JUNE 2019
THE MESSENGER A Publication for North Arkansas Electric Cooperative Members
Keep workers safe; don’t nail objects to electric poles Signs and other objects on electric poles are more than just an unpleasant eyesore. They can be dangerous — even life-threatening — to the line technicians who maintain our electric grid. NAEC urges everyone to help keep poles free of such materials. The hooks used by technicians to climb poles are vulnerable to becoming snagged on staples and nails embedded in poles. Foreign objects can tear protective gear or clothing, which is the first line of protection from an electric shock. They also can injure workers through the safety gear they wear. The materials posted on poles also degrade the quality, effectiveness and stability of the wood. Lawmakers agree the practice is dangerous. Posting items on poles is against state law, and violators are subject to fines.
HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY — NAEC offices will be closed July 4. Crews will be on call. In the event of an outage, please call 870895-3221 or use the free NAEC Mobile App to report.
NAEC CEO Mel Coleman, left, and NAEC Board of Directors President Mike Dover “flip the switch” on NAEC’s 1 MW solar array at a dedication ceremony April 23. Also pictured, from left, are directors Steve Hall, Larry Goodwin, Dennis Wiles, Jim Short, Doc Freeman, Cameron Davis, Beth Carter and Sonya Beckwith.
NAEC dedicates 1 MW solar array North Arkansas Electric Cooperative’s new 1 MW solar array represents the cooperative’s first owned generation source in our almost 80-year history. The single-axis tracking array consists of 4,009 solar panels on eight acres of land along U.S. Highway 62 near Salem and was constructed by Today’s Power, Inc. Speaking at the April 23 dedication, NAEC CEO Mel Coleman said the project showed NAEC’s commitment to maintaining a diversified mix of generation sources that includes renewables. “Our goal is to provide our members with reliable, affordable power,” Coleman said. “New technologies have made solar generation a viable way to help us accomplish that.” Today’s Power designed the project that will allow NAEC to secure a portion of the co-op’s energy costs over the 25-year warranty life of the project from clean, renewable and sustainable solar technology. Also speaking at the dedication, TPI President Michael Henderson said the electricity world is changing. “The wisdom and vision shown by North Arkansas’ Board of Directors and management team will provide clean, renewable energy for NAEC’s members for decades to come,” Henderson said. The partnership between NAEC and Today’s Power will not only provide renewable energy but also will show how NAEC seeks to be a good steward of the environment. Quail Forever, an organization dedicated to wildlife habitat conservation, will help develop a habitat important to wildlife within the region. The goal will be to create habitats for pollinators, such as butterflies, bees and other beneficial insects, as well as cottontail rabbits, bobwhite quail and other birds. Plans call for wildflowers to be sown in the fall. NAEC also plans to host educational tours of the site. “We want to promote STEM-based education and careers to our students,” Coleman said. “We already have hosted three chemistry classes at the solar array and look forward to many more.”