NEWS FROM YOUR COOPERATI www.dmremc.com CONTACT US
Daviess-Martin County REMC TOLL FREE
800-762-7362
GENERAL MANAGER
Ken Frye
OFFICE HOURS
7:30 a.m.– 4 p.m., Monday-Friday STREET ADDRESS
12628 E 75 N, Loogootee, IN 47553 MAILING ADDRESS
P.O. Box 430, Loogootee, IN 47553 SERVICE INTERRUPTIONS
To report an outage or emergency, call 812-295-4200 or 800-7627362 day or night. BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Dean Harrawood, PRESIDENT John Edwards, VICE PRESIDENT August Bauer, SECRETARY Michael E. Arvin, TREASURER Terry Chapman Dale Marchino Steve Streepy BILL PAYMENT OPTIONS
Online bill payment Budget billing Auto bank draft Drive-through window Night depository Credit card payment (VISA, Discover and MasterCard accepted) Pay-by-phone MISSION STATEMENT
“Our mission is to provide dependable electricity and quality services for our members at reasonable cost.” Like us on Facebook www.Facebook.com/Daviess MartinCountyREMC
TIP OF THE MONTH
Keep heat in, cold air out
Fall is here, and that means colder months will be here before we know it. Is your home prepared for the drafts that may enter? Tight-fitting insulating drapes or shades are a perfect way to keep the heat in and the cold out. — U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
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EPA’s proposed greenhouse gas regulations On June 2, EPA issued a proposed rule (known as the Clean Power Plan) which would reduce nationwide CO2 emissions rates from power plants 30 percent from 2005 levels by 2030. It is one of the farthest reachKEN FRYE ing and most complex rules ever proposed. It fundamentally affects every business and individual consumer and alters how electricity is generated and used in the United States. The proposal essentially sets the nation’s electricity policy for decades. In order to achieve the 30 percent nationwide reduction as directed by the president, EPA established CO2 emissions rate goals for each state by using four “building blocks.” The four building blocks are (1) making coal plants more efficient, (2) using existing natural gas combinedcycle plants more and existing coal plants less, (3) increasing the use of nuclear and renewable energy and (4) decreasing energy use through consumer energy efficiency.
Impact on climate change Ultimately, the impact of the proposed rule on climate change is uncertain. Climate change and carbon emissions are global issues. Even if all coal plants in the United States were immediately closed, it is estimated that worldwide CO2 emissions would be back to current levels in about a year. Unless countries such as China and India, for example, also commit to significant CO2 reductions, it is unlikely there will be any measurable climate benefit from EPA’s proposal. In the week following EPA’s announcement of the proposed rule, the leaders of fossilrich nations, Canada and Australia, reinforced their position that they would not enact policies to fight climate change if they presented any danger to their respective economies.
ELECTRIC CONSUMER • OCTOBER 2014 • ElectricConsumer.org
Supporting clean energy, reducing greenhouse gas emissions We support a power supply mix that balances reliability, cost and environmental concerns — an “all-of-the-above” approach — because all three issues are important and focusing on any one to the exclusion of the others doesn’t provide the best result. While individuals may be on either extreme of the carbon debate, the availability and affordability of energy are greater concerns than climate change for power network members overall (based on a July 2014 Climate Change survey). Without being “regulated” to do so, Hoosier Energy and the member systems have taken several significant actions because they were the right thing to do. In 2002, Hoosier Energy’s 1,250 MW resource portfolio was 100 percent owned coal. Today, our 2,100 MW resource portfolio is 58 percent coal (11 percent of which is scheduled to be idled in 2015), 31 percent natural gas, 2 percent renewable and 9 percent purchased. Also, Indiana does not have a renewable portfolio standard; however, Hoosier Energy voluntarily adopted a renewable energy program in 2006. The program targets supplying 10 percent of member requirements from renewable resources by 2025. Similarly, in 2008 Hoosier Energy voluntarily adopted a demand-side management/energy efficiency program which targets a 5 percent reduction in member demand and energy by 2018. Overall, the state of Indiana reduced carbon emissions by 11 percent from 2005 to 2012 — before EPA proposed its rule — yet EPA takes credit for these voluntary reductions in its claim that “Nationwide, by 2030 the Clean Power Plan will help cut carbon emissions from the power sector by 30 percent from 2005 levels.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 29
IVE Do you have capital credits?
Time of use rate option available
Do you remember the feeling of reaching into a coat pocket and finding a $5 bill you forgot was there? For many Daviess-Martin County REMC members, receiving a capital credit check evokes the same feeling. Each December for the past three years, all current and prior members with a valid address on file were mailed capital credit retirement checks. Many members could not be mailed checks due to inaccurate address information on our computers. Please remember to notify the REMC of your address changes and also notify us if a person named on an account is deceased so we may update our records. We want you to be able to claim a check in your name or for you to claim a check as an heir. A list of unclaimed capital credits can be found on the Daviess-Martin County REMC website at www.dmremc. com. We ask that you review this list and if you are named, or are the legal heir of someone named on this list, follow the procedures to claim your money. A claim form is included on the website. Questions may be directed to Sue Graber, 812-295-4200 or 800-762-7362, during regular business hours.
Daviess-Martin County REMC members can take advantage of lower rates known in the industry as time-of-use rates. Members who are conscious of energy use and are willing to adjust some daily routines can sign up for an off-peak rate of 7.3 cents per kilowatt-hour. The program is designed to help with peak shaving, a process which reduces the amount of energy purchased from a utility company during peak hours when the charges are highest. For our cooperative, the targeted hours for reducing peak vary by season. Winter on-peak hours, as they are termed, will be 6-9 a.m. and 6-9 p.m., Monday through Friday from Dec. 1 to Feb. 28 or 29, depending on the calendar year. All other times are considered off-peak hours. The same is true for summer. On-peak hours are 2-8 p.m., Monday through Friday
Wholesale tracker change Reflected on bills received in November, DaviessMartin County REMC members will see a change in the wholesale power tracker adjustment effective Oct. 1. Hoosier Energy has changed the power tracker from $2.01 per 1,000 kWh used to $3.15 per 1,000 kWh used.
‘Win! Win! Win!’ Each month, Daviess-Martin County REMC asks our readers three questions to which the answers can be found in the articles of Electric Consumer. Follow these simple rules: 1.) Clip the coupon along the dotted line. 2.) Fill it out. 3.) Return it to our office with your monthly payment before the 20th of the month. (Delinquent payments are not eligible.) Each month a winner will be drawn from the entries submitted. Make sure you bring or mail in your most recent coupon, as the coupons are dated monthly. Members with automatic payment accounts will be entered in the contest as well. Copies will not be accepted, and coupons are not available at the office! Winners will be notified and their names published in the following monthly issue of Electric Consumer. AUGUST WINNER: Karen Porter,
from June 1 to Aug. 31. All other times are off-peak hours. The months of March, April, May, September, October and November are considered shoulder months — months when demand is naturally reduced under moderate conditions. All times during those months are off-peak hours. Members interested in learning more about the costsaving program can contact Manager of Marketing Mark Belcher at 812-295-4200 during office hours. See rates below. WINTER (December, January, February) On-peak: 23.5 cents per kWh Off-peak: 7.3 cents per kWh SUMMER (June, July, August) On-peak: 29 cents per kWh Off-peak: 7.3 cents per kWh SHOULDER (September, October, November, March, April, May) Off-peak: 7.3 cents per kWh
$50 MONTHLY DRAWING (FOR BILLS DATED OCT. 5; PAID BY OCT. 20)
1. When is Member Appreciation Day going to be held at the REMC office? __________________________________________________________________ 2. Where can you find a list of unclaimed capital credit names? __________________________________________________________________ 3. What is the deadline for entries for the Annual Report Cover Photo Contest? __________________________________________________________________ NAME: ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ADDRESS: _______________________________________________________________________________________ ACCOUNT NO.: ________________________________ PHONE NO.: __________________________________
Loogootee
ElectricConsumer.org • OCTOBER 2014 • ELECTRIC CONSUMER 5
Daviess-Martin County REMC News
Photo contest: GUIDELINES D
aviess-Martin County REMC is excited to announce its eighth annual report cover photo contest. The winning photo will be featured as the cover of the 2014 annual report. The following are the guidelines for the submission of photos for the contest. 1. Submissions must be recent color photographs that have been taken in our service territory. Springtime pictures are preferred due to the annual report being printed in April, however, all pictures will be considered. A brief description of where the photo was taken, your name, address, telephone and account numbers must be submitted with the photo. Photos that include people must have written consent for publication. 2. The photographer must reside in a Daviess-Martin County REMC household. 3. No more than three entries per photographer. 4. The winning photo, as voted on by REMC employees, will become the property of Daviess-Martin County REMC to use for publicity purposes such as, but not limited to, the annual report cover, website, Electric Consumer, etc.
5. Digital copies must be submitted with the photo. Photos and/or digital copies will not be returned to the photographer. 6. If the picture is a digital photo, we would prefer it to be a TIFF or JPEG file sized to 100 percent at a minimum 300 dpi. 7. The winning photograph will be used for the annual report front cover, and the winner will receive a check for $50. Second and third place winners will receive a $25 check each. First, second and third place photographs will be printed in Electric Consumer. 8. All entries must be submitted by Nov. 7 to our business office at 12628 E. 75 N., Loogootee, or mailed to P.O. Box 430, Loogootee, IN 47553 by this date. The winner will be announced in the January issue of Electric Consumer. 9. This is not an exhaustive list of rules. REMC reserves the right to reject all entries. Please contact our office at 800-762-7362 with any questions. 10. REMC employees, board members and their families are not eligible to participate. …
Join us for
MEMBER APPRECIATION DAY
••••••••••••••••••••
WHEN: Thursday, Oct. 9; 11 a.m.- 2 p.m. WHERE: Daviess-Martin County REMC 12628 E. 75 N., Loogootee
••••••••••••••••••••
Enjoy sandwiches, chips and soft drinks. Be entered for a chance to win one of four $25 bill credits and other giveaways! 28
ELECTRIC CONSUMER • OCTOBER 2014 • ElectricConsumer.org
CEO COLUMN | CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4
REMC donates bottled water
O
nce again, spectators buying bottled water at high school sporting events in the DaviessMartin County REMC service area are part of a unique marketing effort. The REMC donated 252 cases of bottled water to local high schools to help in concessions fund raising. Each bottle is labeled with the co-op name and phrase, “Committed to community.” “We saw in this program a special way to connect not only with our current members but with young people MITCHELL HIGH SCHOOL
who are our members of tomorrow,” said Janet Chestnut, manager of communications/member relations at the REMC. “This is a great opportunity to further our pledge to education and enhance the Touchstone Energy value of commitment to the community.” The schools will retain all proceeds from the sale of the water and have the potential to raise over $1,500 each. This is the 11th year the REMC has donated the bottled water to the schools. … NORTH DAVIESS HIGH SCHOOL
From left: Ann Perkins, REMC service coordinator assistant; Peyton Morris; Garrett Moody; and Danny Reynolds, athletic director
Janice Sellers, REMC senior billing clerk (back, far left), delivers water to Brent Dalrymple, athletic director (back, far right) and students.
SHOALS HIGH SCHOOL
WASHINGTON CATHOLIC SCHOOLS
When does the new rule take effect? EPA is taking public comments on the proposal through Dec. 1, and intends to issue a final rule in June 2015. States will then have one to two years to develop implementation plans, or if they collaborate on multi-state plans, they are allowed up to three years. So in some states it may take until June 2018 to fully understand what compliance with this proposal will mean. The proposal requires significant reductions beginning in 2020.
Cost of the proposed rule We are very concerned that the proposed rule will result in prematurely closing coal plants, placing financial burdens on cooperative consumers that own them. Many of those plants, including Hoosier Energy’s Merom station, were built when our national policy was encouraging the use of coal as a domestic resource. We have invested hundreds of millions of dollars since then upgrading Merom. By 2018, Hoosier Energy will have reduced sulfur dioxide and nitrous oxide emissions by 93 percent from 1983 levels. Forcing plants such as Merom to restrict operations or prematurely shut down is an unreasonable and unjustifiable outcome.
What can you do about this?
From left: Ken Frye, REMC general manager; Austin Hembree; Tyler Mullins; Kyle Courtright
Karie Craney, principal, (front, far left) and students accept the donation from Bob Wilson, manager of finance at REMC.
BARR-REEVE HIGH SCHOOL
LOOGOOTEE HIGH SCHOOL
Theresa Showalter, REMC administrative assistant, far left, presents the donation to Tim Swartzentruber, senior class sponsor, far right, and his students.
From left: Josh Mullis, athletic director; Nate Duvall; Nolan Walker; Kendall Bratton; and John Crays, manager of operations at REMC
Please visit Action.coop or TellEPA. com in order to share your concerns about how this proposed regulation will increase the price of electricity, hurt the economy, reduce the reliability of the nation’s electric supply and have little to no impact on worldwide carbon emissions. The comment period ends Dec. 1. The rule is not final so together we can still impact the outcome. Our national and state leaders need to know that we are very concerned about this issue. KEN FRYE is general manager of DaviessMartin County REMC.
ElectricConsumer.org • OCTOBER 2014 • ELECTRIC CONSUMER 29