March-April 2023 TCEC Rural Living Newsletter

Rural Living

Rural Living

March & April 2023

Board of Trustees

The Commitment of an Electric Lineworker

Lineworker Appreciation Day is April 18.

National studies consistently rank power line installers and repairers among the most dangerous jobs in the country, and for good reason. Laboring high in the air wearing heavy equipment and working directly with high voltage creates the perfect storm of a dangerous and unforgiving profession. But electric lineworkers are up to the task. These brave men and women are committed to safety, as well as the challenges of the job.

TCEC Staff

Julius Hackett, Chief Executive Officer

Jeff Brewer, Vice President of Engineering

Eileen Herndon, Vice President of Corporate Services

John Tuten, Vice President of Operations

Wendell Williams, Vice President of Finance

Tri-County Electric Cooperative Rural Living, the voice of your member-owned electric cooperative, is published bimonthly — more if necessary — at no subscription cost to the membership. The publication team is comprised of TCEC employees. Postage is paid at Tallahassee, Fla.

Publication Team

Julius Hackett, Chief Executive Officer

Eileen Herndon, Vice President of Corporate Services

Kaitlynn Culpepper, Community Relations Director

Publisher

Joanna Forrester

Printed on Responsibly Forested Paper

Tri-County Electric Cooperative 2862 West US 90 Madison, FL 32340 www.tcec.com 1-800-999-2285

Tri-County Electric Cooperative’s (TCEC) lineworkers are responsible for keeping power flowing day and night, regardless of national holidays, vacations, birthdays, weddings, or other important family milestones. Beyond the years of specialized training and apprenticeships, it takes internal fortitude and a mission-oriented outlook to be a good lineworker. In fact, this serviceoriented mentality is a hallmark characteristic of lineworkers. The job requires lineworkers to set aside their personal priorities to better serve their local community.

Family Support System

To perform their jobs successfully, lineworkers depend on their years of training, experience and each other to get the job done safely.

Equally important is their reliance on a strong support system at home. A lineworker’s family understands and supports their loved one’s commitment to the greater community during severe storms and power outages.

This means in times of prolonged outages, the family and their lineworker may have minimal communication and not see each other for several days. Without strong family support and understanding, this challenging job would be all the more difficult.

Community Commitment

In our rural communities and across the country, electric co-op lineworkers’ mission-focused mentality of helping others often extends beyond their commitment to their work at the co-op. Lineworkers are often familiar figures in the community. They can be found coaching youth sports teams, volunteering for local charities and serving on local advisory boards.

On page 4 of this newsletter, you will read about TCEC’s very own lineman, Seth Ragans, who volunteered to work on a project with other Florida linemen to bring power to a village in Guatemala this past December.

Thank You

Monday, April 18 is Lineworker

Appreciation Day. Given the dedication of TCEC’s lineworkers, both on and off the job, I encourage you to take a moment and acknowledge the many contributions they make to our local community. And if you see their family members in the grocery store or out and about in town, please offer them a thank you as well.

Board Meetings

The regular monthly meeting of the Board of Trustees of Tri-County Electric Cooperative, Inc. will be held the second Monday of each month at 3:00 p.m. in the central office building of the Cooperative located at 2862 West US 90, approximately two miles west of the City of Madison.

Julius Hackett, CEO

Bobby Dodd President Donnie Waldrep Vice President George Webb Secretary/Treasurer District

Junior Smith District 1 Catherine Bethea District 5

Johnny Edwards District 8 John Cruce District 9

Ann Herring District 6

Benny Bishop District 7

Connect, powered by Tri-County Electric Cooperative, delivers all-fiber broadband service to first co-op member!

Taylor County resident gains access to up to 2 Gbps internet

TCEC and Conexon Connect, the internet service provider arm of rural fiber-optic network design and construction management leader, Conexon, are pleased to announce the connection of their first customer to gigabit-speed internet.

A connection to the Connect, powered by TCEC, fiber broadband network means rural North Florida residents now have access to Connect’s 2 Gbps service internet that is among the fastest and most robust in the nation.

Steinhatchee resident Jeff Tucker and his wife were the first TCEC members to have the fiber internet service installed in their home. Tucker who operates an e-commerce business from his home, will now be able to take advantage of everything that a reliable broadband connection has to offer.

“I can stream a movie, surf the internet and not one sign of a slowdown” says Tucker. “A truly awesome service by great people at Conexon & Tri-County Electric Co-op. A huge thank you to everyone involved.”

“Recognizing the need for reliable internet service, TCEC in partnership with Conexon has worked diligently throughout this project, and we will continue our efforts until all of our members are connected,” said TCEC CEO, Julius Hackett. “Thank you all for your support, enthusiasm, and patience throughout this process.”

The project is expected to be completed within two to three years and together, TCEC and Conexon Connect are investing approximately $65 million to build the network. The network is designed for quality, reliable, sustainable, high-speed internet service that can be built efficiently and safely. Connect, powered by TCEC’s Broadband network will become widely available as network construction crews continue to work in all counties TCEC serves, throughout the duration of construction and installation. The Broadband service offers three internet plans to choose from to meet various customer needs and will be available to members with no data caps, contracts, or required bundles. Connect has three internet plan offerings, starting at $49.95 a month, with installation and equipment included during the projects construction phases.

To check availability and sign up for service, visit ConexonConnect.com or call 1-844-542-6663. Follow Connect Powered by TCEC on Facebook.

And as always you can reach out to the cooperative at 850.973.2285 for assistance.

Tri-County Electric Cooperative representatives, Conexon employees, County Commissioners and others joined Jeff Tucker, of Steinhatchee, in celebrating his connection to gigabit-speed internet with Conexon Connect powered by Tri-County Electric Cooperative.

POWERING GUATEMALA

TCEC Lineman, Seth Ragans, joins crew to bring electricity to remote village.

The Holiday season was made much sweeter with the return of TCEC Journeyman Lineman Seth Ragans, after almost 3 weeks in Guatemala, carrying forth the mission of NRECA International. Seth and a team of linemen from Florida’s Electric Cooperative’s worked tirelessly in the small remote village of Guishoro in Jalapa, to bring reliable, safe electric service to 22 Guatemalan families who may have always gone without. The team built miles of powerlines, installed transformers, fuses and more along the mountainous terrain.

Between the long days of work and the many challenges they overcame, one thing they learned is a smile is a smile in any language. The memories and experiences will have a lasting impact on the team.

A few days were spent wiring each home with lights and electrical outlets as well. The villagers assisted with right-of-way clearing and the children brightened each day with their abundance of joy and curiosity.

When the work was done and the lights shined brightly from each home, a celebration was held for the villagers, the Florida Electric Cooperative team, as well as local government and municipality representatives. Kaitlynn Culpepper, TCEC Community Relations Director, attended the celebration and inauguration ceremony, witnessing firsthand the impact of this project and overall mission.

Each family was gifted with a small appliance, Christmas presents for all children and a gift basket of supplies for each home, with funds donated in part by TCEC employees.

TCEC was honored to be a part of Powering Guatemala, a sunshine state project.

For over 50 years, NRECA International has provided safe, reliable power to over 160 million people in 45 countries. Florida’s Electric Cooperative employees joined in the effort to increase that number and most importantly to change lives.

A special ‘Thank You’ to Seminole Electric Cooperative, Inc. for their work in organizing this project for Florida Electric Cooperatives.

“I am so impressed that the team was able to come in here and adapt their work and understand the challenges, and overcome those challenges, despite the conditions. That just demonstrates how dedicated our team has been. I appreciate our volunteers who were willing to step forward and be the first Florida International team, it takes a lot of courage, it takes a lot of enthusiasm, and it’s a big responsibility. Every single person not only brought that volunteering spirit, but they stepped up and worked together as a cohesive team. I can see the friendships, and I can see the respect, and this inaugural trip is going to be really special for all the participants,” said Seminole CEO, Lisa Johnson.

“Anytime you can see a little kid light up and smile, that’s medicine for the soul” – Seth Ragans

Team Florida has a Facebook page with pictures, video, and posts with the team members from throughout the trip – it is called “Powering Guatemala” and can be accessed here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/powering/.

Capital Credits: TCEC Refunds $712,110 to Members

TCEC’s Board of Trustees voted to refund $712,110 to TCEC members in Capital Credits in December 2022. More than 4,000 refunds were issued. Active account holders due less than $25 received a credit on their December 2022 electric bill, and those due $25 or more, received a check.

This year’s Capital Credit refund represents 50% of our members’ Capital Credit accounts from 1995. Refunds are based on the amount of electricity each member purchased that year, so refund amounts vary in proportion to the amount of electricity each member used during 1995.

As a not-for-profit cooperative electric utility, TCEC allocates its margins (the revenues earned in excess of the cost of doing business) to its members in the form of Capital Credits. Since December, more than 100 of these checks have been returned by the post office due to incorrect address information.

TCEC wants to make every effort to return this money to its rightful owners. We have listed on the following page, names of consumers whose checks were undeliverable. Maybe you received your check in the wrong name, or the name of a deceased member. If you recognize a name and can provide an up-to-date address, please call us at 800.999.2285 or visit our website at www.tcec.com/capital-credits.com.

Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.

HOW DO CAPITAL CREDITS WORK?

At the end of the year, your co-op completes financial matters and determines whether there are excess revenues, called margins.

Your co-op allocates the margins to members as capital credits based upon their use of electricity during the year.

the co-op’s financial condition permits, your board of directors/trustees decides to retire, or pay, the capital credits.

$9,842,570.53

4.

2.

3.

5. to members since 2013.

1.

ADAMS, TERESA L

ALEXANDER, EUNICE

ALEXANDER, R L

ALLEN, LILLIAN

BARFUSS, EDITH M

BATTEY, EDNA M

BELLAMY, ADA B

BELTRAN, ALEJANDRO

BENNETT, ROBERT M

BLALOCK, DARRELL R

BOKULICH, JOSEPH A

BOWEN, ELIZABETH B

BROWN, ERIC & KENYA

BROWN, GEORGE

BURNETTE, SHAWN D

BURROUGHS, CINDY

CAMERO, ROBERTO

CANNON, J W

COLEMAN, JOHN

CONN, W T

COOKSEY, J A

COOPER, SHERRY L

CRUCE, CAROLYN

DENNY, RUSSELL

DIBLER, KATHY

DUFF, TABITHA

DYER, J ALLEN

ERVIN, GINA

FINKELL, JOHN R

FLOWERS, CHRISTINA E

GALLON BESSIE LEE

GARCIA, JUAN & MARCIE FERNS

GISSENDANNER, DOREATHA J

GREESON, CHARLES E

HALL, WILLIAM F

HAMILTON, INEZ G

HANDEX OF FLORIDA INC

HARRELL, G R (REV)

HARRINGTON, CONNIE

HARRIS, JOANNE

HICKS, JON MICHAEL

HILLIARD, TIM H

HOBBIE, LARI GAILE

HOLLIS, WESLEY

HOOKS, CATHERINE

HOY, NORA R

HUGHES, MARTIN III

HUNTER, SHIRLEY FAY

HYDE, MONA

JADASZEWSKI, ERIC & JEANNE

JARVIS, ROBERT

JIMENEZ, JESUS C JOHNSON, WENDY JONES, PAUL JONES, RICHARD C

KING, RONNIE

KINSEY, JIMMY KNOWLES, LESTER O

KRAMER, PAULA

LARSON, DENESHIA W

LEE, LINDA S

LEWIS, MICHAEL D

LLOYD WATERWORKS AUTH INC

LUSH, CARLTON R

LYLE, SAMUEL H

LYTLE, RICK E

MAD DOG DESIGN & CONST CO

MADYUN, ANJAIL H

MATHENY, RONALD N

MCCULLOUGH, AUGUST R JR

MCKNIGHT, DANIEL J

MCLEOD, MICHEL

MESSINGER, VERN J

MILLER, KATHY L

MILLER, ROBERT & KELLEY

MILLER, WANDA

MOBLEY, TINA M

MOCK, PEGGY J

MONACO, JOHN T

MOORE, BURTON

MYERS, KELLY I

NESBITT, JENNIFER M

NEVINS, CYNTHIA

RADO, KEVIN

REAVES, GLENDA

REBOZO, DIANNE

ROBERSON, DOROTHY

SADLER, CHARLES O JR

SALLS RANCH

SAWYER, ROBIN

SCHIPPERS, PAUL

SCHMIDT, BARBARA A

SCHOPP, ROGER

SEARS, GREG C

SELLERS, CAROL L

SELPH, BILL W

SHAW, EDDIE

SIMMONS, RICKY

SIMPSON, VIRGINIA C

SIPLIN, RICHARD W

SMITH, HARRIET

SNIPES, ERIC A

SOUTHERN MAGNOLIA CORP

SPROUSE, TOM

STEPP, SHANNON

SUTTON, CAROLYN

SWAIN, JEFF L

SWITZER, WALTER G

TAYLOR, FRANCIEN M

TAYLOR, VICKI R

U S POST OFFICE, SHADY GROVE

UHL, CHRISTOPHER

VAUGHN, CHARLES

WALKER, GREG

WALLER, CARMEN

WASHINGTON, MARY

WELL SPRINGS HOME HEALTH

CARE

WESCOTT, DUANE E

WEST, MAXINE

WILKINS, FRANKIE LEE

WILKINSON, CAROL

ORTEGA, MANUELA I

PADGETT, EVA

PATE, VAN PENNINGTON, TERRY R JR

PIERCE, EDWIN W

PIGG, JAMES E

PINELLO, ROBERT

PITTS, CYNTHIA DUNAWAY

PRANGE, CATHMAR S

WILLIAMS, EDGAR E JR

WILLIAMS, LAMAR

WILSON, JULIA H

WILSON, RONALD C & DEBRA

WINDHAM BILLY G & JOANN

WOODS, SUSAN

WYNN, KENNETH E

YOUMANS, MARTHA

Is Solar Right For You?

Tri-County Electric Cooperative is seeing a rise in the number of solar installs and we want to continue to be a trusted source of information. With over 100 systems installed throughout our territory we have compiled tons of data from the solar usage of our members and want to use that information as a resource to continue helping members make the best decision for their household.

The 3 most popular sizes members are installing are small (0-5 kW DC), medium (6-10 kW DC), and large (11-15 kW DC) with the most popular being the medium (6-10 kW) system. Interconnected service uses net metering, which routes power through a single meter that measures the TCEC delivered electricity you receive and subtracts the amount of electricity exported by your equipment. This saves you the expense of purchasing an additional meter and allows you to receive a credit for any surplus electricity generated by your equipment.

The credit is reflected on your monthly bill towards your usage that month. If a member generates more than they use throughout the year, TCEC will purchase any excess energy generated at Seminole Electric Cooperative’s avoided costs. The average credit members are receiving on their electric bills shown as GREEN POWER GENERATION is $18.75, $40.17, and $63.02 per month for the small, medium, and large PV systems respectively.

How do you know if solar energy is right for you? Here are the factors to consider when adding solar panels to your home.

First, solar works well in all parts of the country. The key is to ensure that the system is sized correctly for your location and climate.

Some people wonder if a south-facing roof is a must. South-facing is best, but east- and west-facing roofs work well too. North-facing roofs aren’t really worth installing solar panels.

Does your roof have to be new? Solar panels can last for 25 years or longer. So, while your roof doesn’t need to be brand new, it should be in good shape before installing panels on top of it.

What types of roofs can support solar panels? Most popular types of roofing (such as vinyl membrane, concrete/clay tile and asphalt) work great, but wood shake roofs present too many challenges to make a good surface. Also, if your roof isn’t ideal, it’s also possible to mount panels on a ground-mount racking system instead.

The last thing to think about is obstructions. Shade on even small portions of a solar panel can dramatically reduce its output. Make sure there isn’t too much shade on your roof from buildings or trees.

Remember, a reputable solar installation company will offer you a free assessment and estimate so you’ll know for sure whether solar is right for your home.

Old-Fashioned Banana Cream Pie

Recipe courtesy of Taste of Home

Ingredients

• 1 cup cold 2% milk

• 1 package (3.4 ounces) instant vanilla pudding mix

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 carton (12 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed, divided

• 1 graham cracker crust (9 inches)

• 2 medium firm bananas, sliced

• Additional banana slices, optional

Directions

1. In a large bowl, whisk milk, pudding mix and vanilla for 2 minutes (mixture will be thick). Fold in 3 cups whipped topping.

2. Pour 1-1/3 cups pudding mixture into pie crust. Layer with banana slices and remaining pudding mixture. Top with remaining whipped topping. If desired, garnish with additional banana slices. Refrigerate until serving.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”

1 Peter 1:3

All Tri-County Electric Cooperative offices will be closed Friday, April 7, 2023 in observance of Good Friday. We will have standby crews available for power restoration if needed. Please see “Connect to your Co-op”.

Holiday Schedule Reminder