H T WATTS
A Message from the General Manager
As we take a moment to reflect on 2024, we want to thank our members for your trust and confidence in us. It has been our pleasure to provide you with reliable, affordable, and safe electricity over the past year. We are equally excited to have ensured that all our members now have access to affordable, reliable, and lightning-fast internet service. This allows residents to enjoy the rural way of life while experiencing exceptional internet connectivity that surpasses most urban areas. During 2024, we did begin to see some relief from supply chain constraints. While material prices did not decrease, we observed some stabilization, which helped reduce some financial planning and budgeting challenges. Unfortunately, we have experienced significant increases in insurance premiums nationwide, and Cookson Hills Electric has not been exempted from this trend. The cost of labor, including contractor labor, has risen as well. CHEC utilizes contractors for larger electrical conversion projects, right-of-way clearing, and some fiber construction projects. Despite the cost increase, using contractor labor remains more economical
for certain initiatives. By working with local contractors, we help funnel money back into the local economy, which benefits both CHEC and our community businesses.
Wholesale power costs have continued to rise each year, significantly impacting our overall electric service costs. Our wholesale power costs are our single largest expense, making up almost 70% of our total operations and maintenance costs. Wholesale power costs are driven by the demand for electricity and the cost of generating electricity. Demand for electricity can spike during extreme weather events that typically occur in the winter and summer seasons. Such peaks lead to higher wholesale power prices, which then affect what we pay as consumers of electricity. Generating electricity involves various costs, including fuel sources, maintenance of power plants and transmission grids, construction of new power plants, and investment in new transmission lines. All these costs impact the rates you pay as the end user.
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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
John Dillard, Vice President
Ronnie Pevehouse, Sec/Treasurer
Vacant
Dan Callahan, Trustee
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Dart Drummonds, Trustee District 4
Mike Rose, Trustee District 5
STAFF
Juli Orme, General Manager
Marty Huff, Director of Safety & Loss Control/ROW Coordinator
Ellen Mattison, Manager of Accounting Services
Kristie Cash, Manager of Office Services
Jeremy Stubblefield, Chief Technology Officer
Brad Martin, Director of Member/Public Relations and Economic Development
Dallin Shaw, Director of Engineering
Kellan Lujan, Manager of Subsidiary Accounting
Austin Poindexter, Director of Operations
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.
bit.ly/CHEConFB (case-sensitive)
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Our power provider, from which we purchase power, announced a rate increase in the last quarter of 2024. The rate increase is scheduled to take effect in April 2025. Consequently, CHEC contracted with Guernsey, an engineering firm, to conduct a cost-of-service study to review existing rates and determine a suitable rate structure. The last overall rate increase for CHEC members occurred in 2014, and the monthly service availability charge increased in 2018. What does this mean for you, our members? Inevitably, CHEC will be implementing an increase in rates soon. This is part of the business we never look forward to because we know it impacts you and your family. We also know you all have felt the impact of inflation at the grocery store, in healthcare, property insurance, and about everywhere else you turn. In April 2025, rates for CHEC members will increase to support the increasing wholesale power costs and overall operating costs. We do not take this decision lightly, and the Board and staff will continue to work on finding ways to help contain costs wherever possible while maintaining the level of service you deserve and expect. The Board of Trustees will approve rates at the December 2024 board meeting (which was not held at the time of the production of this article). Members will be notified about rate changes through Hot Watts, our website, and direct mail. Please look for more information soon, as we aim to share updates with all members as they become available.
We wish you a blessed 2025, and again, thank you for allowing us to serve your electric and fiber needs.
Sincerely,
Juli Orme
Rebates Available
Do you know that Cookson Hills Electric partners with Associated Electric Cooperative to offer a rebate program for our members? That’s right! You may be eligible for a rebate if you purchase eligible equipment or appliances. From programmable thermostats to ground-source heat pumps, several rebates are available. You can visit our website at https://www.cooksonhills.com/rebates for details or give us a call at 800-328-2368, and we will be happy to assist.
Mark Blaylock Retires after 32 Years
After over three decades of faithfully serving Cookson Hills Electric Cooperative, Mark Blaylock has announced his retirement effective January 2025. Mark began his career at CHEC in 1992 and has served in various roles ranging from journeyman lineman to, most recently, Director of Operations and Safety. 3641500
Mark has been a strong leader and a valuable asset in the life of CHEC. You will hardly see him without a smile and a Mountain Dew in his hand! Mark is always ready and willing to help whoever is in need, one of the many reasons his coworkers admire him.
When asked to sum up his career, Mark said, “People put a lot of emphasis on success in today’s world. I’ll put it like this. A fellow Christian asked me once if I thought I was a successful Christian, and my response to him was, ‘That is not my call.’ Jesus Christ is the one who determines that. All I’m looking forward to is that ‘well done, good and faithful servant.’ A career working at Cookson Hills is the same way. I am not the one to say whether I have been successful. You would have to ask my fellow employees. I have always strived to leave something better than when I started, and hopefully, I have done just that.”
“Mark has been a great asset for Cookson Hills,” said General Manager Juli Orme. “He is always willing to help others and makes it a point to put others first. He will truly be missed by the team at Cookson Hills Electric and the many members who have had the opportunity to work with him. I am grateful for his friendship and his dedicated service of 32 years!”
Please join us in congratulating Mark on a successful career and wishing him a happy retirement!
The Future of Reliable Electricity
By Anne Prince
As our country’s economy continues to grow, so too does the demand for reliable electricity. Data centers, new manufacturing facilities and our daily lives are requiring more and more electricity. In fact, U.S. power consumption is expected to rise to record highs this year and next, and the demand for electricity in the U.S. is expected to at least double by 2050.
Meanwhile, our supply of electricity is already decreasing as always-available power plants are being prematurely shut down. The North American Electric Reliability Corporation has warned that 19 states could see rolling blackouts during times of high electrical usage over the next five years. We all know what happens when supply can’t meet demand––prices go up, and the lights go off.
As we prepare for this rising demand, CHEC is planning ahead to ensure local families and businesses have access to an affordable, reliable supply of electricity.
Meeting the challenge
To meet these challenges, CHEC is utilizing a balanced mix of always-available energy sources as a safeguard to maintain a reliable energy supply.
We’re also investing in innovative technologies to bolster grid resilience and enhance data management to improve operational efficiency, expedite outage response times and minimize service disruptions.
As electricity demand in the U.S. continues to rise, upgrading and building new infrastructure will be critical. That’s why CHEC is collaborating with other electric co-ops by pooling resources and expertise on projects that advance technology, security, infrastructure and innovative energy sources to meet the increasing needs of our communities.
As a co-op, this collaborative approach is a core strength and enables us to deliver affordable energy to local families and businesses. Our priority is ensuring energy solutions that are tailored to the unique needs of our community to help it thrive now and in the future.
We were built by the community it serves, providing essential services that drive growth and pave the way for an energy future that prioritizes reliable electricity at a cost local families and businesses can afford.
