SECO News
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S EPTEMBER 2017
MEGAWATTS & MILLIONS O
n November 12, 1938, the first employees of Sumter Electric Cooperative electrified 400 homes at the crossroads of Sumter, Lake and Marion Counties. Sumter Electric has since evolved from a small, rural electric cooperative into our d/b/a name of SECO Energy, and has grown into a regional, not-for-profit electric cooperative serving members across Central Florida. SECO’s growth during its 80-year history is impressive. Continued economic development in our service territory, keeps us investing in new infrastructure and upgrading our existing system. When I joined the SECO team in 1979, the cooperative served less than 39,000 members. Upon becoming CEO in 1990, we served almost 70,000 members. Since then, SECO’s membership increased to almost 200,000 members – a growth rate of 186%. Population booms create a greater demand for power. To keep pace, SECO makes investing in its electric system a top priority. As of July 31, SECO’s
DUNCAN’S DIGEST Jim Duncan, CEO system wide facilities investment is $817.8 million, which equates to an investment of $2.77 million per month in SECO’s system. 783001 Sumter County is growing with The Villages of Fenney and Southern Oaks, future home to 8,000 houses and numerous retail spaces. As a result, SECO is upgrading that area’s substation (called “Federal” because it serves the prison) from 12kV to 25kV and building additional feeders to increase capacity. In its current configuration, the substation can serve 5,000 members. The upgrade brings the capacity to 25,000 members. The substation is currently equipped with a 34-megawatt power transformer. The upgrade adds two 56-megawatt power transformers with space for another 56-megawatt power transformer if/when needed. The Federal substation upgrade investment is approximately $3 million. DIGEST cont. on page 2…
LIGHTNING BUZZ Florida is deemed the “Lightning Capital” of the nation. It comes as no surprise that lightning is the leading cause of outages in SECO’s service area, and it creates a host of problems for our electric system. Lightning can strike power lines directly, causing a sudden increase in the electrical field. This sudden increase causes outages by tripping fuses, reclosers and breakers installed along the lines to protect the circuit. Lightning also plays a role in the second and third leading causes of outages – trees and equipment failures. Lightning strikes trees, causing damage to tree branches, trunks and roots. Branches and entire trees fall onto lines, bringing down poles and lines, causing outages. Lightning interrupts the normal operation of transformers, cabinets, fusers and breakers, and lightning can spark fires that damage electrical equipment.
System maintenance is a constant and costly battle. During hurricane season and beyond, SECO is Storm Ready, equipped to respond quickly and safely to major weather events and occasional outages. If you experience an outage, use your tablet or smartphone to report it through Storm Center at SECOEnergy.com.
DIGEST from page 1…
This system upgrade also gives SECO the ability to backfeed power to members served by other substations in the event of an outage. In south Lake County, crews have already upgraded equipment at our Big Creek substation. In Marion County, crews are upgrading the relay equipment at our Oak Run substation that serves members in the western State Road 200 area. In northwest Marion County, work has begun to upgrade our Blitchton substation to increase its operating voltage and capacity. Future power supply development by our wholesale provider, Seminole Electric
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Squirrels, birds and bears – oh my – they wreak havoc on SECO’s facilities. Bears use SECO poles as scratching posts, creating a weakened pole that could break and cause lines to fall. Squirrels, birds and snakes travel on SECO lines and cause outages. Birds build their nests on SECO poles and woodpeckers drill into wood poles to hollow out nests.
Cooperative is a topic you’ll hear about in more detail soon. Seminole supplies power to 1.6 million Floridians, and the company’s plans for the future ensure an adequate power supply with a fuel portfolio that keeps costs and rates low but also expands the use of renewable energy. That said, SECO will continue to provide reliable power to current members and be ready to serve future members. It is our pleasure to serve your family’s energy needs. Thank you for being a SECO member.
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
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THE SILENT DEMANDERS
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ccording to energy.gov, a home’s water heater accounts for about 12% of monthly energy use. Follow these simple, easy tips to increase the energy efficiency of your water heater. 1. Install a timer that turns off the unit at night or when not in use. 2. Lower the temperature to 120º F. 3. Wash and rinse clothes in cold water. 4. Wash only a full load in your dishwasher on the shortest cycle. 5. Replace showerheads and faucets with low-flow fixtures.
It may be time to consider purchasing a new water heater, clothes washer or dishwasher. Look for the ENERGY STAR® label. Tankless
water heaters use less energy, but the up-front costs are higher. ENERGY STAR reports savings of $135 a year by replacing a washer that’s over ten years old. ENERGY STAR-qualified ENERGY STAR dishwashers use 31% reports savings less energy and 33% less water than older of $135 a year by models – a double-win replacing a washer for efficiency.
that’s over ten
Searching for years old. additional energysaving advice? SECO’s Energy Services Specialists are available to answer your questions. Visit SECOEnergy. com>Solutions>Energy Audit to schedule an appointment at your home or business today.
“HIDDEN” ACCOUNT NUMBERS
Don’t forget to look for the last six digits of your account number in this month’s SECO News. You can email us at customerservice@secoenergy.com or call if your number appears. Six winners will be drawn at random from all submissions. Winners receive a $25 restaurant gift card.
SURGE PROTECTION BILL CREDIT WINNER Margaret Locke from Umatilla is the winner of SECO’s $300 Surge Protection Bill Credit. Congratulations Margaret!
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You too can add a layer of protection to your home’s appliances with SECO’s meter-based surge protection. Enroll online at SECOEnergy.com>Energy Solutions>Surge Protection.
LIVING WITH ALLIGATORS Keep your distance and NEVER feed them
Florida’s official state reptile is the American Alligator (Alligator mississippensis). This largest North American reptile is a common site in Florida’s waterways. Our state is home to 1.3 million of them. People are intrigued by alligators, but they are dangerous creatures if someone attempts to handle or feed them. Feeding is not only illegal, it causes the gator to lose its fear of humans and associate people with food. Once this natural fear of humans is lost, it is an extremely dangerous threat. Development and loss of habitat result in more alligator encounters. 815010
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Adult males typically reach 13 to 14 feet. The Florida record is 14 ft. 3.5 in. and 1,043 lbs. Females reach just under 10 feet. The snout is characteristically broad. The number of teeth varies from 74 to 80, and are continually replaced if lost. Lifespan is 30 to 50 years. Alligators begin to mate once they reach seven to eight feet in length. May is the peak of mating season. During June/July, the female builds a high mound of vegetation where she lays about 35 to 50 eggs, covers them with mud and vegetation and guards the nest. The mound keeps the eggs warm during the 65-day incubation. Hatchling sex is determined by nest temperature. Colder nests produce more females and warmer nests produce more males. Alligators can be a threat to livestock and pets, but are also a Florida conservation success story. Thousands of eggs are harvested from the wild each year as part of a program that allows farmers to raise them in captivity for valuable hides and meat. Florida’s Alligator
Management program allows annual hunt participation to keep numbers down. If you observe a nuisance alligator call: 1-866-FWC-GATOR (392-4286) for removal. Better understanding of these unique reptiles, plus keeping a safe distance allows humans and alligators to coexist in Florida. Column & photos by Sandi Staton – sandi.staton@gmail.com
BOARD OF TRUSTEES Ray F. Vick
President District 5
Jerry D. Hatfield Vice President District 9
Robin R. Henion
Secretary-Treasurer District 7
Scott D. Boyatt District 1
Dillard B. Boyatt District 2
Richard J. Belles District 3
Richard Dennison District 4
Earl Muffett District 6
Bill James District 8
SECO Energy is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
The Board of Trustees will meet on Monday, Sept. 25, at 2:30 p.m. in the Corporate Offices at 330 South US HWY 301 in Sumterville. A Trustees’ meeting will also be held on Monday, Oct. 23, 2017. 2 4 / 7 Jo b Ho tl i n e: (855) 483-2673 www.secoenergyjobs.com Report an Outage: (800) 732-6141 www.secostormcenter.com