2018 Spotlight on Excellence Awards Northern Electric Cooperative Entry

Northern Electric March 2018 Vol. 18 No. 11

Where Renewable Energy Gets Its Power Page 8-9

Sensing a Healthy Electric Grid Page 12

EDITOR’S COLUMN

Co-ops Are Powering Our Communities

We Are ‘Re-Energizing Rural’ It’s no secret that electricity is what powers our lives in the Upper Midwest. We depend on electricity to light our homes, businesses, and farmyards during the darkest days of winter. We rely on electricity to heat our homes, shops, sheds, and barns on some of the coldest days of the year. And, we don’t think twice about plugging in our smartphones, tablets, or numerous devices to charge on a daily basis. Most of the time we don’t realize how much we rely on electricity until we are left without it during an outage.

Ben Dunsmoor bdunsmoor@northernelectric.coop

Just like when the lights came on more than 70 years ago, electric co-ops continue to work every day to energize and re-energize our rural communities.

When electric cooperatives were first organized in the mid-1940’s farmers and families in rural South Dakota did not have the luxury of electricity. Electric co-ops were formed to bring power to the people living outside the city limits and make daily life on the farm easier. The early founders of South Dakota’s co-ops were responsible for energizing rural living and aiding in the development of the rural lifestyles we know today.

Today, electric co-ops in South Dakota are working to re-energize rural.

‘Re-Energizing Rural’ is the new campaign that is being launched by Northern Electric and the Touchstone Energy Cooperatives in South Dakota and western Minnesota to show members how co-ops are not just providing power to our rural communities, but we are providing support in many other aspects of rural living.

One way, co-ops are re-energizing our rural areas is through the Rural Electric Economic Development (REED) Fund. The REED Fund is a revolving loan fund which is governed by 23 electric cooperatives – including Northern Electric - in South Dakota and western Minnesota. The REED Fund helps finance local projects which promote economic development in our rural areas and enhance the lives of people in rural South Dakota.

Within the last year, Northern Electric has worked with the Frederick Development Corporation to use the REED Fund to finance much-needed fuel pumps along U.S. Highway 281 for travelers who are driving between Aberdeen and North Dakota. The REED Fund also provided crucial financing for the new Boys and Girls Club of the Aberdeen Area building which opened its doors in 2017.

Electric co-ops are also working to re-energize our youth through new programs to engage students to be future leaders in our communities. This year, co-ops in South Dakota and North Dakota are launching the Empower Youth program (read more on page 10-11) to help local high school students discover their strengths and leadership qualities while exposing them to potential future careers. Workforce development has been one of the top issues state leaders have focused on recently and the Empower Youth program is aimed at developing the students of today into the community leaders of tomorrow. This new program promises to offer teens great college and career development opportunities through three fun and collaborative sessions this summer. The registration deadline for Empower Youth is April 18.

Offering advice and energy efficiency tips on using electricity wisely at your home and business are also a few of the many other ways your local cooperative is working to improve service in our rural areas. Just like when the lights came on more than 70 years ago, electric co-ops continue to work every day to energize and re-energize our rural communities.

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Cooperative Connections | March 2018

JANUARY BOARD REPORT

(USPS 396-040)

Board President: Donna Sharp Board of Directors Randy Kienow – Vice President Glen Larson – Secretary Wayne Holt – Treasurer Fran Esser Victor Fischbach Josh Larson Mark Sumption Nolan Wipf CEO/General Manager: Char Hager – info@northernelectric.coop Chief Financial Officer: Cathi Podoll Operations Manager: Mike Kelly Manager of Member Services: Russel Ulmer Manager of Information Technology: Derek Gorecki Communications Director: Ben Dunsmoor bdunsmoor@northernelectric.coop Executive Secretary: Kay Albrecht NORTHERN ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE CONNECTIONS is the monthly publication for the members of Northern Electric Cooperative, PO Box 457, Bath, SD 57427. Families subscribe to Cooperative Connections as part of their electric cooperative membership. The purpose of Northern Electric Cooperative Connections is to provide reliable, helpful information to electric cooperative members on electric cooperative matters and better rural living.

Subscription information: Northern Electric Cooperative members devote 50 cents from their monthly electric payments for a subscription. Non-member subscriptions are available for $12 annually. Periodicals postage paid at Bath, SD 57427.

Postmaster: Please send address changes to Northern Electric Cooperative Connections, PO Box 457, Bath, SD 57427; telephone (605) 225-0310; fax (605) 225-1684

This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer. www.northernelectric.coop facebook.com/NorthernElectricCooperative

Northern Electric Cooperative’s regular board meeting was held January 23 at the headquarters in Bath with all directors present. As the first order of business, the board approved the December 20, 2017, minutes and December expenditures. The board then reviewed and accepted monthly reports by management including details on financial, operations, member services, safety, communications and IT. Directors viewed the East River Electric Power Cooperative video report. East River Director Mark Sumption reported on actions taken by the East River Board at its January 4, 2018, meeting. General Manager Char Hager reported on the January 2, 2018, East River MAC meeting.

South Dakota Rural Electric Association Director Nolan Wipf reported on the SDREA January 10 board meeting.

Directors Mark Sumption, Nolan Wipf, General Manager Char Hager and Communications Director Ben Dunsmoor reported on the SDREA Annual Meeting which was held January 11-12, 2018, in Pierre.

Manager’s Report General Manager Char Hager’s report to the board included the following items: Reminder that the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association Annual Meeting will be February 22-28, 2018, in Nashville, TN. Informed the board of the CFC Forum,

Financial Report

June 10-13, 2018, in Indianapolis, IN. Calendar review of upcoming meetings and events.

Board Report The board considered and/or acted upon the following: 1. Approved the date and time of the next regular board meeting for 9:00 A.M. on Friday, March 2, 2018.

2. Approved payment of legal fees for Harvey Oliver in the amount of $543.15.

3. Approved payment of legal fees for LERMAN SENTER PLLC in the amount of $1,708.40.

4. Approved Work Order Inventory #17-12 for $49,298.30 to be submitted to Rural Utilities Service (RUS) for reimbursement from loan funds for electric plant construction already completed.

5. Authorized attendance to the 2018 NRECA Legislative Conference, April 8-10, in Washington, D.C. 6. Authorized the CFC Capital Term Certificate Termination Agreement.

7. Approved Northern Electric’s 2018 operating budget.

Questions or more details on any of these matters? Please ask your cooperative manager, staff or director.

December 2017

December 2016

32,660,199 kWh

34,545,551 kWh

Electric Revenues

$2,749,871

$2,400,781

Total Cost of Service

$2,697,105

$2,613,747

Operating Margins

$52,766

(-$212,966)

Year To Date Margins

$545,578

$1,648,744

kWh Sales

Residential Average Monthly Usage and Bill December 2017

3,476 kWh

$289.76

.0834 per kWh

December 2016

3,830 kWh

$293.52

.0766 per kWh

Wholesale power cost, taxes, interest, and depreciation accounted for 84.4% of NEC's total cost of service.

March 2018 | Cooperative Connections

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SAFETY TIPS

Generator Safety Portable or permanently installed standby generators can come in handy during long-term power outages.

However, if you do not know how to use them properly, they can be dangerous. Contact a qualified vendor or electrician to help you determine what generator is best suited to your needs. Before using, be sure to read and follow manufacturer’s instructions.

If you are installing a permanent generator, it must have a transfer switch. The transfer switch prevents energy from leaving your generator and going back onto the utility electrical equipment when it could be dangerous to a lineman or others near downed power lines, a process known as “back feed.”

A qualified electrician should install your generator and transfer switch.

Safe Electricity has the following tips to use portable generators safely: Operate it outdoors in an area with plenty of ventilation. Never run a generator in a home or garage. Generators give off deadly carbon monoxide.

Do not plug a generator into the wall to avoid back feed. Use heavy-duty extension cords to connect appliances to the outlets on the generator itself.

Turn the generator on before plugging appliances to it. Once the generator is running, turn your appliances and lights on one at a time to avoid overloading the unit. Remember, generators are for temporary usage, prioritize your needs.

Generators pose electrical risks especially when operated in wet conditions. Use a generator only when necessary when the weather creates wet or moist conditions. Protect the generator by operating it under an open, canopy-like structure on a dry surface where water cannot form puddles or drain under it. Always ensure that your hands are dry before touching the generator.

Be sure the generator is turned off and cool before fueling it.

Keep children and pets away from portable generators at all times. Many generator components are hot enough to burn you during operation.

Safe Electricity suggests that these safety guidelines as well as basic operating instructions be posted in the home and with the generator.

Source: safeelectricity.org 4

Cooperative Connections | March 2018

March 18-24, 2018

National Ag Week

Each American farmer feeds about 144 people! America needs agriculture…and we need our farmers, who provide Food for Life. This is why we’re celebrating all things Ag on National Ag Day, March 20. Find out more: https://www.agday.org/

KIDS CORNER SAFETY POSTER

“Don’t touch power lines.”

Christopher Barranco, 5 years old

Christopher is the son of David and Catherine Barranco, Brandon, S.D. They are members of Sioux Valley Energy, Colman.

Kids, send your drawing with an electrical safety tip to your local electric cooperative (address found on Page 3). If your poster is published, you’ll receive a prize. All entries must include your name, age, mailing address and the names of your parents.

Colored drawings are encouraged.

RECIPES

Seafood Sensations Seafood Quiche 1 (6 oz.) can crab, salmon or tuna, drained 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Spaghetti Squash Shrimp Lo Mein 1 cup milk 1/2 tsp. salt Pepper to taste

Onions

Fresh chives, optional

4 eggs

Paprika

Spray a 10-inch pie plate with vegetable cooking spray. Combine seafood, cheese and onions. Press into bottom and up sides of pie plate. Beat eggs, milk, salt and pepper; pour over all. Sprinkle with paprika, if desired. Bake at 350°F. for about 30 minutes or until eggs are set. Let set a few minutes before cutting.

Elaine Rowett, Sturgis

Broiled Salmon with Lemon 1 T. extra-virgin olive oil 1 tsp. grated lemon rind plus 1 T. fresh juice (from 1 lemon) 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

4 (6 oz.) center-cut salmon fillets (about 1-inch thick) 1/4 tsp. kosher salt 1/4 tsp. black pepper

Combine oil, rind, juice and Worcestershire sauce in a shallow dish.

Place fillets, skin side up, in dish. Let stand 15 minutes. Preheat broiler with oven rack 6 inches from heat. Place fillets, skin side down, on a foil-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Broil to desired degree of doneness, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove fillets from foil using a metal spatula.

Tina Haug, Pierre

Freeze Ahead Crab Appetizers 1 jar Old English cheese spread 1/2 c. soft butter 1/4 tsp. garlic salt/powder

2 tsp. vegetable oil, divided

2 tsp. McCormick® Garlic Powder, divided

1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined

1-1/4 tsp. McCormick® Ginger, Ground, divided

1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

1-1/2 cups matchstick 1/4 cup reduced sodium soy carrots sauce 1 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced 2 T. honey

Cut spaghetti squash crosswise into 1-inch thick rings. Remove seeds. Place rings on microwavable plate. Pour 1/4 cup water in the plate. Cover with plastic wrap. Microwave on HIGH 7 minutes or until tender. Let stand in microwave 10 minutes. Carefully remove from microwave. Peel the skin off the squash, then shred the flesh, using fingers or a fork, into long thin strands. Place squash noodles in large bowl. Discard the skin. (Should yield about 5 cups of squash noodles.) Meanwhile, mix soy sauce, honey, 1-1/2 tsp. of the garlic powder and 1 tsp. of the ginger in small bowl until well blended.

Set aside. Heat 1 T. of the oil in large skillet on medium-high heat.

Add carrots and pepper; stir-fry 3 minutes. Add shrimp and sauce mixture; stir-fry 2 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink. Remove shrimp mixture from skillet. Heat remaining 1 T. oil in skillet on medium-high heat. Add squash noodles, remaining 1/2 tsp. garlic powder and 1/4 tsp. ginger; cook and stir gently 1 minute to heat through. Return shrimp mixture to skillet; toss gently with squash noodles. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with green onions. Makes 7 (1 cup) servings Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories 165, Total Fat 5g, Saturated Fat 1g, Sodium 479mg, Cholesterol 96mg, Carbohydrates 18g, Protein 12g, Dietary Fiber 3g, Pictured, Cooperative Connections

1/2 tsp. seasoned salt 1 T. mayonnaise 1 (7 oz.) can crab meat 6 English muffins, separated

Mix first 5 ingredients together well; stir in crab. Spread on each half muffin. Cut each half muffin into 6 wedges. Place in ziplock bag and freeze. When ready to serve, don’t thaw. Bake at 400°F. for 10 minutes.

Ginny Jensen, Volga

1 spaghetti squash, (about 2-1/2 lbs.)

Please send your favorite appetizer, beverage and casserole recipes to your local electric cooperative (address found on Page 3).

Each recipe printed will be entered into a drawing for a prize in June 2018.

All entries must include your name, mailing address, telephone number and cooperative name.

March 2018 | Cooperative Connections

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CO-OP NEWS

Building A Culture of Safety Northern Electric Recognized For Safety Program Ben Dunsmoor bdunsmoor@northernelectric.coop

Northern Electric Line Foreman Jerry Weber has worked as a lineman for the cooperative for nearly 35 years, but he knows safety is one job ticket he will never close during his career. At an electric cooperative, employee and member safety programs are never finished and are always evolving and improving.

In January, however, Northern Electric received recognition for working toward enhancing its safety program by participating in the Rural Electric Safety Achievement Program (RESAP).

Northern Electric Line Foreman Jerry Weber participates in a pole rescue training exercise in 2015. Weber also served as an observer with the Rural Electric Safety Acheivement Program (RESAP) in 2017.

“Overall, it’s a good review to have someone come into your co-op and look at your facility,” Weber said.

“Safety has to be a priority. This is one way to measure if our safety is at a high level and if our safety program is remaining at a high level.”

Northern Electric received the recognition following an unannounced assessment of its facilities by safety professionals from the South Dakota Rural Electric Association (SDREA) and peers from neighboring cooperatives. The RESAP observation at Northern Electric was conducted

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in July and involved an assessment of the facilities and equipment in both Bath and Redfield along with observations of crews working in the field. It is the first time Northern Electric has participated in RESAP which is supported by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association and SDREA. “Safety has to be a priority. This is one way to measure if our safety is at a high level and if our safety program is remaining at a high level,” SDREA Manager of Loss Control Services Mark Patterson said.

The RESAP observation teams include statewide safety professionals - like Patterson - and employees from other co-ops - like Weber – so electric cooperatives can learn from each other and share best practices. Following the unannounced observation at Northern Electric,

Cooperative Connections | March 2018

SDREA Loss Control Professional Travis Denison (left) presents Northern Electric CEO/General Manager Char Hager (right) with a certificate during the 2018 SDREA Annual Meeting for participating in RESAP.

CO-OP NEWS

Northern Electric lineman Darvin Dickhaut works on changing out a pole the proper protective and Photousing Caption safety equipment.

Weber was a member of a five-person RESAP team which performed an observation at Lake Region Electric Association in Webster.

“With five of us there were five sets of eyes and everyone saw something different,” Weber said. “It’s a good experience for other co-op employees to go to other co-ops and bring ideas back to your co-op.”

Lake Region, Northern Electric, and Oahe Electric Cooperative in Blunt, South Dakota, were the three new cooperatives to enroll in RESAP in 2017. There are now 22 electric cooperatives across South Dakota participating in the safety program.

“Due to the industry we are in we focus on safety and we determined RESAP was something we should participate in,” Northern Electric CEO and General Manager Char Hager said.

The combination of safety professionals and cooperative peers who make up the observation teams was one of the main reasons Northern Electric joined RESAP. “They see things differently and have suggestions for changes or improvements,” Hager said. “You’ve got people who are doing those jobs day in and day out and know what to look at.”

Northern Electric regularly conducts safety assessments and trainings and holds monthly safety meetings for all employees, however, RESAP aims to take a co-op’s

safety program to the next level. RESAP not only includes on-site observations by industry professionals and peers every three years but it also requires co-ops to submit annual safety improvement plans and self-assessments.

“RESAP does a much better job of continuing to keep safety at the forefront in the daily operation because there are requirements that need to happen before and after the on-site observations,” Patterson said.

RESAP is not a requirement for electric cooperatives but it is a voluntary program to give co-ops feedback on the status of their current safety programs and ideas on how to improve those programs.

“It gives each co-op something to shoot for as far as safety issues,” Weber said.

“At the end of the day we want everybody to come home to their families.”

The 200-point checklist that is reviewed during an on-site RESAP observation also looks at the co-op’s infrastructure by performing field inspections to make sure it is safe for members and local residents.

“It’s not just for the employees, it’s for the members too to make sure our facilities are safe,” Weber said.

Because co-op employees and managers across the state know building a culture of safety is crucial at an electric cooperative.

“We work in an unforgiving industry,” Hager said. “At the end of the day we want everybody to come home to their families.”

March 2018 | Cooperative Connections

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YOUR ENERGY

Solar energy generates about 1 percent of the nation’s electricity.

WHERE RENEWABLE ENERGY GETS ITS POWER Here are the basics of a small but fast-growing source of your electricity.

Paul Wesslund NRECA Contributing Writer

Solar energy and wind power may not seem like a big deal. Unless you’re talking about the future. Or maybe even the present.

For all today’s talk about renewable energy, it still makes up a pretty small portion of the energy sources that generate our electricity. But it’s coming on fast, and it’s picking up speed.

Here’s your crash course in how wind, the sun and water generate electricity.

Solar energy Solar energy generates only about 1 percent of the nation’s electricity, but that’s a stunning increase from just five years ago, when the number was too small to report for the U.S. Department of Energy. Solar growth will continue as costs fall, technology improves and people figure out better ways to use solar energy.

There are lots of ways to use energy from the sun. You can hang your washed clothes outside to dry, and you can open curtains to warm your home on a sunny day. More ambitious projects use the sun to warm pipes full of water that is pumped around a building for heat.

But what most people mean when they talk about solar energy is photovoltaic electricity. When certain materials get hit by sunlight, their atoms spit out an electron, and electricity is just 8

Cooperative Connections | March 2018

a stream of electrons. Over the decades, scientists and engineers experimented with solar-sensitive materials to make them into lighter, longer-lasting and more affordable wafers called photovoltaic cells, which are combined and integrated into solar photovoltaic modules. One of their first uses was space travel, and continued improvements are allowing solar to become a more down-to-earth kind of energy.

One of those improvements is cost. Solar panel prices dropped 85 percent in the past seven years with improvements in materials and larger-scale production methods.

Another technological advance is about to give the industry an

YOUR ENERGY extra boost, says Dale Bradshaw, a technical consultant with the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA). He says solar panels can now track the sun as it moves across the sky rather than sitting fixed in place, raising their productivity by collecting more sunlight throughout the day. This year, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration reported that half the large solar installations in the country already use some kind of sun-tracking technology.

It’s also worth knowing that the solar industry is maturing with different forms of ownership: utility, industrial, commercial and residential scale, and community solar installations.

Utility scale is what you might expect – large banks of solar panels owned and operated by an electric utility or other large organization, producing many megawatts of solar energy. Industrial and commercial solar installations can range from kilowatts up to multi-megawatts and be placed on rooftops, over parking lots or on land near industrial and commercial enterprises. Industrial and commercial installations are beginning to increase as the price for solar continues to drop. Residential solar installations are also being installed primarily on rooftops, especially in the southwestern United States.

NRECA’s Bradshaw says community solar can ease the higher expense of self-owned rooftop solar. With community solar, a utility builds a large solar installation and sells shares in the project to customers interested in an investment in renewable energy. That style of ownership and development is especially suited to consumer-owned electric co-ops, and many are offering solar shares to their members.

not cost-effective for small-scale home use when compared to utility scale wind turbines,” says Bradshaw.

Hydroelectric power Another way to turn an electricity-generating turbine is to store water behind a dam then harness its power as it flows from the reservoir to the river below.

Specialists disagree on whether to count hydroelectric power as renewable energy. On the one hand, it doesn’t create greenhouse gas or other chemical pollutants by burning fossil fuel. On the other hand, large-scale hydro typically calls for building a permanent dam across a river valley and flooding the area behind it. Another option is to put hydroelectric generators directly in rapidly flowing rivers to capture power, but this is a significantly more expensive option than using hydroelectric power from water stored behind a permanent dam. Then there’s the question of whether you consider flowing water renewable, or something that can be used up.

Hydroelectric power generates nearly 7 percent of the electricity in the United States. Although that number changes a bit during times of drought or heavy rain, the amount of electricity produced by hydro power has been relatively stable during the past several years.

Paul Wesslund writes on cooperative issues for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the Arlington, Va.-based service arm of the nation’s 900-plus consumer-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperatives.

“Co-ops are doing a great job of building community-scale solar,” says Bradshaw. “They’re going full blast on that.”

Bradshaw also notes that community solar allows a homeowner to avoid both maintenance of their own system, and the hassle of sorting out different offers from rooftop solar vendors.

Wind power Wind power has increased significantly as costs continue to decrease. Wind power generates nearly 6 percent of the nation’s electricity, and it is growing at a pretty good clip, with an increase of about 35 percent during the past four years.

In a way, wind generates electricity the same way as coal, natural gas and nuclear – by spinning a turbine that creates an electricity-producing magnetic field. The huge difference is that the turbine is turned by enormous propeller-like blades designed to catch the wind.

It’s the size of those blades, and the height of the turbine towers (as much as 300 feet in the air) that makes the difference, says NRECA’s Bradshaw.

“Wind is a really useful renewable, but it has to be utility scale,” he says.

A tall utility-scale tower can capture as much as 50 percent of the wind, but there’s not a practical, personal alternative to compare with rooftop solar. A rural residential customer or a rural commercial customer with a 50 to 100-foot tower will probably generate electricity only about 25 percent of the time. “It’s really

Nationally, wind accounts for nearly 6 percent of the nation’s electricity. For electric cooperatives in the Dakotas and Minnesota, the percentage is higher.

March 2018 | Cooperative Connections

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YOUTH NEWS

Students stop for a group photo during the four-day Youth Excursion in Bismarck, ND, in July 2017. The Youth Excursion trip will be part of the new Empower Youth program.

EMPOWER YOUTH New Youth Leadership Program Begins May 31 Ben Dunsmoor bdunsmoor@northernelectric.coop

A chance to earn scholarships.

An opportunity to learn about her strengths.

Fun and engaging sessions aimed at developing leadership and career skills.

Pipestone (MN) High School junior Lauren Lapthorn said those were all reasons she got involved in the EmPOWER Youth program sponsored by Sioux Valley Energy a few years ago.

“I was looking for all of those things and so I joined,” Lapthorn said.

Lapthorn signed up for Sioux Valley’s EmPOWER Youth program in 2016. After attending the sessions and completing the program during the 2016-2017 school year, Lapthorn is now serving on the EmPOWER Youth advisory committee and planning sessions for this year’s participants in the program.

EmPOWER Youth was launched by Sioux Valley Energy in 2014. Sioux Valley Energy is headquartered in Colman, South Dakota, and is the largest electric cooperative in the state. The co-op serves members in southeastern South Dakota and 10

Cooperative Connections | March 2018

Lauren Lapthorn is a junior at Pipestone (MN) High School and serves on the Sioux Valley Energy EmPOWER Youth advisory committee after completing the program during the 2016-2017 school year.

YOUTH NEWS southwest Minnesota. Sioux Valley started the program as a way to engage local high school students with their communities.

Empower Youth session will be scheduled in August before local school activities start for the year.

“The Board of Directors wanted to have an active role in developing students into leaders that will hopefully someday be tomorrow’s co-op employees or board members,” Sioux Valley’s General Manager/CEO Tim McCarthy said.

“The program is going to be designed to focus a lot more on professionalism and what teens need to know as they move on to college and careers and to be the best that they can be,” Ching said.

The program aims to introduce teens to leadership and communications training as well as giving them an outlet to discover their strengths and explore future careers.

“We have students blossom from this program,” McCarthy said. “They have gone from the shy kid in the corner to the young adult leading and mentoring other students. Their transition has been truly amazing.”

Sioux Valley’s EmPOWER Youth program has been so successful that it is now being expanded to co-ops throughout North Dakota and South Dakota. Basin Electric Power Cooperative, which operates the power plants and generating resources used by electric cooperatives in the region, is taking the lead to bring the program to co-ops like Northern Electric.

“It will be truly focused on students learning about themselves,” Empower Youth Coordinator Kristie Ching said.

The new Empower Youth program is sponsored by the electric co-ops in North Dakota and South Dakota and is free to students who apply. The program is open to any high school student within Northern Electric Cooperative’s service territory.

Empower Youth will consist of three separate sessions throughout the summer.

The first session will be a one-day leadership training session at Central Electric Cooperative in Mitchell, South Dakota, on May 31. Teens participating in Empower Youth will also attend the four-day Youth Excursion trip to Bismarck, North Dakota, from July 23-26. Participants will stay at Bismarck State College and learn about energy careers, tour power generation facilities, and take part in networking and team-building activities with other co-op youth from across the region. The third

Sioux Valley started the EmPOWER Youth program with the vision that it would one day expand to more students in the state.

“They have gone from the shy kid in the corner to the young adult leading and mentoring other students. Their transition has been truly amazing.”

“We have seen this program open opportunities to students they never thought were possible,” McCarthy said. “We hope EmPOWER Youth will spread to other cooperatives and continue to make a huge impact on our students who will be leaders tomorrow.”

The new Empower Youth program that is being offered to students across the state will also provide scholarship opportunities for teens who participate in various program and co-op activities. Students need to register for the summer sessions at www.empoweryouth.coop by April 18.

Lapthorn says the program has already helped her with job prospects in her community and she would encourage other teens to apply.

“Leadership is not always leading the group but most of the time listening to others and taking in their points of view,” Lapthorn said. “I’d say definitely do it.

You gain a lot of skills, knowledge, and friendships.”

Empower Youth Facts Empower Youth is a summer leadership program sponsored by the Touchstone Energy Cooperatives in South Dakota and North Dakota.

It is designed to help high school students discover their strengths and learn about leadership and future careers.

The program is open to students who will be in grades 9-12 during the 2018-2019 school year.

The program will consist of three sessions throughout the summer.

Empower Youth is a free program, however, students will have to pay for transportation to the one-day sessions in May and August.

Scholarship opportunities ranging from $250-$1,000 will be available for Empower Youth participants.

May 31 One-day leadership training session Session held at Central Electric Cooperative in Mitchell, SD Youth speaker Craig Hillier featured during session

July 23-26 Four-day excursion to Bismarck, North Dakota Stay at Bismarck State College Tour power plants Learn about energy careers Participate in various career and team-building activities

August 2018 Final one-day session Date and location TBA Register at www.empoweryouth.coop The deadline to register is APRIL 18.

March 2018 | Cooperative Connections

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INNOVATION

Robots and Sensors Electric co-ops use innovative technologies for real-time feedback on the health of the grid.

Thomas Kirk NRECA Associate Analyst

Today, electric cooperatives may choose from a wide array of technologies that give them near real-time feedback on the health of the grid.

Electric grids are immense machines that span counties, and often entire states, bringing power to many homes and businesses. So how do the electric companies know what’s happening on their lines?

How much power is being delivered?

What equipment needs to be replaced?

These are important questions that electric cooperatives spend a lot of time and money to answer.

For many years, electric co-ops relied entirely on in-person inspections to determine asset conditions and calls from members to discover power outages.

During and after storms, this could mean lengthy recovery times as supervisors evaluated the available information and decided where to send line crews, who then searched for damaged lines in order to make repairs and restore electric service. Even normal operations required personnel to be sent into the field constantly to perform manual inspections.

Today, electric co-ops may choose from a wide array of technologies that give them near real-time feedback on the health of the grid. Monitoring and automation tech12

Electric cooperatives maintain 2.5 million miles of power lines across the United States. In South Dakota alone, electric cooperatives have more than 65,000 miles of distribution power lines.

nologies are becoming more affordable and gaining more functionality leading to greater use in the field.

Two of the most common technologies in this space are Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) and

Cooperative Connections | March 2018

Automated Meter Infrastructure (AMI).

SCADA systems have greatly evolved since their original development in the 1920s. Modern systems take advantage of communication, monitoring and automation technologies to give utilities a

INNOVATION

Photo Caption

Electric cooperatives are exploring a host of innovative technologies, such as smart meters and special sensors placed on power lines for niche applications, including fault location, power theft detection and asset management. real-time picture of how substations are performing and make changes as needed.

At the end of the line, AMI, also known as smart meters, report back to the utility how much energy consumers use, often on a 15-minute basis. Utilities can “ping” these meters to determine if they’re still receiving power during storms or other types of outages.

Beyond AMI and SCADA, utilities are exploring a host of other sensor technologies for niche applications including fault location, power theft detection and asset management. These applications are being enabled by a new wave of inexpensive sensors that cost one-tenth of what they did a decade ago. When a fault occurs on a transmission line (the large power lines that carry power from plants to substations), they create transient waves on the lines. By placing special sensors on transmission lines and measuring the time that a wave reaches two of these sensors, the location of a fault can be accurately and quickly determined. This lets the utility know exactly where to send repair crews.

Across the whole U.S. electric industry, roughly $6 billion worth of electricity is stolen annually, which leads to higher prices for everyone. Traditionally, one of the best tools for identifying power theft

For members, these technologies provide three primary benefits: increased reliability, reduced outage times and lower prices. is visual inspection of meters for signs of tampering, but with AMI systems, utility personnel aren’t visiting meters in-person as often. Load-monitoring sensors – often called current transformers (CTs) or current sensors – can be placed on distri-

bution power lines to help catch significant losses along a line, from theft or for other reasons. Data gathered by CTs can be reconciled with meter readings to investigate discrepancies between the electricity passed through the line and the electricity measured by the meters. CT devices are also valuable for diagnosing excessive line loss due to other problems, such as conductor damage or aging transformers.

For members, these technologies provide three primary benefits: increased reliability, reduced outage times and lower prices as the utility manages employee time and resources more efficiently. As sensors continue to improve and drop in price, expect to see more real-time grid monitoring.

Thomas Kirk is an associate analyst of distributed energy resources for the Arlington, Va.-based National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s Business & Technology Strategies (BTS) division.

March 2018 | Cooperative Connections

13

CO-OP NEWS

Rate Changes Are Coming March 1 Members with questions about the rate change, or members who did not receive a letter or any communication about the rates in January or February, should contact the co-op directly by calling 605-225-0310.

Letters Detailing Rates Were Sent To All Members In January A new rate structure approved by the Northern Electric Cooperative Board of Directors in 2017 will go into effect on March 1, 2018. The rate structure changes are being made following a rate study which was conducted by Northern Electric Cooperative’s independent engineering firm in 2017.

Letters detailing each rate were sent to all members in January to make them aware of the upcoming changes.

This rate change is necessary to ensure that the cooperative can continue to meet its financial obligations every month and consistently provide the members of the cooperative with safe and reliable power.

It is important to remember that Northern Electric is a not-for-profit cooperative and any margins will be allocated to the

14

Cooperative Connections | March 2018

membership as capital credits. The co-op typically returns a portion of the allocated capital credits to members in the form of a bill credit in the fall.

Members with questions about the rate change, or members who did not receive a letter or any communication about the rates in January or February, should contact the co-op directly by calling 605-225-0310. Co-op employees are ready to assist any member who has a question about the upcoming changes.

The new rates will be implemented for all accounts - except irrigation – on March 1.

The first statements reflecting the changes will be sent out in April. Irrigation rate changes will take effect on April 1 with the first statement reflecting the changes being sent out in May.

INSPIRING LIFE OUTSIDE THE CITY LIMITS We’re committed to bringing our local farmers, manufacturers, communities and families the tools, technology and economic support to realize our region’s full potential.

Together we are

March 2018 | Cooperative Connections

15

DATELINE

March 3-6

2018 Summit League Basketball Championship, Sioux Falls, SD, 605-367-7288

March 9-10

Holiday Arts Spring Craft Show, Masonic Temple, Mitchell, SD, 605-359-2049

March 10

March 10-11

2018 Gun Show, American Legion Hall, Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. MST, Philip, SD, 605-859-2280 or 605-441-8466

March 15-17

South Dakota High School State B Boys Basketball Tournament, Barnett Center, Aberdeen, SD

February 24: Annual Outhouse Races and Chili Cook-off Contest, Nemo, SD, 605-578-2708 March 24

April 7-8

May 18-20

April 5

April 25-29

May 18-20

April 28-29

July 7

May 10

July 10-15

Milltones Spring Show, 7 p.m., High School Theatre, Milbank, SD

South Dakota High School State A Boys Basketball Tournament, Rushmore Plaza Civic Center, Rapid City, SD

McCrossan’s Wildest Banquet Auction in the Midwest featuring A Night Out with the PBR, 5:30 p.m., Arena, Sioux Falls, SD, Tickets: $75 each, 605-339-1203, www.mccrossan.org

March 15-17

April 6

March 15-17

South Dakota High School State AA Boys Basketball Tournament, Premier Center, Sioux Falls, SD

March 16-17, 23-24

60th Annual Schmeckfest, Freeman, SD, 605-925-4237

March 17

Annual Ag Day at the Washington Pavilion, Sioux Falls, SD, 605-367-6000

March 24

Spring Craft Fair/Flea Market, American Legion Hall, Wagner, SD, 605-384-3543

SPURS Spring Dance, Dakota Events Center, Aberdeen, SD, Tickets available at the Hitch ‘N Post or by calling 605-226-1099

April 6-7

Forks, Corks and Kegs Food, Wine and Beer Festival, Deadwood, SD, 605-578-1876

April 6-8

Professional Bull Riders Built Ford Tough Series, Sioux Falls, SD, 605-367-7288

Hats Off to the Artists Art Show, Faulkton, SD, 605-598-4160 Black Hills Film Festival, Hill City, SD, 605-574-9454 Bike Show, Ramkota Convention Center, Aberdeen, SD, 605-290-0908 Chris Young, Don Barnett Arena, Rushmore Plaza Civic Center, Rapid City, SD, 605-394-4115

May 13

1880 Train Mother’s Day Express, Hill City, SD, 605-574-2222

May 18

Turkey Races, Huron, SD, 605-352-0000

May 18-19

Sioux Empire Film Festival, Sioux Falls, SD, 605-367-6000

State Parks Open House and Free Fishing Weekend, Pierre, SD, 605-773-3391 Tesla Road Trip Rally, Custer, SD, 605-673-2244 Hedahls Auto Value Car Show, Hav-A-Rest Campground, Redfield, SD, 605-380-9985 4th Annual 3 Wheeler Rally, Deadwood, SD, 605-717-7174, www.d3wr.com To have your event listed on this page, send complete information, including date, event, place and contact to your local electric cooperative.

Include your name, address and daytime telephone number.

Information must be submitted at least eight weeks prior to your event. Please call ahead to confirm date, time and location of event.

Photo courtesy: travelsd.com

Farm and Home Show, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Auditorium, Gregory, SD, 605-830-9778

Northern Electric July 2018 Vol. 19 No. 3

Navigating Emerging Efficiency Technologies Page 8

Savings to Count On Page 12

EDITOR’S COLUMN

Outdoor Summer Safety Tips

“When The Thunder Roars, Go Indoors” Summer can be a busy time filled with camping trips and outdoor activities, especially around the Fourth of July. But, when you are enjoying time outside you also have the responsibility to keep safety in mind. Electrical safety is not only something to practice inside around outlets and appliances, but it is also something to be aware of when you are outdoors.

Lightning is one of the most dangerous hazards you will face this summer when it comes to staying safe outdoors. Lightning is responsible for around 30 deaths in the United States every year. When you are outside this summer you should keep these safety tips in mind.

Get Inside an Enclosed Building: When you see lightning or hear thunder

Ben Dunsmoor bdunsmoor@northernelectric.coop

near your outdoor activity you should go inside an enclosed structure or vehicle. The motto used as a safety reminder is, ‘When the thunder roars, go indoors.’ Lightning can strike up to 10 to 15 miles away from the storm.

Baseball dugouts, pop-up portable canopies, and picnic shelters are not adequate buildings to protect you from lightning. You need to take shelter in a sturdy enclosed building or vehicle.

Wait 30 Minutes: Once you are inside a safe place you need to wait 30

Northern Electric Cooperative would like to wish you a safe and happy Fourth of July and urge you to always keep safety in mind when you are planning your outdoor activities this summer.

minutes following the last rumble of thunder before you can safely resume your outdoor activity.

These lightning safety tips are important to keep in mind when you are at a sporting event, at the beach or lake, or camping this summer.

Sometimes thunderstorms can turn into severe storms which contain more than just the threat of lightning. Severe storms can contain high winds, heavy rain, and large hail which can break power poles and damage overhead power lines. If you come across a downed power line this summer, you should take the following precautions.

Stay Away: Stay as far away from a downed power line as possible. You

cannot tell if a damaged power line is energized or dead, so it is best to keep yourself and others a safe distance away from downed lines.

Call Emergency Responders: Please, report downed power lines to

emergency officials so they can take the proper steps to keep the scene safe.

Call the Co-op: It is also important to call Northern Electric Cooperative

at 605-225-0310 so crews can be dispatched to repair the damaged power line as quickly and as safely as possible.

Remembering these safety tips when it comes to lightning, severe weather, and downed power lines is crucial to keeping you, our employees, and the community safe. Northern Electric Cooperative would like to wish you a safe and happy Fourth of July and urge you to always keep safety in mind when you are planning your outdoor activities this summer.

2

Cooperative Connections | July 2018

MAY BOARD REPORT

(USPS 396-040)

Board President: Donna Sharp Board of Directors Randy Kienow – Vice President Glen Larson – Secretary Wayne Holt – Treasurer Fran Esser Victor Fischbach Josh Larson Mark Sumption Nolan Wipf CEO/General Manager: Char Hager – info@northernelectric.coop Chief Financial Officer: Cathi Podoll Operations Manager: Mike Kelly Manager of Member Services: Russel Ulmer

Northern Electric Cooperative’s regular board meeting was held May 24, 2018, at the headquarters in Bath with all directors present except for Josh Larson. As the first order of business, the Board approved the April 19, 2018, minutes and April expenditures. The Board then reviewed and accepted monthly reports by management including details on financial, operations, member services, safety, communications and IT. Directors viewed the East River Power Cooperative video report. East River Director Mark Sumption reported on actions taken by the East River Board at the May 3, 2018, meeting which was held via conference call.

General Manager Char Hager reported on the East River and Basin MAC meetings she attended May 2-3, 2018, in Bismarck, ND. The next South Dakota Rural Electric Association board meeting will be held June 28-29, 2018, in Pierre. Director Glen Larson reported that the South Dakota Wind Energy Association Annual Meeting will be held June 20, 2018, in White Lake, SD.

Manager’s Report General Manager Char Hager’s report to the board included the following items: Update and discussion on new and progressing development projects and activities taking place in the community and our service area.

Manager of Information Technology: Derek Gorecki

Brief update on Rural Electric Economic Development (REED) revolving loan fund activities.

Communications Director: Ben Dunsmoor bdunsmoor@northernelectric.coop

Reported to the board that the donations to SPURS and Mellette Community Center have been matched by East River and Basin Electric.

Executive Secretary: Kay Albrecht

Informed the board of the American Coalition for Ethanol Conference, August 15-17, 2018, in Minneapolis, MN.

NORTHERN ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE CONNECTIONS is the monthly publication for the members of Northern Electric Cooperative, PO Box 457, Bath, SD 57427. Families subscribe to Cooperative Connections as part of their electric cooperative membership. The purpose of Northern Electric Cooperative Connections is to provide reliable, helpful information to electric cooperative members on electric cooperative matters and better rural living.

Subscription information: Northern Electric Cooperative members devote 50 cents from their monthly electric payments for a subscription. Non-member subscriptions are available for $12 annually. Periodicals postage paid at Bath, SD 57427.

Postmaster: Please send address changes to Northern Electric Cooperative Connections, PO Box 457, Bath, SD 57427; telephone (605) 225-0310; fax (605) 225-1684

This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer. www.northernelectric.coop facebook.com/NorthernElectricCooperative

Financial Report

Informed the board that NEC will sponsor three youth for the SDREA Youth Excursion to North Dakota, July 23-26, 2018.

Informed the board of the invitation to the Trail of Governors unveiling ceremony Friday, June 15, 2018, in Pierre.

Board Report The board considered and/or acted upon the following: 1. Approved the date and time of the next regular board meeting for 8:30 A.M. on Friday, June 22, 2018.

2. Approved payment of legal fees for Harvey Oliver in the amount of $2,824.38.

3. Approved payment of legal fees for LERMAN SENTER PLLC in the amount of $272.50.

4. Approved Work Order Inventories #18-04 for $1,461,565.90 and #18-04MC for $122,821.87 to be submitted to the Rural Utilities Service for reimbursement from loan funds for electric plant construction already completed.

5. Appointed Glen Larson as delegate and Donna Sharp as alternate to the 2018 NCSC Annual Meeting, June 12, in Indianapolis, IN. 6. Approved Policy P-18E Northern Electric Cooperative, Inc. Safety Policy, to be effective as of May 24, 2018.

7. Tabled the contribution request to the CFC Cooperative System Integrity Fund until the June Board meeting.

Questions or more details on any of these matters? Please ask your cooperative manager, staff member or director.

April 2018

April 2017

24,557,915 kWh

21,501,397 kWh

Electric Revenues

$2,240,743

$2,063,610

Total Cost of Service

$2,390,472

$2,166,104

Operating Margins

(-$149,729)

(-$102,494)

$218,908

(-$114,495)

kWh Sales

Year To Date Margins

Residential Average Monthly Usage and Bill April 2018

2,244 kWh

$218.65

.0974 per kWh

April 2017

1,599 kWh

$170.25

.1065 per kWh

Wholesale power cost, taxes, interest, and depreciation accounted for 83.1% of NEC's total cost of service.

July 2018 | Cooperative Connections

3

SAFETY TIPS

Safety Before and After Storms Severe storms are more common in the spring and summer, but they can occur any time of year. Be prepared for storms and know how to stay safe.

Before the storm: Assemble a kit of essentials, like water, battery-operated flashlights, and radios. Keep a list of emergency phone numbers, including the electric utility.

If severe weather is on its way, pay attention to local weather reports and recommendations. A tornado or severe storm watch means conditions are favorable for those weather conditions forming. A warning means dangerous weather conditions are imminent.

Lightning can travel up to 10 miles away from a storm, so seek shelter when you hear thunder.

Consider installing ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) or purchasing a portable GFCI. GFCIs detect dangerous electrical situations and cut off power before a person can be shocked. These dangerous electrical situations are likely to occur around water, so GFCIs should be installed in bathrooms, laundry rooms, kitchens, basements and outdoors – anywhere water and electricity may meet.

If power goes out, switch off lights, large electronics and appliances to prevent overloading circuits and damaging appliances when power is restored. Leave one lamp or switch on as a signal for when your power returns.

After the storm:

When venturing outside, stay away from downed power lines and be alert to the possibility that tree limbs or debris may hide an electrical hazard. Assume any dangling wires you encounter are energized and dangerous. Warn others to stay away and contact the electric utility.

If you are driving and come upon a downed power line, stay in your vehicle, warn others to stay away and contact emergency personnel or electric utility. Also, when driving, be careful at intersections where traffic lights may be out. Stop at all railroad crossings and treat road intersections with traffic signals as a four-way stop before proceeding with caution.

Before re-entering storm-damaged buildings or rooms, be sure all electric and gas services are turned off. Never attempt to turn off power at the breaker box if you must stand in water to do so. If you can’t reach your breaker box safely, call your electric utility to shut off power at the meter.

Never step into a flooded basement or other area if water is covering electrical outlets, appliances or cords. Be alert to any electrical equipment that could be energized and in contact with water. Never touch electrical appliances, cords or wires while you are wet or standing in water.

Do not use water-damaged electric items until a qualified electrician has inspected them and ensured they are safe.

When using a portable generator, follow all manufacturers’ recommendations. Keep the generator dry and never plug it into a wall outlet or directly into the home’s wiring. This could inadvertently energize the utility lines and injure yourself or others working to restore power.

A permanent standby generator should be professionally installed and include a transfer switch to prevent electricity from leaving

your generator and going into power lines where it can kill line workers.

Source: safeelectricity.org 4

Cooperative Connections | July 2018

Pledge to be a co-op voter Find key election information Learn about the issues Register to vote Pledge to be a co-op voter Find key election information Learn about the issues Register to vote

VOTE.COOP KIDS CORNER SAFETY POSTER

VOTE.COOP

“Don’t fly kites near power lines.”

Sophia Bad Warrior, Second-grader at Dupree Public School

Sophia is the daughter of Dugan and Peg Bad Warrior, Dupree, S.D. They are members of Moreau-Grand Electric Cooperative, Timber Lake, S.D. Kids, send your drawing with an electrical safety tip to your local electric cooperative (address found on Page 3). If your poster is published, you’ll receive a prize. All entries must include your name, age, mailing address and the names of your parents.

Colored drawings are encouraged.

RECIPES

Delectable Desserts Rhubarb Dessert

Raspberry Almond Crumb Bars

1 white cake mix

1 (3 oz.) pkg. strawberry jello

2-1/2 cups flour

4 cups diced rhubarb

Whipped topping

1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

1 cup sugar Prepare cake according to package directions. Spread in a 9x13-inch pan. Layer rhubarb over cake batter. Sprinkle with sugar and dry jello. Bake at 350°F. for 35 to 40 minutes. Serve with Cool Whip.

Pam Hofer, Carpenter, SD

Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies 1 cup white sugar

2 tsp. baking soda

1 cup brown sugar

2 tsp. cream of tarter

2 cups butter-flavored Crisco

2 tsp. baking powder

2 eggs 2 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. salt 3-1/2 cups flour 12 oz. chocolate chips

Cream together the first 5 ingredients; add next 5 ingredients. Stir in chocolate chips. Bake on air bake pan at 350°F. for 10 to 12 minutes.

Let set a few minutes before removing from pan.

Sharon Sunvold, Renville, MN

Honey Bun Cake 1 yellow cake mix

1 T. cinnamon

4 eggs

Icing:

2/3 cup vegetable oil

1-1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 (8 oz.) container sour cream

3 T. butter, melted

1 cup brown sugar

2 T. milk (or to desired consistency)

Combine cake mix, eggs, oil and sour cream. Pour 1/2 of batter into a greased 9x13-inch pan. Mix together brown sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over batter in prepared pan. Pour remaining batter over top of cinnamon mixture. Run a butter knife through to marble the batter. Bake at 350°F. for 45 minutes. Let cake set 5 minutes, then frost with icing. For icing, mix together powdered sugar, butter and milk; pour over cake. Let cool at least 30 minutes before serving.

Sheryl Fromm, Hartford, SD

1 tsp. McCormick® Pure Almond Extract

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) cold butter, cut into chunks

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 cup raspberry preserves

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup sliced almonds

1 egg Mix flour, sugars, baking soda and salt in food processor until well blended. Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Mix egg and almond extract in small bowl. Add to food processor while pulsing. Reserve 1/3 of crumb mixture for topping. Press remaining crumb mixture into an even layer in foil-lined 9x13-inch baking pan. Spread raspberry preserves over top. Sprinkle clumps of the reserved crumb mixture over preserves. Sprinkle with almonds.

Bake at 350°F. 35 to 40 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.

Cool in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars. Makes 24 servings.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories 175, Total Fat 7g, Sodium 129mg, Cholesterol 23mg, Carbohydrates 26g, Protein 2g, Dietary Fiber 1g Pictured, Cooperative Connections

Mother’s Day Pie 1 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 T. all-purpose flour

3 eggs

1/4 tsp. salt

1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk

6 T. butter, melted

1 cup shredded coconut

In a medium bowl, combine sugar, flour and salt. Stir in butter and vanilla extract. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in evaporated milk followed by coconut. Pour into a greased and floured 9-inch pie plate or quiche pan. Bake at 325°F. for 35 to 40 minutes or until custard is nearly set and a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool. Refrigerate before serving.

Joy Hagen, Webster, SD

Please send your favorite salad, garden produce and pasta recipes to your local electric cooperative (address found on Page 3). Each recipe printed will be entered into a drawing for a prize in December 2018. All entries must include your name, mailing address, telephone number and cooperative name.

July 2018 | Cooperative Connections

5

CO-OP NEWS

HAPI will construct its 200th home this year. The non-profit organization focuses on affordable housing in the Aberdeen area.

HAPI Announces Largest Subdivision Of More Than 160 Homes Ben Dunsmoor bdunsmoor@northernelectric.coop

Northern Electric member Philip Boeke is settling into his new home in northeast Aberdeen. The Agtegra Cooperative employee moved from Nebraska into his brand-new Homes Are Possible Incorporated (HAPI) house in mid-December with his wife and young daughter.

North Dakota Street

MAKING (MORE) HOMES POSSIBLE

New 160 Home HAPI Subdivision

Fairgrounds Road

Boeke says he was drawn to the HAPI development – and the home he ultimately purchased – because the house was the right price in a rural location. “[I was] able to get into a brand-new home and [be] on the edge of town instead of in the middle of town,” Boeke said as he explained the reasons he purchased a home from HAPI. Boeke is just one of the hundreds of homeowners who have worked with the Aberdeen non-profit 6

Cooperative Connections | July 2018

ABERDEEN

The new HAPI subdivision will be located about a mile north of the North Dakota Street and Fairgrounds Road intersection in northeast Aberdeen.

CO-OP NEWS organization since HAPI was incorporated in 1999. This year, HAPI will build its 200th home and begin work on its 11th development.

“The whole idea from us as a non-profit is to make this [homeownership] as affordable as possible,” HAPI Executive Director Jeff Mitchell said.

HAPI began as an organization that connected income-eligible families with down payment assistance and other affordable-housing programs. Since 2003, the organization has also been planning subdivisions and building homes for buyers to purchase.

In May, HAPI announced its largest subdivision will be located on nearly 60 acres of land at 3030 North Dakota Street in Aberdeen. The new subdivision is located in Northern Electric Cooperative’s service territory and about a mile north of the North Dakota Street and Fairgrounds Road intersection.

HAPI is planning 81 lots for the first phase of the new Dakota Street subdivision and another 81 homes for the second phase.

HAPI will work as the contractor to construct about half of the homes and the other half will be built by other contrac-

tors. The typical HAPI house costs around $168,000 but there are several income-eligible programs to help with the down payment and to reduce monthly mortgage payments. The homes built by outside contractors in HAPI developments often range in price from $180,000 - $220,000.

“The whole idea from us as a non-profit is to make this [homeownership] as affordable as possible.”

“Really what our goal is, is to make affordable houses available in our subdivisions,” Mitchell said. “The whole idea from the very start is you have a mix of homes.”

Mitchell anticipates it will take more than two years to develop the first phase of the Dakota Street subdivision. HAPI will move into the second phase as the subdivision progresses.

Aberdeen is the only community where HAPI has subdivisions. As HAPI subdivisions have filled up over the past 15 years Mitchell says he has experienced first hand the need that is being met by the organization.

“If HAPI wasn’t doing this nobody else would be,” Mitchell said. “Housing makes a huge difference as far as sales tax revenue and job creation.”

Boeke says HAPI made it easy for his family to move from Nebraska and make their home in Aberdeen.

“Altogether between buying a new house through HAPI or a regular home I wouldn’t say it was any more of an issue or took any more time,” Boeke said. “For the dollar amount, and for what houses cost in Aberdeen, dollar for dollar that was the best buy around.”

And as HAPI breaks ground on its largest subdivision this summer it is hoping to make even more homes possible over the next several years.

The non-profit organization has built a few homes in other communities, but

HAPI will break ground on its largest subdivision this summer.

Nearly 60 acres of land at 3030 North Dakota Street will be turned into more than 160 residential lots over the next several years.

July 2018 | Cooperative Connections

7

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

New and emerging technologies are continuously offering innovative ways to effectively manage and reduce energy consumption. Unfortunately, not all technologies can live up to their hype. Your local electric co-op can help you navigate these emerging technologies and provide the most cost-effective and beneficial energy management solutions.

8

Cooperative Connections | July 2018

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

NAVIGATING Emerging Efficiency Technologies Kaley Lockwood National Rural Electric Cooperative Association

Investing in energy efficient technology is becoming an increasingly attractive way to cut costs for homeowners and renters alike. This rings true especially in the deep heat of summer. Hotter days often result in higher energy bills, partially due to A/C units working overtime to keep homes cooled and comfortable.

Electric cooperatives know it’s important to help our members navigate these emerging technologies and provide the most cost-effective and beneficial energy management solutions.

New and emerging technologies are continuously offering innovative ways to effectively manage and reduce a home’s energy consumption.

Smart thermostats, for example, have proven their worth in shaving 10 to 15 percent off an average home’s electric bill. These thermostats, in time, will effectively pay for themselves which make them an attractive option to many. Unfortunately, not all technologies can live up to their hype and some even come with side effects that can arguably overshadow their benefits.

The Mistbox Air Conditioner Cooler is one such technology. Mistbox claims to save its customers between 20 to 38 percent on their electricity bills. This technology requires a simple installation to a home’s outdoor A/C unit and works by spraying a mist to precool the air around the unit. In using this evaporative cooling method, you’re a/C unit theoretically doesn’t have to work as hard to pump cool air into your home. This may be beneficial when air temperature is at its highest. In the short term Mistbox may work, but there are some real caveats that need to be considered.

A primary point of concern is that an A/C unit is not designed to be sprayed down with such frequency.

Although the Mistbox system comes with a water filter, the company only recommends using its technology if your home’s water has a hardness less than 500 parts per million. This automatically rules out anyone who uses well water. Even if you do have a

home with the required water hardness, the filtration system can’t completely prevent your system from rusting.

Corrosion will occur resulting in a damaged unit.

Electric cooperatives know it’s important to help our members navigate these emerging technologies and provide the most cost-effective and beneficial energy management solutions. If you’re interested in taking steps to become more energy efficient, we recommend these tried and true tips:

Clean and change the filters on your HVAC system regularly to make your unit run more efficiently, keeping your house cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter.

In spring and summer months, set your ceiling fans to turn in the counterclockwise direction to create a cool breeze. In autumn and winter months, set your fan to turn in the clockwise direction. This will redistribute warm air throughout the room.

Add caulk or weather stripping to seal air leaks around leaky doors and windows.

Insulation is important. Properly insulating your home reduces heating and cooling costs, and improves comfort.

Remember, there are easy steps you can take now to improve the energy efficiency of your home. To learn about additional ways to save, contact the energy experts at your local electric cooperative.

Kaley Lockwood writes on consumer and cooperative affairs for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the national trade association representing more than 900 local electric cooperatives. From growing suburbs to remote farming communities, electric co-ops serve as engines of economic development for 42 million Americans across 56 percent of the nation’s landscape.

July 2018 | Cooperative Connections

9

YOUTH NEWS

Empower Youth Kicks Off New Youth Leadership Program Holds First Session Ben Dunsmoor bdunsmoor@northernelectric.coop

A dozen high school students from across eastern South Dakota learned about their individual strengths and were inspired to be leaders during the first Empower Youth session on May 31.

Empower Youth is a program which aims to engage local youth to be leaders at their schools, local cooperatives, and in their communities. The youth leadership program was created by Sioux Valley Energy which is an electric cooperative headquartered in Colman, South Dakota.

This summer, Basin Electric Power Cooperative, which generates most of the electricity for co-ops in South Dakota, is offering the program to students across the state. The first session of the newly expanded program was held at the Dakota Event Center in Aberdeen.

“It was great to see it all come together and be successful,” Empower Youth Coordinator Kristie Ching said about the inaugural session.

Students participate in a team-building activity during the first Empower Youth session in Aberdeen on May 31. your attitude affects other people,” Doland High School sophomore Tianna Tschetter said.

Hillier helped the teens realize that anyone can develop leadership skills if they have the motivation to take action in their communities. Hillier’s high-energy presentation also assisted in bringing out the best in the students throughout the day.

Noah Poor from Groton and Grace DuVall from Chamberlain build a house out of craft supplies as they learn about cooperatives.

“You could see them open up and come out of their shell as the day progressed,” Ching said. “You could see the leadership skills come out.”

Students from Northern Electric Cooperative and Central Electric Cooperative, which is headquartered in Mitchell, are participating in the Empower Youth sessions this summer.

During the afternoon session, the Empower Youth participants used craft supplies to build model homes as they learned about cooperatives and the components that make the co-op business model unique.

The participating teens engaged with youth motivational speaker Craig Hillier during the first few hours of the Empower Youth session. Hillier focuses on youth leadership and interacted with the students as he helped them understand how they can become true leaders in their communities.

The first session concluded when the students learned the results of a strengths assessment that was administered prior to the first session. The results helped the students understand their individual strengths and the importance of working as a team to capitalize on the strengths of the group.

“I learned a lot from Craig about how

“I thought it was great. It really made

10

Cooperative Connections | July 2018

me realize I had strengths,” Groton High School sophomore Noah Poor said. “I think the rest of the sessions have the opportunity to build off what we learned.”

During the second scheduled Empower Youth session, participants will join other teens from across South Dakota for the annual South Dakota Rural Electric Association Youth Excursion to Bismarck, North Dakota, from July 23-26. The students will stay at Bismarck State College, tour Basin Electric power generation resources, learn about different careers, and participate in team building activities.

The Empower Youth program will wrap up with a final session focusing on college and career readiness on August 7 at the Dakota Event Center in Aberdeen.

YOUTH NEWS

2018 Participants

Portia AmanBuechler

Alexandra Day

Brent Ekanger

Taryn Flack

Austin Kingsriter

Aberdeen Central 2018-2019 Grade: Sophomore (10)

Home (Aberdeen) 2018-2019 Grade: Sophomore (10)

Aberdeen Central 2018-2019 Grade: Sophomore (10)

Aberdeen Central 2018-2019 Grade: Sophomore (10)

Becca Monson

Jeremy Pasara

Noah Poor

Tianna Tschetter

Lauren Wiedebush

Warner 2018-2019 Grade: Senior (12)

Home (Aberdeen) 2018-2019 Grade: Sophomore (10)

Groton 2018-2019 Grade: Junior (11)

Doland 2018-2019 Grade: Sophomore (10)

Warner 2018-2019 Grade: Junior (11)

Home (Aberdeen) 2018-2019 Grade: Sophomore (10)

RIC AL ELECT S.D. RUR

2018 Participants

H

YOUT

SION

EXCUR

2018

Three students from Northern Electric Cooperative will attend the four-day Youth Excursion to North Dakota July 23-26. The students will tour the power-generation resources which provide electricity to Northern Electric.

All students who are participating in Empower Youth will also attend the 2018 Youth Excursion.

Grace Hagen

Malee Olson

Dawson Whitley

Grace will be a senior at Warner High School in the fall. Grace participates in band and play and volunteers at the animal shelter. She is the daughter of Jamie and Dawn Hagen.

Malee will be a senior at Aberdeen Central High School next school year.

She is the daughter of Lisa and Brent Olson. She enjoys singing, dancing, baking and hanging out with friends.

Dawson will be a sophomore at Redfield High School in August. He enjoys football, shooting trap, hunting, playing video games, and meeting new people. He is the son of Kirk and Jessi Whitley of Redfield, SD.

July 2018 | Cooperative Connections

11

YOUR HOME

Energy Audits Savings You Can Count On Derrill Holly National Rural Electric Cooperative Association

Better energy efficiency at home starts with savings, not sales, and an energy audit conducted by a trained energy advisor can help you get there.

She also checks household systems many homeowners seldom see or consider unless they spend time with their HVAC technician.

“One home I visited had an overflowing air handler water pan and extreme fungal growth” said Heyn. “Some members, particularly renters, don’t realize that their HVAC systems have an air filter.

When they are dirty, they can freeze up the system and cause an increase in power consumption.”

“Members are our community and we are the experts in the electric energy arena,” said Manuela Heyn, an energy services representative for Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative, who is also a member of the Southport, Florida-based Co-op. “We have the tools, knowledge and commitment to assist our people. Saving energy can also help shave peak loads.”

Expert advice

Heyn conducted her first energy audits with very basic tools: a flashlight, laser temperature gun and candy thermometer (to check water heater output temperature). She now has access to more sophisticated equipment such as thermal imaging equipment.

Training focused on both new construction techniques designed to improve energy efficiency and retrofitting options for upgraded older housing are common. Specialized training for multi-family units and manufactured housing are also common.

Members become frantic when they see a major increase in the power bill and want almost immediate answers as to why. In conjunction with experience and the ability to refer to meter data reports, the process of identifying major power consumption problems has been simplified and resolved in many instances in the office.

During on-site audits, she uses all her senses to find abnormalities such as hot water line leaks, running well pumps, damaged power cords, construction issues – one case leading to spongy drywall, disconnected ducts and lack of insulation to name a few.

12

Cooperative Connections | July 2018

Many of the electric co-ops that provide energy audits support professional development for energy advisors that includes exposure to building science concepts.

“By providing a picture of how energy is used in the home, people can concentrate on what can save them the most energy,” said Eileen Wysocki, an energy auditor with Holy Cross Energy, headquartered in Glenwood Springs, Colorado.

Wysocki starts with a baseload estimate of energy use based upon meter data. Talking with the consumer-member, she learns about household size and behavior patterns, and considers seasonal factors like heat tape used to prevent water lines from freezing.

“We have many ‘second homes’ in our service territory,” said Wysocki, adding that even when those homes are empty, energy use continues. “Fan coil blower motors, whole house humidi-

YOUR HOME fiers, boiler pumps, ventilation systems, driveway snowmelt pumps, pool pumps, hot tubs, garage heaters, heated toilet seats and towel bars are using energy, regardless of occupancy.”

The co-op serves Colorado’s popular ski areas around Aspen and Vail, and is currently designing a new audit form. It will stress benefits members can receive through efficiency upgrades, including comfort, said Mary Wiener, energy efficiency program administrator for Holy Cross Energy.

Co-ops that offer energy audits use the service to reinforce their roles as trusted energy advisors, helping members save energy in an effort to help them control their electricity costs.

While some co-ops provide complementary audits free of charge, especially when they are requested in response to high bill concerns, others may charge a small fee, offering rebates to members who implement some of the recommendations provided.

Time spent with an energy auditor can help a member avoid ineffective upgrades or the purchase of outsized equipment

that might not improve their comfort or produce savings through recoverable costs.

Offering solutions

An energy advisor’s home visit usually gets far more attention than a brief discussion

On average, a member can reduce their energy use by about 5 percent if they follow the low-cost or no-cost advice given during the audit. about energy efficiency at a co-op district meeting, a county fair or other community event. Most audits are initiated following a request tied to high bill concerns, when members are really motivated to control their energy costs.

On average, a member can reduce their

energy use by about 5 percent if they follow the low-cost or no-cost advice given during the audit. Additional savings of up to 20 percent can be achieved by addressing issues with big-ticket items, such as HVAC replacement, attic insulation or major duct repair discovered during the audit.

Improved energy efficiency not only helps the co-op control peak demand and wholesale power costs, it also provides opportunities to discuss services available to members. Those include rebates, weatherization programs and payment assistance.

To learn more about energy audits available to you, contact your local electric cooperative.

Derrill Holly writes on consumer and cooperative affairs for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the national trade association representing more than 900 local electric cooperatives.

From growing suburbs to remote farming communities, electric co-ops serve as engines of economic development for 42 million Americans across 56 percent of the nation’s landscape.

July 2018 | Cooperative Connections

13

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS

Nominating Petition Due By July 13, 2018

Call For 2018 Board of Directors Nominations During Northern Electric Cooperative’s 2018 Annual Meeting (Wednesday, September 12, 2018, at the Aberdeen Civic Arena) members will elect Directors for Districts 1, 8, and 3.

Incumbent directors Mark Sumption, Frederick (Dist. 1) and Francis Esser, Redfield (Dist. 8) are eligible to run again. The District 3 seat will be vacant because Secretary Glen Larson of Aberdeen has reached his term limit.

Northern Electric Cooperative uses a petition process to nominate directors. The procedure requires all candidates to circulate a petition. Candidates must be cooperative members and reside in the district they wish to represent.

Each petition must be signed by at least ten (10) cooperative member-consumers residing in that candidate’s district.

For a joint membership, either the husband or wife may sign a petition but NOT both.

Director Qualifications Northern Electric Cooperative Bylaws Article IV Section 3

No person shall be eligible to become or remain a director who: 1) Is an employee of Northern Electric Cooperative.

2) Is not a member and bona fide resident of the service area served by the Cooperative located within the particular District up for election; 3) Is in any way employed by or financially interested in a competing enterprise or business selling electric energy or supplies to the Cooperative or a business primarily engaged in selling electrical or plumbing appliances, fixtures or supplies to the members of the Cooperative;

Petitions are available at the Northern Electric offices in Bath and Redfield. Director petitions must be submitted at least sixty (60) days before the Annual Meeting to have names placed on the official ballot and the Notice of the Meeting. No petition filed later than sixty (60) days prior to the meeting shall be considered valid.

4) Has been previously removed as a Director of the Cooperative in accordance with the procedures provided for removal in these Bylaws;

Petitions must be filed at a Northern Electric Cooperative office by close of business (4:30 p.m.) Friday, July 13, 2018.

7) Has pled guilty or has been convicted of:

Nominations are not permitted from the floor during the meeting.

Members may only sign ONE nominating petition for a director candidate from their district of record.

14

Cooperative Connections | July 2018

5) Has failed to attend at least 2/3 of all regular board meetings during any consecutive twelve (12) month period.

6) Has been employed by the Cooperative in the past five years.

A felony, Any crime involving dishonesty, or Any crime involving moral turpitude.

2018 Annual Meeting Scheduled September 12

BYLAWS

Director Nomination and Election Process At the 2018 Annual Meeting, Districts 1, 8, and 3 are up for election. Northern Electric Cooperative Bylaws set the criteria required to seek election as a Northern Electric Cooperative director: Article IV, Board Members: Section 1. General Powers. The business and affairs of the cooperative shall be managed by the Board of Directors consisting of nine members elected by the membership at an annual meeting from districts as provided in this article, which Board shall exercise all of the powers of the Cooperative, except such as are by law, the Articles of Incorporation or these Bylaws conferred upon or referred to the members. It shall be the duty of each Director to participate in such activities as are deemed necessary to enhance the prestige of the Cooperative, broaden its operation and fulfill its public obligation as a member of the various communities in which it does business and in furtherance, thereof, to devote reasonable time and attendance at meetings of affiliate organizations and at training sessions to assist and improve Directors and Officers in carrying out their duties.

Section 2. Election and Tenure of Office. At each Annual Meeting of the members, Board Members shall be elected by secret ballot; provided, that when there is no contest for the representation of a particular district and there is no objection, balloting may be dispensed with in respect of that district and voting may be conducted in any other proper manner.

Board Member shall, unless the Cooperative’s members determine otherwise in advance of the initial balloting, be elected by a plurality vote of the members. Drawing by lot shall resolve, when necessary, any tie votes.

Except as hereinafter provided, no Directors shall be eligible for re-election who has served as a Director for nine (9) consecutive years and such Director shall be disqualified for a period of three (3) consecutive years.

Section 3. Voting Power. Each of the Directors will be entitled to one (1) vote upon all issues which they are called upon to vote.

(Qualifications printed in inset on page 14) Upon establishment of the fact that any person being considered for, or already holding, a Directorship or other position of trust in the Cooperative lacks eligibility under this Section,

it shall be the duty of the Board to withhold such position from such person, or to cause the member to be removed therefrom as the case may be. Nothing in this Section shall contain or shall be construed to affect in any manner whatsoever the validity of any action taken at any meeting of the Board, unless such action is taken with respect to a matter which is affected by the provisions of this Section and in which one (1) or more of the Directors have an interest adverse to that of the Cooperative.

Section 4. Director Districts. The territory served or to be served by the Cooperative shall be divided into nine (9) Director Districts, the boundaries of each being established by the geographical area within the township and ranges as set forth opposite of the District designation including adjacent areas on the outer perimeters of the Cooperative’s territory.

One (1) Director shall be elected from each of the nine (9) Director Districts.

District 1 shall consist of the following: Townships 126, 127 & 128 in Ranges 60, 61, 62 & 63; Township 127 in Range 59; Township 129 in Range 63; and Township 129 in Range 60.

District 2 shall consist of the following: Townships 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128 & 129 in Range 65; Township 123 in Range 66; and Township 126, 127 and 128 in Range 64.

District 3 shall consist of the following: Townships 123, 124 & 125 in Range 64.

District 4 shall consist of the following: Townships 124 & 125 in Ranges 60, 61, 62 & 63; and Township 124 in Range 59.

District 5 shall consist of the following: Townships 122 & 123 in Ranges 60, 61, 62 & 63.

District 6 shall consist of the following: Townships 118 & 119 in Range 67; Townships 118, 119, 120 & 122 in Range 66; Townships 118, 119, 120, 121 & 122 in Range 65; and Townships 118, 119, 120, 121 & 122 in Range 64.

District 7 shall consist of the following: Townships 118, 119 & 120 in Ranges 60, 61, 62 & 63; Township 119 in Range 59; and Township 121 in Ranges 59, 60, 61, 62 & 63.

District 8 shall consist of the following: Townships 116 & 117 in Ranges 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65 & 66; and Township 117 in Range 67.

District 9 shall consist of the following:

Townships 113, 114 & 115 in Ranges 61, 62, 63 & 64; Townships 114 & 115 in Ranges 65 & 66; Townships 114 & 115 in Range 60; and Township 115 in Range 59.

Section 5. Nomination of Directors. The nominating process shall be premised on a nine (9) District - nine (9) Director Cooperative.

Any ten (10) or more members residing in such District may file a nominating petition with the Secretary placing in nomination any qualified member from such District. Each signatory shall place the date of signing and his address on said petition. No member may sign a petition to nominate more than one candidate, and to do so shall invalidate the member’s signature on the petition signed on the latest date.

This procedure shall be followed in each Director District in which the Director terms shall expire. Upon receipt of such petition and having found the same to be in order, the Secretary shall post such nomination in the principal office of the Cooperative. Candidates so nominated shall be identified in the Notice of the Meeting and shall also be named on the official ballot.

No petition filed later than sixty (60) days prior to the annual meeting shall be considered valid.

The order in which the nominees shall appear on the printed ballot shall be determined by lot under the supervision of the Secretary. If any nominee should refuse to become a candidate or is not qualified, in accordance with the requirements of the Bylaws, the Secretary of the Cooperative is authorized and directed to remove the name or names from the list of posted nominees and/or from the ballot.

The Secretary shall be responsible for mailing with the Notice of the Meeting, or separately, but at least ten (10) days before the date of the meeting, a statement of the number of Board Members to be elected and the names and addresses of the candidates nominated. No nominations shall be permitted from the floor.

Each member of the Cooperative present at the meeting shall be entitled to vote for one candidate from their specific District from which a director is to be elected. Voting may occur two hours before or during the official meeting in accordance with the procedure established by the board of directors. The candidate from each District receiving the highest number of votes at the meeting shall be considered elected as a Board member.

July 2018 | Cooperative Connections

15

DATELINE

June 21-23

Crystal Springs Rodeo, Clear Lake, SD, 605-874-2996

June 22-23

Oahe Days Arts & Music Festival, Pierre, SD, oahedaysinfo@gmail.com Annual Main Street Arts and Crafts Festival, Hot Springs, SD, 605-440-2738

June 29-July 1

Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate Annual Wacipi, Agency Village, SD, 605-698-8284

July 29: 13th Annual Langford Car Show, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., trophies awarded at 1:30, Park of the Pines, Langford, SD, Contact Russell Nickelson at 605-493-6597

June 30-July 1

Archeology Awareness Days, Mitchell, SD, 605-996-5473

June 30-July 1

The Great Outdoor Festival, Pierre, SD, 605-224-7361

June 30-July 4

99th Annual Black Hills Roundup, Belle Fourche, SD, 605-723-2010

July 2-4

Sitting Bull Stampede Rodeo, Mobridge, SD, 605-845-2387

July 3-5

July 10-15

July 20-21

July 12-15

July 20-21

4th Annual 3 Wheeler Rally, Deadwood, SD, 605-717-7174, www.d3wr.com Hot Harley Nights, Sioux Falls, SD, 605-334-2721

JazzFest, Sioux Falls, SD, 605-335-6101

July 14

July 20-21

October 6

July 14-15

July 7, 21, Aug. 25, Sept. 8, 22

Lawn Mower Races, Pukwana, SD, 605-680-1718 or 605-682-9781

July 28

July 20-21

July 6-8, 13-15, 20-22

Hedahls Auto Value Car Show, Hav-A-Rest Campground, Redfield, SD, 605-380-9985

Summer Fest/Car Show, City Park, Groton, SD, Topper Tastad at 605-397-7337, Facebook: Groton SD Lions Club

Senior Games, Aberdeen, SD, Contact Gene Morsching at 605-216-2822

July 13-14

Frontier Days Rodeo, Interior, SD, 605-455-1000

July 7

Gumbo Ridge Bronc Ride and Ranch Rodeo, Murdo, SD, 605-669-3031

July 22

Make-A-Wish South Dakota Poker Run, On the Road to Wishes, Aberdeen, SD, Contact Lorren and Jan Weber at 605-225-7262, www.facebook.com/bieglers

Cruiser Car Show and Street Fair, Rapid City, SD, 605-716-7979

Laura Ingalls Wilder Pageant, 8 p.m., Pageant Site, De Smet, SD, 800-880-3383

Senior Games, Brookings, SD, Contact Traci Saugstad at 605-692-4492

Storybook Land Festival, Aberdeen, SD, 605-626-7015

July 20-22

Summer Arts Festival, Brookings, SD, 605-692-2787

Annual Gem & Mineral Show, Rushmore Plaza Civic Center, Rapid City, SD, 605-269-2015

July 17-22

July 20-22

July 18-21

July 21

July 18-21

July 21-22

Corn Palace Stampede Rodeo, Mitchell, SD, 605-770-4919 Black Hills Corvette Classic, Spearfish, SD, 605-759-4530 Senior Games, Rapid City, SD, Contact Kristi Lintz at 605-394-4168

Stampede Rodeo, Burke, SD, 605-830-0304 Annual Heritage Music Fest, Elk Point, SD, 605-366-9466 41st Annual Festival in the Park, Spearfish, SD, 605-642-7973

Pumpkin Train, Prairie Village, Madison, SD, 800-693-3644 To have your event listed on this page, send complete information, including date, event, place and contact to your local electric cooperative.

Include your name, address and daytime telephone number.

Information must be submitted at least eight weeks prior to your event. Please call ahead to confirm date, time and location of event.

Photo courtesy: Langford SD Facebook Page

June 22-24

Northern Electric September Vol. 19 No.5

Full Steam Ahead: 150-HP Road Locomotive Page 8

Are You Ready?

Preparedness Is Key Page 12

EDITOR’S COLUMN

Election Day 2018 Is November 6

Don’t Make This The Worst Election Ever The last few weeks of summer in South Dakota bring us fairs and festivals and preparations for the upcoming harvest. But, during even-numbered years in South Dakota (2018, 2016, 2014, etc…) Labor Day weekend and those waning days of summer often signal the unofficial kickoff to campaign season. This is the time of year when colorful campaign signs litter front yards and highway ditches, the debate season starts to heat up and knocks on your front door may result in a face-to-face conversation with one of the candidates on the ballot.

Ben Dunsmoor bdunsmoor@northernelectric.coop

Turnout, for the last two gubernatorial elections...has been the worst in recent history.

This fall, South Dakotans will elect a new governor and a new member of Congress. Both of these decisions are very important; however, statistics show South Dakota voters don’t make gubernatorial election years as much of a priority as presidential election years. I ask you to turn that trend around this fall.

Voter turnout during non-presidential election years tends to be lower than presidential election years. According to statistics from the South Dakota Secretary of State’s office, the average voter turnout for the last eight presidential elections was 72 percent. The last eight non-presidential elections, which are years when South Dakotans elect a governor, averaged a 64 percent voter turnout. Turnout, for the last two gubernatorial elections, however, has been the worst in recent history with only 52 percent of voters showing up to elect Governor Dennis Daugaard in 2010 and 53 percent of voters turning out to re-elect Daugaard in 2014.

Voting for the President of the United States is a very important responsibility and 70 percent of South Dakotans showed up to vote for the last two presidents.

But, I would argue that voting for South Dakota’s governor is just as important if not more important - than voting for president. The governor’s decisions have a direct impact on the voters of South Dakota. The governor leads new policy initiatives for the state. The governor is the chief executive of the state of South Dakota and the actions of the governor hit closer to home for most voters.

This year, South Dakotans have a prime opportunity to decide who they would like to lead their state during a very important non-presidential election year.

Republican Congresswoman Kristi Noem is stepping away from Washington D.C. to run for governor against Democrat Billie Sutton. South Dakotans have the chance to elect a brand-new governor on November 6.

Because Rep. Noem is running for governor, South Dakotans also have the rare chance to fill the state’s only seat in the U.S. House of Representatives without an incumbent on the ballot. Neither Republican Dusty Johnson nor Democrat Tim Bjorkman have served in Washington D.C. The last time South Dakotans had that chance was during the 2004 special election when Democrat Stephanie Herseth defeated Republican Larry Diedrich following the resignation of former Governor and Congressman Bill Janklow.

So, this fall I ask you not to make this the worst non-presidential election ever when it comes to voter turnout. I ask you to pay attention to the debates on TV, learn about the candidates running for office, and show up to vote on November 6. South Dakota voters have a rare chance this fall to hit the reset button in both Pierre and Washington D.C. and the decisions you make on Election Day 2018 will have a ripple effect on you and your fellow South Dakotans for years to come.

2

Cooperative Connections | September 2018

Northern Electric Cooperative’s regular board meeting was held July 19, 2018, at the headquarters in Bath with all directors present. As the first order of business, the Board approved the June 22, 2018, minutes and June expenditures. The Board then reviewed and accepted monthly reports from management including details on financial, operations, member services, safety, communications and IT. (USPS 396-040)

Board President: Donna Sharp Board of Directors Randy Kienow – Vice President Glen Larson – Secretary Wayne Holt – Treasurer Fran Esser Victor Fischbach Josh Larson Mark Sumption Nolan Wipf CEO/General Manager: Char Hager – info@northernelectric.coop Chief Financial Officer: Cathi Podoll Operations Manager: Mike Kelly Manager of Member Services: Russel Ulmer Manager of Information Technology: Derek Gorecki Communications Director: Ben Dunsmoor bdunsmoor@northernelectric.coop Executive Secretary: Kay Albrecht

2.

Approved payment of legal fees for Harvey Oliver in the amount of $271.58.

3.

Approved Work Order Inventories #18-06 for $37,628.16 and #18-06MC for $34,313.64 to be submitted to the Rural Utilities Service for reimbursement from loan funds for electric plant construction already completed.

4.

Authorized board attendance to the 2018 Basin Electric Annual Meeting, November 6-8, in Bismarck. Appointed Director Donna Sharp delegate and General Manager Char Hager alternate.

5.

Appointed General Manager Char Hager delegate for NRECA, CFC, Federated, RESCO and NISC for the 2018 NRECA Regional Meetings, September 17-19, Minneapolis, MN.

6.

Appointed Director Mark Sumption voting delegate for the Basin Electric District 1 Nominating Caucus.

7.

Approved annual special and general capital credit retirements for members age 70 and over. Estimated retirements will total $400,763.01.

Reminded directors attending the 2018 East River Annual Meeting, September 5, in Sioux Falls.

8.

Approved resolution for the REED, Inc. loan application by Allevity Adventure Zone, LLC.

Informed directors of the 2018 Mid-West Electric Consumers Association Annual Meeting, December 10-13 in Denver, CO.

9.

Approved revision to existing policy P-18E, to be effective as of July 19, 2018.

Directors viewed the East River Electric Power Cooperative video report. East River Director Mark Sumption reported on actions taken by the East River Board at the July 5, 2018, meeting. General Manager Char Hager reported on the East River MAC Meeting she attended July 3, 2018, in Madison. South Dakota Rural Electric Association Director Nolan Wipf reported on the SDREA board meeting he attended June 28-29, 2018, in Pierre.

Manager’s Report

General Manager Char Hager’s report to the board included the following items: Update and discussion on new and progressing development projects.

Update on Rural Electric Economic Development (REED) revolving loan fund.

Legal and Legislative report from General Manager Char Hager and Attorney Harvey Oliver on the SDREA Legal Seminar they attended, July 10-11, 2018, in Pierre.

Discussion on staff preparation for the Northern Electric Annual Meeting, September 12, 2018, in Aberdeen.

Subscription information: Northern Electric Cooperative members devote 50 cents from their monthly electric payments for a subscription. Non-member subscriptions are available for $12 annually. Periodicals postage paid at Bath, SD 57427.

www.northernelectric.coop facebook.com/NorthernElectricCooperative

The board considered and/or acted upon the following: Approved date and time of the next regular board meeting for 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, August 23, 2018.

Informed directors of the 16th Annual Line

This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Board Report 1.

NORTHERN ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE CONNECTIONS is the monthly publication for the members of Northern Electric Cooperative, PO Box 457, Bath, SD 57427. Families subscribe to Cooperative Connections as part of their electric cooperative membership. The purpose of Northern Electric Cooperative Connections is to provide reliable, helpful information to electric cooperative members on electric cooperative matters and better rural living.

Postmaster: Please send address changes to Northern Electric Cooperative Connections, PO Box 457, Bath, SD 57427; telephone (605) 225-0310; fax (605) 225-1684

BOARD REPORT

Patrol Charity Ride, September 7-8, 2018, at Rapid City, SD.

Financial Report

Ask your cooperative manager, staff member or director for details on any of these matters.

June 2018

June 2017

21,948,594 kWh

21,082,370 kWh

Electric Revenues

$2,161,226

$2,154,472

Total Cost of Service

$2,163,459

$2,124,294

Operating Margins

(-$2,233)

$30,178

Year To Date Margins

$274,784

$30,111

kWh Sales

Residential Average Monthly Usage and Bill June 2018

1,432 kWh

$180.31

.1259 per kWh

June 2017

1,306 kWh

$158.94

.1217 per kWh

Wholesale power cost, taxes, interest, and depreciation accounted for 82.9% of NEC's total cost of service.

September 2018 | Cooperative Connections

3

SAFETY TIPS

College Bound?

Are You Registered?

Keep Safety in Mind

National Voter Registration Day is a national holiday celebrating our democracy. It was first observed in 2012 and has been growing in popularity every year since. Held on the fourth Tuesday of September, National Voter Registration Day will be observed on Tuesday, Sept. 25, this year. The holiday has been endorsed by the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS).

It is further supported by the National Association of State Election Directors (NASED).

There are several specific causes for fires on in on- and off-campus college housing, including cooking, candles, smoking and overloaded power strips. For most students, the last fire safety training they received was in grade school, but with new independence comes new responsibilities. It is important that both off-campus and on-campus students know their fire risks and prevention actions that could save their lives.

Cooking Cook only where it is allowed.

Keep your cooking area clean and free of anything that can burn.

Keep an eye on what you are cooking, especially if you are cooking at high temperatures.

If a fire starts in a microwave, keep the door closed and unplug the unit.

Candles Place candles in sturdy holders.

Never leave a burning candle unattended.

Keep candles away from anything that can burn.

Use safe flameless candles.

Smoking

South Dakotans seeking to vote in the Nov. 6 general election must be a U.S. citizen residing in South Dakota and be 18 years old on or before Election Day. Voter registration forms must be received by the county auditor 15 days before the election day. Additionally, those seeking to vote may register at the county auditor’s office, a driver’s license station, city finance office, public assistance agencies providing food stamps, TANF or WIC, Department of Human Services offices which provide assistance to the disabled or military recruitment offices.

Minnesotans must be a resident of the state for 20 days prior to the election.

They can register online, in person or on election day.

For more information, visit https://www.sos.state.mn.us/elections-voting/ register-to-vote/ or call the Minnesota Secretary of State’s office at 1-877-600VOTE (8683) or contact your county election office.

KIDS CORNER SAFETY POSTER

Make sure cigarettes and ashes are out.

Never toss hot cigarettes butts or ashes in the trash can.

Use deep, wide ashtrays. Place ashtrays on something sturdy and hard to burn.

After a party, check for cigarette butts, especially under cushions. Chairs and sofas catch on fire fast and burn fast.

Don’t smoke when you have been drinking or are drowsy.

Electrical safety Keep lamps, light fixtures, and light bulbs away from anything that can burn.

Never use an extension cord with large appliances, like a refrigerator.

Do not overload outlets.

Use only surge protectors or power strips that have internal overload protection.

Source: U.S. Fire Administration https://www.usfa.fema.gov/prevention/outreach/college.html

4

Cooperative Connections | September 2018

“Don’t play on transformer boxes.”

Leo Bakeberg IV, Second-grader at Dupree Public School

Leo is the son of Leo Bakeburg and Amanda Grewe, Dupree, S.D. They are members of Moreau-Grand Electric Cooperative, Timber Lake, S.D. Kids, send your drawing with an electrical safety tip to your local electric cooperative (address found on Page 3). If your poster is published, you’ll receive a prize. All entries must include your name, age, mailing address and the names of your parents. Colored drawings are encouraged.

RECIPES

Garden Goodness Cheesy Sausage and Potato Skillet Casserole

Sandi’s Tomato Garden Salad 3/4 cup sugar

8 oz. bulk breakfast sausage, crumbled

1/4 tsp. McCormick® Black Pepper, Coarse Ground

1/2 cup olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

2 T. yellow mustard

1 medium green bell pepper, 1 cup crumbled feta cheese chopped 6 eggs 1 cup milk 1 T. McCormick® Oregano Leaves 1/2 tsp. salt

2 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped 1 T. oil 1 (20 oz.) pkg. refrigerated shredded hash browns

Cook and stir sausage in large skillet on medium heat 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Add onion and bell pepper; cook and stir 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Set aside. Beat eggs in large bowl with wire whisk. Add milk, oregano, salt and pepper; mix well. Add sausage mixture, cheeses and tomatoes; mix well. Set aside. Pour oil into same skillet, swirling to coat the pan. Spread hash browns in bottom and up sides of pan. Pour egg mixture over potatoes. Cover. Cook on medium heat 10 to 15 minutes or until eggs are set. Makes 12 servings Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories 221, Total Fat 13g, Saturated Fat 6g, Cholesterol 122mg, Sodium 477mg, Protein 12g, Carbohydrates 14g, Dietary Fiber 2g

2/3 cup tarragon vinegar

2 T. parsley 1 tsp. basil 1 tsp. thyme

6 large tomatoes, coarsely chopped 1 large onion, coarsely chopped 2 green peppers, coarsely chopped 2 cucumbers, coarsely chopped (optional) Rotini noodles, cooked

Salt and pepper to taste In a large bowl, mix together first 8 ingredients. Add vegetables.

Refrigerate overnight.

Sandi Polkinghorn, Lake City, SD

Apple Corn Bread Crisp 4 cups peeled, sliced tart 1 (8.5 oz.) pkg. corn bread/ apples, about 4 to 5 medium muffin mix 3/4 cup packed brown sugar, 1 tsp. ground cinnamon divided (or to taste) 1/2 cup quick-cooking oats

5 T. cold butter, cubed

1 medium unpeeled zucchini, washed, seeded and cut into chunks

Sliced onion

Stir together apples and 1/4 cup brown sugar. In another bowl, combine corn bread mix, oats, cinnamon and remaining brown sugar. Cut in butter until crumbly. Add 1/2 cup corn bread mixture to apples. Transfer to a greased 8-inch square baking dish. Sprinkle remaining corn bread mixture over top. Bake at 350°F. for 30 to 35 minutes or until filling is bubbly and topping golden brown. Serve warm.

Sliced green pepper

Jean Osterman, Wheaton, MN

1-1/4 cups uncooked rice

American cheese slices

Fresh sliced tomatoes

Uncooked bacon

Pictured, Cooperative Connections

Zucchini Hot Dish

Spray a 10x10-inch casserole dish. Layer zucchini chunks in bottom of pan. Sprinkle rice over top of zucchini. Place a layer of tomatoes, sprinkled with oregano, salt and pepper over rice. Next, top this with a layer of onion, green pepper and cheese slices. Lastly, place layer of bacon over all. Bake, covered, at 350°F. for 1-1/2 hours. The raw ingredients will provide enough moisture to cook the rice.

Gail Lyngstad, Pierre, SD

Please send your favorite pasta, slow cooker and holiday favorites recipes to your local electric cooperative (address found on Page 3).

Each recipe printed will be entered into a drawing for a prize in December 2018. All entries must include your name, mailing address, telephone number and cooperative name.

September 2018 | Cooperative Connections

5

CO-OP NEWS

Northern Electric Journeyman Lineman Chris Piehl creates an electrical arc for Spink County first responders on July 10 to demonstrate the dangers of a 7,200-volt power line.

POWERFUL TRAINING Spink County First Responders Get First-Hand Training on Electrical Safety Ben Dunsmoor bdunsmoor@northernelectric.coop

The first task of a first responder at an emergency is to ensure the scene is safe for firefighters, paramedics, and the public. And, when that emergency involves electricity it’s crucial that first responders know the proper safety steps to take around power lines and meters.

“It’s one of those things that slows down any rescue because guys are pretty cognizant about making sure the power is shut off,” Spink County Emergency Manager Larry Tebben said.

Almost 40 first responders from Spink County received first-hand training on electrical emergencies during a nearly two-hour evening session at the Northern Electric Cooperative office in Redfield on July 10.

“Typically, that is one of the first calls I make, after my mutual aid, is to the utilities,” Conde Fire Chief Dave DeBarge said.

At least one representative from almost every Spink County volunteer fire department or emergency response agency attended the training in July.

6

Cooperative Connections | September 2018

Journeyman Lineman Chris Piehl explains the different equipment used to provide electricity to a home, farm, or business.

CO-OP NEWS “They like all the training they can get to make their job as safe as possible,” Tebben said.

the first responders in attendance the proper way to shut off the power to a home or farm without pulling the meter.

Training on electrical hazards during emergencies can be rare for many rural emergency responders, which is the reason Northern Electric Cooperative hosted the July 10 event. Spink County Emergency Manager Larry Tebben said he doesn’t remember a training session which focused specifically on electrical emergencies during his eight years as emergency manager.

“I think a lot of guys had it in their head that pulling the meter took care of it,” DeBarge said. “Sharing that information of what to do was pretty important.”

“They (Spink County first responders) definitely thought what you were teaching was something worth going to,” Tebben said.

The first hour of the training focused on five main electrical hazards response crews may encounter when they arrive at the scene of an emergency. One of the topics of discussion was a practice called ‘pulling meters.’ Some first responders attempt to shut off power to a home, shop, or business by pulling the electric meter from the socket. However, pulling certain models of meters does not always shut off the power which can create a dangerous situation. Northern Electric crews showed

“I thought it was pretty important that first responders get that first-eye view of these electrical hazards.”

First responders also learned the proper steps to take when a vehicle crashes into a power line, how to handle fires on power poles, and the proper safety steps to follow when working around damaged underground transformers.

in Redfield conducted a live high-voltage demonstration using a safety trailer which shows the dangers of contacting a 7,200volt power line. The Redfield line crew used grapefruits, cucumbers, and hot dogs to show the devastating effect of highvoltage electricity on the human body.

“I thought it was pretty important that first responders get that first-eye view of these electrical hazards,” DeBarge said.

This was the first time Northern Electric Cooperative held a safety training for first responders in Spink County. Northern Electric hosted a similar training in Brown County in 2017. The co-op hopes to make first-responder training an annual event because of the importance of the information that is shared.

“Electricity is a powerful tool and if we do not respect the power of electricity one wrong decision can be the difference between life and death,” Northern Electric Operations Manager Mike Kelly said.

Which is the reason electrical safety is a critical component for crews responding to an emergency.

Following the discussion on electrical hazards, the Northern Electric line crew

Journeyman Lineman Shawn Evans talks with first responders about the different types of meters that are installed throughout the cooperative service territory.

September 2018 | Cooperative Connections

7

COVER STORY

An early 1900s rendering of the Case 150-HP Road Locomotive.

STEAM POWER DREAM Recreating the Case 150-HP Road Locomotive Brenda Kleinjan editor@sdrea.coop

A legacy preserved in pictures and technical drawings has been brought back to life and debuts Sept. 7-9 at the James Valley Threshing and Tractor Club Show at Andover, S.D.

More than 100 years ago, the largest steam tractor ever produced – the 150-horsepower Case Road Locomotive – rolled off the drawing boards and onto the landscape. Fewer than 10 were produced and the behemoth’s sheer power created technical issues for its ongoing reliability. But despite the issues that would eventually silence its massive engine, the giant – its rear wheels stood 8 feet tall and the front wheels reached the shoulders of a full-grown man – made an impression on Kory Anderson.

Anderson, an entrepreneur and mechanical engineer started with an idea 12 years ago to build a scale-model replica of the 25-foot, 10-foot wide machine. He spent the ensuing years researching the machine – including a visit to the Case archives in Wisconsin, recreating the drawings in CAD and researching what materials would overcome the original issues caused by lack of metallurgical advancements 100 years ago.

Anderson crafted mahogany molds for the parts that would need to be cast at Dakota Foundry in Webster. The services of an Amish boilermaker in Ohio would be secured.

The machine’s rear wheels – each standing 8 feet tall and 8

Cooperative Connections | September 2018

Kory Anderson, right, an entrepreneur and mechanical engineer, is bringing to life a replica of the Case 150-HP Road Locomotive.

COVER STORY

Photos by Anderson Industries, LLC

Case 150-HP Road Locomotive Specifications Kory Anderson, left, and Gary Bradley stand next to some of the inner workings of the steam powered Case. Cover: Michael Dean Bradley and Gary Bradley pose by the hulking Case 150-HP Road Locomotive.

measuring 3 feet wide – would need to be fabricated. Finished, they would weigh three tons each. Parts would be painted, lettering and graphics would be applied.

And thousands of hours would be spent breathing life into a machine not heard from since the 1920s.

In the age of railroads and horse-drawn power, the turn of the 20th century saw some innovative tractors that would transform the agriculture. The Case Road Locomotive had the potential to eclipse them all. Designed to move heavy loads where rail lines didn’t exist, it was used to haul copper ore in New Mexico, and was used for jobs ranging from plowing beet fields, threshing and hauling stone from a quarry in states including Georgia, Kansas,

Kentucky, New York and Wisconsin.

The thing was built for power, if not speed. (In low gear, it crawled along at just over 2.5 miles an hour, while high speed doubled the pace, reaching more than 5.6 miles per hour.)

While the original machine sold for around $4,000 in 1904 (roughly four times the cost of a 1904 Cadillac). The 2018 version will cost considerably more: an estimated $1 million.

from the Case archive documents: BOILER – Shell 42 inches in diameter.

TUBES – Ninety-three 2 inch tubes, 108 1/2 inches long, of cold drawn, seamless steel tubing FIRE BOX – 58 1/4 inches long, 39 1/4 inches wide, and 45 inches high, made of the best openhearth flange steel.

HEATING SURFACE of boiler, 515 square feet. Grate area of boiler is 15.8 square feet.

BOILER PRESSURE – The boiler tested at 350 pounds hydrostatic pressure, and can carry 160 pounds as a working pressure.

WATER TANK – The capacity of the tank is about 500 gallons

For more about the build, visit https:// www.facebook.com/Anderson-Industries-LLC-115448931876302/

WATER FEED – An ejector will fill the water tank in eight minutes from any stream or other accessible water supply

For more about the Threshing Show, go to https://www.facebook.com/jvthreshers/ or http://www.jamesvalleythreshers.com/

FUEL CAPACITY – The coal capacity is about 2,750 pounds.

ENGINE CYLINDER – 14 inches diameter by 14 inch stroke.

HORSE POWER – The engine easily develops 150 brake horse power running at its normal speed of 300 revolutions per minute.

TRACTION POWER – The engine has been built for heavy hauling purposes and is capable of drawing 40 to 50 tons up grades from 5 percent to 10 percent. The engine itself, not loaded, will go up a 40 percent grade.

Among those lending a hand to the project’s build are Mark Knox, left, and Bob Johnson, second from right. Johnson is system support/member services manager at Codington-Clark Electric in Watertown.

www.jamesvalleythreshers.com/ case150.htm

September 2018 | Cooperative Connections

9

YOUTH NEWS

Youth Get An Inside Look At Co-op Power Ben Dunsmoor bdunsmoor@northernelectric.coop

Nearly 50 teens from across South Dakota got to see what it takes to generate the electricity they depend on every day during the 2018 Youth Excursion to Bismarck, North Dakota.

“This is the power behind charging up their cell phone or their hot shower,” South Dakota Rural Electric Association Director of Communications and Member Relations Brenda Kleinjan said. “They get to see what is on the other end.”

High school students from eight South Dakota electric cooperatives, including 13 students from Northern Electric Cooperative, boarded a bus on July 23 for the four-day tour. The students stayed at Bismarck State College and participated in several hands-on experiments and presentations. During one of the activities the teens got to operate a power plant simulator and experience what it takes to run a boiler-powered electric generation unit.

The students also got an up-close look at the various ways electricity is generated during the 2018 Youth Excursion. The teens toured the North American Coal Freedom Mine and Basin Electric Power Cooperative’s Antelope Valley Station power plant. Students also viewed a wind farm north of Bismarck and a solar array which generates electricity for Bismarck

The 2018 Youth Excursion group included 49 teens from eight South Dakota electric cooperatives.

State College. The four-day excursion gave teens a comprehensive look at electric generation while exposing them to all the career possibilities along the line.

“The goal of Youth Excursion is to bring our future co-op members, board members, and future employees together to explore their energy sources,” Kleinjan said.

Lauren Wiedebush (left) and Portia Aman-Buechler (right) enjoy an activity at Bismarck State College.

Grace Hagen, who will be a senior this fall at Warner High School, said the trip was fun and informative.

“It was really cool,” Hagen said. “You’ll find your interests somewhere (on the trip).”

Aberdeen Central Senior Malee Olson said the tour of Basin Electric’s Antelope Valley Station was one of her favorites.

Students view the solar array at Bismarck State College.

10

Cooperative Connections | September 2018

“That (boiler) was impressive. I wouldn’t think it would hang from the ceiling.”

Olson also enjoyed

the evening activities which included a trip to Raging Rivers Waterpark in Mandan, North Dakota.

“I liked the waterpark and the huge slides.”

On the final night of Youth Excursion, the students got to unwind with some trivia and music led by a co-op employee who works for National Information Solutions Cooperative. NISC is an information technology cooperative that develops software for electric co-ops. NISC has an office in Mandan.

Olson said the trip exceeded her expectations and she would recommend Youth Excursion to other students.

“You may think it’s boring but just do it.

It’s fun.”

OFFICIAL NOTICE

OFFICIAL NOTICE

Members of Northern Electric Cooperative Inc. The Annual Meeting of the members of Northern Electric Cooperative Inc. will be held at the Aberdeen Civic Arena and Theatre in the City of Aberdeen, State of South Dakota, on the 12th day of September, 2018, at 6:30 p.m. to take action on the following matters: Reports of officers, directors, and committees Election of three directors To discuss and act upon any other business PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that although Directors for Districts 1, 3, and 8 will be elected by the membership at the meeting, paper ballots will not be needed. Incumbent directors Mark Sumption (District 1) and Francis Esser (District 8) and member Ronald A. Kaaz (District 3) are the only eligible candidates for their Districts. Each of the eligible candidates is running unopposed. Since no other nominations can be submitted, the candidates will be automatically elected at the annual meeting.

2018 Northern Electric Cooperative Board of Director Candidates District 1

District 3

District 8

Frederick, SD

Aberdeen, SD

Redfield, SD

Mark Sumption

Ronald A. Kaaz

Francis Esser

PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that the Secretary has posted such nominations in the principal office of the Cooperative.

July 19, 2018

Glen Larson Secretary

2018 Annual Meeting

Member Owned Member Focused September 12, 2018 Aberdeen Civic Arena & Theatre 5:00-6:30 p.m. FREE Meal & Energy Expo 6:30 p.m. Business Meeting

September 2018 | Cooperative Connections

11

CO-OP NEWS

Power in Preparation Co-ops Committed to Preparedness Every Day Derrill Holly NRECA

Preparation is the key to success in many things we do in life. Planning, practice and thoughtful assessment provide opportunities to work out potential problems in advance.

September is National Preparedness Month, and the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency is encouraging all of us to prepare for emergencies. But most of us do better when we prepare for the routine, the extraordinary and the unexpected.

For electric cooperatives in South Dakota and western Minnesota, preparation plays a huge role in ensuring that our members have the electricity they need as soon as they flip a light switch or start an appliance.

When a co-op crew pulls a truck into a loading bay, warehouse workers have already pulled the parts and equipment needed for that crew’s scheduled day’s work. When a member services representative discusses balanced billing by telephone, they’re helping a member with preparations to ease the impact of seasonal high bills.

When meteorologists call for exceptionally hot or cold weather, electric co-ops work closely with their generation and transmission cooperatives (G&Ts) to ensure adequate supplies of electricity are reserved to meet anticipated demand.

South Dakota and western Minnesota electric co-ops are constantly preparing for the future. Engineers and construction crews design, build and upgrade the electric system to move electricity from 12

Photo Caption.

power plants and substations to farms, homes and businesses.

All of these actions prepare electric co-ops to deal with the daily challenges of meeting the electricity needs of their members. But working together, we put in just as much effort preparing for the uncertainties posed by flooding, tornadoes, wildfires, high winds, blizzards and ice storms. Electric co-ops maintain and constantly update emergency response plans. Employees train for major events and know in advance what their primary and secondary roles would be.

Electric co-ops also subscribe to mutual aid agreements. That’s why you see trucks and crews from co-ops in other states in your communities when major power outages occur.

We also work with state and national

Cooperative Connections | September 2018

officials to help ensure that crews can get to your communities when they are needed and have the lodging, food and support necessary to work effectively far from home.

September may be National Preparedness Month, but the region’s electric cooperatives are committed to preparedness every day – for the routine, the extraordinary and the unexpected.

Derrill Holly writes on consumer and cooperative affairs for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the national trade association representing more than 900 local electric cooperatives.

From growing suburbs to remote farming communities, electric co-ops serve as engines of economic development for 42 million Americans across 56 percent of the nation’s landscape.

HTTP://BREADY.SD.GOV/

Are You Ready?

The heat of August and September make it hard to remember that winter snows will be here before we know it.

Supply Kit

The South Dakota Office of Emergency Management offers the following preparedness tips:

Prepare your family for any disaster by putting together an emergency supply kit. Make sure your kit is always ready, easily accessible and stored in a durable container.

Winter storms, especially blizzards, can be very dangerous. Preparing before extremely cold, snowy weather occurs can save your life. Know what winter storm watches and warnings mean. If a Winter Storm Watch has been issued for your area, hazardous winter weather conditions (such as snow greater than 6 inches in 24 hours, winds gusting over 35 mph, or visibilities less than a 1/4 mile) are expected in the next 12 to 36 hours. A Winter Storm Warning means the conditions listed for the Watch exist.

Try to stay indoors during a blizzard. If you have to go outside to check on animals or for another reason, be sure to dress warmly in loose fitting layers of clothing.

Wear heavy gloves to protect your hands and heavy socks with boots that will not absorb water. Cover your mouth so that you don’t breathe in freezing cold air that can damage your lungs. Keep your body dry.

Know the signs of hypothermia or frostbite.

If you are traveling at all when a winter storm is possible, then you should always bring emergency supplies with you. You can never predict when you might get stranded and need them. If stranded, make sure you stay in your vehicle. Run your vehicle about 10 minutes every hour. Open windows a little for fresh air to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning. Make yourself visible to rescuers by turning on the dome light at night, tie a colored cloth to your antenna, and raise the hood after the snow stops falling.

If you are caught outside, find a dry shelter and cover all exposed parts of the body. If shelter is not available, prepare a lean-to, wind break, or snow-cave for protection from the wind.

Build a fire for heat and to attract attention. Place rocks around the fire to absorb and reflect heat. Do not eat snow, it will lower your body temperature.

Melt it first.

Weather related dangers can be very unexpected. Being prepared for a potential hazardous situation could save your life.

Recommended Kit Supplies Water, one gallon per person per day for drinking and sanitation Food, at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food Battery-powered radio and extra batteries Flashlight and extra batteries First aid kit Whistle to signal for help Dust mask or cotton t-shirt to help filter the air Moist towelettes for sanitation Wrench or pliers Can opener for food Plastic sheeting and duct tape Unique family needs, such as daily prescriptions, infant formula or diapers, and copies of important family documents Garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation

Other Items to Include

Change of clothing Sleeping bag or blanket Hat, mitten, scarf Waterproof matches Toys, books, puzzles, games Extra house and car keys List of contact names and numbers Sturdy shoes Gloves for clearing debris Tent Fuel for cooking Plastic knives, forks, spoons Paper plates and cups Paper towels Heavy-duty aluminum foil Hand sanitizer Bar soap and liquid detergent Shampoo Toothpaste and toothbrushes Feminine supplies Toilet paper Household bleach with no additives Newspaper to wrap garbage and waste Ax, shovel, broom Screwdriver, hammer Coil of one-half inch rope Knife or razor blades Garden hose for siphoning and fire fighting

Source: https://dps.sd.gov/emergency-services/ emergency-management/preparedness September 2018 | Cooperative Connections

13

OFFICAL NOTICE

2017 Annual Meeting Minutes Pursuant to the notice to all members, the 70th Annual Meeting of the membership of Northern Electric Cooperative, Inc., was held in the Aberdeen Civic Arena and Theatre on the 13th day of September 2017, at 6:30 p.m. with registration commencing at 5:00 p.m.

Nearly 600 members and guests were served a buffet dinner before the business meeting. An electric products and services expo was also held.

Following the National Anthem, Chairman Mike McHugh called the meeting to order.

The Chairman then called on Director Francis Esser from District 8 in Redfield to deliver the invocation. General Manager Char Hager and Chairman McHugh then recognized guests, directors and officers of the board.

Secretary Randy Kienow declared a quorum was present, with the official registration being 223. He then gave a report on petitions for nominees. Kienow stated that petitions were received for the following Director candidates: District 4, Josh Larson, Columbia & Tanya Torguson, Bath; District 6, Randy Kienow, Aberdeen, and District 7, Victor Fischbach, Mellette.

Chairman McHugh called for the Secretary’s report. Upon motion, the reading of the minutes of Northern Electric Cooperative’s 69th Annual Meeting was waived and the minutes, as previously mailed to all of the members prior to this meeting, were approved as printed and mailed.

Treasurer Wayne Holt stated that the financial statements printed in the annual report represented an accurate reflection of the audited financial status of the Cooperative, as of December 31, 2016. The treasurer’s report was approved as presented.

Chairman McHugh called for any unfinished or old business. There was none. McHugh and General Manager Char Hager began their presentation.

In combined President/Manager reports, McHugh and Hager stated: The Road to New Opportunity is the theme of the 2017 annual meeting as we take a look at the changes that have happened at the cooperative over the past year and some of the new opportunities that lie ahead in the future.

This is our 70th Annual Meeting. Just like the very first meeting there are many challenges facing electric cooperatives today. Whether those challenges lie in new regulations, rates, or rural development, electric co-ops remain strong as we try to turn those challenges into new opportunities.

Those opportunities include ways to use elec14

tricity cost effectively and more efficiently, and new opportunities to help our communities grow and be more prosperous.

As we announced during our 2016 annual meeting. Basin Electric Power Cooperative implemented a mid-year rate increase last year.

Basin Electric owns and operates the power plants that generate most of our electricity.

As communicated at this meeting last year that rate increase became effective January 1st for Northern Electric because our wholesale power supplier - East River Electric - was able to offset the increase for the remainder of 2016.

At this time, Northern Electric has held off the implementation of a permanent rate increase through the continued use of the power cost adjustment or PCA. This was done to give our staff and our independent engineering firm time to conduct an in depth study of our rates and rate structures. The PCA increase is a way to collect the revenue required to meet our operating costs and lender requirements. Currently we are evaluating all costs and rate structures. We do anticipate changes in some rates and rate components, and plan to have the changes in place by January 1, 2018. At that time we plan to lower the PCA to zero.

Many of the current rate structures were initially implemented in the 1980’s and 1990’s.

Since that time, the power needs of our members and their usage has increased.

To give you a brief overview of how Northern Electric Cooperative operates I would like you to look at this chart. Northern Electric is a member of another cooperative know as East River Electric Power Cooperative based in Madison, South Dakota. East River is our wholesale power supplier and we pay an electric bill to East River every month for supplying us with electricity just like you pay your monthly bill to Northern Electric.

East River operates transmission lines and substations that deliver electricity to Northern Electric. East River gets its electricity from Basin Electric in North Dakota as well as the Western Area Power Administration or WAPA which administers the distribution of electricity from the hydropower dams on the Missouri River.

This three-tiered system aims to bring our membership the most reliable and affordable electricity possible.

East River also operates a system called load management which controls more than 70,000 electric loads in homes, farms and businesses across its service territory in eastern South Dakota and western Minnesota.

Those loads include appliances such as hot

Cooperative Connections | September 2018

water heaters, grain bin fans, air conditioners, and irrigation pivots. The load management system cycles these large loads on and off during the day so the loads are not all being used at peak times. Load management allows East River and member co-ops like Northern Electric to avoid paying a premium price for electricity during the times when demand is highest.

Load management and peak demand are components of the analysis being conducted in regards to the Northern Electric rate structure.

We anticipate changes in the way the co-op charges members for their use of electricity during these peak times and the amount of demand they place on the system.

East River Power Supply Specialist Jeff Rud joins us now to drill into these rate components and explain how the costs impact the co-op.

As you just heard, demand costs are the largest single component of the power bill Northern Electric pays to East River Electric.

With the rate changes that will be coming for 2018 we will be asking you to help manage those demand costs. If members are using electricity during those peak times the cooperative has to pay a premium price for electricity which in turn will be billed to those specific members who are creating the demand during that peak.

However, by utilizing the load management system Jeff just told us about, there is the opportunity for the cooperative to save money on our purchased power bill from East River which means members will save money on their monthly bill also.

Our member services department has been working hard over the past year to promote, monitor, and maintain the load-management system.

Member services representatives have been installing new load management devices on water heaters, air conditioners, and grain bins.

The member services department has also been taking an active role in studying rates.

Our member service department also rolled out a new rebate program this year for thirdparty irrigation management. The new rebate allows farmers to install third-party irrigation management systems on their pivots. The system allows farmers to remotely control their irrigation pivots with a tablet or smart device.

This allows farmers to turn their systems on and off with their smart device at times of peak demand. East River notifies farmers about these peak times through text messages or email notifications. Members can get a $750 rebate for every third-party irrigation management device installed.

The Northern Electric Operations Department led by Mike Kelly has been working hard over the past year to upgrade infrastructure and build new lines to bring reliable power to your homes, farms, and businesses.

co-op staff members spent several months weighing the pros and cons of selling the subsidiary to Northern Valley Communications which is a subsidiary of James Valley Telecommunications.

Northern Electric currently maintains nearly 3,000 miles of line.

With numerous ongoing changes in both the electric and telecommunications industries the Board of Directors ultimately decided it was in the best interest of Northern Electric Cooperative to sell the subsidiary to another local cooperative. In July the sale was finalized and all Northern Wireless customers became customers of either NVC or James Valley.

Our crews replaced 245 distribution poles, upgraded another 158 services to accommodate more electric load, and built 90 new electric services in Brown and Spink counties in 2016.

The operations department is also working on electronic GIS mapping that will allow employees to have access to the most current version of our distribution system map.

The new mapping system will work hand in hand with the outage management system which is planned for 2018.

In addition to the improvements the Northern Electric crews have made over the past year, East River has also made several upgrades to its infrastructure in our area.

In 2016, East River made major improvements within our service territory. East River crews moved and rebuilt the Ferney substation and also upgraded the Redfield and LaDelle substations. East River also rebuilt 24 miles of transmission line from Groton to Ordway, which was East River’s largest project to date.

East River continues to upgrade its transmission lines and facilities in our area today.

The Accounting and Billing department continues to roll out new features of the National Information Solutions Cooperative software which was installed last year.

One of the main features of the new NISC software is a product called SmartHub. SmartHub allows members to view their electric use and billing information online or on their mobile device through the SmartHub app for Apple and Android.

There are now more than a half dozen ways to pay your monthly bill. You can use SmartHub to pay online and on-the-go. You can also set up automatic withdrawal from your checking account or savings account. A new credit card terminal has been set up in the Bath office so members can easily swipe their credit cards and pay their bill. Members can pay over the phone with our new secure automated telephone system or simply mail in a check to the office or place a check in the drop box at Ken’s Super Fair Foods in Aberdeen, or stop in one of the offices in Bath or Redfield to pay with cash, check, or a credit card.

In January, the Northern Electric Board announced its intent to explore the sale of the co-op’s wholly-owned internet subsidiary Northern Wireless Communications.

The Northern Electric Board of Directors and

Northern Wireless provided both television and internet service to our members. The subsidiary was started in 1988 and we thank our members for supporting the subsidiary over the past three decades.

At Northern Electric Cooperative we strive to communicate with you as members. We want to share energy efficiency tips, safety facts, and outage information with you. We continue to communicate to you through our monthly Cooperative Connections magazine, the Northern Electric website, and our presence on Facebook.

This spring Northern Electric joined with our fellow East River co-ops to begin a campaign called “Powering Your Safety.”

As farm equipment gets bigger the margin for error around power lines continues to shrink. Just this spring Northern Electric had nearly a dozen incidents where farm machinery or heavy equipment came in contact with overhead power lines or damaged our equipment.

Damaging overhead power lines is not only expensive but it is also dangerous and can be deadly. The “Powering Your Safety” campaign aims to spread the message about staying safe on the farm and share the steps to take if you contact an overhead power line. Please, visit poweringyoursafety.com for more details about this important topic.

Every summer Northern Electric also provides an educational opportunity to both students and adults by sending groups to North Dakota to tour Basin Electric’s power-generating facilities so you can learn where our electricity comes from. During these trips there is plenty of time for socializing with other members, eating great meals, and enjoying the Bismarck area. We hope you will consider coming along next summer. Look in the Cooperative Connections magazine for more information in the coming months.

Now, it is time for some comments from one of our students who attended the Youth Excursion trip to North Dakota.

Northern Electric sponsored eight students on the trip this year. Aryan Jamal joins us now to

OFFICIAL NOTICE

tell us about the Youth Excursion.

Northern Electric also sponsors one student every year to take the annual Youth Tour trip to Washington D.C. Jazzlyn Tschetter was the student Northern Electric sent this year.

Tschetter is a senior at Doland High School and joins us tonight to talk about her experience in Washington DC. Hager mentioned that NEC is happy to provide educational experiences like the Youth Tour trip to our members.

At this time McHugh recognized two employees for their years of service and dedication to the co-op. The two employees are celebrating major milestones with the co-op tonight. Kenny Swanson, 30 years, Marty Newman, 25 years. Thank you for your years of service to Northern Electric Cooperative. We appreciate all you do.

McHugh mentioned that after serving on the Northern Electric Board of Directors for the past nine years and serving as your Board President for the last year this will be his last Annual Meeting. He has reached his term limit and will be officially off the board following the September 13, 2018, election.

Hager mentioned that NEC would like to thank Mike for all his years of service to Northern Electric Cooperative by also presenting him with a plaque to recognize him for his dedication to the co-op.

Hager mentioned that earlier this summer the Northern Electric Board of Directors selected Nolan Wipf of Hitchcock to take over Mike’s seat on the South Dakota Rural Electric Association board. Nolan will continue to represent the interests of Northern Electric at the statewide level as he serves in this new role.

Hager mentioned that she would like to thank all of the NEC employees for their hard work and dedication over the past year.

McHugh called for new business. Hearing none, called to take action on the election of directors. Corporate Attorney Harvey Oliver explained the voting rules and procedures of the election of directors and explained that the candidates for district 6 and 7 being unopposed, the chair declared the nominees as elected by general consent. The committee tallied the votes for the election regarding district 4. Josh Larson received 27 votes, Tanya Torguson received 3 votes. Josh Larson was declared the winner.

Hager mentioned that NEC would like to thank the members for their support over the past year and thanked them for attending the annual meeting of the cooperative.

McHugh called for any other business to come before the meeting, there being none, He declared the meeting adjourned at 7:41 p.m. and thanked all for attending.

September 2018 | Cooperative Connections

15

DATELINE

August 25-26

August 30-September 3

Fall River Hot Air Balloon Festival, Sunrise each day at airport, Activities all day, Night Glow Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Hot Springs, SD 605-745-4140

South Dakota State Fair, Huron, SD, 605-353-7340

August 25, September 8 and 22, October 6

Lawn Mower Races, Pukwana, SD, 605-680-1718 or 605-682-9781 Value Added Ag Day and Specialty Crop Workshops at the State Fair, SD Value Added Ag Development Center and SD Specialty Producers, Huron, SD, 605-681-6793

September 2

Photo courtesy: travelsd.com

August 30

September 7-9

Studebaker Car Show, Custer, SD, 605-673-2244

James Valley Threshing and Tractor Show, Andover, SD, jvthreshers@gmail.com

September 2

September 8

Billy Bolander Memorial Demolition Derby, Winner, SD, 605-469-6232

September 6-8

AAUW Annual Used Book Sale, Our 50th Year, Super City Mall, Thursday 6 to 9 p.m., Friday 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., Aberdeen, SD, 605-226-0891

September 6-9

Senior State Games, Sioux Falls, SD, Howard Bich at 605-491-0635

September 7-8

Ribs, Rods & Rock n’ Roll, Main Street, Vermillion, SD, 605-624-2021

September 7-9

Sixth Annual S.D. Fiddle Festival & Contest, 4-H Grounds, 901 Whiting Drive, Yankton, SD, fiddlersofsouthdakota.com

Beef N Fun Festival, Mobridge, SD, 605-845-2387

September 8

Sidewalk Arts Festival, Sioux Falls, SD, 605-367-7397

September 8

Eggs, Mushrooms and Microgreens Tours, Noon to 4:30 p.m., Free, Brandon, SD, Contact 605-681-6793 or SDSPAinfo@gmail.com

September 8-9

Fifth Annual Grape Stomp Festival, With the Wind Winery, Rosholt, SD, 605-212-5166, www.withthewindwinery.com

September 8-9

Twin Rivers Old Iron & Kuchen Festival, Delmont, SD, Contact George Sandhoff at 605-505-0535

September 8-9

Quilt Show, Hill City, SD, 605-574-2810

September 11

S.D. Co-op Hall of Fame Induction Banquet, The Lodge, Deadwood, SD, 605-945-2548

September 13-15

St. Joseph’s Indian School Annual Powwow, Chamberlain, SD, 605-234-3452

September 14-15

NESD Celtic Faire and Games, Aberdeen, SD, 605-380-5828

September 14-16

North Country Fiber Fair, Watertown, SD, 605-956-7909

September 14-16

Dakota Western Heritage Festival, Fort Pierre, SD, 605-222-0079

September 14-16

German-Russian Schmeckfest, Eureka, SD, 605-284-2332

September 16

Stirling Family Memorial Ranch Rodeo, Fort Pierre, SD, 605-223-7690

October 6

Third Annual Pumpkin Fest, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., City Park, Free activities for children, Alternate date is Oct. 7, Groton, SD, For more information, contact April Abeln at 605-397-8422

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Include your name, address and daytime telephone number.

Information must be submitted at least eight weeks prior to your event. Please call ahead to confirm date, time and location of event.