A Pennsylvania electric cooperative has continued its quest to promote healthy, abundant tree growth in its service area by helping local schoolchildren celebrate Arbor Day.

Adams Electric’s Rich Redding explains safe tree planting techniques to fourth graders in rural Pennsylvania. (Photo By: Duane Kanagy)

Adams Electric Cooperative, Gettysburg, joined with a national forestry group to distribute nearly 1,700 evergreen tree seedlings to students at elementary and middle schools in its Shippensburg district.

Co-op officials personally handed out seedlings to fourth graders at the Shippensburg Intermediate School, along with safe planting instructions. Strathmeyer Forest Inc., an Adams Electric member business in Dover, donated the seedlings.

Rich Redding, line superintendent, “explained to the kids not to plant the trees near electric lines because the trees can grow to be 40-50 feet tall,” said Duane Kanagy, manager of communications and community services at the co-op.

The tree giveaway was conducted through Fourth Grade Foresters USA, a national initiative that encourages students to beautify their communities and improve the environment by planting trees. The school outreach helped the co-op meet its Tree Line USA membership requirements.

Several electric co-ops are members of Tree Line USA. Those utilities “are recognized for their commitment to providing safe, efficient service, while helping protect and preserve community trees,” Kanagy said.

Over the next two years, Adams Electric plans to donate trees to schools in its two other service districts.

That would sit well with Fourth Grade Foresters, which has handed out more than 279,000 trees since 2007 to schools nationwide, with help from local businesses.

“This project is made possible because community businesses like Adams Electric cover the cost of each individually packaged evergreen tree, so there is no cost to the students, the school or the taxpayer,” said Debra Ersch, co-founder of Fourth Grade Foresters.

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NEW ORLEANS—With a rate increase on the horizon, Hoosier Energy decided it would be best to come up with a plan to explain energy issues and share ways for members to control energy costs.

NRECA CEO Glenn English (right) presents the 2012 Chesnutt Award to Chris Tryba of Hoosier Energy. (Photo By: Michael W. Kahn)

The result was “Team Up To Power Down,” a communications plan so impressive it earned the electric cooperative the 2012 Edgar F. Chesnutt Award for Best Total Communications Program.

The Bloomington, Ind.-based G&T received the award May 16 at Connect 2012. NRECA CEO Glenn English made the presentation to Chris Tryba, communications manager at Hoosier Energy.

“On behalf of Hoosier Energy, I’m deeply honored and proud to receive the Chesnutt Award, which holds a special place among co-op communicators,” said Tryba.

“Team Up To Power Down” included a wide range of communications, including magazine and newsletter articles, Facebook postings and videos.

Hoosier Energy serves 18 distribution co-ops, and held two sessions with communicators from those co-ops, who would bring the message to their members. One of the Chesnutt award judges described Hoosier Energy’s teamwork concept and detailed plan as having “the precision of a military headquarters preparing for battle.”

The Chesnutt award is the highest honor bestowed through the Spotlight on Excellence Awards program. Its namesake is Edgar F. Chesnutt who, for more than a quarter century, was manager of corporate communication at Arkansas Electric Cooperatives until his death in 1987.

“Through his professionalism and passion,” Tryba said, “he continues to inspire us to a higher level of effective communication to this day.”

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The Smart Grid Interoperability Panel’s efforts should remain focused on what its title suggests—serving as a “traffic cop” to help keep the interoperability standards development process running smoothly, NRECA advised the group.

NRECA has cautioned smart grid interoperability panel against “mission creep” as deployment proceeds. (Photo By: trotsche)

Conversely, the panel must avoid inappropriate expansion of its mission—becoming “an aggressive advocate of all things smart grid,” the association cautioned in recent comments. NRECA’s views were offered in response to the “2.0 Business Sustainment Plan” crafted by a panel working group.

However, such “mission creep” is exactly what the proposed plan suggests, emphasized Jay Morrison, NRECA vice president, regulatory issues.

The blueprint would give the interoperability panel, which has been a “respected, neutral, technical standard coordinator,” such additional responsibilities as advising regulators on the “proper” economic analyses to ensure smart grid implementation and deployment.

Marketing and selling functions—NRECA’s comments wondered whether they would include hawking golf shirts—would be added, to compensate for the expected loss of federal funding. A “particularly egregious” tiered pay-to-play fee structure would be piled on.

Only those who made the highest financial contributions to the organization would have voting rights, board representation, and board committee eligibility going forward. It would result “in a decision-making process that is not open, balanced, inclusive or fair,” the association warned.

To avoid this result, NRECA recommended referring back to 2007’s Energy Independence and Security Act. That act tasked the panel with assisting in development of an interoperability framework, not becoming “a smart grid trade association trying to be both an aggressive advocate … and a respected neutral, technical standards coordinator.”

Accordingly, the association recommended that the proposed business sustainment plan be reworked. The panel’s focus, it specified, should be limited to coordinating development of information management standards to achieve interoperability of smart grid devices and systems.

“SGIP must remain an enabler, not an advocate—or it will not remain an acceptable body for coordinating standards,” NRECA underscored.

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NEW ORLEANS—Electric cooperative communicators are frontline soldiers in the fight to gain the grassroots support of members, NRECA CEO Glenn English told more than 600 communicators gathered here for Connect 2012.

NRECA CEO Glenn English told co-op communicators they must keep members informed and engaged. (Photo By: Michael W. Kahn)

Speaking at the May 16 opening session, English told the communicators they “hold the future of this program in your hands.” To ensure its continued success, they must make members aware that co-ops “are unique, and special, and different.”

“We’ve got to make sure that they understand that we have their interests at heart,” English said. “We’re there to benefit them. That’s our whole job.”

But English warned that there’s currently a “disconnect” between what America’s electric co-ops are doing and what their 42 million members are aware of. He urged communicators to close that gap—noting that there are other forces “working contrary” to member interests.

“In order for us to have the kind of potential that that 42 million has in the way of political strength, they’ve got to understand about their co-op,” he said.

English acknowledged that it won’t be easy. “We have a very cynical public out there. We’ve got a lot of folks that have lost faith in a whole lot of institutions,” he said.

English also addressed communicators concerned that their efforts might be seen as bragging.

“There’s a heck of a difference between bragging and informing,” he said, noting that Cooperative Principle No. 5 is Education, Training and Information.

“According to the Cooperative Principles, every cooperative has the responsibility to keep the membership informed.”

And while some managers are reluctant to take on this task, English noted that the impression members have of the co-op is largely formed by its leaders.

“So it is extremely important that the manager be engaged and involved,” he said. “It is the communicator’s job to make sure that the manager has opportunities to tell the story, to carry out his responsibility to Cooperative Principle No. 5, to inform and educate the membership—not just once a year, but as a daily event, constantly looking for ways in which we can engage the membership.”

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Happy signs of life have continued at a nest built by line crews from a North Carolina cooperative last year.

An osprey couple and their young apparently have flown the nest built by a co-op foreman and his crew. (Photo By: Danny Pendergrass)

Heaving huge sighs of relief are Danny Pendergrass, an area foreman in the Macon district office at Halifax EMC, Enfield, and his crew.

Last year, an undetermined number of chicks hatched in the nest, which the crew built as a replacement for an earlier home the osprey parents had made atop a pole and crossarms attached to a 7,200-volt line.

Last month, the pair of ospreys, or fish hawks, returned. In fact, as of a few weeks ago, said Pendergrass, “they’ve laid eggs, hatched, and are already gone. They’ll come back next year.”

The birds’ departure is about a month ahead of time, said Greg Batts, a state wildlife specialist. “Because of the warm winter, the breeding period started earlier. Everything is backed up a month because of it,” he said.

Pendergrass appears to have the touch for this bird of prey. Recently, the situation—power outages caused by an osprey nest atop a 7,200-volt pole—repeated itself on Lake Gaston, about five miles away from last year’s nest.

But unlike last year, when Pendergrass contacted wildlife experts for instructions, he knew what to do. This included building a 3-foot by 3-foot platform atop a 40-foot pole and taking care to rebuild the nest only if there were no eggs in it.

“They were buzzing all around my guys’ heads,” he said. “They were kind of mad we tore down the nest, but I think they were pleased with [the] results afterwards.”

Pendergrass said “it feels good,” knowing that he has helped preserve a species that was once endangered by pesticides and development but is now off the state’s “priority list.”

“A couple of people from the lake area have called to compliment the co-op,” he said. “It gives the co-op some recognition.”

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HOUMA, La.—Nothing brightens up the school day like an assembly, and there’s no one like CFL Charlie to bring a cafeteria full of students to life.

CFL Charlie high fives some of the students at Dularge Middle School. (Photo By: Michael W. Kahn)

The Touchstone Energy® mascot came to Dularge Middle School, May 14, for the first community service project held with the Connect Conference, which this year is in New Orleans.

CFL Charlie brought some of his friends to help spread his energy-efficiency message. His pals included Joe Ticheli, general manager of Houma-based South Louisiana Electric Cooperative Association, which serves the school.

“If you leave the refrigerator door open, it’s going to run more, and you use a lot more electricity, and that costs more money for your parents to pay,” Ticheli told 150 third- to fifth-graders.

Then it was the turn of Alan Shedd, who introduced himself by saying, “I’m an engineer, so I’m going to talk with you about some complicated stuff.”

“Cool!” shouted some of the kids.

“I think it’s cool,” replied Shedd, Touchstone Energy’s director of residential and commercial energy programs. And in terms that didn’t require a Ph.D. to understand, he explained to the youngsters about where electricity comes from and why it’s important not to waste it.

“It saves money and that’s good, because if we don’t spend money on energy we can spend it on other stuff,” Shedd said.

Next came Kristine Jackson, Touchstone Energy director of business development, who picked 10 youngsters from the audience to come up.

“I’m going to ask each of you to tell me three things that you did today that used electricity,” Jackson said.

“Xbox, iPad, TV,” said the first boy she asked.

“TV, microwave and toaster,” answered a girl.

Each student received a coloring book to take home, and Touchstone Energy Super Saver Kits went to each classroom.

Touchstone Energy’s Kristine Jackson talks about saving energy with some Dularge Middle School students. (Photo By: Michael W. Kahn)

Finally, it came time for the special guest to visit. And when he came out, CFL Charlie was greeted by the youngsters like a hero. He walked around the room high fiving, posing for pictures and cheerfully accepting—and returning—hugs. And as he did, Jackson had one last question for the students.

“Is everybody going to save energy?”

The resounding answer: “Yes!”

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Bet you didn’t know they hand out Oscars in McKee, Ky.

McKee Elementary students pose with their Energy Oscar. (Photo By: Jackson Energy Cooperative)

Billy Crystal wasn’t there—after all, it’s 2,200 miles from Hollywood—but these awards are every bit as important as the movie version—perhaps more so.

These are the Energy Oscars, honoring youngsters for the videos they made to promote energy efficiency.

The awards are a partnership of Jackson Energy Cooperative and PRIDE—Personal Responsibility In a Desirable Environment—a regional group promoting environmental issues and energy efficiency.

“They have always had a strong presence in the local schools,” Karen Combs, Jackson Energy’s director of public relations, said of PRIDE.

The co-op wanted to do something in the schools to emphasize energy efficiency, and after some brainstorming the Energy Oscars were born.

“We picked one of our smaller counties, Jackson County, for a pilot program,” Combs said. Each of the four elementary schools there produced a video spotlighting ways to save energy.

While students and teachers wrote the scripts and did the filming, Combs said the co-op’s marketing firm handled the editing, “to kind of put everybody on a level playing field.”

The public was offered the chance to watch and vote on the videos. When the balloting ended, 9,763 votes had been cast.

“We only have about 13,000 residents in the whole county,” Combs laughed. But there were more than 8,000 unique visitors to the video page.

And when it came time for the envelope, please, guess what happened.

“Each school got an Oscar that highlighted something unique from their video,” Combs said.

Just like their motion picture counterparts, the Energy Oscars are expected to return next year.

“It got the kids into energy efficiency,” Combs said, “and hopefully getting their parents to follow some of those tips from the videos.”

Click here to watch the videos.

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In Little Rock, Ark., the pitchy purr of small electric engines has become a tradition of spring and a rite of adolescent passage for some young consumer-members of electric cooperatives.

High school students prepare an electric vehicle for competition at the 2012 Arkansas Electric Vehicle Rally in Little Rock, May 4. (Photo By: AECC)

For the ninth straight year, the city has hosted the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas Electric Vehicle Rally to give students the chance to showcase the knowledge and skills learned throughout the academic year.

The event, sponsored by the Little Rock-based G&T and its 17 member distribution co-ops, brought 182 students and sponsors from 11 schools to the south campus of Pulaski Technical College to compete, May 4.

“In 2003, when we launched the electric vehicle program in Arkansas, the market for electric vehicles was barely at the infancy stage,” said Doug White, vice president of systems services for Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corp. “Today, the technology has evolved to the point of widespread adoption. It has been great to see students in Arkansas be well ahead of the learning curve with this technology.”

The small electric cars resemble go karts. Students began learning how they work and assembling the vehicles from kits at the beginning of the school year.

Teams of students competed in seven categories, including troubleshooting, range/endurance and acceleration. There were also oral presentations, and a quiz bowl, showcasing knowledge and theory.

Three teams from Corning High School took top honors in two categories and placed second in two with one of the teams winning best overall performance. Members of the school’s Electric Vehicle Club then returned to northeast Arkansas, where they disassembled the cars and packed them away so next year’s teams can prepare to compete in 2013.

“The electric vehicle program continues to grow in popularity in Arkansas due to the multi-faceted learning approach it offers students,” said Rob Roedel, Arkansas Electric Cooperatives’ manager of corporate communications. “This type of learning is very beneficial to students as it goes beyond conceptual learning to a realistic-type setting to provide learning in electronics, engineering, math, physics and other academic disciplines.”

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Unusually warm weather turned up the heat on the Tennessee Valley Authority’s quarterly financial results.

TVA is seeing major gains in hydro productions from dams like its Ft. Loudoun facility in Tennessee. (Photo By: TVA)

In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, TVA reported a net loss of $94 million for the three months that ended March 31.

Most of the shortfall came because electricity sales to electric cooperatives, municipal systems and industrial users plummeted by $365 million, or nearly 6 percent, compared with the same period in 2011.

“The good news is that power rates are lower for our customers, in part because of lower fuel costs for TVA,” said Chief Financial Officer John Thomas. “However, with the impact of the milder weather we are now projecting revenues to be 7 percent lower than originally planned for the fiscal year.”

Sales to co-ops and munis decreased by 3 billion kilowatt-hours, largely because of a sharp drop in the number of days customers used heating.

For the quarter, TVA’s operating revenues were $2.6 billion, a falloff of about 12.3 percent from the second quarter of its fiscal 2012 year. TVA’s operating revenues also have decreased by almost 14 percent during the last six months, compared with the same time a year ago.

Thomas said TVA will re-evaluate everything from capital projects to employee travel to find ways to bring its budget in line.

Generation from natural gas-based and hydropower plants was up sharply for the quarter―255 percent and 21 percent, respectively―while coal-based generation decreased 41 percent.

Tom Kilgore, TVA president and CEO, said the power provider will continue to move to more natural gas and nuclear generation as part of its long-term energy mix.

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Here’s an energy-efficiency win-win in Arkansas: consumer-members are answering questions about their homes as they compete for a chance at a makeover that could save them big money.

A contractor installs foam insulation in the attic of the $50,000 Energy Efficiency Makeover Contest-winning home for 2011. (Photo By: AECC)

And the state’s electric co-ops are getting great marketing and member-services mileage out of the contest.

“The Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas are committed to helping our members manage energy consumption,” said Doug White, vice president of systems services for the statewide association and its G&T, Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corp.

The fifth annual $50,000 Energy Home Makeover Contest was launched in Little Rock, May 1. But all 17 of the state’s distribution cooperatives are encouraging members with all-electric homes to look at their energy usage objectively.

“Our goal is to educate members about energy-efficiency components and measures that can help them save energy, live comfortably and reduce their electricity bills,” said White.

The entry forms include questions about the members’ homes and the age of their appliances and heating and cooling equipment. Contestants must also submit a photo of their house.

Since 2007, 64 consumer-members have won energy-efficient water heaters, and four others have received home makeovers worth $50,000 in products and services, said White. “With this year’s contest, we will reach $250,000 in energy efficiency home improvements for contest winners.”

The contest and the winning makeovers get a lot of attention in co-op newsletters, social media, the statewide magazine, Arkansas Living, and in co-op-sponsored advertising campaigns.

“This is a key part of our overall energy efficiency strategy,” said Bret Curry, manager of energy marketing for the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas. “When people make some of the changes and improvements they see in the makeover house, they reap the benefits of more comfortable homes and more manageable utility bills.”

During the past five years, thousands have visited the statewide’s website, or picked up tip sheets and brochures based on the makeovers to pursue their own efficiency improvements, Curry said.

A contractor drills a well for a geothermal heat pump installation outside of the winning home for 2011. (Photo By: AECC)

“When I go into homes with co-op energy advisers, we’ll find compact florescent lamps, areas that have been caulked and sealed, and evidence of other improvements we’ve suggested.”

By the time the 2012 makeover winner is unveiled this autumn, all of Arkansas’s nearly 500,000 co-op consumer-members should know about the Energy Efficiency Makeover Contest, Curry said.

“We’re marketing the campaign in every media market that covers the footprint of Arkansas,” Curry said. “We’re also launching an Arkansas co-op efficiency Facebook page to boost our social media presence.”

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