Co-op Hotline - December 2015 Issue

Co-op Hotline

Volume: 10, Issue 6 Southeastern IN REMC Member Newsletter December 2015

Office Hours How much will we pay?

7:30 AM to 4:30 PM (EST) By: Bryan K. Mathews, General Manager
Monday through Friday
The Na onal Rural Electric Coopera ve Associa on serva on, shu ng down coal-fired power sta ons
Contact Information (NRECA), along with 37 genera on and transmis- and inves ng in new natural gas, renewable or
sion coopera ves, on Oct. 23 formally challenged nuclear genera on—all of which would be subject
Local calls: 812-689-4111 the U.S. Environmental Protec on Agency’s (EPA) to EPA review and indirect regula on.
Toll free: 800-737-4111 Clean Power Plan rule in federal court. The ac on,
FAX only: 812-689-6987 filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District Hoosier Energy, our power supplier, has already
To make a payment: 1-888-999-0762 of Columbia, came as the final Clean Power Plan as closed the Ra ’s coal plant due to regulatory com-
Call Before You Dig: 800-382-5544 well as EPA standards for modified sources and a pliance, and now Hoosier Energy may be required
E-mail: [email protected] proposed federal strategy for states that refuse to to reduce or idle the Merom coal plant because of
Website: www.seiremc.com file compliance plans (or submit inadequate ones) regulatory compliance and coop members will be
were published in the Federal Register. required to pay the price.
Board of Directors
Other electric u lity interests, business coali ons, The electric co-ops’ future may depend upon state
Vince Moster - District 1 industry stakeholders and 24 states have joined implementa on plans and how the government
Brad Bentle - District 2 the fight as well. The groups are also asking the administra on decides to deal with “stranded as-
David Smith - District 3 appeals court to prevent “irreparable harm” by sets” – the coal plants that the Clean Power Plan
Carolyn Armstrong - District 4 hal ng implementa on of the regula on while may force to close decades before the end of their
Melissa Menchhofer - District 5 legal wrangling over it proceeds. useful lives, leaving co-op members to pay off huge
Mike Thieman - District 6 debt on plants no longer genera ng electricity.
Darrell Smith - District 7 NRECA has stated “The Clean Power Plan goes
Bonnie Boggs - District 8 far beyond what EPA is authorized to do and will Unless stayed, the Clean Power Plan becomes law
Chris Schmaltz - District 9 impact our na on’s electric system and as a result on Dec. 23.
of this regulatory overreach, coopera ve-served
facebook.com/SEINREMC members and businesses will be saddled with Southeastern will con nue to promote energy
higher energy bills that will drag down the econo- efficient homes, demand response units with bill
twitter.com/SEIREMC my.” credits, residen al rebates for hea ng and cooling
systems, home energy audits, and other programs
Publishing Information The final Clean Power Plan for exis ng fossil fuel- to promote safe, reliable and cost effec ve ways to
fired power plants, falling under Sec on 111(d) provide electric service to our members.
Co-op Hotline is published of the federal Clean Air Act, calls for a 32 percent
bimonthly for the members cut na onally in greenhouse gas emissions (from How much will we pay? This is a great ques on
of Southeastern Indiana Rural 2005 levels) by 2030. NRECA argues EPA lacks legal that only me will tell.
Electric Membership Corporation, authority to enforce the rule. In addi on, states are
a consumer owned utility, 712 unable to meet the cuts without manda ng con-
South Buckeye Street, Osgood,
Indiana 47037. Periodicals postage

paid at Seymour, IN

Co-op Hotline, December 2015 - Page 1

2016 DIRECTOR NOMINATING COMMITTEE SELECTED

At the November mee ng of the board of directors, A director serves on a part- me basis for a three year
nomina ng commi ee members represen ng districts term, a ends mee ngs locally, statewide and na onally
4, 5 and 9 were approved. These individuals serve a to keep abreast of legisla on and industry issues as it ef-
very important role for the REMC by selec ng qualified fects the rural electric coopera ve.
director candidates from each representa ve district to
be voted upon by you, the member, at the 2016 Annual A candidate must be a member residing in the district and
Mee ng. must possess the qualifica ons for director as specified in
Sec on 3 of Ar cle IV of the corporate bylaws.
A majority vote of the nomina ng commi ee shall be
required to nominate a candidate and no member of the If you are interested in serving your REMC as a director
commi ee shall be eligible to be nominated as a candi- from your district, please contact a nomina ng commit-
date for director. tee member in your district who will provide you with
details on director qualifica ons, me commitment and
compensa on. The deadline for nomina ons is January
15, 2016.

Southeastern Indiana REMC is comprised of 9 director districts and the director terms last (3) years.
The three board districts to be voted upon by the membership are as follows:

District 4 – Comprised of all mem- District 5 – Comprised of all mem- District 9 – Comprised of all mem-
bers residing in Jackson, Johnson,
bers residing in Center, Hogan and bers residing in Cass, Pike, and Union Franklin, Center, Delaware and Wash-
Washington townships in Dearborn townships in Ohio County; Caesar ington townships in Ripley County.
County; Randolph township in Ohio Creek township in Dearborn County; The district 9 nomina ng commit-
County; and Posey and York townships and Brown, Shelby, and O er Creek tee members include Charlie Baylor,
in Switzerland County. The district townships in Ripley County. The dis- chairperson (812-654-3669), Kay
4 nomina ng commi ee members trict 5 nomina ng commi ee mem- Bean (812-654-1724), and Ray Baur-
include Tammy Elbright, chairperson bers include Dave Osborne, chairper- ley (812-654-3912).
(812-584-2312), Pam McClure (812- son (812-621-1248), Arlene Knudson
438-3280), and Jamie Bell (812-584- (812-621-0577), and Michele Speer
3358). (812-689-7282).

SAVE THE DATE Plan now to attend!

77th Annual
Meeting

March 19, 2016

Jac-Cen-Del High School
4586 U.S. 421, Osgood, IN 47037

Page 2 - Co-op Hotline, December 2015

What would life be like without electric co-ops?

By Adam Schwartz

In the holiday movie classic, “It’s a Wonderful Life” the lead character, George Bailey (played by Jimmy Stewart),
wishes he had never been born due to financial troubles he is experiencing. Through the help of an Angel, he sees
how many lives would have been nega vely affected if he didn’t exist. George comes to realize that, even with his
problems, he has a wonderful life with great friends and family.

So what do you think life would be like if community leaders had not founded Southeastern Indiana REMC 76 years
ago?

Living in the U.S. in 2015, it is nearly impossible to imagine life without electricity. So many of our modern convenienc-
es that improve the quality of our lives are dependent on electricity as the “fuel” to make them work. From the alarm
clock that wakes us up, to the refrigerator that keeps our morning milk cold and fresh. From the HVAC unit that keeps
us cool in the summer and warm in the winter, to the vacuum that lets us clean more efficiently and all those kitchen
appliances that save us me and physical energy. Of course, so much of our entertainment, whether it comes from the
TV, radio or computer, depends on the kilowa -hours that your electric co-op provides. Just think, there would be no
smartphones or cell phones if there were no electricity.

Businesses of all kinds rely on electricity to produce and sell the products we need. So, it is no wonder that many elec-
tric co-ops feel that, while our primary product is electricity, we are really in the quality of life business.

As we celebrate the season that reminds us to be thankful for all that we have, it is important to remember the 1.3 bil-
lion people in the world that s ll live without reliable electric service. That is equal to about four mes the U.S. popu-
la on!

Many of the things we take for granted living in the U.S. are much harder and more me consuming for people in
developing countries around the world. We are proud members of the Na onal Rural Electric Coopera ve Associa on
(NRECA) that is working through their affiliate, NRECA Interna onal, and the NRECA Interna onal Founda on to help
bring power to people in developing countries like Hai and Liberia. (h p://www.nreca.coop/it-starts-with-power/)

We are thankful that our community ancestors right here had the vision and foresight to do for ourselves what needed
to be done, gathering our friends and neighbors to form our electric co-op. As the electric business of the 21st century
con nues to evolve, you can count on Southeastern Indiana REMC to meet all of your electric energy needs. More
importantly, we are here to help improve the quality of your wonderful life.

Adam Schwartz is the founder of The Coopera ve Way a consul ng firm that helps co-ops succeed. He is an author,
speaker and member-owner of the CDS Consul ng Co-op. You can follow him on Twi er @adamcoopera ve or email
him at aschwartz@thecoopera veway.coop

Co-op Hotline, December 2015 - Page 3

LEDs for the Holidays

By Tom Tate

“LED, LED, LED’” (imagine this being chanted the way “USA” is the main structural element. Imagine the possibilities!
at the Olympics.) While LEDs won’t necessarily anchor a relay to
victory, they are most certainly the current champions when it comes Now if that isn’t enough for your holiday pleasure, how about wear-
to energy-efficient lighting. So, let’s discuss using LEDs for your holi- ing some holiday LED bling? Yes, the tacky (but ever so popular)
day decorating enjoyment. holiday tie with tiny lights that illuminate has been around for years.
But, combine the advances in LEDs with conductive paints and micro
When I was a kid, we enjoyed decorating with large painted incandes- controllers like the Arduino or Raspberry Pi and you can create some
cent bulbs. My dad would hang them around the front door, and we’d truly memorable fashions for the holidays. Just imagine the sensation
deck out the tree with a couple of strings. They were glorious! And you can cause at the office holiday party arriving in a coat of many,
hot, posing a real danger when used on a dry tree. many colors. You could even spell out special holiday greetings with
the proper display or simply glow all night long.
Fast-forward a couple of decades, and the energy conservation move-
ment created a demand for more efficient options. Enter the mini Don’t worry about needing clunky power supplies or treacherous
incandescent light strings. These are still widely used today and dra- extension cords to keep your fashion style illuminated. These displays
matically reduced the power consumed by their predecessors. sip electricity from batteries like a fine wine. Just be sure to turn your-
self off before driving home.
As is true in our technological age, manufacturers didn’t stop looking
for even more efficient alternatives. This led to the introduction of Two of my favorite sources for such goodies are www.sparkfun.com
LED lights. The first incarnations generated less than appealing garish and www.adafruit.com (click the “wearables” link on both sites).
blues, greens and reds but quickly softened into a more eye-pleasing
spectrum. Today, LEDs are the undisputed champs of holiday lighting. You have worked hard all year to reduce your energy consumption to
save money and slim down your carbon footprint. Now reward your-
You could literally wrap your home in LED light strings, become self with a splendid holiday display that will be the envy of all who
visible to the International Space Station and still have a pleasantly see it while still being miserly with power use.
manageable power bill at the end of it all. Now there is no reason to
let concerns over cost of operation limit your decorating genius. Tom Tate writes on cooperaƟve issues for the NaƟonal Rural Electric
CooperaƟve AssociaƟon, the Arlington, Va.-based service arm of the
LEDs are also showing up in other forms and places. They are avail- naƟon’s 900-plus consumer-owned, not-for-profit electric coopera-
able in clear tubes that you can wrap around objects for extra interest Ɵves.
(the tubes glow), and many yard figures are constructed with these as

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Co-op Hotline, December 2015 - Page 5

Page 6 - Co-op Hotline, December 2015

Co-ops plan for the rise of natural gas as a fuel for electricity

By Paul Wesslund

One of the major changes going on in the U.S. electric last May.
u lity industry today is that coal, which was once
the dominant fuel source for genera ng electricity, is That changing genera on trend results primarily from the
increasingly being replaced by natural gas. Electric co- steep drop in natural gas prices in the last several years.
ops are watching to make sure that new genera ng But it is also partly due to the greater opera ng flexibility
resource mix doesn't hurt the reliability and affordability of smaller and less expensive natural gas plants compared
of electricity. with coal-fired plants. Environmental regula ons also
increasingly favor natural gas because of that fuel’s lower
“We’re not going to completely turn away from one fuel carbon emissions rates.
and focus on another,” says Mike Casper, Senior Manager,
Genera on and Fuels for the Na onal Rural Electric There are benefits to a diverse fuel mix. Coal-fired power
Coopera ve Associa on. “We need a diverse por olio of plants have long provided reliable, low-cost electricity.
fuels to maintain reliable and affordable electricity.” Natural gas prices have tradi onally been very vola le
over the last few decades. Also, increased use of natural
The a en on to this issue by electric co-op leaders results gas could require significant expansion of the natural gas
from a recent trend in which coal, which generated 52 pipeline system.
percent of the na on’s electricity as recently as 15 years
ago, is being replaced rela vely quickly by natural gas. By NRECA policy resolu ons call for a diversity of fuels for
May of 2015, coal’s share had fallen to 33 percent of U.S. genera ng electricity, suppor ng “the use of domes c
electricity output. Natural gas, meanwhile, rose from a 16 coal, oil and gas resources, nuclear energy, renewables,
percent share in 2000, nearly doubling to 31 percent by as well as conserva on, energy efficiency, and demand
management.”

Paul Wesslund writes on coopera ve issues for the Na onal Rural Electric Coopera ve Associa on, the Arlington, Va.-
based service arm of the na on’s 900-plus consumer-owned, not-for-profit electric coopera ves.

This holiday season, remember that your co-op cares

The holidays bring many things to mind. Happy mem- ing energy efficiency tips. We help you save driving
ories of seasons past, good food (and expanded waist- time by providing the option to pay your bill online/
lines!), great family and long awaited gifts. And, if you by using our free Smarthub mobile app. We also help
are like me, the holidays bring about thoughts of giving keep your family safe by providing electrical safety
back, spreading love and sharing joy. tips – information that is especially important this time
of year.
Perhaps you commit random acts of kindness like shar-
ing a cup of coffee with a friend in need, or cooking Another great benefit we offer is the Co-op Connec-
and serving food for the hungry. Maybe you give your tions Card. If you haven’t signed up for this program,
time or money to local, national or international chari- I highly recommend checking out the coupons offered
ties. Or perhaps you simply try to embrace the season before you start your holiday shopping. You could save
by showing gratitude and kindness to those around on everything from the gifts you place under the tree to
you. your holiday ham!

However you share your own unique holiday spirit, I hope you see how much we care through the benefits,
know that we here at Southeastern Indiana REMC savings and services we provide, but I also hope you
strive to share our spirit with you. see it in the ways we give back to our community.

We hope you see it reflected in your utility bill. Even We are nothing without our members. We recognize
during the holiday season – when many people are that and understand that we cannot thrive unless you
lighting their homes with festive decorations, or stay- thrive, so we do all we can to make sure that our com-
ing up late entertaining and cooking for family and munity is strong.
friends, we are still working to provide you with the
most affordable electric service. From all of your friends at Southeastern Indiana
REMC, we hope you have a happy holiday season!
We help members keep energy use in check by provid-
Co-op Hotline, December 2015 - Page 7

P.O. Box 196 PRST STD
712 South Buckeye Street U.S. POSTAGE
Osgood, IN 47037
PAID
SEYMOUR, IN
PERMIT NO. 198

Statement of Southeastern Indiana REMC Rebate Program
Nondiscrimination
Electric Water Heaters HVAC systems for mobile homes -
This institution is an equal $50 to $400 Manufactured housing
opportunity provider and $800 to $1,500
All Electric Heat Pump and or Duel Fuel,
employer. Central Air Electric Heating System Checkup
$150 to $750 $50
If you wish to file a Civil
Rights program complaint Geothermal Heat Pump Professionally installed Duct Sealing
of discrimination, complete $1,500 $250 to $500

the USDA Program HVAC systems for traditional or Modular Professionally installed Attic Insulation
Discrimination Complaint homes $250 to $500

Form, found online at $300 to $1,500
http://www.ascr.usda.gov/

complaint_filing_cust.
html, or at any USDA office,

or call (866) 632-9992 to
request the form. You may
also write a letter containing

all of the information
requested in the form. Send
your completed complaint

form or letter by mail to
the U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Director, Office
of Adjudication, 1400
Independence Avenue, S.W.,
Washington, D.C. 20250-
9410, by fax (202) 690-7442
or email at program.intake@

usda.gov.

Page 8 - Co-op Hotline, December 2015