Spring 2024 Employee Newsletter

Between THE LINES

WELCOME TO THE SPRING ISSUE OF OUR EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER!

We hope the newsletter keeps you informed on employee and member updates. You will receive Between the Lines every three months. Each issue will feature employee anniversaries, birthdays, upcoming meetings and events, and more.

IN THIS ISSUE

Five to Thrive Challenge

How we work with Buckeye Power

We want to hear from you!

Do you have information to include in the newsletter or an idea to improve communication?

Send feedback, information, and photos to Jade at jadeg@butlerrural.coop.

New community service opportunities PAGE

Between the Lines

Spring 2024

Congratulations!

Congratulations to Noah and Lily Krall, who were married March 2

Congratulations

BUTLER RURAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE WINS NATIONAL AWARDS

Butler Rural Electric Cooperative brought home two awards in the 2024 Spotlight on Excellence Awards program, a national competition among America’s electric cooperatives, sponsored by the Council of Rural Electric Communicators and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.

Butler Rural Electric Cooperative received a Silver Award in the Best Special Publication category for our 2023 Rate Increase Notice and a Silver Award in the Best Internal News Publication for Between The Lines, our employee newsletter.

Winners will be recognized during the Connect conference, a national conference for

communications and marketing professionals, in Baltimore, Maryland, in May. Jade Guthrie will received the awards for the cooperative.

The annual Spotlight on Excellence Awards program recognizes the best communication and marketing efforts by electric cooperatives and related organizations nationwide. More than 800 entries were submitted across 20 different categories, including writing, graphic design, digital communications, campaign development, and more. 179 co-ops were represented during this year's Spotlight on Excellence Awards. This year's award entries increased 19% compared to the 2022/2023 awards cycle.

to Emily, Austin, and big brother Wade, who welcomed Kipp Walker Bourne March 7

Noah, Boone, and Lily Krall

Kipp Walker Bourne

Three ways to communicate the cooperative difference

There are many things that make cooperatives great. Understanding the co-op business model can help you feel connected with Butler Rural Electric Cooperative and our mission – and help you serve as a co-op ambassador in our community. Here are three key points to keep in mind when explaining how co-ops are unique.

WE ARE MISSION-ORIENTED

Electric co-ops are driven by our mission to deliver safe, reliable, and affordable power to our members. When speaking with members:

> Talk about the programs we offer to help members manage their energy use and keep bills manageable, like SmartHub and rebates.

> Share how we're supporting continuing education programs for our community such as safety demonstrations at schools and community organizations and how these programs help ensure we're meeting our mission.

> Talk about ways we help others in the co-op family after storms and major outage events. Co-ops are stronger together!

WE ARE MEMBER-FOCUSED

Members’ needs always come first, which is why we

ensure our community has a voice. When speaking with members:

> Help members understand they are the reason the co-op exists. Share the history of electric co-ops and how that history impacts the future of the co-op. We're shaped by the communities we serve.

> Let them know they can participate in our democratic process and talk to them about our annual meeting and election process. Remind them our board members also live in our local area and are members of the co-op, too.

WE ARE COMMUNITY-DRIVEN

We belong to the communities we serve, and that keeps us connected to our community’s needs. When speaking with members:

> Mention all the things we do to improve quality of life in our community – beyond delivering electricity. Here are some examples: college scholarships, Youth Tour, and more.

> Talk about our community and economic development programs, like our new employee volunteer opportunities.

2024 SCHOLARSHIPS

Butler Rural Electric Cooperative awarded eight scholarships to children of members who are high school students. Scholarship recipients will be announced in the May issue of Ohio Cooperative Living.

Sasha Kroeger, our top-placing scholarship recipient, will compete for up to $4,300 in additional scholarships from Ohio’s Electric Cooperatives April 16.

to Challenge

Most people don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables per day. Be different—join the FutureMe Five to Thrive Challenge.

Eat five or more servings of fruits and veggies each day for at least 21 days of the challenge, which runs May 1–28. You could win a $100 gift card and earn points for FutureMe rewards.*

GET STARTED

Sign up for the challenge starting April 24 at cooperative.com > My Benefits > My Insurance > FutureMe, and enter the FutureMe portal. Or use WebMD’s Wellness at Your Side app, connection code: NRECA.

*Points are available for eligible participants at co-ops enrolled in FutureMe rewards.

© WebMD Health Services Group, Inc.

UNDERSTANDING ENERGY DEMAND + PURCHASING

You may not think you need to have an understanding of energy demand and purchasing, but do you ever look at your energy bill and wonder what it all means? If your answer to that question is yes, then you might be interested to learn how demand impacts your utility bill.

To start, it is important to understand how electricity is made and how it is delivered to your home.

Before Butler Rural Electric Cooperative can send electricity to your home, that electricity needs to be generated by Buckeye Power, our generation and transmission cooperative. Once the electricity has been generated, it travels over high voltage transmission lines to substations, where the voltage is reduced to a lower level that is appropriate for local distribution. The electricity then travels over distribution power lines, through your service transformer, and finds its way into your home.

While you pay your bill to us – your electric distribution cooperative – we don’t actually generate the electricity you use. That is the job of Buckeye Power. Buckeye Power is jointly owned by all Ohio distribution cooperatives, including Butler Rural Electric Cooperative.

We do help determine how much electricity our members need to power their homes and businesses, and you play a big part in deciding how much electricity Buckeye Power needs to create in order to keep the lights on in our community. That is where the terms consumption and demand come in.

Consumption is measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh). Demand is measured in kilowatts (kW). A light bulb consumes a certain number of watts, let’s say 100 watts at any given time. That’s its demand. If that light bulb stays on for 10 hours, it uses a certain number of kilowatt-hours (in this case, 1 kWh = 10 x 100 watts) from the generation station producing electricity.

If you turn on 10, 100 watt light bulbs in your home for one hour, you are still consuming the same number of kWh (1,000). However, you are placing a demand on the utility to have those kW available to you over the course of one hour, instead of 10. This requires the generation and transmission plant to produce more energy in less time in order to meet your demand.

Buckeye Power charges Butler Rural Electric Cooperative for the total kWh consumption and kW demand. Peak demand refers to the time of day when the demand for electricity is highest. This is typically during the evening when families return home from work or school, cook dinner, and use appliances the most. Using electricity during this peak demand period often costs Butler Rural Electric Cooperative more.

Varying demand and consumption are the reasons your electricity bill fluctuates season to season and even year to year. Generating and distributing power can be a tricky and complicated business, but rest assured Butler Rural Electric Cooperative will always work to provide safe, reliable, and affordable electricity to your family.

SPRING COMMUNITY CONNECTION GRANTS

welcoming new employees

We recently welcomed two new employees at Butler Rural Electric Cooperative.

In February, Wade Bullock became our new electrician. In this role, Wade will assist members with electric repairs and will perform water heater installations and meter readings.

Wade grew up in Hamilton and still lives in the area. He enjoys going to the gym, riding motorcycles, and spending time with family during his free time. Wade is excited to help members with their electric work in his new role at Butler Rural Electric Cooperative.

In March, Adam Bens became our new custodian.

Adam lives in Lebanon, Ohio with his wife and seven month old son. He enjoys working out, fishing, hiking, and spending time with family.

Adam is excited for his new role at the cop-op and looks forward to growing his career at Butler Rural Electric Cooperative.

Welcome, Wade and Adam!

Wade Bullock ELECTRICIAN

Adam Bens

CUSTODIAN

DO’S & DONT’S OF

SOCIAL MEDIA DO DON’T

Below are several tips to keep in mind as you post to your personal social media ac counts:

Do like and follow the co-op’s social media pages and accounts.

Do thoroughly review our social media policy and guidelines.

If you love your job, let folks know! Do consider rating and reviewing the co-op on social media.

Do like, share, and interact with content on the co-op’s social channels.

Do exercise caution and thoughtfulness when posting to social media.

Do consider making your accounts private to protect your personal details.

Do post and/or share positive content:

• Photos and information about community events in which the co-op is involved. Members love seeing co-op employees investing in their hard work!

• Photos and information about events we host, like our annual meeting.

BUTLER RURAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE

BUTLER RURAL ELECTRIC

Do not post negative comments about the co-op on social media channels. Consider every post to be public.

Do not respond to negative or angry posts by members. Our communications

you see a negative post from a member, give us a heads up!

Do not speak on behalf of the co-op.

Do not post financial, legal, or confidential information about the co-op, colleagues, and/or members

Do not post information or images you’re unsure about. Always check with someone in communications if you’re unsure.

Bob Hoelle retires from Butler Rural Electric Cooperative’s Board of Trustees

In April, we celebrated the retirement of Bob Hoelle from our board of trustees.

Bob has been a co-op member living in Wayne Township for 45 years and has five daughters and five granddaughters. He retired from AK Steel and is a farmer. Bob was a Wayne Township Trustee for 36 years and served as chairman of the board. He also served as a Southwest Regional Water District trustee for 13 years and served as vice chairman of the board. Bob was a volunteer firefighter with the Wayne Township Fire Department for 20 years and is a Butler County Farm Bureau member.

Bob was elected to Butler Rural Electric Cooperative’s board of trustees in 2000. He was elected vice president of the board in 2002, a title he held for 22 years. During his time on the board of trustees, Bob earned the Credentialed Cooperative Director, Board Leadership, and Director Gold certification through NRECA.

“It has been an honor and a privilege to serve the members of Butler Rural Electric Cooperative,” says Bob. “Time has flown by, but I have enjoyed working with everyone at the co-op. I appreciate the opportunity to serve the members for 24 years.”

Join us in the Community Room to celebrate Bob's retirement April 24 at 1

2024 YOUTH TOUR

Butler Rural Electric Cooperative is sending nine delegates on the Electric Cooperative Youth Tour trip to Washington, D.C., June 15 through 21. These delegates will be announced in the June issue of Ohio Cooperative Living and will attend a Youth Tour Orientation at our office May 23 from 6 to 7 p.m.

Bob Hoelle

How we work with Buckeye Power

As an employee of Butler Rural Electric Cooperative, you know co-ops are unique when compared to other types of businesses. But did you know that unique business model extends well beyond our service territory to our generation and transmission partner, Buckeye Power?

Just like Butler Rural Electric Cooperative members belong to the co-op, we are a member of Buckeye Power, along with 24 co-ops in Ohio. That means we share in the many benefits of collective ownership and the ability to purchase not-for-profit, wholesale electricity.

Buckeye Power is our essential partner in delivering power to the local communities we serve. Buckeye Power generates power from a diverse mix of fuel sources, including coal (68%), natural gas (28%), and renewables (4%), which include hydro, solar, and biomass generators to keep our local electric supply economical and reliable. Buckeye Power owns three baseload coal generating units at the Cardinal Plant, seven natural gas combustion turbines, or peakers at Greenville and Mone, over 20 community solar sites across the state, and is the partial owner of the Kyger Creek and Clifty Creek baseload coal plants, which consists of 11 individual generating units. In addition to owned generation, Buckeye Power has the rights to a significant amount of output from the Niagara and St. Lawrence hydroelectric facilities and also has access to

purchase power from the PJM Energy Market to ensure their member co-ops’ electric supply meets demand.

We work closely with Buckeye Power during challenging situations, like when storms threaten to disrupt power flow, as well as peak seasonal times when electricity supply may be threatened by a major surge in demand. This partnership with Buckeye Power is not only crucial when times are tough – it’s essential to our day-to-day operations.

In addition to wholesale power costs, our membership with Buckeye Power provides year-round benefits, including access to the Buckeye Power's industry experts, representation on important policy matters, and assistance navigating today’s shifting energy landscape.

Just like electric co-ops were formed to bring affordable power to rural America, G&T cooperatives were created to provide electricity to their member co-ops at a price they simply couldn’t acquire alone. They are essential to the electric cooperative network. Across the U.S., 63 G&Ts help co-ops deliver power to 42 million consumer-members.

We’re proud to partner with Buckeye Power and other co-ops in Ohio to provide high-quality, affordable electric service to our members. By working together, our achievements are greater than what we could ever accomplish alone.

EMPLOYEE APPRECIATION MONTH

We're celebrating our employees all month long in April! Join us on the dates below for a special treat for Employee Appreciation Month.

Wednesday, April 10

Ice Cream

Wednesday, April 17

Popcorn + Lemonade

DON'T SKIP YOUR ANNUAL PHYSICAL

Staying focused on your health and well-being doesn't have to be overwhelming. One goal that's easy to accomplish is making an appointment for your annual physical.

Maybe you dread your annual physical or just don’t see it as a priority, but there are many reasons to forget your fears and prioritize your health.

WHY ARE PHYSICALS IMPORTANT?

Regular physicals create a health baseline and can help prevent serious illness. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Annual physicals help create a health baseline, which your physician can use to detect and prevent serious illness or disease.

Face-to-face visits help you connect with your primary care provider. Your annual physical is your opportunity to establish trust and share concerns and health care preferences before serious illness strikes.

Regular visits now can help you prepare for the future. Your annual physical is an opportunity to discuss personal and family history, which helps your care provider recommend actions that can prevent disease. It's also the opportunity to discuss health changes and conditions you should keep an eye on, diagnostic screenings you should consider, and diet and exercise adjustments you could make to keep you healthy now and into the future.

HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU GET A PHYSICAL?

According to the Cleveland Clinic, healthy individuals in their 20s and 30s should see their primary care physician at least every two years. If you are 40 and over, you should see your primary care physician each year.

HOW SHOULD YOU PREPARE FOR YOUR PHYSICAL?

> Write down any questions you have. You don’t want to forget something important during the exam.

> Arm yourself with knowledge. Make sure you learn and understand your personal medical history and your family medical history. Make sure you come prepared with a list of all medications you're taking.

> Bring additional health data. This can be a food log, data from a fitness tracker, or personal blood pressure charting.

USE YOUR PREVENTATIVE EXAMS BENEFIT BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR!

Each employee has three hours of paid time off to use for annual wellness exams. Preventative exams could detect health issues early, before they become serious and a lot harder to treat. Preventative exams include annual physicals, blood work, mammograms, colonoscopies, cervical cancer screenings, and dermatologist visits.

The NRECA Medical Plan covers adult physical exams, well-woman exams, well-child exams for dependents under 19, appropriate preventative tests, screenings, and immunizations based on age and gender, and immunizations each year. Schedule your preventative exam time off with your supervisor.

Make the choice to prioritize your health. Call your primary care physician and make an appointment today.

WHY SHOULD I HAVE A MAMMOGRAM?

• One in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer

• Most women who develop breast cancer have no family history

• Mammograms can detect cancer 3 years before a tumor can be felt

• 2.8 million+ survivors

• 98% survival rate for early detection

ENERGY DAY NEW CO-OP EVENT

On Monday, May 20 between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m., Butler Rural Electric Cooperative will host 250 students from Talawanda Middle School at our office for our first Energy Day. A rain date is scheduled for May 21

During Energy Day, we will have eight stations students will visit facilitated by co-op and Talawanda employees. Students will learn about solar, wind, and non-renewable energy sources; energy efficiency; electric safety; and more.

Energy Day was inspired by the Ohio Energy

Project's E3 Smart program. In this curriculum, students learn about the fundamentals of energy, how it relates to our everyday life, and how energy impacts the world around us.

Our office will remain open throughout the day with increased safety measures as students will be on the east side of the building as well as across the street at the community solar field.

If you are interested in volunteering to help make this event successful, please see Andy.

New!

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Community service opportunities are now posted in the break room by the bulletin board for TOPSS, Open Hands Food Pantry, and the Animal Adoption Foundation.

Please sign up for a time slot and speak with your supervisor to ensure you have approval to be out of the office during that time. Once you sign up, we will verify the time slot you selected is still available with the organization. You will be notified once the date and time is confirmed.

Post your time spent volunteering during work hours (including travel time) to task AECS “community service” pay code. When posting time, add this task to your time sheet.

HAZARDS IN THE FIELD > WHAT TO LOOK FOR

It's important to report hazards in the field if you see something that looks off when you're outside the office, like when you're on your way home after work.

If you see something that could be dangerous, report it to Denis. One of our employees will inspect the problem and fix it if needed.

Report these problems even if you're unsure it's impacting an electric line or if you don't know if the electric line is in our territory. Doing so will keep our employees and the public safe.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

Shown here is a damaged meter base. If you see this in our area, report it to Denis.

Employee anniversaries

APRIL

Jade Guthrie

April 10

9 years

Ray Brunner

April 11

19 years

MAY

Denis Armstead

May 8

18 years

Cody Holthaus

May 8

1 year

Derk Beckett

May 24

20 years

Adam Osborn

May 30

6 years

JUNE

Tom Wolfenbarger

June 14

25 years

Joe Chewning

June 16

2 years

Bob McIntosh

June 17

22 years

Ryleigh Hollen

June 19

1 year

Kim Phipps

June 26

29 years

NEW PROGRAMS + RATES FOR MEMBERS

During our annual meeting April 25, General Manager Tom Wolfenbarger and Board of Trustees President David Evans will announce two new programs we will offer members this year.

Electric vehicle and time of use rates

Soon, we will offer new rates to fit members' lifestyles. We are working to create an electric vehicle charging rate. This rate incentivizes charging during the night, when electricity demand and wholesale energy rates are lower.

If members are not EV users but like the incentives of a special rate, a time of use rate for other residential load will roll out simultaneously with the EV rate. We will share more information about these rates as they become available.

Backup generator + Trifecta program

We are also creating a backup generator program

where members can purchase Kohler backup generators through the cooperative. Similar to our geothermal program, the board of trustees has budgeted to offer low-interest loans to help members with financing this major investment.

For members who don’t have a need for wholehome generators or don't want to make that level of investment, we will offer the ability to purchase a behind-the-meter transfer switch called a Trifecta from Global Power Products. A Trifecta is a meter base mounted transfer switch with a cord to be used with a portable generator. The cooperative will provide installation for these switches.

We will share more information about these programs as they become available.

JOIN US FOR OUR 2024 ANNUAL MEETING

Thursday, April 25

NEW LOCATION – Spooky Nook Sports

Champion Mill 1

5 p.m. Dinner • 6:30 p.m. Meeting

We have a new location for our annual meeting this year. We needed a new annual meeting venue because Millett Hall's parking lot is under construction while Maimi University installs new geothermal wells under the front lawn of Millett Hall. The construction is expected to be complete by the summer of 2026.

Spooky Nook Sports Champion Mill 1 has 1,000 parking spaces and co-op employees will offer free shuttle rides for our guests. The meeting offers a buffet meal, updates from General Manager Tom Wolfenbarger and Board of Trustees President Dave Evans, and live entertainment from Rum River Blend. We will also have door prizes and chances to win bill credits.

Committed to safety

Three-year safety improvement goals (What we want to achieve over the next three years)

1. Review and update our safety manual quarterly

2. Expand our cyber security awareness

3. Improve our emergency preparedness

Annual objectives for safety improvement (What we want to achieve this year)

1. Review 1/3 of the safety rules and guidelines as part of a three-year program

2. Design and construct an EPA compliant slurry pit.

3. Conduct a mayday tabletop exercise.

4. Develop and conduct bird dog training.

5. Conduct substation training at Wesley and Colerain substations.

6. Expanded safety committee: Conduct a jobs site crew audit/training.

7. Develop and conduct training on FEMA documentation requirements.

8. Create an accident investigation team and conduct training.

9. Review department responsibilities of ERP during department meetings during the year.

10. Perform a minimum of 12 crew observations for each lineman on staff.

11. Conduct an organizational process meeting with legal firm used for accidents/contacts.

Upcoming events

APRIL

OEC SCHOLARSHIP INTERVIEWS

April 16

BOARD OF TRUSTEES ELECTION ENDS

April 23

BOARD MEETING

April 24

ANNUAL MEETING

April 25

MAY

SPRING EMPLOYEE MEETING

May 1

SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETING

May 3

ENERGY DAY

May 20

Rain date May 21

YOUTH TOUR ORIENTATION

May 23

OFFICE CLOSED FOR MEMORIAL DAY

May 27

BOARD MEETING

May 29

OXFORD SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL With Fleetwood Gold – a Fleetwood Mac tribute band

J

une 6

YOUTH TOUR

June 15 through 21

BOARD MEETING

June 26 JUNE

> Performs drafting functions Between

Learn more

ABOUT BUTLER RURAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE

Learn more about how your coworkers help the cooperative fulfill its mission. More departments will be featured in upcoming issues.

> Long-range system plans

ENGINEERING

> Power requirements

> Reliability reporting compliance

MANAGER OF ENGINEERING

Cody Holthaus

codyh@butlerrural.coop 4434

> Field data services

> Electrician services

> Mapping systems

> Coordinating approved long-range system plans, construction work plans, and a preventative maintenance program for distribution and the general plant

> Coordinates development of plans following established policies, practices, and procedures

ELECTRICAL PLANNING ENGINEER

Ricky Zhang

rickz@butlerrural.coop 4413

> Designs and maintains electric plant and regulatory compliance

> Utilizes effective engineering practices to provide members with the best service consistent with environmental acceptability

GIS AND ENGINEERING TECHNICIAN

Joshua Smock

joshuas@butlerrural.coop 4433

> Secures, records, and maintains engineering data

MANAGER OF ELECTRICAL SERVICES

Derk Beckett

derkb@butlerrural.coop 4426

> Coordinates electrician and field data technician activities

> Coordinates meter reading, installations, and exchanges

> Coordinates load control installation and maintenance, automatic metering installations, underground locating, and disconnections

ELECTRICIAN

Bob McIntosh

bobm@butlerrural.coop 4430

> Provides residential and small commercial electric services

> Performs water heater installations and repairs and meter reading activities

ELECTRICIAN

Wade Bullock

wadeb@butlerrural.coop

> Provides residential and small commercial electric services

> Performs water heater installations and repairs and meter reading activities

SAFETY

FIELD DATA TECHNICIAN

Rhett Hughes

rhetth@butlerrural.coop

> Meter reading and metering field work

> Disconnections

> Load control installations and testing

> Locates underground services

> Reads all meters at least once per year

FIELD DATA TECHNICIAN

Curt Loewenstine

curtl@butlerrural.coop

> Meter reading and metering field work

> Disconnections

> Load control installations and testing

> Locates underground services

> Reads all meters at least once per year

> Compliance

> Safety standards

> Safeguards employees, members, and the public

MANAGER OF SAFETY AND COMPLIANCE

Denis Armstead

denisa@butlerrural.coop 4425

> Researches, coordinates, and implements compliance and safety standards in accordance with established policies, practices, and procedures of regulatory agencies that safeguards our employees, members, and the public from dangerous conditions

Employee birthdays

MAY

Ricky Zhang

May 8

Mason Miller

May 10

Derk Beckett

May 12

Mick Johnson

May 12

Riley Salyers

May 15

Joshua Smock

May 20

Joe Chewning

May 30

JUNE

Ryleigh Hollen

June 5

Levi Tipton

June 6

Tricia Blevins

June 12

Ryan Kerr

June 14

Bob McIntosh

June 17

Wade Bullock

June 20

Do you have information to include in the employee newsletter or an idea to improve communication?

Send feedback, information, and photos to Jade at jadeg@butlerrural.coop.

Our mission

To be a dynamic, progressive organization guided by cooperative principles and to provide energy and other value-added services to its members. The cooperative will participate in its communities, providing leadership and support to improve the quality of life for all of its citizens.

BUTLER RURAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE

BUTLER RURAL

BUTLER RURAL ELECTRIC