Member Engagement Saves the Co-op Trace McCuan, CEO
Nueces Electric Cooperative is a memberowned, member-governed cooperative. When the co-op was founded, members of the community knew it was a locally-owned business—likely because they or someone they knew played a part in helping found the cooperative. Over time, the novelty of receiving electricity waned, the founders passed on and new people moved into the community, unaware that the electric co-op was different from other energy providers. But we are different. The key to that difference is you, the member-owners of our cooperative. Without your support and commitment, we would not exist. Research proves that when people own something, they treat it differently, which is why we encourage our members to act as owners rather than customers. As an owner, you play a critical role in our success. With that ownership comes certain rights, like the opportunity to seek election to the board of directors. If that seems like too big a commitment, we still want and need you to vote on your fellow members in the annual election. We welcome your advice and counsel as we continually look for innovative ways to help you use energy efficiently and in a costeffective manner. As a local business, we have a real stake in the community, just as you do. That is why we seek opportunities to engage with community service organizations that 18
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also work to meet the needs of folks in our service area. On September 30, NEC brought a group of 31 employees and their family members to volunteer at the Coastal Bend Food Bank. Our group was able to sort more than 5,500 pounds of dry food, bag and weigh more than 800 pounds of coffee and clean and repackage an entire pallet of eggs! This is just one of the many ways that we are happy to give back to our community. Although electric power is the commodity we sell, the real power comes from all of us empowering our community together. When people feel empowered, they can accomplish great things. The world is different today than it was when your cooperative was founded, but our mission of serving you and our community is constant. Working together with your active, inspired engagement, we can continue to accomplish great things.
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M I V P I V | I S TO C K . CO M
Volunteers clean and repackage a pallet of eggs for redistribution.
Veterans Day November 11 NEC Co-op Energy salutes veterans for their service. Our offices we be closed on Friday, Nov. 10 in observance of Veterans Day.
Employees sort dry
‹ foods such as cans, pasta, condiments, and many more.
Volunteers scoop loose coffee grounds and bag them individually for distribution.
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I R Y N A M E L N Y K | I S TO C K . CO M
Happy Thanksgiving ‹
The majority of our group featuring employees in the pink shirts pose after a days work. www.neccoopenergy.com
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from NEC Co-op Energy Our offices will be closed Thursday and Friday, November 23–24, to celebrate the holiday.
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How to Select and Size a Generator H O U S E : LU P LU P M E | I S TO C K . CO M . G E N E R ATO R : M A C R O V E C TO R | I S TO C K . CO M
No matter how reliable your cooperative’s electric distribution system is, occasional power outages are an unfortunate fact of life. To prepare for a power outage, many homeowners install portable or larger, whole-house emergency backup generators. It’s important to figure out the right generator for your home before an outage happens.
Step 1. Determine Your Power Needs Before selecting a backup generator, decide what you want to keep running during an outage. This establishes how much electrical output you require from a generator. Typical needs include cooking, refrigeration, lighting and heating. Step 2. Know Your Wattage After you’ve made a list of the electrical items you want to keep running, find the wattage on the nameplate of each; this is called the device’s “running wattage.” Appliances with electric motors are inductive devices, so they require additional “startup wattage” briefly at startup (as much as three times the running wattage). Step 3. Add It Up To get the rated power for a generator, follow this sizing rule of thumb: Total the running wattages for the appliances you want to power and add the additional startup wattage for the largest appliance. (The theory is that all appliances will likely not start up at the same time.) Common running/startup wattages for standard essential items are: Refrigerator: 200/1,200 Several lights: 200/0 Furnace blower: 800/02,300 Sump pump: 800/1,300 Television: 100/0 Add it all up: 200 + 200 + 800 + 800 + 100 + 2,300 = 4,400—so the required output for the generator would be 4,400 watts. The “rated” power output of any generator is the amount of wattage it can produce continually. The “maximum rated” power is the amount it can produce for a maximum of 30 minutes or so. Running any longer at maximum output can damage the generator. Electricity outputs for generators generally are listed in kilowatts. For a typical family of four, a 20
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12-kW backup generator usually is adequate to power everything essential. If you can do without some appliances and try not to use many simultaneously, a smaller generator of 5–7 kW could suffice. Whole-House Generators If you select a whole-house generator to attach to the breaker panel, you also should install an automatic transfer switch. When the ATS senses a power outage or brownout (low voltage), it disconnects your house from the electric grid and starts the generator. An ATS also “exercises the system,” starting and running the generator periodically to make sure everything is functioning properly. Additional Options If you just want to keep a light and TV running and food from spoiling in the refrigerator, get an uninterruptible power supply. Select one with a maximum wattage greater than your refrigerator’s. It will power the fridge for a while before its battery runs down. Also consider an emergency car-battery power pack. (Most have a 115-volt inverter and outlet, but this may not be powerful enough for the refrigerator.) Plug the UPS into the battery pack to recharge it. The car-battery pack can be recharged using your car’s battery. www.neccoopenergy.com
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Ramiro De la Paz Memorial
SCHOLARSHIP
Nueces Electric Cooperative awards high school seniors of cooperative members scholarships each year. This year, there are three different types of scholarships that will be awarded. Students planning to attend a 4-year college or university in Texas are eligible to apply. Two Grand Prize scholarships of $4,000 and ten $1,000 scholarships will be awarded. Students planning to attend a 2-year college or vocational school in Texas for a career related to the electrical industry (GIS mapping, communications, engineering, etc.) are eligible to apply. Ten $1,000 scholarships will be awarded. Applicants must be a member or reside in the home with a parent or legal guardian who has been a Nueces Electric Cooperative member for a minimum of six months as of the application deadline date.
NEW: Any member/dependent of a member planning to attend a Texas lineman’s college are eligible to apply for a new scholarship. Two $5,000 scholarships will be awarded.
Two $5,000 scholarships and
Two $4,000 scholarships and
Twenty $1,000 scholarships
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For Applications & Details: www.neccoopenergy.com
Application deadline: February 12
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2018
Youth Leadership Tour Win the trip of a lifetime!
The Govenment-in-Action Youth Leadership Tour 2018 is an all-expense-paid trip for high school juniors to learn about different aspects of the government, meet their members of Congress and visit historical sites. Each year, NEC sends four delegates from the cooperative to participate. This year’s trip will begin in Austin, Texas on Wednesday, June 6 and continue on to tour sites in Washington D.C. before the trip concludes on Friday, June 15. The travel package, valued at more than $3,000, includes air transportation to and from Washington D.C., hotel stay, meals, admission fees, and $250 cash for extra expenses. PLUS: Each winner will also receive a $1,000 scholarship, should they attend an accredited Texas college or University.
Essay Topic: You are in charge of the energy efficiency
program at your school. Describe ways you would recommend for your school to use electricity more efficiently.
Application Deadline: January 17, 2018
How to apply: Complete the 2018 Nueces Electric Cooperative Youth Leadership Tour Application form which can be found on neccoopenergy.com. Submit a 400-600 word essay on the topic “You are in charge of the energy efficiency program at your school. Describe ways you would recommend for your school to use electricity more efficiently.” Finalists will interview to determine the final four winners that will take this Youth Leadership Tour trip of a lifetime. Applicants must have consent of and reside in the home with a parent or legal guardian who is a current Nueces Electric Cooperative member.
Ju n Ap iors To ply da y!
ll nd
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2017
Christmas Card Contest
RULES:
Entries must be hand-drawn and follow the contest theme of combining electricity or lineworkers with a Christmas or holiday component. All entries must be received by 5 p.m on Wednesday, January 24. All submitted works must be an original concept and not a copy of anyone else’s copyrighted material. If your image infringes upon another’s copyright, it will be disqualified. Upon submitting your work to NEC for this contest, you are solely responsible for any infringement on copyrighted materials. Artwork must be delivered to the NEC offices or emailed in a JPG format that does not exceed 1MB. A one-page submission form (found on nueceselectric.org) must also be completed and returned with the artwork submission to be considered a complete entry. All artists must be dependents of a current member of Nueces Electric Cooperative. Children 18 and under are eligible to participate. One grand prize winner and one runner up will be determined in each of the three age categories, listed below. Winners will be annouced in the March edition of Texas Co-op Power magazine. The three grand prize winners will each receive a $100 electric bill credit and a $100 Wal-Mart gift card. The three runner ups will each receive a $50 electric bill credit and a $50 Wal-Mart gift card. NEC will also determine which of the winners’ artwork will be featured on the 2017 NEC Christmas Cards. Visit NuecesElectric.org for the submission form.
Three $200 GRAND PRIZES
Want more details? Visit NECCoopEnergy.com or call 1-855-632-7348 to learn more.
Christmas Card Categories 8 & Under
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