March 2019 | Volume 81 | Issue 3
PCEC Meets With State Leaders
In February, Platte-Clay Electric Cooperative North District Director Steve Adkins, CEO and General Manager Dave Deihl, Marketing and Communications Manager Jennifer Grossl and Communications Director Garrett Poorman attended the Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives (AMEC) Legislative Conference in Jefferson City.
Platte-Clay used the conference as an opportunity to visit with local legislators and state leaders about a variety of issues facing the co-op and update them on its successes in 2018.
Meetings were held with newly appointed State Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick, State Senator Lauren Arthur, and State Representatives Doug Richey, Ken Wilson, Vic Alred and Mark Ellebracht.
Platte-Clay is proud to participate in AMEC’s Legislative Conference. The cooperative strives to represent the best interest of its members when interacting with elected leaders at all levels – from local officeholders to statewide elected officials.
Among the topics discussed this year were the creation of a lineworker specialty license plate, the revenue from which would go toward lineman training schools. Electric vehicle policy, an issue of particular importance to Platte-Clay due to its electric vehicle charging station, was also discussed.
New Energy Efficiency Programs to Help You Save Money
Dave Deihl, General Manager
From the General Manager
Two billion kilowatt-hours. That’s a lot of energy! In this case, it represents the amount of electricity members like you are projected to save through their investment to date in efficient appliances, light bulbs and equipment installed and rebated through the Take Control & Save (TC&S) energy-efficiency program that is provided by Associated Electric Cooperative (AECI) and local cooperatives like Platte-Clay.
Platte-Clay has been a proud participant of the program by offering rebates for energy efficient products like modernized business lighting, dual fuel heat pumps, ground source heat pumps and others.
Expanding energy generation costs the cooperative system a significant amount of investment. That’s exactly why we consider energy efficiency a generation source. Conservation of existing resources reduces demand and the need for additional infrastructure.
For TC&S’s first 10 years, AECI and participating cooperatives invested more than $61 million in the program. We have seen great results in the form of energy savings for our members – savings which continue to grow. The program is reviewed annually and updated to ensure members’ needs are being met.
As a result, we are rolling out a few new and updated initiatives starting in April.
Five new appliances are available for rebates:
Advanced thermostats – up to $50 rebate for “smart” thermostats that allow you to use your home’s Wi-Fi connection to program your heating and cooling systems for greater efficiency.
Programmable timer for engine block heaters – up to $15 rebate for timers that prevent engine hard-starts.
ENERGY-STAR-rated heat pump water heaters – up to $500 rebate.
High-efficiency commercial and industrial motors – rebates vary for high-efficient motors in commercial and industrial facilities that meet current NEMA premium standards. NEMA stands for National Electrical Manufacturers Association.
Commercial and industrial variable frequency drives for fans and pumps connected to HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) systems – $50 per brake horse power. These drives control the motors to reduce electricity consumption. Drives must be controlled by a device to qualify.
Additionally, two changes will be made to existing programs:
– To qualify for a dual fuel/mini-split heating and cooling system rebate, systems must have a minimum SEER rating of 17 instead of the previous 16.5. SEER measures cooling efficiency.
– Rebates for lighting at new schools and businesses are ending due to the fact that this has become the standard in new construction. However, rebates for existing schools and businesses to make their lighting more efficient continue through the program.
These rebates help improve the sustainability of co-op operations and provide financial relief to our members by discounting the price of energy efficient products up to 50 percent of your total cost.
To learn more about our rebate programs and apply today, visit www.PCEC.coop or call us at 816-628-3121.
Board of Directors Seeks to Make Vacancy Process More Democratic
In the process of working to fill its West District Director vacancy, the Platte-Clay Electric Cooperative Board of Directors discovered unclear language in the by-laws relating to vacancies. In order to improve the transparency of the process, the Board of Directors has proposed a change to the by-laws to be voted on at the 2019 Annual Meeting in May. This proposal, which was reviewed by a focus group comprised of co-op members, strengthens the democratic process by allowing members to vote on who should fill a vacancy when one occurs.
Old By-Laws
Article IV, Section 6:
Subject to the provisions of these Bylaws with respect to the filing of vacancies caused by the removal of directors by the members, a vacancy occurring in the Board of Directors shall be filled by the affirmative vote of a majority of the remaining directors for the unexpired portion of the term.
Article IV, Section 2:
For the purpose of equitable representation of the members, the Board of Directors shall at all times be composed of three members from each of the following…
Proposed Amendment
Article IV, Section 6:
Except as otherwise provided in these Bylaws, if a vacancy occurs on the Board of Directors, the vacancy shall be filled:
(1) By an affirmative vote of the majority of remaining Directors, and within a reasonable time of a Director position becoming vacant, the Board shall fill a vacant Director position, until the next Annual Member Meeting, at which time the Members must elect a new Director to fill the unexpired Director Term of the previously vacant Director position.
(2) An individual elected or appointed to fill a vacant Director position must comply with the Director Qualifications. Except as otherwise provided in these Bylaws, and as used in this Bylaw, “vacant Director position” and “Directory vacancy” do not include Director positions vacated due to an expired Director Term.
Article IV, Section 2:
For the purpose of equitable representation of the members, the Board of Directors shall be composed of three members from each of the following…
Board Corner: Promoting Good Stewardship of Environmental Resources
Debi Koechner
Board President
As directors, we invest a significant amount of time and energy into this issue by making sure the cooperative remains a good steward of environmental resources while keeping energy prices affordable for the members who rely on our services. Achieving that balance comes with complex challenges, but we have made significant progress in recent years that is worth noting.
As an electric power distribution cooperative, Platte-Clay relies on Associated Electric Cooperative Incorporated (AECI) out of Springfield, Missouri for its power generation needs. Working with PCEC and Missouri’s many other distribution cooperatives, AECI has implemented environmental controls and introduced renewable resources to reduce its environmental footprint.
In fact, AECI has spent more than $1.1 billion to reduce emissions since 1994. During that time, they have seen a 65 percent to 90 percent reduction in sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and mercury emissions despite increasing electricity demand. Part of this strategy has included adding low-emissions natural gas plants, carbon-free wind power and energy efficiency to its coal, gas and hydropower resources while keeping electricity affordable for member-cooperatives like Platte-Clay. AECI plans to continue this effort by expanding its wind energy production from the current 750 MW to around 1,000 MW, marking even more progress for the cooperative system.
In addition to coordinating emission reduction efforts with our power generation co-op, Platte-Clay also takes independent steps toward a greener future. In 2015, the board approved the building of a community solar garden, which now supplies the co-op with clean energy and offers members an opportunity to invest in green solutions. This is in addition to an existing GreenPower program that allows members to purchase 100 percent renewable wind energy for an additional cost of $0.025 per kWh.
Platte-Clay also encourages energy efficiency by offering product rebates and home energy audit services. The Board of Directors supports PCEC staff in looking for new ways to reduce our impact on the environment while encouraging members to do the same.
As technology changes, Platte-Clay has embraced innovation and continued to look ahead toward the next evolution of energy use. Management is currently evaluating strategies for encouraging the utilization of emission-free electric vehicles, which are appearing more frequently in our service territory and are expected to become widespread over the next decade.
Platte-Clay’s Board of Directors is proud to support the progress we have made by working in coordination with our power generator and taking steps to implement environmentally-conscious programs of our own. We expect this success to extend far into the future as we continue to work on behalf of our members to find creative solutions.
Platte-Clay Moments
Platte-Clay staff meet with State Representative Doug Richey during the Association of Missouri Electric Cooperative’s legislative conference in Jefferson City.
(Left) HR Director Cheryl Chandler (29 years) and Staking Engineer Ed Crowley (25 years) celebrate their February 1 retirements. (Right) Platte-Clay holds an all employee meeting to discuss plans for 2019 and learn about what each department is working on.
Review Us On Google
We want to hear what you enjoy about being a Platte-Clay Electric Cooperative member! To add your review, just google “Platte-Clay Electric Cooperative” and click on our google listing to give us a rating and add your feedback.
The Northland Connection is published monthly by Platte-Clay Electric Cooperative, Inc., 1000 W. 92 Highway, Kearney, MO 64060. Postmaster: Please send address changes to: Northland Connection, PO Box 100, Kearney, MO 64060 or mail@pcec.coop.
Platte-Clay is an equal opportunity employer.