Published monthly by Cookson Hills Electric Cooperative, Inc.
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DECEMBER 2021
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WATTS WATTS INSIDE >> page 2
Scholarships application now open >> page 3
2021 recap, continued >> page 4
Holiday decor tips for an energy-wise home
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A recap of 2021: How Cookson Hills Connect came together By Juli Orme, CEO
As we move into the final month of 2021, we are still living through unique and extraordinary times. However, they are exciting times as well. Our new fiber initiative has the potential to have as much impact now as the introduction of electricity did for cooperative members back in 1948. Many aspects of our lives – the ways we work, learn, spend our down time and stay in touch with loved ones – are vastly different in 2021. But one factor is shared throughout: They all rely on access to reliable and affordable high-speed internet. I’m pleased to let you know that throughout this year, we have made great progress in bringing service to our communities. It started at the beginning of the year with our announcement that Cookson Hills
Electric Cooperative was awarded $4 MILLION in federal funding from the Federal Communications Commission’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund auction. With this funding secured, Cookson Hills quickly turned its attention to making our fiber broadband project happen: hiring contractors, getting estimates for construction and meeting with installers. Our employees have held weekly meetings to discuss all areas of business including marketing strategy, pricing and operations for our new subsidiary, Cookson Hills Connect. After months of preparation behind the scenes, it was finally time to begin the building process of our world-class fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) network.
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Cookson Hills Electric Cooperative, Inc. Headquarters Office PO Box 539 • 1002 E. Main Stigler, OK 74462 • 800-328-2368 Branch Office PO Box 587 • 1800 KOA/Power Drive Sallisaw, OK 74955 • 918-775-2211 Pay-by-Phone: 1-888-678-1937 www.cooksonhills.com Alternate Emergency Only: 918-552-0016
BOARD OF TRUSTEES Joe Ogle, President Rocky Woods, Sr., Vice President Ronnie Pevehouse, Sec/Treasurer Dan Callahan, Trustee John Dillard, Trustee Dart Drummonds, Trustee Mike Rose, Trustee
District 6 District 1 District 7 District 2 District 3 District 4 District 5
STAFF Juli Orme, General Manager Chris Morris, Chief Financial Officer Mark Blaylock, Director of Operations — Stigler Marty Huff, Director of Operations — Sallisaw Ellen Mattison, Manager of Accounting Services Kristie Cash, Manager of Office Services Rockey Oldham, Manager of Broadband Services Jeremy Stubblefield, Chief Technology Officer Brad Martin, Director of Member/Public Relations and Economic Development Dallin Shaw, Director of Engineering
CHEC to give away $2,000 in scholarships to high school seniors Four high school seniors from across CHEC’s service area will win $500 scholarships next spring, and now is the time to apply. Those eligible to apply must have parents or guardians who are members of Cookson Hills, demonstrate good character and citizenship, possess an ambition to obtain further education, hold a grade point average of 2.0 or better and have a financial need. The college or technical school for which applicants are pursuing must be a state accredited school offering an associate’s degree or a bachelor’s degree. CHEC awards scholarship money in two installments: once upon ensuring the student is enrolled in at least 12 academic hours per semester, and once when the student shows his/her first semester grades to be a minimum of a 2.0 grade point average. Download the scholarship application by visiting www.cooksonhills. com and selecting Cookson Hills Electric Scholarship under the Community tab, or call 1-800-328-2368 to request one. Applications must be submitted along with two letters of recommendation by March 4, 2022, to Scholarship Committee, Cookson Hills Electric Co-op, Attn: Felicia Wixom, P.O. Box 539, Stigler, OK, 74462.
Russell V. Barber, General Counsel Cookson Hills Electric Cooperative, Inc. welcomes members to submit photos, and articles which will be subject to editing. Cookson Hills reserves the right to publish or modify any article. Companies and individuals featured in the Hot Watts newsletter do not necessarily reflect the official policy, position, or view of Cookson Hills. Cookson Hills Electric Cooperative, Inc. is an equal opportunity provider and employer. If you find your account number hidden in this issue of the Hot Watts, you’ll receive a $25 credit on your electric bill.
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2 | December 2021
CHEC offices will be closing at 3 p.m. Dec. 22 and will remain closed on Dec. 23 and 24 to celebrate Christmas, and Jan. 3 in observance of New Year’s Day. Please call 1-800-328-2368 to report any power outages or safety hazards that may occur.
2021 recap, continued from page 1 Construction began this past spring. The FTTH buildout will be completed in phases, and it is anticipated to reach 100% of our 14,400 members by the end of 2023. Currently, the project is in Phase 1, which includes the following areas listed by substation and feeder (check your electric bill to see which substation and feeder you receive your electricity from): • Enterprise 2 (feeder 4) • Tenkiller 4 (feeder 1) • Liberty 14 (all feeders) • Nicut 12 (all feeders) • Akins 15 (all feeders) • Muldrow 6 (all feeders) • Sallisaw 5 (all feeders) • Vian 13 (all feeders) We are proud of all that we’ve accomplished to date: • Over 300 total miles of fiber line built • Seven fiber huts installed that light the fiber for our communities • Added seven new jobs to our area • Connecting new subscribers daily At Cookson Hills Electric Cooperative, our sole reason for offering high-speed internet services through Cookson Hills Connect is to meet the needs of members like you. We are working as quickly as possible to reach all of our members with
lightning-fast fiber broadband so you will no longer have to rely on DSL, fixed wireless or satellite internet to stay connected online. Fiber-fast internet packages start as low as $54.95 a month for speeds of up to 100 Mbps – symmetrical uploading and downloading – with no data caps or throttling back on speed. Gigabit speed is also available for our power users for $84.95 per month. If you haven’t already pre-registered at www.cooksonhillsconnect.com, we encourage you to let us know you’re interested in service! Pre-registration is the easiest way to get notifications and service updates sent directly to your email. It does not automatically subscribe you to service. Feel free to reach out to us at any time with questions or concerns. You can email us at fiber@cooksonhills.com, or call us at 1-800-328-2368, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Cookson Hills Electric Cooperative and Cookson Hills Connect are committed to the Oklahoma communities we serve. We appreciate everyone’s patience as we continue our broadband journey and look forward to connecting thousands of customers in 2022! Thank you as always for your support. Wishing you and your loved ones the best of the holiday season!
Happ Retire y ment !
Pre-register at www. cooksonhills connect.com
Bringing the fastest, most reliable, high-
After 28 years of service to Cookson Hills Electric, Tandy Sloan is ready for retirement. We want to thank Tandy for his years of dedicated service, extraordinary work ethic and invaluable mentorship. We wish Tandy all the best on his retirement!
speed internet to our communities www.cooksonhills.com | 3
Holiday décor tips for an energy-wise home By Abby Berry
Whether you’ve already decked your halls or you’re just getting started, there’s still time to incorporate energy savings into your holiday décor planning. If you haven’t strung your twinkle lights, be sure to use LED light strands. LEDs consume far less energy than incandescent lights and they can last 40 holiday seasons. They’re also safer because they’re made with epoxy lenses, not glass, making them more resistant to breaking––and they’re cool to the touch, so no burnt fingers! If you missed Santa’s memo about energy-saving LEDs and your holiday lights are already up, you can still save on lighting costs. All you need is a programmable light timer. Most models cost between $10 to $25 and can be purchased through online retailers like Amazon or at big box stores like Lowe’s or Wal-Mart. With a light timer, you can easily program when you want your holiday lights turned on and off, which will save you time, money and energy. If you’re using a timer for exterior lighting, make sure
it’s weatherproof and intended for outdoor use. If Clark Griswold’s décor style is a bit much for your taste, consider a more natural approach. Many Christmas tree farms, and even retailers like Lowe’s and Home Depot, give away greenery clippings from recently trimmed trees. With a little twine, extra ornaments and sparkly ribbon, you can create beautiful garlands and wreaths to hang over your front door or windows. To add extra twinkle at night, you can install solar-powered spotlights to illuminate your new (essentially free!) greenery. Solar spotlights can vary in price, but you should be able to purchase a quality set of four for about $30––and because they run on natural energy from the sun, there’s no additional cost to your energy bill. [3143101] Regardless of how you decorate your home for the holidays, there are plenty of ways to save energy throughout the season. Visit www.cooksonhills.com for additional energy-saving tips.
Abby Berry 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% of the nation’s landscape.
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