Jackson receives service award

Mr. Joe Jackson, retired Director of Youth and Member Relations with the Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association has been recognized with the Distinguished Service Award from the Rural Electricity Resource Council (RERC). Jackson’s dedicated years of service and career-long efforts in electricity education were highlighted by his supporters in the nomination materials. The award presentation was made to Jackson on March 20th at the RERC’s national conference in Louisville, KY.

The RERC sponsors the award to recognize outstanding individuals for their energy-related accomplishments and educational leadership. “This national recognition is presented to those select individuals whose personal and professional contributions serve as an example to others,” says RERC Executive Manager Richard Hiatt. “Since the first award was presented in 1977, individuals like Joe Jackson have been honored for their demonstrated commitment to helping others,” said Hiatt.

Letters from peers and affiliated organizations praised Jackson’s work with a wide audience of adults and youth. This endorsement from others and Jackson’s personal style were summarized well on the plaque inscription, “We praise you for your dedication and positive attitude, which has motivated your supporters to nominate you for this award”.

The Rural Electricity Resource Council is a nonprofit national association of electric co-ops and companies. RERC’s role is to promote electricity’s value and safe use in all rural applications.

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Legislative Conference brings co-ops to Nashville

More than 180 directors and employees from Tennessee’s electric cooperatives were in Nashville April 1 and 2 for the 2013 Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association Legislative Conference. Attendees met with their legislators on Capitol Hill to help them better understand electric cooperatives and the issues that impact them.

U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn also addressed the group, discussing in detail how the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is overstepping its boundaries and stifling job creation. “The EPA audits businesses looking for ways to fine them,” said Blackburn. “Their attitude is not helpful, and that is not what the Federal government is supposed to do.”

Tennessee’s electric cooperatives maintain an active presence in Nashville and Washington, D.C., to be certain that the interests of co-op members are protected. “Electric cooperatives are not-for-profit, member-owned and -regulated and accountable to their communities. These are important distinctions that legislators must understand,” says David Callis, general manager of the Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association. “The decisions made by legislators can have enormous effects on our members’ electric bills, so our job is to inform and educate them on the impacts of proposed legislation.”

Most issues affecting co-ops this year revolve around local control. “We believe that our members are best served when local decisions are made by local board members elected to run the cooperative,” says Mike Knotts, director of government affairs with TECA. “We are concerned when legislation limits a board’s ability to act in the best interests of its members.”

“Educated and informed legislators are a key component of low-cost, reliable power in Tennessee,” says Knotts. “Co-op members make a powerful impression when they come to meet with their legislators.”

More than 90 legislative visits were made during the conference, and 63 house and senate members attended the co-ops’ legislative reception.

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Speak for Yourself

by David Callis, Executive Vice President and General Manager for the Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association

From an early age, we’re taught to speak for ourselves. It’s part of the process of growing up and developing our own identity. “Please, may I have some more?” eventually gets you more food. Pointing out that your malicious sibling broke the lamp may keep you out of trouble.

You gain confidence and a sense of self-worth.

Mark Twain put it this way: “Each of you, for himself, by himself and on his own responsibility, must speak. And it is a solemn and weighty responsibility, and not lightly to be flung aside at the bullying of pulpit, press, government, or the empty catchphrases of politicians. … You cannot shirk this and be a man.”

When we speak for the electric cooperatives of Tennessee, we do so out of a sense of duty and responsibility. We also do this because we are the electric cooperatives. Our directors and officers are members of the cooperatives. So, we are the members that we represent. We know what our communities need, and we know what is harmful to our communities. We work hard to get the facts right.

And we speak up for ourselves.

Co-ops are ingrained into the communities we serve. When people rely on you, it’s important that you do your work honestly and with unquestioned integrity. Your community’s reputation is on the line — as is ours. We take that charge seriously. It’s important to us that we get the facts correct when we speak.

You’ll always see our names on the byline of any story.

Doing so eliminates confusion. When the Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association addresses an issue, either in the media, legislature or community meetings, you can take confidence knowing that we’re being honest and forthright — in the light of day, in the glare of the spotlight.
A number of “news” sources these days allow anonymous posting of comments. In fact, it’s become a vocation for a certain segment of our society. No identification, minimal fact-checking and, all too often, no honesty.

It’s also difficult at times to tell where some news stories originate. Some entities use willing third parties — obscure entities with important-sounding names and clever acronyms — to push their agenda. To use Spiro Agnew’s term, these “nattering nabobs of negativity” exist mainly to promote someone else’s scheme without attaching their names. The days of needing a news bureau and skilled pressmen are gone; all that’s needed now is a cool-sounding name, a website and flashy graphics.

All too often, those entities specialize in duplicitous, fact-deprived stories, usually aimed at maligning someone else’s good name. Not patently false, but rarely identifiable as the truth. And far, far away from being fair and honest.

The goal is twofold: It purposefully creates confusion about an issue and hides the identity of the entity that’s up to no good. Online, drive-by character assassination. The journalistic version of a schoolyard bully.

That’s not how we operate — we never have, and we never will. Whether it’s in the pages of The Tennessee Magazine; on tnelectric.org, Facebook or Twitter; or in the halls of the legislature, when we speak for you, it will be bold, direct and honest.

“It is a solemn and weighty responsibility, and not lightly to be flung aside.” It’s a responsibility from which we’ve never shirked.

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Time is Precious

Mike Knotts, director of government affairs

Not too long ago, somebody repeated an interesting saying to me. I doubt it was an original thought; rather, it has been repeated over and over again and probably attributed to 20 different people. So I won’t try to correctly attribute the original author, but the meaning is excellent just the same.

“Time is the only thing you spend that you can never get back.”

I have been reminded of this indisputable fact over and over recently. Writing this very column is one example, as the staff of The Tennessee Magazine was kind to patiently await my submission as it was submitted dangerously close to the print deadline. If you’ve never had a regular deadline for a work product, the clock does start to tick a little bit louder and a lot faster the closer you get to “zero hour.” My pastor friends say that is especially true for Sunday mornings. Unfortunately, I usually need to hear that clock ticking louder and faster before I get serious about finishing my work.

But we all face pressures of some kind to complete a task because, for the most part, life does operate on a schedule. Each and every day the mailman has to finish his rounds. Mom or dad have to prepare meals for the kids. The store must open and close its doors. Many of our pleasures and hobbies even come with a time limit. So it’s natural for us to push back and try to escape the pressures of time. Perhaps that is why I am a baseball fan, as it is the only major team sport that does not utilize a clock.

But, I don’t think efficiently managing our time and meeting deadlines are what the saying intends to communicate. It’s not a question of how we spend our time — it’s urging us to ponder why we spend our time. Why do we choose to spend the limited amount of time we have on this Earth doing the things we do? What is the purpose of that time, and is it truly worth it?

I recognize that for many of us, we may not have a choice in how we spend all our time. We have to work a certain number of hours to put food on the table and pay the rent, for instance. But that makes the hours left in the day that much more precious and valuable. Are you using those hours in a way that has meaning, or are you just playing “Angry Birds?”

I have four young sons, so I have been feeling especially convicted by this question lately. For example, our twins just had their very first baseball practice. As I watched them on the field listening to their coach and running around the bases, my mind started to wander. What items were left undone at the office this week? What will happen next month in the Congress? When should I get that ding in the truck fixed?

And then, as I was needlessly worrying about things that could wait, I almost missed it. The boys fielded a grounder and threw it to first base. And they both looked straight at me with a look of pride, excitement and happiness that I hope I’ll never forget. Thankfully, I was watching at that moment and gave them a big thumbs up. It was a brief few seconds, yes, and their accomplishment wasn’t something that will be written about in the history books. But what if I had still been thinking about work or reading email on my phone? That moment in time would never have repeated itself, and I probably would never have known that it even occurred.

There are a lot of choices we make in life that we can correct if we get it wrong. Not so with the way we spend our time. So my question is this: What moments have you missed? And was whatever you were doing worth it?

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Legislation Passes Senate with Strong Support

The Senate Commerce and Labor Committee passed SB 1222 on Tuesday on an eight to zero vote. The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Bo Watson, seeks to end a decade of legislative disputes about the cost cable companies pay to attach to poles owned by electric utilities.

“We are pleased that the Committee understood the facts of this debate,” says David Callis, executive vice president and general manager of the Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association.

“Electric cooperatives have offered a good-faith compromise that allows for a clear path for resolution when pole attachment rates are disputed and, at the same time, recognizes the actual cost differences between electric utilities. We believe the legislation is an equitable path forward for electric cooperatives, utilities and the cable companies.”

Discussion on the companion bill in the House continues.

The Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association is a trade association representing the interests of Tennessee’s 23 rural and suburban, not-for-profit electric distribution cooperatives and the 1.1 million members they serve.

Video of today’s committee meetings

[button link=”http://tnga.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=252&clip_id=7295&meta_id=”]View Senate Committee →[/button]

 

[button link=”http://tnga.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=207&clip_id=7296″]View House Committee →[/button]

 

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Electric utility bill protects ratepayers

Existing law is sufficient for broadband expansion, leader says

NASHVILLE – Legislation backed by the cable television industry and their lobbyists amounts to a $13 million subsidy that will ultimately end up on the electric bills of hundreds of thousands of Tennesseans, a state utility leader said today.

“The cable companies want, in essence, a $13 million subsidy that is paid to them by the electric ratepayers of Tennessee,” said David Callis, executive vice president and general manager of Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association.

At issue is the cost cable companies pay electric utilities to attach cable wires to power poles. This “pole attachment rate” is a negotiated contract between electric cooperative and municipal power provides and the cable companies. In Tennessee, the average pole attachment rate is $14 a pole per year for rural electric cooperatives and $18 per pole per year for municipal utilities.

Pole attachment rates cover the cost of installing and maintaining a power pole.

Electric cooperatives and municipal utilities are instead supporting a compromise bill that would preserve their right to negotiate agreements and would maintain local control of these important decisions.

“We think this compromise is fair. Most important, it protects the electric ratepayers of Tennessee from a hidden subsidy of the cable industry,” Callis said. “Our legislation continues the long tradition of local control and it offers a clearly defined dispute resolution process.”

The compromise legislation, Senate Bill 1222 and House Bill 1111, is sponsored by state Sen. Bo Watson and Rep. Jimmy Matlock.

Cable companies are pushing hard for legislation that would remove the authority of each utility’s local board of directors to set the rate, placing it instead in the hands of the state government. Additionally, the cable-backed legislation would require the state to consider an artificially low rate of $7 that was originally set by the Federal government 35 years ago as a subsidy to the then-fledgling cable industry.

“It is hard to argue that a media giant like Comcast, which has spent over $30 billion in the past few years to acquire NBC, is still a mom and pop business worthy of government protection,” said Callis.

“Cable lobbyists are using automated phone calls to claim that this compromise would stop people in rural areas from getting service, which may be one of the more disingenuous smokescreens I have seen in my career,” said Callis. “Since 2008, the law says a cable company can get 50% off their pole attachment rate if they provide service to an unserved area.  We are still waiting on the first request.”

The Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association is a trade association representing the interests of Tennessee’s 23 rural and suburban, not-for-profit electric distribution cooperatives and the 1.1 million members they serve.

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Important Work

by David Callis, Executive Vice President and General Manager for the Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association

My good friend Kent Lopez is manager of the Washington Rural Electric Cooperative Association, serving in a position similar to mine. Kent is a transplanted Tennessean, and he recently shared the following about his work:

“My alarm goes off an hour earlier this time of the year. The State Legislature is in session. So I spend some extra time every morning getting ready for the day because there are special people relying on me. There is the rancher in Nespelem, the motel owner in Winthrop, the wheat farmer in Ritzville, the school teacher in Colfax … Each one has joined his or her neighbors to own and run their own local electric utility. They do this because they believe it’s in the best interest of their community. They do it without making a profit so their community will profit. They do this because they believe that the decisions that affect their community should be made locally, by individuals like themselves and their neighbors. Like I said, they are very special people. That’s why my alarm goes off an hour earlier this time of the year. I’ve got very important work to do.”

I’ll readily confess that I don’t begin my day like Kent. But my efforts, and the work of our entire staff at the Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association and The Tennessee Magazine, are no less focused on supporting our cooperative members across our state. Our government affairs staff has worked nonstop over the past several weeks as our own legislative session began. Other staff have been busy communicating with our members across the state, planning for a busy year of cooperative education and training.

Andrew Carnegie envisioned his Carnegie Corporation as a foundation dedicated to the goal of doing “real and permanent good in this world.”

That describes perfectly the work of Tennessee’s electric cooperatives. Too often, Wall Street gauges success from one quarter to the next, cutting expenses and making rash decisions that undermine long-term growth, all in an effort to drive up stock prices quickly.

We measure success on Main Street over a much longer period — at least a generation or two.

Our co-ops are run by our members — which is a difficult concept for some to accept. How does that work exactly? A governing board is elected to set policy for the co-op. That board is composed of local co-op members who volunteer to serve.

That’s the purest, most direct form of local control — local people making decisions that are in the best interest of the community. And they’re decisions that bring about “real good” for today and “permanent good” for tomorrow.

So, for the banker in Bumpus Mills, the accountant in Sparta, the farmer in Hillsboro, the insurance adjuster in Ramer, the dentist in Hohenwald, the vineyard owner in Jamestown and the retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel in Jefferson City, we recognize the effort you put in serving your community. It’s not done for recognition or prestige; it’s done because you’re committed to making your community a better place.

People rely on you. The work you do on behalf of the co-op members in your community is important. It’s important to the members of your cooperative, and it’s important to us at TECA.

We keep that in mind every day, whether it’s publishing The Tennessee Magazine, educating tomorrow’s leaders through our youth programs, training workers on electrical safety or protecting your interests in the legislature.
It’s very important work.

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Power’s Price Tag

Mike Knotts, director of government affairs

When you go to the store to buy something, you usually take a look at the price tag before you decide to purchase it, don’t you? Few of us can just buy what we want no matter the cost, so we have to consider price along with the other factors to help us decide whether to buy a product.

Usually that price is clearly displayed for us to see. At the gas pump, the price towers in foot-tall numbers out by the street to make sure we don’t miss it. At the grocery store, there are price labels all over the place — not to mention all the “buy-one, get-one-free” and “10-for-a-dollar” promotions that are intended to make us think about the value of a particular product at a particular price. And with most things we buy, we provide some sort of compensation before we actually receive the product.

So it is very interesting to me that there is a product most of us buy of which we likely don’t know the price, don’t know how much we are buying and don’t pay for it until 30 to 45 days after we use it. It’s a product you are probably using as you read this page. And it’s a product that, in today’s society, we can’t really live without.

Electricity is probably one of the least understood consumer products on the planet. For most of us, we just know to plug our appliances into the outlet in the wall and they will work. Then, once a month, we get a bill and have to pay whatever the total says we owe. Sometimes we are relieved that the bill is low, and other times we groan when the numbers are high.

There are lots of reasons why electricity is billed this way, but there is one distinction that differentiates the most common energy source in the world from other fuels you may buy. You see, electricity has to be produced (generated is the more technical term) at the exact instant you consume it. This one fact is the primary reason why the electric power industry is so complex and why our ability to provide reliable power is such an achievement.

When you flip the switch to turn on the lights, the electrons that power that fixture have literally travelled hundreds of miles across a huge network of wires and transformers. Those electrons move at the speed of light — that’s 671 million miles per hour. Any interruption like a tree limb touching a power line or a faulty piece of equipment can stop that long trip and cause a power outage.

“That’s not so different,” you might say. Lots of the products we consume today come from a long way away. Take the gasoline you pump into your car or truck, for instance. It has also travelled many miles and has required many hours of refining to arrive at your local gas station. But that gasoline made many stops along its trip to be stored in huge tanks, sometimes for days or weeks at a time.

Unlike any other fuel — propane, natural gas, etc. — there is no way to store large amounts of electricity for long periods. There is no “tank” where we can deposit electricity and hold it until it’s needed. So that means that power plants must continuously generate more power than is required, just in case the entire city decides to turn on their air conditioners at the same time.

This can create tremendous challenges for your cooperative and its power supplier, the Tennessee Valley Authority. While an electricity “tank” may not be a reality yet, there are lots of new technologies that allow us to better manage the flow of electricity and understand how to do a better job of delivering it to you at the lowest possible cost. These types of improvements, often referred to as the “smart grid,” are changing the way our industry performs its crucial task. I made the analogy to a friend recently that the electricity industry has known for many years how to win a NASCAR race driving a 1950s Studabaker, but it is now time to get a new ride.

And it is these types of technologies that very well may change the way we consume our electricity. Instead of not knowing how much we are using and what the price is, we will soon be able to make better-informed decisions about how we use electricity and what it will cost us. And that is an improvement that benefits us all.

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Freedom to Connect Act will hurt Tennesseans

The Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association and the electric cooperatives of Tennessee oppose the cable lobby’s Freedom to Connect Act and support the Watson/Matlock bill (HB 1111/SB 1222), a true compromise and attempt to end ongoing legislative disputes.

 

The Freedom to Connect Act (HB 567/SB 1049) will hurt rural Tennesseans

The primary purpose of the Freedom to Connect Act is to lower the pole attachment cost to cable companies, increasing their net profit and value to shareholders. This bill will take millions of dollars each year from the pockets of rural Tennesseans and give it to out-of-state corporations.

The Freedom to Connect Act

  • deletes an existing law requiring cable companies to seek permission to use an electric utility’s property
  • takes the authority over a cooperative’s private property away from locally elected boards and gives it to an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) with limited understanding of the cooperative’s business, finances or membership
  • specifically instructs the ALJs to consider the $7 Federal Communications Commission rate established in 1978, but it does not require any other rate formulation to be considered

Passage of the Freedom to Connect Act would result in increased electric bills across Tennessee.

Tennessee’s electric cooperatives are not-for-profit, member-owned, private utilities. Pole attachment rates in Tennessee are set by local boards and are based on actual costs. Rates vary from co-op to co-op because they are set to recover the actual costs incurred, and the cost structure of each utility is different, with varying costs of capital, labor and materials.

The FCC rate was established to help cable companies grow, and it does not reflect actual costs. The rate applies only to for-profit utilities; not-for-profit cooperatives have always been exempt. The Tennessee Valley Authority regulates many aspects of electric co-ops at the federal level, including pole attachment rates.

The average cost of a pole attachment in Tennessee is $14 per pole annually.

Lower pole attachment rates found in other states are legally mandated and do not reflect the actual cost of the attachment. These rates are subsidized by electric ratepayers.

Cooperatives in Tennessee have more than 1 million telecom and cable attachments on their poles. Forcing electric utilities to use the subsidized FCC rate for all attachments would cost electric cooperative members $13 million annually.

Electric cooperatives support a true compromise, reflected in the Watson/Matlock bill (HB 1111/SB 1222)

The Watson/Matlock bill is based on good-faith efforts to compromise with cable in the past. The bill preserves a cooperative’s authority over its own property while giving attachers a clearly defined dispute resolution process and protection against legitimate abuse.

The compromise seeks to

  • develop better working relationships between pole owners and attachers and establish a set of best practices
  • provide a clear path for dispute resolution while respecting the important role of local control and local decision making
  • establish a first-ever avenue for judicial review of disputes
  • provide for the involvement of an Administrative Law Judge early in the process to make a determination of the maximum appropriate cost-based rate applicable to each utility. The local board’s final decision is then appealable to Chancery Court under the Administrative Procedures Act. A dispute resolution process has been previously unavailable.

Tennessee’s electric cooperatives support our rural communities, and we believe that broadband expansion is important to the economic prosperity of rural Tennessee.

Pole attachment rates do not stand in the way of broadband expansion. Legislation passed in 2008 requires Tennessee utilities to provide a significantly reduced attachment rate to providers expanding broadband into previously unserved areas. This rate has never been requested or utilized by a cable company in Tennessee. The rate is half of the 2008 rate, which averages less than $7 per pole, per year.

We are active in economic development, working with TVA, the Department of Economic and Community Development, regional economic development groups and local chambers of commerce to recruit jobs and investment to our communities.

Just as electricity did in the 1930s, we believe that broadband infrastructure will make rural America competitive and relevant in a global economy. Tennessee co-ops have provided mapping data and other resources to accelerate the expansion of broadband in Tennessee.

The Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association is a trade association representing the interests of Tennessee’s 23 rural and suburban, not-for-profit electric distribution cooperatives and the 1.1 million members they serve.

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2012 ACRE rankings

[button link=”http://tnelectric.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/2012-TECA-Rankings-w-TECA.pdf”]View rankings →[/button]

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Clearing the Air

Replace air filters regularly for efficient heating and cooling

Clogged air filters could add $82 to your electric bill every year. Checking, changing, or cleaning your filter once a month saves money and extends the life of your home’s heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system.

More than half of your monthly energy bill goes toward keeping your home comfortable. While air filters prevent pesky dust and annoying allergens from clogging your HVAC system, dirt, like aging arteries, builds up over time. If left unchecked, a dirty filter strains a home’s heart and forces the HVAC system to work harder to push conditioned air through tight spaces. This results in higher energy bills and—potentially—system failure.

Filter Facts

Air filters protect HVAC systems and perform double-duty by collecting some lose dirt from the air. These handy sieves live in duct system slots or in return grilles of central air conditioners, furnaces, and heat pumps.

Successful filters have a short lifespan—the better a filter catches dirt, the faster is gets clogged and must be cleaned or replaced. Leaving a dirty air filter in place cuts a home’s air quality and reduces HVAC system airflow.

While removing a clogged filter altogether relieves pressure on the system, the system can’t perform well without one. Unfiltered dust and grime accumulate on critical parts like the evaporator coil, causing unnecessary wear and tear.

Monthly Check-up

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) advises checking an air filter once a month and replacing it at least every three months. It’s critical to inspect and replace filters before seasons of heavy use like summer and winter.

If you have pets or smokers in the home, filters clog quickly. Remodeling projects or furniture sanding add more dirt than normal; a filter may need to be changed before the average three-month lifespan expires.

Turn your heating and cooling system off before checking your filter. Slide the filter out of your duct work, and look for layers of hair and dirt. Run a finger across the filter. If the finger comes away dirty or there’s a line left on the filter, it’s time for a change.

When replacing the filter, make sure the arrow on the filter indicating the direction of the airflow points toward the blower motor. To help schedule monthly check-ups, write the date on the side of the filter so you know when it needs to be checked again. Once you’ve made the change, turn your system back on.

Filtering Choices

Shopping for a new filter? Before you leave home, write down the size printed on the side of your current filter. If you get a filter that’s too small, dirt will get around the barrier and invade your system.

There are several different types of filters and levels of efficiency. Filters are either flat or pleated; pleated filters offer extra surface area to hold dirt, making them more efficient.

The most common filters use layered fiberglass fibers reinforced with metal grating. Some filters boost efficiency by using polyester fibers. Electrostatic filters are made from positively- and negatively-charged fibers and capture smaller debris—the charge actively pulls particles from the air like iron filings onto a magnet. No power connection is required, and the charge does not fade over time. The filters best able to capture small debris are high efficiency particulate arrestance (HEPA) filters, but these deluxe filters are mainly used in hospitals and office buildings, not in homes.

Air filters are rated by a Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV). Ranging from one to 20, this scale gauges a filter’s effectiveness at blocking debris. Low MERV-rated filters offer high airflow into a cooling or heating system, but only catch large air particles. A higher rating isn’t always better—those filters block more dirt but also reduce system airflow. Most experts recommend filters with a MERV 6 or higher.

Manufacturers are not required to post MERV on filter packaging. Brands like 3M’s Filtrete instead list levels of microparticle performance rating—higher numbers mean the filter catches more particles.  Home Depot’s Air Filter Performance Rating system ranks filters by good, better, best, and premium. No matter what system a store or manufacturer uses, better (and more expensive) filters mean higher MERV scores.

If a family member suffers from allergies, a high MERV filter keeps out excess dander, smoke, and other allergens. Ask a heating and cooling professional what type of filter works best for your home and family needs.

Once you find a filter that works well in your home, it’s a good idea to keep spare filters on hand. Basic filters cost anywhere from $2 to $10; electrostatic filters may range from $18 to $25.

More Efficiency Boosters

Before summer hits, clean cooling system coils inside and outside the home. Leaves, dirt, and other debris gather around a home’s air conditioner throughout fall and winter months. These intruders keep the coils from operating at top efficiency, both shortening the lifespan of the unit and ratcheting up summer cooling bills.

Just as clogged air filters force your system to work harder, blocked vents strain your system. Clean air registers, baseboard heaters, and radiators. Make sure air ducts are not blocked by furniture, rugs, or window treatments.

Want more ways to save? Take the home energy savings tour and see how little changes add up to big savings at www.TogetherWeSave.com.

Sources: ENERGY STAR, U.S. Department of Energy, American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Environmental Protection Agency, Home Depot, 3M, Permatron

Megan McKoy-Noe writes on energy efficiency issues for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the Arlington, Va.-based service arm of the nation’s 900-plus consumer-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperatives.

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Leadership Matters

by David Callis, Executive Vice President and General Manager for the Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association

By now we’ve all come to the realization that the Mayans were wrong. Or, more accurately stated, we were wrong about the Mayans. Just because their calendar ended on Dec. 21, 2012, didn’t mean civilization was going to end on that date. The lesson we all should have learned is that calendars just mark an arbitrary point in time.

It’s true that we tie a number of starting points to Jan. 1, but we do that out of simplicity, not because of some cosmic reasoning. In 2013, a number of things are much different than in 2012. Sadly, more than a few are still the same — like congressional budget fights.

For co-ops in Tennessee, we’re looking at a couple of significant changes: two new leaders as we start the new year. Bill Johnson is the new CEO at the Tennessee Valley Authority. (I wrote about him in the December 2012 issue of The Tennessee Magazine. He’s already more than a month into the job.) For electric cooperatives, we have a new leader for our national association, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), which represents more than 900 rural cooperatives — and their more than 42 million members — in 47 states.

Republican Rep. Jo Ann Emerson, who represents Missouri’s 8th Congressional District, will be NRECA’s fifth CEO upon her retirement from the House in February. She officially joins NRECA on Feb. 11 and assumes her duties as CEO on March 1. An association executive before joining Congress, where she has been a strong supporter of rural America, she is respected on “both sides of the aisle” and has a proven ability to bridge political and policy divides.

“We conducted an exhaustive search to identify the very best individual to lead a great association,” said NRECA Board President Mike Guidry. “We’re convinced we found that person in Jo Ann Emerson. Her background as a member of Congress and a trade association executive,―coupled with her extensive knowledge of the issues facing electric cooperatives and rural America,―make Jo Ann eminently qualified to lead NRECA and represent the interests of our members.”

The success of these new leaders will be critical to our success — and to your need for efficient and economical electric service. We’re blessed in Tennessee to have a robust, reliable electric grid. We need a strong and responsive TVA as our power supplier and regulator. Your cooperative and TVA work hand-in-hand to build and maintain that network. None of that just happens; it requires planning and cooperation.

NRECA, under Emerson’s leadership, will be leading the charge as we combat legislative efforts that could add to the regulatory minefield we already traverse. Her skills in working for the good of rural communities will be as useful as her years in Congress. Our cooperative goal is to continue to support the communities where our members live, work and play, maintaining and improving your quality of life.

Emerson said as much in a statement announcing her new position: “Energy has a direct relationship with the vitality of rural America. Without reliable, affordable electricity delivered by electric cooperatives serving thousands of communities, millions of Americans would be left without the energy that brings economic opportunity, unsurpassed quality of life and the promise of growth in the future.”

Here’s hoping that 2013 is successful for us, for our new leadership and, most importantly, for you.

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Planting Good Ideas

Mike Knotts, director of government affairs

Believe it or not, spring planting season will soon be upon us. I try each year to add an item or two to my home’s landscaping. I was not blessed with a particularly green thumb, though, so it usually ends miserably. But this year is different and much more important. Because of some drainage problems, I was forced to regrade my entire lawn last fall, which included removing every single living shrub, flower or plant around my house.

So I find myself asking for advice. What can I plant that is attractive, inexpensive, hearty and requires the absolute least amount of maintenance? When is the proper time to plant? I know that if you plant too early, you run the risk of a late frost wiping out all the new seedlings. If you wait too long, the plants won’t have time to take root and be prepared to weather the hot Tennessee summer. Experienced gardeners know that without enough time and care to build a strong grassroots system, these new plants will never survive.

Good ideas aren’t really that much different. If a new proposal is presented too early, it may get lost in the shuffle. If you lobby for an idea that no one knows about — even something that would help all Tennesseans — it will wilt and die. If an idea is presented too late, all the good intentions in the world can’t catch up to Father Time.

So how do great ideas thrive? They need good timing, awareness and the action of those that can make it happen.

Part of your local electric cooperative’s mission is to make sure you have affordable, reliable and safe electricity. And because our industry is so complex, government plays an important role in that mission. Sometimes state or federal laws threaten this, however, so we lobby hard on your behalf. But without your support — and, more importantly, your voice — our ideas may not reach the right ears.

That is why in the December 2012 issue of this magazine, I asked you to consider getting more involved in helping us keep your electric rates low. To the thousands of you who responded by going to www.ourenergy.coop and signing up, thank you very much. We will do our best to keep you informed with timely information. If you have not had the time to do so, signing up only takes a minute or two. And the time is right, as Tennessee’s General Assembly has just returned to take up its work and make important decisions for our state.

This year, the legislature has an important decision to make that could have an impact on your electric bill for years to come. And much like the situation in my yard, this year’s legislative session and its impact on your electric cooperative will be different and very important.

As you have read in these pages over the years, we have fought efforts that would increase your electric bill or make it more difficult to deliver reliable power to your home or office. For instance, most of the poles along the roadside in your community are owned by your electric cooperative. Those poles may have many other lines attached to them, which could carry telephone, cable or other utilities. The electric cooperative board of directors, elected by you, is responsible for deciding how much each attaching utility should pay for its fair share of the pole. However, some would like to see the state government intervene in hopes of lowering their fees.

While a discussion about pole attachments may not carry the same type of front-page appeal as issues like the income tax or “guns in bars,” the potential impact to Tennesseans is very real. Last year, the bill introduced would have caused $15 million in higher electric rates all across the state. So we have always asked the members of the legislature to say “no” to these requests, and, with very few exceptions, Tennessee’s elected officials have agreed.

This year, however, there is an opportunity to support a lasting solution to this perennial debate — a solution that protects attaching companies from any potential abuse and provides the ability to go to court if things really go wrong. And this solution protects the most important special-interest group — you, the owner of your cooperative.

In the coming weeks, we will be asking our elected officials to say “YES” to this honest, genuine compromise. The timing is right, and we are doing our best to make Tennesseans aware of the complex nature of these relationships and how they can be improved. What is the last ingredient to make this great idea thrive? Your action.

And as for my landscaping, let’s hope I stick to politics and get some good advice!

Visit tnelectric.org/issues to find out how you can help us. Or call 615-515-5522.

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Unplug your electronics and save

Did you know a computer can draw as much electricity as a new refrigerator? Turn it off when not in use or switch on its energy-saving mode. Also, cell phone and mp3 player chargers as well as plasma TVs and entertainment centers pull power even when they’re off. Unplug these and other appliances to save on your electric bill. Find more ways to save at TogetherWeSave.com.

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108th General Assembly app available

App connects residents to Tennessee’s elected officials

NASHVILLE –A mobile app featuring contact information for the 108th Tennessee General Assembly is now available for iPhone, iPad and Android devices. The 108th Tennessee General Assembly app is designed to help Tennessee residents connect with their legislators and contains searchable contact, staff and committee information for all Tennessee representatives and senators.

The Tennessee General Assembly app features:

  • a continually-updated database of all Senate and House members
  • contact, staff and committee information
  • fast and easy search function
  • one-click call or email ability

The app was developed by the Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association and Bass Berry & Sims PLC.

“We began producing the print directory of the General Assembly more than 30 years ago to be a reference for Tennessee residents and to educate legislators about electric co-ops, ” says David Callis, executive vice president and general manager of the Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association. “Our app continues that tradition — providing a useful tool while educating users about our co-ops. ”

“The app is ideal for anyone who wants to monitor the activities at the state Capitol and is designed to be the best reference possible for those who are interested in or work with Tennessee legislators,” says Dick Lodge, lobbyist with Bass Berry & Sims PLC.

The $4.99 app can be found by searching for “Tennessee General Assembly” in the Apple App Store or Google PLAY Marketplace.

The Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association provides legislative and communication support for Tennessee’s 23 electric cooperatives and publishes The Tennessee Magazine, the state’s most widely circulated periodical. Visit tnelectric.org to learn more.

# # #

Contact:
Trent Scott | [email protected] | 731.608.1519

 

Download high resolution images of the app and the app icon below:

108th Tennessee General Assembly app icon

108th Tennessee General Assembly app

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Co-ops help communities

Co-ops from across Tennessee found opportunities to impact their communities this Christmas. Read how below:

Cumberland Electric Membership Corporation

Cumberland EMC offices accepted donations of cold-weather clothing and non-perishable food items to decorate the “Trees of Giving” throughout the month of December. All items collected were delivered to local community assistance agencies who then distributed the items to families and individuals in need. Items were donated by employees, members and various school clubs.

 

Fayetteville Public Utilities

Fayetteville Public Utilities’ Student Utility Board learns about community service and helping others

The December FPU Student Utility Board meeting included opportunities for the group to give back to the community and help others in need by purchasing gifts for 32 children enrolled at Amana Head Start. The gifts included gloves, toboggans, coloring books, crayons, Hot Wheels cars, bracelets and more.

The youth board also recorded a radio ad for FPU which aired through New Years Day.

“Today we learned how large FPU’s commitment to the community really is,” says Rena Andrews, SUB member. “Thank you so much yet again. Having the opportunity to give back is the most heartwarming and amazing experience. I sincerely appreciate everything the board has done for me.”

“The shopping we did today for the little kids was so much fun,” says Jonathan McLeod. “It feels great to help the kids out in our community. It is such an eye opener. And this is what Christmas is really about.”

Fayetteville Public Utilities and employees help play Santa for needy children

FPU donated their semi-truck driven by Michael Porter and Gerardo Villafuerte to assist the Fayetteville Rotary Club, The Elk Valley Times,  Fayetteville Fire Department and many others in efforts to transport toys to for the Lincoln County Toy Drive.

The FPU truck used to pull the Big G Express trailer is typically used to haul heavy equipment to work sites. Michael and Gerardo teamed up to lend a helping hand with the three nights scheduled for purchasing toys for needy children through the Lincoln County Toy Drive.

On three separate nights, the men accompanied the volunteer shoppers as they purchased toys and other items, helping load the toys in the truck and transporting them to the storage facility for distribution.

“We were glad to help,” says Porter. “The toy drive was very well organized, and it was an enjoyable experience to work with them. I hope to help again. “You think about those kids who are in need, and it makes you proud to be a part of something like this,” says Villafuerte.

 

Holston Electric Cooperative

For the past nineteen years, Holston Electric Cooperative employees, board members and retirees have served as “Secret Santas,” providing a pizza party in the cooperative auditorium, gifts, and a visit with Saint Nick for Hawkins County foster children. In 2012, HEC provided special Christmas activities for forty-three children from six weeks to thirteen years old.

 

 

Meriwether Lewis Electric Cooperative

Adopt a Class Gingerbread Houses

Sandy Qualls’ second grade class at Centerville Elementary School built gingerbread houses with their Adopt-A-Class Sponsor Meriwether Lewis Electric Cooperative on December 14. From left, front row, Caleb Simpson, Addie-Gene Puckett, Meredith Kelley, Jade Yontz, Trevor Buchanan, Marley Baker. Second row, Julia Daniels, Riley Johnston, Elizabeth Diggers, Bethan Diggers, Kaelinn Trom, Sloan Rochelle. Third row: Keelan Jogan, Weston LaRue, Harmony Dansby, Aaron Sullivan, Devin Rochelle. Back row: MLEC Employees Chad Blackwell, Mike Potts, Eddie Benz, Gene Hal, Steve Skelton and Eric DeVault.

Ornament Contest

A special banquet was held December 7, to honor winners in Meriwether Lewis Electric Cooperative’s annual ornament contest. It took place in the cooperative’s Touchstone Energy® Conference Center located at their Centerville location.

“It was our biggest year ever with over 130 entries,” says MLEC Member Services Supervisor Vanessa Clayborn. “The students did a great job designing ornaments to resemble everything from reindeer made from light bulbs to peacocks made from pinecones. We hope they had as much fun making them as we did looking at them.”

A first place winner for three grade divisions was recognized in each county served by the Tennessee cooperative. All winners were awarded a $50 gift card. Of all winners present at the banquet, one name was drawn for a family entertainment grand prize. It included a Nintendo Wii with extra controls, Wii games, a personal DVD player, movies, and board games. The winner was Logan Morris of Perry County.

“We started the contest in 2006 as a way to celebrate our youngest members and their families,” says Clayborn. “We are thankful to the schools and parents for encouraging students to participate and learn about their locally-owned utility.”

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2013 Young Leaders’ Conference

It’s time to choose your cooperative’s couples (or individuals) to attend the 2013 Tennessee Young Leaders’ Conference on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 22 and 23, at the Drury Plaza Hotel in Franklin.

This highly regarded conference is a combined effort of TECA, the Tennessee Council of Cooperatives (TCC) and the Tennessee Farm Bureau Young Farmers & Ranchers organization. Your TCC dues cover the conference registration fee, hotel room cost and cost of conference meals. As soon as the 2013 conference program is finalized, it will be posted on our web site and at tennesseecouncilofcoops.org.

TCC’s annual conference provides cooperatives across the state a unique opportunity to educate its young leaders regarding the benefits of cooperatives. Your TCC council has worked hard to build a foundation of appreciation and support for existing cooperatives among conference participants. Those attending the 2013 conference will be exposed to ideas and information that will enable them to add value to their own businesses, form new niche cooperatives with others in their communities and meet the challenges of the future with cooperative marketing innovations.

More than ever, to be selected for this conference should be considered a true honor and opportunity for your participants. Carefully select attendees. Sending outstanding people to this conference may be your single most important outreach activity to ensure that the cooperative way of doing business remains strong in the future.

Couple(s) or person(s) chosen should be:

  • under 40 years of age
  • interested member(s) of your cooperative
  • persons who will benefit from this educational experience

For attendees with young children, childcare will be provided during the meeting sessions.

Please select your representatives, complete a copy of the attached registration form in full and mail, e-mail, or fax it to Roberta Smith, TCC’s Administrative Secretary-Treasurer by Friday, Jan. 25.  We will need one registration form per couple or per single participant.  Once the completed registration form is received Roberta will make hotel reservations for the couple or person you have chosen.

[button link=”http://tennesseecouncilofcoops.org/youngleadersconf.htm”]Learn more →[/button]

 

 

 

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TV [Efficiency] Guides

Which appliance uses more energy: a refrigerator or television? Consumers may not realize that some large entertainment TVs—when used an average of five hours per day—can cost more to operate than a new, basic refrigerator.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, 44 percent of American homes have three or more television sets, and each new set adds to a home’s monthly energy bill.

In the market for a new television? You’re not alone—U.S. consumers purchased an estimated 40 million new televisions with an average screen size of 50 inches last year.

To keep your electric bills in check, here are some tips to consider before buying a new television:

Display Tactics

Three parts of a TV impact energy use: display technology, screen size, and resolution. Plasma and liquid-crystal display (LCD) are the two most popular types of display technologies. Plasma screens often are cited as the largest energy user―mainly because their large 42-inch to 65- inch screens typically draw between 240 watts to 400 watts.

LCD TVs don’t need much power to operate―111 watts on average. Most LCD screens range in size from 21 inches to 49 inches. These TVs fall into two categories: those with cold-cathode fluorescent lamps to illuminate the screen; and backlit models employing a light-emitting diode (LED). LED units offer several benefits, notably better picture quality and thinner and lighter screens. They also use slightly less energy, at 101 watts.

Most prospective buyers already have the ideal screen size in mind; remember that the larger the screen, the more energy you’ll drain. And although a high-definition TV (HDTV) transforms the latest blockbuster movie into a theater-like living room experience, these sets generally use more power to generate better picture clarity.

ENERGY STAR Boosts Ratings

ENERGY STAR TVs cut an estimated $3.5 billion from consumer electric bills annually.  The joint energy efficiency ratings program of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) created the first set of voluntary television efficiency standards in 1998. Today’s ENERGY STAR-qualified screens use, on average, 40 percent less energy than standard models, whether you’re watching the latest hit show (active mode) or have the screen turned off (standby mode).

Standards are constantly ratcheting up. In 2008, a 50-inch ENERGY STAR-rated television used 318 watts on average. In 2010, those sets had to curb energy use to 153 watts or less, and by 2012 50-inch TVs could not drain more than 108 watts. ENERGY STAR provides an online guide so potential buyers can find qualified televisions ranked by energy use, size, brand, and display type at www.energystar.gov.

ENERGY STAR Partners like TopTen USA also maintain lists of the top energy efficient televisions (and other household appliances) based on size at www.toptenusa.org.

Look for Labels

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has recognized the need for education and easy comparisons for the amount of energy televisions consume. In 2011, a yellow Energy Guide label—a common sight on refrigerators, dishwashers, and other large appliances—became a requirement for TV.

“TVs now vary widely in the amount of energy they use,” comments FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz. “By comparing information on the Energy Guide labels, consumers will be able to make better-informed decisions about which model they choose to buy, based on how much it costs to operate per year.”

The label compares the annual operating cost of a specific television to the plug-in cost of similar models. The label must be attached to the front of all televisions; websites selling televisions must also provide an image of the label for prospective buyers.

If you’re not in the market for a new TV but want to make sure your model is operating efficiently, these tips may help you save energy:

  • Turn off the TV and other connected devices when they’re not being used—consider using smart power strips to eliminate continually power draw.
  • Reduce TV brightness by turning down the LCD backlight―you’ll save energy and still retain good picture quality.
  • Turn on the power saver mode, which many new TVs offer
  • Control room lighting. While many energy-saving tips reduce brightness of the screen, you can compensate by dimming lights around your TV.

Your television set isn’t the only energy-guzzler in your residence. Visit www.TogetherWeSave.com to find more ways to save energy and money at home.

Sources: ENERGY STAR, Federal Trade Commission, Cooperative Research Network, CNET.com, Energy Information Administration

Megan McKoy-Noe, CCC, writes on consumer and cooperative affairs for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the Arlington, Va.-based service organization for the nation’s 900-plus consumer-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperatives. Brian Sloboda contributed to this article.

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