Light Reading - April 2021

Inland Power is my cooperative!

Inland Power Board President, Brian Slaybaugh opens the 2021 annual meeting held March 4, 2021 at Northern Quest Resort & Casino.

2021

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nland Power’s annual meeting concluded with a newly elected member of the board of trustees. Chris Davis was elected to represent District One for a three-year term.

Garry Rosman and Gale Rettkowski were both reelected to represent Districts Three and Five respectively.

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This year’s meeting was very different due to COVID-19 restrictions. While the event was still held at Northern Quest Resort and Casino, only the business portion of the meeting was conducted. Due to extremely limited attendance restrictions, six voting members were present, in addition to the board of trustees, trustee candidates and limited Inland Power staff.

YO U R

CO O P E R AT I V E 2021 Annual Meeting

a quorum was established in accordance with Inland Power bylaws. This year, we received 4,207 mail-in ballots. In addition to our trustee elections, members also voted to pass the proposed bylaw changes.

“The overall financial health of your cooperative is excellent,” said Inland Power treasurer, Randy Suess during his 2020 financial report. “Despite the impacts of the pandemic, Inland has remained fiscally strong and prosperous.”

To view this year’s annual meeting video, visit inlandpower.com, under the annual meeting tab and click the video link.

With a record number of mail-in ballots,

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LightReading

ANNUAL MEETING I

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@inlandpowerlight Inland Power Board Treasurer, Randy Suess delivers the financial report during the 2021 annual meeting.

April 2021

SAFETY National Dig Safe Month Graphic courtesy of NRECA

Innovations in energy technologies are creating new ways to use electricity rather than on-site fossil fuel like propane, natural gas and gasoline.

ENERGY Best Water Heater For You

Beneficial Electrification I f you’re like many Americans, you are interested in saving money on energy costs and doing your part to help the environment. But wouldn’t it be great if you could do both? Well, you can! It is through a concept called “beneficial electrification.”

This utility industry term means the innovations in energy technologies are creating new ways to use electricity instead of on-site fossil fuels, such as propane, natural gas and fuel oil, in a way that reduces overall emissions and energy costs.

of electric devices improves over time.

As state regulations shift to even more options that include renewable energy sources, like additional hydro, solar and wind, to make existing generation technologies cleaner, electricity will require less fossil fuel per kilowatt-hour of energy produced.

In essence, by virtue of being plugged into the grid, like an electric vehicle plugged in rather than filling a car with gas, the environmental performance

As Inland Power takes advantage of advances in technology, it means those efficiencies are inherently passed along to you through more efficient

So, here is how this concept impacts you. It means that electric appliances such as your water heater, clothes dryer, oven and even your lawn care equipment have the potential to become greener.

appliances, which means lower energy bills.

Electricity is getting cleaner Because large appliances have a typical lifespan of about 10 years, it means that you are able to benefit from the flexibility of the grid in addition to the increased efficiency of the particular appliance. In other words, the highefficiency electric oven you have today could be powered by renewable sources in the near future. This would not be the case with gas appliances where you are essentially locked into the technology of that gas appliance for the 10-year lifespan.

As Inland Power is able to tap into more renewable options in addition to Continued inside

“OUR mission

members.”

IS OUR

Continued from front

hydropower, your electric appliance has the potential to become greener and more energy efficient. The only way you would be able to benefit from this trend is through an electric appliance.

into a better quality of life. For example, when you can trade the loud rumble of a gas-powered mower or blower for the quiet efficiency of electric versions, you eliminate the exhaust emissions and the unpleasant noise.

Small steps to help the environment

Inland is a leading green utility

For consumers and homeowners looking for more environmentally-friendly options, choosing electric appliances, tools and cars over those powered by fossil fuels is an easy solution.

Whether through electric lawn mowers, blowers and weed whackers (plug-in or rechargeable) or through electric water heaters and other appliances, beneficial electrification is a means to reducing greenhouse gases and helping our environment. It can also translate

Inland Power is my cooperative!

– M I S S I O N S TAT E M E N T

As the overall energy sector continues to evolve, Inland Power strives to take advantage of the advances in technology and the opportunities of the market as they become available. This means your cooperative can leverage the flexibility of the grid to offer a wider range of renewable power selections as we continue to bring safe, reliable and affordable power to our community.

Thanks to hydropower, our region is

uniquely poised to have a greener and more reliable grid than anywhere else in the country.

We also promote energy efficiency and can save you money through our rebate programs. Our SmartHub app offers you the convenience and ability to manage and monitor their energy use.

We care about our community because we live here too. When you participate in the energy efficiency programs and incentives Inland offers, you are doing your part to save energy and better our environment. While each member’s reduction might be small, together, they can lead to significant savings of money and emissions. And that means a brighter future for all of us.

To tank or not to tank?

Tank-less water heaters have become popular as they provide an “endless” supply of hot water. But how efficient are they when compared to the traditional tank-type water heater?

W

hen you wash dishes, do laundry and take a shower, do you know what that represents? It is a miracle of achievements, public and private, converging to make everyday living so much better.

But that big, nameless electric tank residing in your basement or closet is being sadly assailed mostly by mistaken identity. That tank is tried and true technology and needs to be defended. It is important to note that we are talking about electric water heaters here. Gas tank type water heaters do have significant standby losses that warrant careful consideration.

wiring for. The consumer reviews for tank-less electric designs include tripping breakers, faulty parts, lack of warranty support and other concerning issues. There are few advantages and more complicating issues with tank-less electric water systems.

When looking to replace your water heater, be sure to check the traditional tank-type electric water heaters. While the hot water supply is not endless, the efficiency and cost outperforms its tank-less counterpart.

National Dig Safe Month

S

pring is just around the corner and there has never been a better time to get outside and enjoy the fresh air. Perhaps you are making plans for a new garden or a lawn makeover.

However you plan to revamp your backyard oasis, remember to keep safety in mind for all projects–especially those that require digging near underground utility lines.

Be sure to follow the steps below to ensure you remain safe whenever you dig.

By calling 811 before you break ground on your project, you can help protect not only yourself but our community. Disrupting an underground utility linePAGE can interrupt service, cause injuries TWO-THIRDS 4.625 andX 10 cost money to repair, so remember to call 811 first and know what is below. It is a free service to have utilities come mark your underground utilities.

5 STEPS FOR SAFE DIGGING 1. NOTIFY

Call 8-1-1 or make a request online two to three days before your work begins. The operator will notify the utilities affected by your project.

Here is a refresher on why you should love your tank-type electric water heater, especially here in the Inland Northwest.

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

Z

ach Stroh came to Inland Power in 2020. Prior to joining Inland, he worked in operations management and territory sales.

“I enjoy serving at Inland Power because I find joy in providing solutions to problems for our members,” Zach said. “I enjoy a challenge and helping Inland Power progress toward successful growth, retention and happiness for our members.”

Outside of work, Zach enjoys fixing up his home, working on projects in the garage and spending time with his family.

Zach Stroh - Operations Assistant

Electric water heaters are extremely efficient. 100 percent efficient at the heating elements and 92 percent efficient at containing that heat in the vessel. The small amount of heat-energy that passes through the insulation ends up in the structure in which it is installed. In most cases that means our homes. In the Inland Northwest, we typically use much more energy to heat than to cool annually. The small amount of heat your tank produces can actually help offset your other heating demand.

In terms of the heating method–slow and steady, tried and true wins the race. Tank-less electric water heaters require massive power delivery capacity (called demand) that few homes have the breaker-box and

VISIT INLANDPOWER.COM FOR MORE ENERGY EFFICIENCY TIPS

2. WAIT

Wait two to three days for affected utilities to respond to your request. They will send a locator to mark any underground utility lines.

2-3

3. CONFIRM

Confirm that all affected utilities have responded to your request by comparing the marks to the list of utilities the 8-1-1 call center notified.

4. RESPECT

Respect the markers provided by the affected utilities. The markers are your guide for the duration of your project.

5. DIG CAREFULLY

If you can’t avoid digging near the markers (within 18-24 inches on all sides, depending on state laws), consider moving your project location.