected].

Susanville Soroptimist Ladies Night Out. Susanville Elks Lodge. 5 to 8 p.m.For more information, call (530) 251-6324.

Lost Sierra 50K Endurance Run through the Lakes Basin Recreation Area. Starts and ends in Graeagle Park, Highway 89. 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.For more information, call (530) 545-2580 or email [email protected].

September 29Celtic Festival Golf Tournament. Plumas Pines Golf Resort, 402 Poplar Valley Road, Blairsden.Shotgun start at 10 a.m.For more information, call (530) 836-1420, or email [email protected].

October 5Mohawk Community Resource Center Fashion Show. Longboards Bar & Grill, 402 Poplar Valley Road, Blairsden. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.For more information, call (530) 836-0446, or email [email protected].

October 7Du� ers for the Dogs Golf Tournament for High Sierra Animal Rescue. Whitehawk Ranch Golf Club, 768 Whitehawk Drive, Clio. 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information, call (530) 832-4727, or email [email protected].

COMMUNITY CALENDARContinued from page 32

Wrap Program We are again offering a discounted rate for qualifying members through our Winter Rate Assistance Program. The discounted rate is available for November through April electricity use to income-qualified members.

As well as offering a discounted elec-tric rate during the heating season, the WRAP program provides educational information to help members conserve energy.

For more information and an applica-tion, visit the Energy Assistance page of our website at www.psrec.coop, or call (530) 832-4261, or (800) 555-2207.

Youth Opportunities As part of our commitment to the com-munities we serve, PSREC and its subsid-iary offer life-changing opportunities to local youth, including scholarships and the Washington Youth Tour.

These programs provide enriching experiences to help young people dis-cover themselves and their roles as citi-zens. They also introduce them to the cooperative way, teaching the value of involvement and commitment to their communities.

Please see page 4 for more informa-tion on the Washington Youth Tour, and visit our website at www.psrec.coop for more information on all of our youth opportunities.

If you have any questions, please call me at (800) 555-2207 ext. 6076, or email me at [email protected].

Sincerely,

Bob MarshallGeneral Manager

Manager’s Message

28 S E P T E M B E R 2013

CA-39

Dear Members:The cooperative’s 2013 annual meeting will

take place Saturday, September 7. We hope you will join us for a fun, informative day at the co-op. This year’s annual member meeting will feature an interactive display with informa-tion on the past, present and future of the fiber optic system, a health fair by Eastern Plumas Health Care, an economic development expo and a grand prize of $500 off your electric bill.

Fiber UpdateIt is with great pleasure that I announce com-pletion of the fiber network from Reno to Susanville and Quincy, with spurs to Loyalton, Portola and Herlong. We have connected the majority of the community anchor institu-tions and are offering commercial broad-band services to businesses along the route. For more information on broadband ser-vices offered, please visit the Plumas-Sierra Telecommunications website at www.plumassierratelecom.com. You can also call our office at (800) 221-3474.

Completion of this network is a huge mile-stone for PSREC, PST and our communities. The improved availability of broadband in our region will enhance our school systems, medi-cal facilities, emergency services and economic development.

There is a trend in employment where people can live and work anywhere they want as long as they have fast Internet connections. With the improvements brought to our region by the fiber system, we will be able to market the region as a great place to live, work and play. PST is supporting the economic develop-ment campaign of Rec & Tech, geared toward relocating people who can work from any-where to our region.

As we have discussed, this doesn’t mean every subdivision or neighborhood will

instantly have faster speeds. We are building and expanding our system as quickly as we can. We will visit with interested communities in the months ahead. Please visit our website at www.plumassierratelecom.com for more information.

We will have presentations and discussions on the expansion of our system at the annual meeting.

There is work to be done with the incum-bent providers of Internet, but we have removed the biggest roadblock to fast Internet and economic growth. For more information on the Rec & Tech campaign, visit www.recandtech.com.

With the added bandwidth from PST’s fiber network, Verizon Wireless could begin offer-ing 4G services to its customers in Plumas, Lassen and Sierra counties before the end of this year. We have already improved service for Zito Media, serving central Lassen County. Customers using Zito’s service are seeing greatly increased speeds.

In partnership with Zito Media, PST has installed its first wireless hot spot driven by bandwidth from the fiber network. The hot spot is at the Memorial Building, 1205 Main St., in Susanville. PST and Zito Media sponsor it jointly.

The hot spot represents PST’s commit-ment to Veteran Services, the community and regional economic development. Veteran Services will now be able to effectively share online resources with local vets, including information on housing, employment and medical benefits.

Expect additional announcements in the next issue (or two) of Ruralite. We are also working on hooking up libraries and other hot spots so everyone will have access to true high-speed Internet.

Continues on page 28

Manager’s Message

BOARD OF DIRECTORS:

PresidentChris Miller, Litchfield

[email protected]

Vice PresidentDave Roberti, Sierra Valley

[email protected]

Secretary/TreasurerOle Olsen, [email protected]

Dan Kenney, [email protected]

Ivan Randall, [email protected]

Bill Robinson, Doyle [email protected]

Tom Hammond, [email protected]

Manager Robert (Bob) Marshall

[email protected]

Our subsidiary,Plumas-Sierra

Telecommunications offers a variety of high-quality

Internet solutions.For more information,

please visitwww.plumassierratelecom.com or

call (800) 221-3474

For information about any of our products, please call

(800) 555-2207 or visit ourwebsite at www.psrec.coop

RU

RAL ELECTRIC CO-O

PPSREC

PLUMAS-SIERRA

32 S E P T E M B E R 2013

NV-40

P.O. Box 1510001600 Great Basin Blvd.Ely, NV 89315

(775) 289.8981(800) [email protected]

Emergency ContactsEly O� ce(775) 289-8981

Eureka O� ce(775) 237-5693

Outside Ely / Eureka Area(800) 97-POWER

Board of DirectorsDistrict 1 – Ron MillerDistrict 2 – Bob SwetichDistrict 3 – Jerry MorrillDistrict 4 – Don PhillipsDistrict 5 – Rick HendrixDistrict 6 – Jerald AndersonDistrict 7 – Sandra GreenDistrict 8 – Wilma SanfordDistrict 9 – Frank Leon

Proudly serving more than 10,000 residents and businesses throughout Nevada and Utah.

Winter hours are November through April; Summer hours are May through October.

Summer hours: Ely office will be open from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday. Eureka office is open 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday-Thursday.

“Powering Your Future”

Mt. Wheeler Power Sends Area Student Leaders to CampMt. Wheeler Power is dedicated to seven fundamental cooperative principles, one of which is concern for community. We recognize that youth are a vital part of our com-munity and we make every attempt to support them, whether it is sports programs, academics or other extracurricular activities.

One such program is the youth seminars held each summer. This program provides valuable leadership tools to young adults. Applications for attendance to the camps are open to students within our service territory who will be high school seniors in the fall. Applications can be found on our website at www.mwpower.net beginning in March of each year.

This one-week, all-expenses-paid camp is available to a limited number of appli-cants. Mt. Wheeler Power participates in two such camps. One is sponsored by the Utah Rural Electric Association on the Snow College campus in Ephraim, Utah, and one is sponsored by the Nevada Rural Electric Association at the Boreal Ridge Ski Resort in Lake Tahoe, California.

This year we were able to host 13 of students, 9 at the UREA camp and another 4 at the NREA camp. I had the honor of joining students at the UREA camp, who were accompanied by our employee chaperone, Sherrie Marquez.

This is a fun-filled experience where our students gain leadership and team build-ing skills and learn about electric cooperatives. Motivational speakers and hands-on activities were among the fun at this year’s camp.

I would like to thank Sherrie and Debbie Skinner from our Eureka office, who accompanied students to this year’s NREA camp, for dedicating their time and for being such positive influences on these young adults. I also would like to thank the students for being such courteous representatives of our cooperative and the community.

Since 1981, Mt. Wheeler Power has provided an opportunity for the youth in our service territory to attend this summer camp. We have seen first-hand the develop-ment of our future leaders during these yearly camps. Most of the attendees are ini-tially apprehensive, however as the week progresses, they truly begin their progression into leaders. We look forward to many more years because we believe this is a vital program, providing the necessary tools to uplift and support the leaders of our future.

Supporting the development of our youth is a fundamental part of what we do here at Mt. Wheeler Power. Whether it’s through safety demonstrations, educational mate-rials for the classroom, youth leadership seminars or our scholarship programs, we are dedicated to building a better future for the youth of our community.

Sincerely,

Randy EwellGeneral Manager

Mt. Wheeler Power is dedicated to seven fundamental cooperative prin-ciples, one of which is Concern for Community. We recognize the youth as a vital part of our community and make every attempt to support them; wheth-er it is sports programs, academics or other extracurricular activities. One such program is the youth seminars held each summer. This program is designed to provide valuable leadership tools to young adults. Applications for attendance to the camp are open to high school juniors soon to be seniors within our service territory. Applications can be found on our web site at www.mwpower.net beginning in March of each year. This is an all expenses paid one week camp, available to a limited num-ber of applicants. Mt. Wheeler Power participates in two such camps. One sponsored by the Utah Rural Electric Association (UREA) held on the Snow college campus in Ephraim, Utah and the other is sponsored by the Nevada Rural Electric Association (NREA) held at the Boreal Ridge Ski Resort in Lake Tahoe, California. This year we were able to host 13 Youth Leaders, 9 at the UREA camp and another 4 at the NREA camp. I had the honor of accompanying the students to the Utah Rural Electric Association camp, who were lead by our employ-ee chaperone, Sherrie Marquez. This is a fun-fi lled experience where our students gain leadership and team building skills as well as learn about electric cooperatives. Motivational speakers and hands on activities were among the fun activities at this year’s camp.I’d like to thank Sherrie and Debbie Skinner from our Eureka offi ce who ac-companied students to this year’s NREA camp for dedicating their time and for being such a positive infl uence on these young adults. I’d especially like to thank the students for being such courteous representatives of our coop-erative and the community. Since 1981 Mt. Wheeler Power has provided an opportunity for the youth in our service territory to attend this summer camp. We have seen fi rst-hand the development of our future leaders during these yearly camps. Most of the attendees are initially apprehensive, however as the week progresses, they truly begin their progression into those true leaders. We look forward to many more years as we feel this is a vital program, designed to provide the necessary tools to uplift and support the leaders of our future. Supporting the development of our youth is a fundamental part of what we do here at Mt. Wheeler Power. Whether it’s through safety demonstrations, educational materials for the classroom, youth leadership seminars or our scholarship programs we are dedicated to building a better future for the youth of our community. We have seen fi rst-hand the development of our future leaders during these yearly camps. Randy EwellGeneral Manager

32 S E P T E M B E R 2013

32 S E P T E M B E R 2013

Reduce your energy usage with the V-Meter at: www.vea.coop

NV-42

800 East Highway 372P.O. Box 237

Pahrump, NV 89041

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

DISTRICT 1 DISTRICT 2 Peter Gazsy Shiela Rau

DISTRICT 3 DISTRICT 4Rick Johnson John Maurer

DISTRICT 5 DISTRICT 6 Dave Lowe David Dawson

OFFICE PHONE(800) 742-3330 (within Nevada)or 775-727-5312, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.Weekdays, except holidays

AFTER HOURS & EMERGENCYWe are here 24 hours a day, seven days a week for your emergency needs.775-727-5312Website: www.vea.coopEmail: [email protected]

VEA Prepares for Continued Growth

Until next month,

Thomas H. HustedChief Executive Officer

Time and time again, Valley Electric Association (VEA) and its members have proven their dedication and remarkable resilience. While we continue to face opposition from a large, investor-owned utility as a result of VEA’s recent federal contracts, our coop-erative continues to thrive.

It is important to take a moment to reflect on the remarkable growth we have expe-rienced in recent years. Since 2011, we have expanded our workforce by about 30 per-cent, reaching a total of 105 employees. We currently have eight job openings within our service area for a variety of positions.

We hope to continue this trend in the coming years and decades, as new sources of revenue gained through our proactive economic development strategy will help us keep rates low for our members and create high-paying jobs for the communities of southwestern Nevada.

To support this strategy and accommodate VEA’s rapid job growth, we recently announced a plan to expand our Pahrump campus. This expansion will include the construction of a new operations, dispatch and engineering building, which will pro-vide improved levels of security and technological sophistication to our members. It will also support our goal of attracting renewable energy generators to southwestern Nevada. We operate in an increasingly competitive market, and the advantages of this cutting-edge facility will play a vital role in bringing new companies and jobs to the communities we serve.

We expect to break ground on the facility later this month. Following this ini-tial project, we will transform our existing engineering building into the Valley Conference Center, a fully equipped meeting venue for training sessions, community events and VEA’s Ambassador and district meetings.

Through this exciting project and other worthwhile endeavors, VEA is setting the stage for job growth and economic development opportunities that will benefit our members for years to come.

District Offices4005 23rd Street

Baker City, OR 97814523-3616

567 West PierceBurns, OR 97720

573-2666

400 Patterson Bridge Road P.O. Box 575

John Day, OR 97845 575-0161

2408 Cove Ave. P.O. Box 790

La Grande, OR 97850 963-3155

[email protected]

Report Outages at (866) 430-4265

Officers/Directors: President Greg Howard,Union CountyVice President George Galloway,Union CountySec./Treas. George “Austin” Bingaman, Union County

David Baum, Union CountyAletha Bonebrake, Baker CountyRobert Cargill, Harney CountyCharlene Chase, Baker CountyCharles Hofmann, Baker CountyGary Miller, Grant County

Werner Buehler, General Manager

Ron Williams, Attorney

OR-48

Manager’s MessageBonneville Power Administration, the federal power marketing agency that sells electric power to OTEC, recently announced a wholesale and transmission rate increase, effective October 1, 2013. The increase has been in the works for more than a year and involves entities throughout the Pacific Northwest. As a federal agency, BPA has strict requirements when it comes to changes in rates or regulations. Proposals, announcements, and comment periods are provided to allow the public—and your local electric co-op—to attempt to sway the powers that be.

Your electric co-op works hard to provide you the most reli-able, safe and affordable power we can. We routinely communicate with legislative leaders—and in this case, BPA officials—on the hardship that increased rates will cause for our members. Regardless, there are often forces well outside of our control that determine that more funding is needed to keep the BPA hydroelectric system up and running.

This current increase is due in part to the ongoing recession that has led to a decrease in regional power consumption, which in turn means less money in the BPA coffers. BPA has traditionally sold excess power to markets throughout the region. These surplus power sales have allowed BPA to offset the increasing costs of maintaining the hydroelectric system and funding fish and wildlife programs.

Without the profits from surplus power sales, BPA has had to turn to its cus-tomers and their members to pay for the ever-increasing costs of doing business. Maintenance on BPA’s 31 hydroelectric dams will contribute to much of the rate increase, as will additional funding for new transmission projects to move power from where it is generated to where it is needed. Approximately one-third of the power costs that OTEC pays BPA goes to fish and wildlife programs throughout the region. Many of these commitments are long term and will require additional funding.

The next step is for your elected board of directors to review a number of retail rate proposals and determine how this BPA increase will affect our members. OTEC, as the owner-operator of the local electrical grid and delivery system, has only increased its operating expenses 4.8 percent since 2001. The remaining increases have been passed through increases from BPA. Since 2001, OTEC has reduced our workforce from more than 100 to 84 employees today. We have implemented cost-saving tech-nology programs and found dozens of ways to reduce our costs while maintaining a high level of service and reliability.

We know no one likes to see their expenses increase, and we will continue to do all we can to keep costs down and minimize the impact on our members. It is just another way we look out for you.

Regards,Werner BuehlerGeneral Manager

32 S E P T E M B E R 2013

Member-owned since 1921

Ohop MutualLight Co.34014 Mountain Highway E.Eatonville, WA 98328

Phone: (253) 847-4363Night troubles: (253) 847-4363


Board of DirectorsPresident Louie MettlerVice President Jerry WalterSec./Treasurer Mel CoxDirector Frank Hoffman

General ManagerIsabella Deditch

Dear Members:To serve our members, Ohop Mutual must simultaneously manage what I call the three Es: energy, economics and environment. Each can be a major challenge by itself, but all three are connected.

Ohop tackles this balancing act primarily through the energy part of the equa-tion. Our job is to obtain your electricity, deliver it to you and manage the business aspects of doing so. We do this with sound economy in mind, and today’s world economics are heavily influenced by environmental factors.

Most of us agree it is a good idea to create energy from sources such as wind or sun-light, requiring no fuel and creating no carbon emissions. However, these sources are expensive and less reliable than traditional sources—in our case, hydropower. We have to consider these factors when asked to bring increasing amounts of new renewable energy sources into the system. They cost significantly more than hydro generation, which supplies about 90 percent of Ohop’s electricity. Wind power costs about three times as much and solar costs are almost six times higher, for many reasons.

Cost factors begin with renewables’ relatively low reliability. Their power production is limited by the available amount of sunlight and wind—no wind means no wind energy; darkness and low sunlight mean zero or reduced solar energy. Production is heavily af-fected by both large and small weather patterns so output is unpredictable. Note that with strong cold or heat—when we need the most electricity—the wind is still.

All of this contributes to what our industry calls low-capacity factors—the amount of power the generating facility actually produces compared to if it ran at full-time capacity. In other words, the facilities’ output will fall far short of its technical capability. That makes it difficult, if not impossible, to finance construction without government subsidies, costs borne by taxpayers. I am sure you realize that is all of us.

Ohop supports renewable energy. But I have a problem with “negative pricing.” Negative pricing means the Bonneville Power Administration has to pay wind farmers and their corporations money for not producing energy because we have enough capacity on the power grid to handle the electricity generated at the region’s hydroelectric dams to satisfy our needs. Without that capacity, the dams would have to spill more water rather than running it through the turbines. Too much spill endangers fish by boosting levels of dissolved nitrogen.

Wind farmers and their corporations are in the business to make high returns on their investment and, according to what we hear now in the power industry, only scratches the surface of the lawsuits brought by corporations of greedy wind and solar farmers whose primary motive is not what they want us to believe—“to green up the environment”—but instead to green up their checkbooks.

This should prompt a fresh look from our lawmakers at what drives the prolifera-tion of wind and solar farms dotting Eastern Washington and Oregon.

We will continue to make this case as our state moves forward with renewable energy-focused initiatives. When energy sources are promoted with environmental benefits in mind, we also must consider the economic impacts on our members.

—Isabella Deditch, General Manager

WA-49

The Renewable Energy Dilemma

32 S E P T E M b E r 2013

P.O. Box 142645710 SE North Bend WayNorth Bend, WA 98045-1426 Telephone: (425) 888-0623Toll-free: (800) 472-0208www.tannerelectric.coop

Board of DirectorsPresident Ed StephensonVice President Julie FrommTreasurer Susan Serrette-EganSecretary Mike HodgeRoger GuayJeff GilletteJim SingerPaul BayMark Dilger

An electric utility ownedby those we serve in:

North BendAmes LakeAnderson Island

Tanner Electric Cooperative is an equal opportunity provider and employer

WA-50

General ManagerSteve Walter

Chief Financial O� cerRob Carr

Operations ManagerJames Anderson

32 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 3

As your electric cooperative, it is important for Tanner Electric Cooperative to provide its member-owners with safe, reliable power. Yet our service goes beyond the wires. It is also important that we o� er additional value that has an enormously positive impact on everyone in the community. And as a Touchstone Energy co-op, we strive to meet that goal on a daily basis.

� at is why Tanner Electric Cooperative, in conjunction with the other Touch-stone Energy co-ops serving 22 million member-owners nationwide, has launched the Co-op Connections program. � is new card-based member bene� t program is designed to deliver added value to our members—residential and business—by o� ering valuable discounts at participating local and national businesses. And it’s free.

Whenever a Co-op Connections cardholder—whether from Tanner Electric Cooperative or from one of the hundreds of Touchstone Energy co-ops across the country—shows the Co-op Connections card at a participating business, they re-ceive a discount. � ose businesses equally bene� t from increased customer visits by co-op members participating in the program. It’s easy to spot what local businesses are participating. Look for the Co-op Connections stickers in their windows, or simply log on to the Tanner Electric Cooperative’s website, www.tannerelectric.coop, and check out the list of participants.

Tanner Electric Cooperative members will receive a Co-op Connections card in the mail in the coming days. Once a member has signed the back of the card, it’s ready for use at participating businesses locally and nationwide.

So while our priority is keeping the lights on, Tanner Electric Cooperative is com-mitted to bringing additional value to our members and the communities we serve. � e Co-op Connections program is just another way to accomplish that goal. � at’s the cooperative di� erence.

—Steve Walter, General Manager

Member-Bene� t Program Brings Value to Community

Tom JonesGCSECA CEO

Grand Canyon State Electric Cooperative Association, Inc.2210 S. Priest Drive • Tempe, AZ 85252 • Phone: (602) 286-6925 • Fax: (602) 286-6932 • www.gcseca.coop

BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Je� Larson, President; Joe Kay, Vice President; Frank Downs, Secretary; Carlos Tejeda, Treasurer; Joe Anderson; Harold Burdick; Joel Carlisle; William Cyr; Pat English; Johnnie Frie; Creden W. Huber; Jerry Kempton; Gene Robert Larson; Vance Lee; Patrick Ledger; Chuck Moore; Barbara Stockwell; and Marsha Thompson. CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER: Tom Jones.

Relationships MatterMy Perspective

During the Grand Canyon State Electric Cooperative Association’s summer meeting, Arizona’s cooperative leaders heard from my counterpart from Oregon, Ted Case, execu-tive director of the Oregon Rural Electric Cooperative Association.

Ted’s talk was timely and instructive.A native Oregonian, Ted spent 20 years

in Washington, D.C., where he served on the staff of Congressman Bob Smith, also a native Oregonian. Ted took his expertise to the cooperative’s national trade association, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, where he served as legislative director for its government relations department.

He has been with ORECA since 2009.Ted is a graduate of Pacific Lutheran

University and has a master’s in fiction writing from Johns Hopkins University. This background and his education made his keynote speech a hit for our meeting.

Ted says he spent many hours in the library at NRECA during his years of guiding legislation through Congress on behalf of the nation’s nearly 1,000 cooperatives. He says this setting was the source of inspiration for his recent book,—“Power Plays”—which explores the defining moments in the relationship between electric cooperatives and

the U.S. presidency. The book archives a history that intersects

with some of the most important events of the last 75 years: FDR’s infamous purge of dissident Democrats, the classic 1948 Truman-Dewey presidential campaign, JFK’s Cuban Missile Crisis, the Vietnam War, Nixon’s Watergate scandal and the terrorist attacks of September 11.

Ted’s book takes readers inside the White House to give the stories of 12 presidents and the four electric co-op leaders who built NRECA into a major force on the American political scene.

It is this “relationship” between co-ops and America’s leaders that struck a chord with our group. It reinforces what GCSECA and the Arizona cooperatives are doing with our local elected officials: building relationships for the benefit of our members.

Our efforts to grow the grassroots influence of our membership, combined with our Arizona Action Committee for Rural Electrification, demonstrate we are willing to support those who support the cooperatives.

We have a legacy of relationships, and we have more work to do.

—Tom Jones, CEO, GCSECA

32 S E P T E M B E R 2013

AZ-55 Postmaster: Send address changes to Currents, 120 N. 44th St. Ste. 100, Phoenix, AZ 85034-1899

BOARD OF DIRECTORSBilly Adams, PresidentRyall Stewart, Vice PresidentMichael Machado, SecretaryHarold Burdick, TreasurerPaul ElmoreJoel CarlisleBelinda Hepler

GENERAL MANAGERKevin Short

ANZA ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC.P.O. Box 391909 • Anza, CA 92539

Phone: (951) 763-4333 • Fax: (951) 763-5297 • [email protected] • www.anzaelectric.orgOur crew is on standby 24 hours a day. To report an outage or other service problem, please call (951) 763-4333.

Dear Cooperative Member,I would like to take a break from my usual play on words in this space

to discuss our local economy. Before you stop reading, let me explain.We live in an economically challenged area. This is a prettied-up way

of saying that too many of our residents suffer the devastating effects of low income. The official county statistics indicate that 14 percent of our residents live below the poverty line of $11,722 for a household of one person. In rough numbers, this means that more than 1,500 of our residents live on about $900 per month.

For years, we have relied on federally funded assistance programs and private charities to help our residents. These programs have seen dwindling funds stretched thinner every year, to the point of near non-existence. It’s our turn.

Inside this issue you will find information on Operation Round Up. This program is a simple way for our members to help us help others. When members automatically round their bills up to the nearest dollar, the extra change goes into a fund that is, in turn, donated back into our community. Participating members will donate, on average, about $6 per year. All of the funds donated are redistributed into the community by a local charity to those seeking assistance with life’s essentials.

Please consider participating in this effort. Application forms are available on our website, at our front counter and inside this issue of Currents. We cannot afford to wait for things to improve. It’s time for our community to join together in helping each other.

Thank you for having the energy to change.

Kevin ShortGeneral ManagerAnza Electric Cooperative

Operation Round UpEMPLOYEE ANNIVERSARIES

September/OctoberCongratulations!

Scott Davies .......................9 years Greg Easley .......................36 years Paula Ruiz ............................3 years

IMPORTANT DATES

Labor Day ........................... Sept. 2 (Co-op o� ce closed)

Washington Youth Tour Contest Deadline ............................ Oct. 11

Daylight savings time ends .........Nov. 3

Kevin Short

Find Your Account Number, Win $25Could you use an extra $25 in your pocket? We have hidden an account number in this issue of Currents magazine. If you � nd your account number, please contact the cooperative o� ce to get your $25 account credit. Happy hunting!

Manager’s Message

$

32 S E P T E M B E R 2013

AZ-56 Postmaster: Send address changes to Currents, 2210 S. Priest Dr., Tempe, AZ 850282-1109

Board of DirectorsChairmanCharlie Curtis, Kiana

Vice ChairmanWalter G. Sampson, Noorvik

SecretaryPhyllis Clough, Old Harbor

TreasurerHelena R. Jones, Ambler

Robert L. Beans Sr., Mountain Village

Peter Demoski, Nulato

Fred Sagoonick, Shaktoolik

Meera KohlerPresident & CEO

Alaska Village ElectricCooperative, Inc.4831 Eagle StreetAnchorage, AK 99503(907) 561-1818 (800) 478-1818

AlakanukAmblerAndreafskyAnvikBrevig MissionChevakEekEkwokElimEmmonakGambellGoodnews BayGraylingHoly CrossHooper BayHusliaKaltagKasiglukKianaKivalinaKobukKotlikKoyukLower KalskagMarshallMekoryukMintoMt. Village

New StuyahokNightmuteNoatakNoorvikNulatoNunapitchukOld HarborPilot StationPitkas PointQuinhagakRussian MissionSt. Mary’sSt. MichaelSavoongaScammon BaySelawikShagelukShaktoolikShishmarefShungnakStebbinsTellerTogiakToksook BayTununakUpper KalskagWales

Communities Served

AVEC Awards ScholarshipsI am proud to announce that the AVEC Scholarship Committee—comprised of a com-mittee of the AVEC Board of Directors—has selected six highly deserving individuals to receive financial assistance in their quest for higher education.

The Ted Stevens Memorial Scholarship was awarded to Stefan Weingarth from St. Mary’s. Stefan is enrolled in petroleum engineering at University of Alaska Fairbanks and will receive $5,000 to help him achieve his dreams.

Joe Bifelt, from Huslia, has been awarded $1,000 to pursue his degree in secondary education.

Catherine Joe, from Chevak, will receive $1,000 toward her general education degree.Tyler Douglas, also from Huslia, was selected to receive $500 toward AVTEC’s train-

ing in facility maintenance.Tasha King, from Ekwok, is pursuing a degree in nursing, helped along by an award

of $500. Anna Lincoln, from Toksook Bay, will receive $500 to help pay for her training as a

medical assistant.These students have all demonstrated sustained excellence in their academic lives

and have earned the respect of their families, peers and teachers. They are articulate and motivated, and AVEC is proud to sponsor them in their chosen careers.

Here are excerpts from a letter we received from one of our awardees:“I would like to express my gratitude to you for selecting me as a recipient for the

Alaska Village Electric Cooperative Scholarship. Thank you for giving my peers and me the opportunity to gain support while working through our secondary education. AVEC’s generosity has helped relieve the stressful burden of paying for my education.

“I appreciate the opportunity you have offered to students such as myself. Your generosity has inspired me to grant others the same opportunity you have given me. Thanks again for your kind generosity.”

We at AVEC are just as proud of these young people as you, our members, are. We wish them the very best!

Until next time,

Meera KohlerPresident and CEO

AK-105

32 S E P T E M B E R 2013

65 S. Roop St. Susanville, CA 96130 Phone (530) 257-4174 Fax (530) 257-2558 www.lmud.org

BOARD OF DIRECTORSPresident H.W. “Bud” BowdenVice President Richard Vial Treasurer Fred NagelJay Dow Jr.Jess Urionaguena

STAFFGeneral ManagerWilliam H. “Bill” Stewart, CPA

Electrical Operations ManagerDavid Folce

Electric Superintendent Cort Cortez

Business Office ManagerKeri Richards

Accounting and Finance ManagerMary Anderson

Energy Services ManagerTheresa Phillips

IT Operations Technician Nick Dominguez

Executive AssistantKaren Rollings

In case of an outage: If your electricity is offfor more than a few minutes, call 257-4174. Office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. After-hours and weekend calls are answered by a local service and immediately forwarded to standby personnel.

The board meets at 5:30 p.m.the fourth Tuesday of each month.

CA-106

Frequently Asked Questions

Does LMUD provide assistance to those in need?Lassen Municipal Utility District understands occasional unforeseen expenses, medi-cal bills, lapses in employment or other financial emergencies can stretch a family’s household budget to the breaking point. That is why we offer a variety of programs to help our customers conserve energy and, if needed, a helping hand through tough economic times.

LMUD’s Energy Conservation Assistance Program, ECAP, provides assistance to LMUD’s income-qualified customers who may need help paying their electric bill. ECAP provides a discount of 20 to 50 percent—depending on eligibility criteria—on energy use from November to April, lessening the effect of winter energy use.

Applications for the ECAP program will be available October 1 at the LMUD office at 65 S. Roop St. If you or someone you know is interested in applying for the pro-gram, guidelines will be included in the October issue of the Lassen Ruralite.

In addition to ECAP, LMUD offers the Emergency Energy Assistance Program. EEAP is a one-time emergency assistance program for income-qualified customers. The goal of the program is to avoid disconnection of service for those customers who are faced with an unexpected financial crisis.

EEAP applications are available through the Susanville Salvation Army office in the Grocery Outlet shopping center.

For the past few years, LMUD has offered energy gift cards in denominations of $25, $50 and $100. The cards, available for purchase at the LMUD office, can be applied to any LMUD account.

We hope that by working together we can overcome difficult economic times.

32 S E P T E M B E R 2013

Lincoln County Power District No. 1HC 74, Box 101Pioche, NV 89043

Phone: (775) 962-5122Toll free: (888) 649-3814


DIRECTORS President John ChristianVice President Ed WrightLee MathewsBob RollinsMike FoglianiSecretary David Luttrell

GENERAL MANAGER David Luttrell

Board meets the second Monday of each month

MISSION STATEMENTTo construct, operate and maintain a system which will provide our customers with electric service in the most economical and efficient manner consistent with sound business practice.

NV-107

get an update on when and where it will be. Several factors contribute to the need to increase rates, and key among them is the declining hydroelectric power production from Hoover Dam. I recently ran across the graph shown on page 25 and the map above. � e graph was produced by the Bureau of Reclamation and the map was produced by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

As the page 25 graph shows, Lake Mead water levels are dropping and approaching a critical level. Although there is no direct correlation between lake levels and genera-tion, they track fairly closely. When lake levels decrease, power production decreases as federal operators try to maintain water storage by curtailing releases through the dam. When we can’t get the power we need from Hoover Dam, we have to purchase replace-ment power from the market at much higher prices. In 2007, our purchased power cost to supply Lincoln County was $1,301,327. Last year, it was $2,042,199. By 2016, we expect the cost of the power we bring into the county to reach $2,279,418.

As the map above shows, declining hydroelectric production from Hoover Dam is not expected to get much better anytime soon. � e main water supply for Hoover Dam comes from the west slope of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado.

I hope our customers can see we cannot absorb these increases in power supply costs and our rates must increase. I look forward to discussing these and other fac-tors a� ecting our rates with you at the public meeting this month.

Continues from page 25

32 S E P T E M B E R 2013

Main Office 350 North HaskellWillcox, AZ 85643(520) 384-2221 www.ssvec.org

chief executive OfficerCreden W. Huber

BOard Of directOrs Kathy Thatcher, PresidentLes Thompson, Vice PresidentHarold L. Hinkley, SecretaryDan Barrera, TreasurerCurtis NolanSandra HuntingtonPat EnglishJoe FurnoDon KyteDavid LunaEdward MolinaGene Manring

LOcaL Office PhOne nuMBers Benson: (520) 586-2238 Bowie: (520) 847-6000 Cascabel: (520) 212-6001 Elfrida: (520) 642-3475 Patagonia: (520) 394-2051 San Simon: (520) 845-6000 Sierra Vista: (520) 458-4691 Sunsites/Pearce: (520) 826-6000 Sunizona: (520) 824-6000

Wireless Internet help desk 24/7: (877) 877-6861

After-hours, weekend and holiday outage number: (800) 422-3275

Chief Executive Officer’s Message

32 S E P T E M B E R 2013 www.ssvec.org

AZ-141 Postmaster: Send address changes to Currents, 2210 S. Priest Drive, Tempe, AZ 85282

The Arizona Corporation Commission regulates SSVEC and most electric utilities in Arizona. The ACC is looking at deregu-lating the electric mar-ket in the state. This was attempted in the 1990s with poor results and was a bigger disaster for Californians when they attempted electric deregulation in the early 2000s.

For more information, visit azpowerconsumers.com. Here are some frequently asked questions—and answers—about deregulation.

What is Deregulation?Arizona utilities are now regulated either by the independently elected Arizona Corporation Commission or an independently elected governing board, under a cost of ser-vice model. Each utility is required to justify rates based on the capital investment it makes to provide service to customers. This model keeps electricity prices stable for the consumer and ensures reliable power and capacity—espe-cially during the hot summer season.

Deregulation was tried in the late 1990s. Under a scheme of opening the wholesale power market to competitive power producers and providing customers with choice, several states implemented deregulation. The results were disastrous, including out of control prices for consumers and a dramatic increase in cus-tomer complaints.

How Does it Affect Residential Consumers and Small Businesses?Deregulation hurts residential and small busi-nesses—leaving them holding the bag. These new energy companies that come on the scene typically operate like hedge funds, hoping to cherry-pick the biggest purchasers of electric-ity and give them a lower rate, but lacking the incentive to provide reliable power to a broad base of consumers. Residential and small busi-ness consumers will likely suffer in such a structure while large, commercial users will be promised benefits that may not materialize.

How Does it Affect Reliability?These out-of-state power providers are not proven partners within the community and will bear little responsibility for disruptions of power or reliability of service. They have no responsibility for transmission or service reli-ability. They add no value and no actual com-petitive dynamics to the production and deliv-ery of power. They do not propose to create a real market, but rather to simply extract profits from a system they have not invested to build and bear no responsibility for maintaining.

Would it Offer Anything New?No. Like the old long-distance providers, new providers are really just offering incen-tives to switch to complicated plans filled with fine print, that leave customers confused and unhappy.

Deregulation Would Create Problems for Co-op Members

Creden W. Huber

Continues on page 5

379597 AZ 75P.O. Box 440Duncan, AZ 85534Phone: (928) 359-2503Fax: (928) 359-2370www.dvec.org

Board of directorsJohnnie Frie

PresidentRichard Lunt

Vice PresidentJudy McKinley

Secretary/TreasurerFrank DownsSuzanne MengesDon VandellTom PowersVance Lee

administrationMike Pearce

Chief Executive OfficerSteven Lunt

Administrative Manager

Board meetingsMay 20 June 17July 15

Generally the third Mondayof the month

Owned By Those We Serve—Incorporated June 1947

Duncan ValleyElectricCooperative Inc.

Deregulation: Wrong for Arizona, Wrong for Cooperative Members

While the idea of consumer choice in the elec-tricity market might sound appealing, it is not always in the best interest of all consumers to be removed from a regulated environment that assures them they will always have a needed commodity at a fair and reasonable price.

As a cooperative, we have an obligation to look out for the best interests of our members. We do not have to answer to investors who are looking to make money in the marketplace. We have to answer to you, our members.

If you had to go without electricity, how would that affect your life? In some states that opted for a deregulated power market, rolling blackouts became a public health and safety issue. The cost of power became a supply and demand issue, not a public service issue. Prices skyrocketed. The governor of California had to step in and call a halt to their deregulation plan for the public’s interest.

Electricity is a unique commodity. It has to be ready for use at a moment’s notice every second of the day, yet cannot be produced before it is needed and stored for future use.

Extreme levels of planning and coordination are required to make sure that when you hit the switch, your lights, TV or computer come on. Investments in generation plants are made with longterm plans of up to 30 years to antici-pate the need for electricity in the future. In an unsure, unregulated market, who will make those investments?

Increased planning and coordination to

accommodate a deregulated market will result in higher costs borne by those who already have a reliable system in place. Does that seem fair? Especially to those who may not have the means, understanding or desire to shop around for a power supplier that may or may not be there in the future. Without regulation, who ensures the reliability of power?

We have a good system in place to keep the cost of power fair and reasonable. As mem-bers, we elect a board of directors who oversee the financial aspects of the cooperative, includ-ing when it is necessary to change the energy rates. After the board decides rate changes are necessary, corporation commission staff for each state reviews the request and makes a recommendation to the commissioners on fair rates for the cooperative. The commissioners, in turn, review, then approve or deny, the rec-ommended rates. They also review the cooper-ative’s ability to continue to safely provide reli-able energy and may require the cooperative to engage in activities that will ensure these conditions are met.

This process ensures all customers are treat-ed fairly. Do those with the most money get to buy what could become a limited resource? What about the rest of us?

I urge you to read the article on page 28 that addresses more of the concerns of deregula-tion. Follow the links to become informed and voice your concerns.

If you want more information, contact me. I am happy to discuss this important issue with you.

By Mike Pearce, CEO

32 S e P T e M B e R 2013


ElectricalDistrict No. 2P.O. Box 548Coolidge, AZ 85128

Phone: (520) 723-7741Fax: (520) 723-5252

To report an emergencyor a power outage afterhours or weekends, call:

(800) 668-8079

DIRECTORS

CHAIRMAN

David Wuertz

VICE CHAIRMANJacob Roberts

SECRETARYEugene Anderson

TREASURER Jack K. Henness

AUDITOR Wilbur H. Wuertz

GENERAL MANAGER

Thomas S. Martin

ED2 is a full-service electric utility serving the greater Casa Grande Valley of Pinal County—including in and around the cities of Coolidge, Florence and Casa Grande—since 1923.

32 S E P T E M B E R 2013


P.O. Drawer BPima, AZ 85543

(928) 485-2451Toll free: (800) 577-9266

Fax: (928) 485-9491

Graham County ElectricBoard of Directors:President Gene R. LarsonVice Pres. Reuben McBrideSecretary Tommy ClontsChris ClaridgeMike CrockettDennis JacobJerald L. KemptonJim BryceRobert Reed

Graham County UtilitiesBoard of Directors:President Larry H. MorrisVice President Bob BrownSecretary Mike CrockettJim BryceTommy ClontsDennis JacobGene R. LarsonJeff B. LarsonJerry Kempton

General Manager:Steve Lines

The Arizona Corporation Commission is under intense pressure from out-of-state interests and big corporations to completely deregulate or restruc-ture Arizona’s electricity market. Back in the late 1990s and early 2000s deregulation was tried in California. It was a complete disaster that led to power shortages, blackouts and out of control pricing. It was so bad back then, the Arizona Corporation Commission halted the program and it should halt again now.

The current system of electric utility regulation in Arizona treats electricity as an essential service with the goal of making electric service universally accessible and affordable. Utility companies are held accountable for reliable delivery at regulated rates designed to protect the consumer. Electricity rates are currently set based on the cost of production and watched closely to ensure fairness to consumers. Deregulated/restructured markets treat electricity more like a commodity to be sold at prices set by the profit motives of power brokers and speculators.

Some other states have turned traditional energy markets upside down to accommodate these power brokers and speculators with disastrous results. Deregulation/restructuring has resulted in consumer price increases, decreased reliability, increased customer frustration and market manipulation by companies such as Enron. It is not fair for providers to cherry-pick the biggest purchasers of electricity and leave everyone else to pay higher prices.

The ACC has the option to tell these outside groups that Arizona values an electricity system that provides accessible, reliable service to consumers based on the actual cost of production. Please tell the ACC that Arizonans have too much at stake to participate in an experiment that does not benefit consumers. Please join the grassroots efforts of GCEC—along with all of the other electric co-ops in the state and Arizona Power Consumers Coalition—and make your voice be heard by the ACC.

Ask the ACC to stand up for consumers in Arizona and not allow deregulation. You can do this by signing the petition form we have available at the GCEC office or on page 25 of Currents, then send it in or we will send it in for you. We need your help just like we did with the cap-and-trade issue. The ACC needs to hear from you so it can tell these special out-of-state groups this was a bad idea back in the late 1990s and is a bad idea now. Thank You!

Steve LinesGeneral ManagerGCEC/GCU

Arizona Electric Restructuring: Still a Bad Idea

Steve Lines

Manager’s Message

32 S e P T e M B e R 2013


Escambia River

Energy policy issues are extremely complex.

At Escambia River Electric Cooperative, we want not only to make sure electricity is available when you need it, but to make sure you can afford it.

This often involves becom-ing active in the political pro-cess to ensure laws and regu-lations don’t make electricity so expensive you cannot afford to buy it.

The regulations that con-cern EREC are those that restrict the use of fossil fuels—such as coal and natural gas—for electricity generation. Ninety-five percent of EREC’s electricity is generated using fossil fuels. Without them, EREC would have to turn to other means of generation that are much more expensive.

As a member of an electric

cooperative, you have some-one looking out for you. Your cooperative—as well as our power supplier, statewide and national organizations—serve as advocates to protect your interests in the political arena.

Cooperatives work with state and federal lawmakers to educate them about the real impacts of laws on rural elec-tric consumers. EREC bands together with other coop-eratives across the country to make our voices heard regard-ing laws that could affect elec-tricity cost and reliability.

Electricity is such an inte-gral part of our lives today that the only time you may think about it is when your bill comes or when the power goes off. That’s OK because we are doing our part to keep electricity reliable and afford-able for you.

Manager’s Message

Members acknowledge that $3.96, plus actual postage, is the cost to publish 12 issues a year of Florida Currents (USPS-8300). Published by Ruralite Services Inc., 2040 A St., Forest Grove, OR 97116—a not-for-profit Oregon cooperative corporation—the magazine serves the communications needs of consumer-owned electric utilities in Florida. Preferred Periodicals postage paid at Forest Grove, OR 97116 and at additional mailing offices.

Postmaster: Please send address corrections to P.O. Box 558, Forest Grove, OR 97116.

HOW TO CONTACT FLORIDA CURRENTS

Have a problem receiving your edition of Florida Currents? Utility members should contact the local utility office listed on the back cover. Nonmembers should contact Ruralite Services, P.O. Box 558, Forest Grove, OR 97116-0558; (503) 357-2105; email [email protected].

Subscription services: Nonmember subscriptions $12 (US) per year; $25 (foreign) per year. Prepayment required. Allow 4 to 8 weeks for first issue. Be sure to identify which local edition you want to receive.

Extra copies: $2 each, pre-payment required. Supply is limited. Identify edition, month and year. Contact Ruralite Services.

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© 2013 Ruralite Services Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited.

Clay R. Campbell

Protecting Your Access to A� ordable Electricity

Side Roads 10In the Kitchen 16Florida Gardener 18

Travel Journal 19Festival Roundup 22Outdoor Pursuits 24

Inside

Your utility pages: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 25, 26, 28, 32

Also In This Issue

September 2013Vol. 2, No. 11

Cursive WritingRunning Out of Ink? 12In a world of computers, smartphones, texting and email, many believe cursive writing is obsolete. Others say no.

S E P T E M B E R 2013 3

As a progressive utility we spend a lotof time talking about how we are buildingfor the future. We often say things like “weare focused on providing high quality, safeand reliable electric service now and in thefuture” and indeed that is true. Butsometimes it’s also important to reflect onwhere we came from.

As such, we have included anoverview of our history in this issue forboth our new and long-time members toappreciate our rural roots.

Less than 75 years ago, the Upper andMiddle Keys had no centralized powersystem. In the 1930s, a few privately-ownedgenerating plants provided a limitednumber of homes and businesses withelectricity for a few hours a day, but eventhose hours were unreliable. Imagine livingthrough the summer in the Keys with noair conditioning!

It was the combination of two majorevents in 1935, plus the determination of ahandful of local residents, that ultimatelyadvanced the delivery of electric service.

The first event was the creation of theRural Electrification Administration (REA)by President Franklin Roosevelt, whichoffered federally financed loans for theconstruction of electric distribution systemsin rural communities.

The second event was the 1935hurricane which wiped out the railroad.The loss of the railroad prompted the

development of the Overseas Highway,which in turn created easier access to ourislands as well as a greater demand forelectricity.

These two events, along with thevisionary genius and dedication of localleaders, made Florida Keys ElectricCooperative Association a reality inJanuary 1940.

At the time of incorporation, FKECbarely met the 300-person membershiprequired by the state to form a cooperative,and our assets included only one smallgenerating plant in Tavernier and twoportable units in Marathon. In the 1950s,FKEC built a 69,000-volt transmission lineto deliver power from the mainland andthe system has grown steadily ever since.

Over the last 73 years, FKEC’smembership has increased to about 31,000accounts. We operate six substations,maintain 720 miles of distribution line, andbring electricity to the Keys via a 138,000kV transmission line.

This is a very brief account of FKEC’shistory, but as you can see on the facingpage, we’ve come a long way. And todaywe continue to grow and serve ourcommunity in the spirit of our founders.

SCOTT NEWBERRYChief Executive Officer

FLORIDA KEYS ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE ASSOCIATION, INC.Member Owned Since 1940

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

James J. BoiliniDistrict 1, Key Largo • President

Gretchen HollandDistrict 1, Key Largo • Vice President

Michael H. PutoDistrict 4, Marathon • Secretary

H.B. BarrettDistrict 3, Islamorada • Treasurer

David C. RitzDistrict 1, Key Largo

Craig BelcherDistrict 2, Tavernier

Frank N. Hawkins, Jr.District 2, Tavernier

George D. HertelDistrict 3, Islamorada

Karl M. WagnerDistrict 4, Marathon

CONTACT US:(305) 852-2431 (800) 858-8845 toll freewww.FKEC.comMailing AddressP.O. Box 377, Tavernier, FL 33070

S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 3 W W W . F K E C . C O M

FKEC NEWS

FKEC’s History:

From 300 to 31,000Accounts in 73 Years

4 SEPTEMBER 2013

Unless otherwise noted, “FKEC NEWS”writing, design & photography by:

Nikki Dunn • [email protected] by: Rebecca Callahan Newman

MEMBERS SHOULDKNOW: To view historicalfootage circa 1960 visit ouronline video library atwww.fkec.com/Cooperative/video.cfm

FKEC-September-2013_Layout 1 8/12/13 10:12 AM Page 2

By Jo Ann Emerson

In late June, President Obama announced a series of actions to combat climate change. For electric co-ops, the outline hammered one point that has us ready to do battle: reducing the volume of green-house gases—primarily car-bon dioxide—emitted from fossil fuel-burning power plants, both new and existing.

To that end, the presi-dent has instructed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to regulate carbon emissions under the federal Clean Air Act—a law last updated in 1990 that contains not a single line mentioning carbon dioxide. Under the sweeping mandate set forth, the White House risks shuttering the nation’s entire coal fleet—roughly 37 per-cent of generation capacity—and driving up electric bills for all consumers.

The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association and its member cooperatives oppose using the Clean Air Act to regulate greenhouse gases, and will engage the administration at every turn to inject common sense back into policy discussions.

Whether you agree with the president’s underlying concerns about global warm-ing or not, the basic fact is that short of closing all coal-fired power plants there are no economically viable tools cur-rently available to accomplish his goals.

For several years, electric co-ops have warned the Obama administration that employing the Clean Air Act to curb power plant carbon dioxide emissions

is badly misguided. Without significant modifications, co-ops believe the presi-dent’s proposal will jack up electric bills for those who can least afford it—our consumer-members.

Rural residents already spend a greater chunk of their income on energy than those in urban communities. One of our first missions as not-for-profit electric cooperatives remains keeping rates afford-able—an important consideration since

household income in our service territories runs 11 per-cent lower than the national average and one person in six served by a co-op lives in poverty.

Forcing electric co-ops to shut down coal plants and switch to other fuels amounts to levying a punitive, regres-sive tax on rural America. History shows us this bad idea was tried once before, with bad results.

In the late 1970s, policymakers were concerned the United States would soon run out of natural gas—the main energy source for heating and cooking in many parts of our land. The congressional solution to the issue was passing the ill-conceived Powerplant and Industrial Fuel Use Act of 1978, which prohibited burn-ing natural gas to generate electricity.

To meet growing demand for power, utilities were forced to choose either coal or nuclear power facilities.

For electric co-ops, the timing could not have been worse. The measure kicked in just as generation and trans-mission co-ops were in the middle of a major power plant building cycle.

In the end, many found themselves shifting generation strategies mid-stream—an expensive proposition—and either partnering with investor-owned

utilities in nuclear reactors or construct-ing state-of-the-art coal stations equipped with scrubbers and other pollution con-trol technologies.

Thanks to the Fuel Use Act, power costs soared—and, with them, coopera-tive electric bills. Realizing its mistake, Congress repealed the act in 1987.

Yet because of the legislation, many electric cooperatives became deeply invested in coal. Today, coal accounts for about 74 percent of the power produced by G&Ts and 55 percent of all electric cooperative electricity requirements.

Just like 35 years ago, the president’s call for action has co-ops again faced with shifting fuels—in this case, choos-ing natural gas or renewables over coal. However, in regions without access to natural gas pipelines, changing from coal to natural gas is not feasible. On the renewables front, co-ops have emerged as leaders, adding “clean and green” power systems where it makes economic sense—such as solar photovoltaic arrays in the Southwest and wind farms across the Great Plains and Midwest.

But the sun doesn’t always shine (clouds) and the wind doesn’t always blow—especially during periods of peak demand, when power is needed most: on hot, humid summer weekday afternoons or cold winter mornings at below minus 22 degrees F. Keeping the lights on 24 hours a day, seven days a week requires traditional baseload generation—namely, coal, nuclear and hydro—as well as a full mix of fuels.

On behalf of America’s electric coop-eratives, NRECA will continue to urge the president and his administration to work with co-ops on a real “all-of-the-above” energy strategy to keep electric bills affordable for rural Americans. nJo Ann Emerson is CEO of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.

Jo Ann Emerson

Climate change plan will harm rural America

‘All-of-the-Above’ Strategy Needed

Glades ElectricNeighbors Working for Neighbors

26 s e p t e m b e r 2013

Offices

Open 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday

26733 U.S. Hwy. 27 East/P.O. Box 519Moore Haven, FL 33471(800) 226-4024 or (863) 946-6200Fax: (863) 946-2150

214 SR 70 WestLake Placid, FL 33852(800) 226-4025 or (863) 531-5000

111 SW Park St.Okeechobee, FL 34974(800) 226-4023 or (863) 467-5111

POwer interruPtiOn numberMoore Haven ............................. (800) 226-4024

Phones are answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including weekends and holidays. Please have your location or account number handy when you call.

bOard Of trusteesJohn “Jack” Coxe, President, District 8 Lake Josephine, (863) 655-3056James “Jim” Aul, Vice President, District 7 Lorida, (863) 441-0441 Russell Henderson, Sec./Treas., District 3 Ortona and Palmdale, (863) 946-0865Donnie Lundy, Trustee, District 1 Moore Haven, (863) 946-0402Barney Goodman, Trustee, District 2 Hendry County, (863) 983-7324Shannon Hall, Trustee, District 4 Lakeport and Brighton, (863) 946-3242Ladd Bass, Trustee, District 5 Venus and Hicoria, (863) 441-2227Lee Henderson, Trustee, District 6 Highlands Park, (863) 633-9281Irene Lofton, Trustee, District 9 Okeechobee, (863) 467-1219

The next meeting of the Board will be at 9 a.m. September 26 at the Moore Haven headquar-ters office. Any changes to this schedule will be posted in the lobby of all three district offices.

executive staffCEO Jeff Brewington CFO Jennifer ManningDir. of Business Development Paul McGeheeDir. of Employee Services Yvonne BradleyDir. of Information Technologies Bradley HillDir. of Member Services Margaret EllerbeeDir. of Operations Tracy Vaughn

FL-153

Co-op Communications Help You Stay Informed

CEO’s Message

I hope you have noticed an improvement in our communica-tions to you, our valued members. We have been developing our use of available technologies and broadening our commu-nications to reach more of you.

I have heard from many of you how you appreciate this pub-lication, Florida Currents, our monthly membership magazine. We are devoting extra time to it to bring you more news relevant to our area. Your comments say our efforts are well worth it.

Florida Currents is not the only communication tool we are diligently developing. If you regularly use the Internet, you may have visited our website—www.gladesec.com—Facebook page or Twitter.

Our new website provided through Touchstone Energy gives us the ability to self-manage our site and offers new communication tools we can quickly use. For instance, recently the Hendry County Economic Development Council was planning a trip to Tallahassee in support of the AirGlades International Airport project. The EDC reached out to us seeking letters of support that it could carry to the gubernatorial staff. In short order, your GEC staff posted a support letter to our website that anyone could sign and forward to the EDC with just a few keyboard strokes. The EDC was quite impressed with our abilities and the multitude of letters they were provided.

We currently have another letter of support available on our website. This letter asks the U.S. Senate to support and pass the Cooperative and Small Employer Charity Pension Flexibility Act of 2013 (Senate Bill 1302). Passage of this bill will help coop-eratives and other not-for-profits provide affordable pension plans by not subjecting them to extraordinary and unnecessary costs. Please use this new tool and help keep GEC’s costs down by showing your support. Get your family members and friends to send a letter, too.

From our website you can jump to our Facebook page and Twitter. We continue to develop both of these communication portals, where you will find current and rel-evant information, including outage and weather information. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter, and let us know what you think.

Finally, we recently installed a new digital sign at our Moore Haven headquarters office. Now we have the ability to display several messages, including time and tem-perature. The response from our first message advertising a part-time position was nearly overwhelming.

As in all of our operations, we will continue to improve upon these new communi-cation tools to keep you as informed as possible. Please use them to the fullest.

Jeff Brewington

32 S E P T E M B E R 2013

Offices722 West Highway 22P. O. Box 220Wewahitchka, FL 32465(850) 639-2216 or (800) 333-9392 9434 Highway 77 P. O. Box 8370Southport, FL 32409(850) 265-3631 or (800) 568-3667

6243 East Highway 98Panama City, FL 32404Phone: (850) 481-1188

www.gcec.com

ceO/General ManaGerMichael E. White

TrusTeesPresident Kinneth DanielsVice President Gary Cox Secretary Eddie JonesTreasurer Robert ByrdDoug BirminghamJimmy BlackRupert BrownWaylon GrahamBetty Moore

Trustees normally meet the third Tuesday of each month at 12:30 p.m. CST. The board meets at the Wewahitchka office in even-numbered months (February, April, June, August, October and December) and the Southport office in odd-numbered months (January, March, May, July, September and November).

The mission of GCEC is to continually evaluate and implement technologies and seek solutions that fulfill a diversified memberships’ changing expectations for cost-effective, dependable utility services through a dedicated and responsive workforce.

FL-154

GCEC President’s Message

What Does a Dinosaur Have to Do With Electricity?In the United States, electric utilities rely on a diver-sity of fuels for power generation: nuclear energy, fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas, and renew-able sources such as hydro, wind, solar and biomass.

Coal, oil and gas are called fossil fuels because they have been formed from the organic remains of prehistoric plants and animals—such as dinosaurs.

In 2012, as much as 95 percent of Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative’s electricity was generated using fossil fuels (coal and natural gas).

Why does so much electricity come from fossil fuels and so little from renewables? The reason is twofold: cost and availability.

Fossil fuels cost less to convert to electricity than renewable resources, making fossil-generated energy less expensive than renewables. Fossil fuels are avail-able all the time in the necessary quantities to meet changing demand for electricity, while renewable power does not provide a steady energy supply in the Southeast.

Keeping electricity affordable and reliable means keeping fossil fuels part of our energy mix. A num-ber of environmental regulations being implemented by the Environmental Protection Agency affect the economics of electric generation and influence gen-eration fuel choices.

Gulf Coast Electric’s responsibility to our members and community is to safely provide electricity at a price members can afford and with minimal effects on our environment. In keeping with these commit-ments, we use a diverse mix of generating resources—fossil fuels, renewables and, soon, nuclear—and invest in emissions controls at power plants that ensure we are being good stewards to our environment.

The next time you flip a switch, think about where that electricity really comes from. Visit www.whereelectricitycomesfrom.com to learn more.

Kinneth Daniels

In observance of Labor Day, Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative offices will be closed Monday, September 2.

32 S E P T E M B E R 2013

To reporT power ouTage call:1-877-282-3656

corporaTe HeadquarTers 210 Metheny Road Wauchula, Florida 33873 Hours 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., M-F Telephone: 1-800-282-3824FAX: 863-773-3737

BradenTon office15105 59th Ave. EastBradenton, Florida 34211 Hours 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., M-FTelephone: 1-800-282-3824

indian lake esTaTes17363 County Road 630Lake Wales, Florida 33898For your convenience, a payment drop box is located at the front gate. Payments will be posted on the next business day.

Board of direcTorsleonard crawleyP R E s i d E n T

Bruce Vickersv i C E P R E s i d E n T

John Martins E C R E TA Ry/ T R E A s u R E R

Hollis albritton, Jr.A s s T. s E C R E TA Ry/ T R E A s u R E R

Maurice Hendersond i R E C T o R

a. Byron newberryd i R E C T o R

samuel rawls d i R E C T o R

Harold schatschneiderd i R E C T o R

Board MeeTing aTTendanceAny PRECO member may attend a Board Meeting. Due to building security requirements and for us to facilitate attendance, members wishing to attend a Board Meeting should contact the Cooperative in a timely manner for logistical information regarding the meeting.

upcoMing Board MeeTing daTes September 25, 2013October 22, 3013November 19, 2013

keeping it “green” for everyonee’re all in this together.” In the American lexicon, this phrase conveys the idea of shared responsibility or consequence. It implies that when events or circumstances affect one person, they affect all.

At Peace River Electric Cooperative, we understand that we’re all in this together when it comes to the needs of our members, the community we serve and even the world. That’s why we endeavor to strike a balance which benefits everyone.

As a member owned electric cooperative, it is our mission to provide you with safe, reliable and affordable power. We also want to provide you with power that is as environmentally friendly as possible, every time you switch on the lights. That’s why we partner with our power provider, Seminole Electric, to make this happen.

Seminole Electric, headquartered in Tampa, ensures that all its generating resources are operated in an environmentally-responsible manner and maintains complete compliance with State and Federal agencies. For its sound environmental stewardship,

Seminole received a Sustainable Leadership Award from the Council for Sustainable Florida, while their Seminole Generating Station in Palatka — with more than $530 million in pollution control equipment — was designated by Power Magazine as one of the six cleanest coal power plants in the world. And, with six percent of Seminole’s energy coming from renewable resources, it has the largest percentage of “green” power among Florida utilities.

seminole contracts with seven commercial and

government sources to produce electricity from

renewables. These renewables include biomass,

municipal solid waste and landfill gas.

Biomass is any plant based material which can be consumed in the generation process. It is very sustainable as it most often comes from crops which are planted, grown, harvested, and then, in a short amount of time, replanted again.

Using municipal solid waste to generate electricity wisely directs materials away from landfills, thereby slowing the need to create new landfill sites and giving new life to what would otherwise be regarded as garbage.

Landfill gas — produced as waste matter decomposes — is captured before it escapes into the atmosphere, where it can be burned to produce electricity. Landfill gas is readily available, local and renewable.

We are pleased to work with Seminole Electric to provide such an impressive collection of renewable energy sources. And, we will continue to search for renewable energy that is safe, reliable and affordable. After all, “We’re all in this together.”

32 S E P t E M B E R 2013

Randy shawGeneral Manager & CEOPEACE RivER ElECtRiC COOPERAtivE

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