Light Reading October 2020

Inland Power is my cooperative!

Your power from Inland is: 83.16%

HYDRO

11.45%

NUCLEAR

5.39%

MARKET*

October 2020

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LightReading

------------------------------------------------*Power not purchased from the Bonneville Power Administration is purchased on the wholesale energy market.

inlandpower.com

HYDRO NUCLEAR

getin touch

10110 W Hallett Rd. Spokane, WA 99224 MAIN OFFICE

(509) 747-7151 TOLL FREE

(800) 747-7151 BILLING QUESTIONS

(509) 789-4277 PAYMENT SERVICES

(855) 386-9903 ENERGY CONSERVATION AND REBATES

(509) 789-1801 EMAIL

inlandpower@inlandpower.com SOCIAL

@inlandpower

@inlandpowerlight

National Cooperative Month

inside...

SAFETY

Generator Safety

MARKET YOUR COOPERATIVE Inland Power’s 2019 Fuel Mix

2019 Inland Power & Light Fuel Mix

EFFICIENCY Is your home weather ready?

Providing power that is 96 percent carbon free

E

nergy is a big topic these days in the hallowed halls of our state capitol.

From green energy policy to 100 percent carbon-free legislation, the power our members receive and the manner in which they receive it is constantly under review and ridicule.

solar, wind and hydropower.

At Inland Power we are strong proponents of clean and renewable energy. We are also dedicated to ensuring the electricity you receive is affordable.

In 2019, Washington legislators passed the Clean Energy Transformation Act, this act requires utilities to provide power that is 100 percent carbon-free by 2045.

Utilities that provide power generated from resources like coal and natural gas have a long way to go to reach the governor’s clean energy goal.

In 2019, Inland Power purchased the majority of its power from BPA for resale and distribution to our members. The majority of that power is generated from the hydroelectric dams along the Columbia and Snake Rivers. We are very fortunate to live in the Pacific Northwest and have access to this clean, efficient source of power.

In 2006, Washington voters passed the Energy Independence Act, which requires electric utilities that serve 25,000 customers or more to obtain a certain percentage of the electricity used from eligible renewable resources, including

The percentage of required renewable generation started at 3 percent in 2012 and climbed to 15 percent this year. This carries an annual cost to Inland of $1.36 million, which is recovered through your rates.

At Inland Power, the energy we provide to our members is over 83 percent renewable and more than 94 percent carbon-free.

Needless to say, your cooperative is well on its way to meeting the governor’s challenge.

A message from your CEO

O

ctober is national cooperative month.

For over 83 years, Inland Power has proudly empowered its member owners by providing electricity and enabling the pooling of resources and harnessing the ability to achieve what they could not do individually. Cooperatives provide the framework for members working together to create a better life for themselves and their communities while providing valuable services such as electricity. Because cooperatives are democratically controlled (one member – one vote), cooperatives respond to the members who own them, ensuring they meet their members’ needs

and not the demands of investors.

Inland Power exists today, just as it has from the very beginning back in 1937 to serve our membership and respond to your energy needs. We are a direct and true reflection of the membership we serve.

“Our mission is our members” and while it seems like a simple statement, it leaves little doubt as to why we exist and why we get up and go to work every day.

With recent disruptions due to COVID-19, we realize the importance of community more than ever before. At this point in time, the use of the term unprecedented

to describe the current state of world events is becoming far too overused in our daily vocabulary. However, there can be no doubt that a time of rapid transformation is upon us. As we have worked together to tackle the challenges thrust upon us

by COVID-19, we have focused on being nimble and responsive to not only the needs of our membership, but to each of our valued members of the Inland Power team and extended Inland Power family.

Your safety is always front and center of every decision we make as Inland Power continues to progress forward in our neverending quest to meet the energy needs of Continued inside

OUR

mission

Continued from front page

IS OUR

members.

our members and to be the best utility we can possibly be.

In addition to our unwavering electric service, Inland Power has remained committed to helping all of our members through this extremely difficult period.

Inland tripled its donation to the Spokane Neighborhood Action Partners (SNAP) for energy assistance. The Inland Power Community Foundation has ensured that nonprofit organizations continue to receive donation dollars as they work to help our community. The foundation has also contributed to a large number of youth livestock exhibitors who were not able to show and sell their animals due to the virus canceling their livestock shows.

Now more than ever before, I value the opportunity to draw strength and optimism from each of you as I personally witness the progress we continue to make as a utility and a member-owned cooperative. If there is one thing we have learned over the years, it would have to be the importance of being prepared for anything. While to me personally, this traditionally always meant keeping adequate inventory and having contingency plans to respond to outages

– M I S S I O N S TAT E M E N T

whether caused by wind, snow, ice, lightning or other surprises Mother Nature may have in her tool bag. The concept of being prepared to adapt to a world in flux and the importance of being prepared for literally “anything” has taken on a whole new meaning to me. I continue to be so proud of the men and women of Inland Power and their willingness to be flexible and to adapt to our new working environment.

I often ask the leadership team to continually look at what it takes to create and maintain a healthy organization that is equitable, inclusive, and designed to bring out the best in everyone. In that spirit, I want to take this opportunity to recognize and express my appreciation for the opportunity to work side by side with such an incredible team of employees and board of trustees. I also fully recognize the positives of working for such a great organization. As a cooperative, our work matters and helps improve the lives of our membership. I am proud of the manner in which our teams have been able to adapt to the ever-changing environment and how they have “powered on” through this entire crisis.

Is your home weather-ready?

As we celebrate October as national cooperative month, may I once again thank you for the opportunity to serve your energy needs and to provide work that matters in our members’ lives. If we can ever be of service, please do not hesitate to contact me or any of your Inland Power team members.

Cooperatively,

Chad Jensen Chief Executive Officer Inland Power & Light

Your Co-op Connection | Getting to know who works for you

A

ndy Barth has been with Inland Power since 2018. Prior to joining Inland, he served as the public relations director for the Washington Farm Bureau and worked as a reporter/anchor for the Oklahoma Horizon TV show in Stillwater, OK. “Being part of Inland Power is incredibly rewarding,” Andy said. “I am excited to go to work every day and serve our members. The cooperative model is very special, and I am thrilled I get to represent an organization in which I whole-heartedly believe.”

Outside of work, Andy enjoys spending time with his family exploring all the Pacific Northwest has to offer. He also owns a photography business and loves being behind the camera.

Andy Barth Business Development & Community Relations Officer

Where did our summer go?

It seems as though we ask this question every year–and every year summer seems to pass faster than the year before. As we move toward colder temperatures and shorter days, it is time to start thinking about getting our homes ready for winter.

For the average household, almost half the annual energy bill goes toward heating and cooling. Being smart about how you control your temperature settings will help you save money and stay comfortable in your home.

One way you can save on energy costs is installing an advanced smart thermostat. These devices are Wi-Fi enabled and can automatically adjust heating and cooling temperature settings for optimal performance. These devices provide convenience, insight and control. While specific designs vary, common smart thermostat features can include: 1) Learning the temperature that you like and establishing a schedule that automatically adjusts to energy-saving temperatures when you are asleep or away.

2) Providing home energy use data you can track and manage.

3) Allowing you to control home heating and cooling remotely through your smartphone.

Not only can you save money by installing an advanced smart thermostat, but you can also receive a $100 rebate through Inland Power. For products to meet the advanced standards of the qualified products list, they must have the following minimum requirements: - Independent of manufacturer evolution(s) demonstrating energy savings for smart thermostat OR Energy Star certification and additional information necessary to prove energy savings - 7 day programmable or learning-based scheduling - Wi-Fi enabled with remote access - Built in occupancy sensor - Heat pump auxiliary heat control optimization To qualify, you must be a current member of Inland Power. The home where the smart thermostat is installed must have an ELECTRIC forced air furnace (with or without a heat pump). You must request your rebate within 90 days of purchase and include a copy of the receipt or invoice showing the date of purchase, model number and cost of the purchase. The incentives will not exceed the cost of the product. Please allow up to six weeks for Inland to process the rebate.

For more information about smart thermostats, including the models that qualify for a rebate, visit inlandpower.com. You can also contact your conservation team by calling (509) 789-1801 or email at conservation@inlandpower.com.

VISIT INLANDPOWER.COM FOR MORE ENERGY EFFICIENCY TIPS

Generator Safety If you connect a generator into your home electrical system you must completely disconnect your home from the utility source. A common circuit breaker is not the best method to accomplish this task. A device that allows you to see the open connection (blade or similar switch) is best. An open connection is the most critical element when it comes to emergency generators so that these two things do not happen when you start your generator:

• First, your generator will try to

pick up the load it sees in the utility system, which it is not able to do. Shortly after that, it will overload and either open a breaker or burn up the generator.

generator is feeding into the utility system it will be back feeding through the line transformers thereby placing a voltage in excess of 12,000 volts onto the deenergized utility power system.

This back feed voltage can seriously endanger Inland line workers who are working on the lines trying to restore power

• Secondly, for the time your

• Inspect your generator for loose parts, bare wires and faulty breakers before use.

• When running, always place your

generator set outside and downwind so hazardous levels of CO2 do not accumulate.

• It is safest to completely isolate

your generator from your house wiring and ultimately from the utility power system. This can be done by running an extension cord directly from your generator to the appliance you desire to run.