2014 July Orange County REMC Newsletter

NEWS FROM YOUR COOPERATI www.myremc.coop CONTACT US OFFICE

812-865-2229 888-337-5900 BILL PAYMENTS 855-865-2229 TOLL FREE

CONTACT US BY EMAIL

orangecoremc@myremc.coop GENERAL MANAGER/CEO

Danny L. Arnold OFFICE HOURS

7 a.m.–5 p.m., Monday-Friday STREET ADDRESS

7133 N. State Road 337 Orleans, IN 47452 MAILING ADDRESS

P.O. Box 208, Orleans, IN 47452 EMERGENCY POWER OUTAGES

To report service interruptions, call: 812-865-2229 or 888-337-5900, day or night. Please have the phone number associated with your account ready when reporting outages. Please limit after hours calls to emergencies and outage situations.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Eugene Roberts, DISTRICT 1 Randy Roberts, DISTRICT 2 Danny Easterday, DISTRICT 3 Rodney Hager, DISTRICT 4 Ben Lindsey, DISTRICT 5 Brian Hawkins, DISTRICT 6 George Key, DISTRICT 7 REMC KEY STAFF

Marty Frank, OPERATIONS MANAGER Marcy Bennett, OFFICE MANAGER Larry Pinnick, STAKING ENGINEER Michael Roberts, STAKING ENGINEER Misty Tincher, ACCOUNTANT Billy Chastain, MATERIALS MANAGER Mark Belcher, MARKETING/MEMBER SERVICES MEMBER SERVICES

•Free energy analysis •Budget billing •Automatic payments •Security lights •Home security systems •Medical emergency monitoring •Air evac life team •Water heater and HVAC incentives (requires an EM switch) •Online bill payment options •Interactive Voice Response system . for payments and account inquiries via phone: 1-855-865-2229 •VISA, MasterCard and Discover accepted 4

Liberty and better life for all Every July 4, we take time to reflect on our country’s history and remember how the actions of a few helped shape the way we live today.

Annually, my wife, Tina, and I take a day to visit several cemeteries where our ancestors DANNY L. are buried. We always leave ARNOLD flowers for everyone and flags for those who served our country in time of war. We do this out of respect and to beautify the gravesites for the Memorial Day and Fourth of July holidays. Our ancestors did all they could to improve the quality of life for us and our children. We believe it is important that they not be forgotten.

I like to think back on the rich history of the electric cooperative movement and how a small group of determined individuals was able to improve their quality of life and the quality of life for all those who would come after them. And, because we are a part of an electric cooperative, we must realize we have the power to impact our present and shape the future, just like those who came before us.

Through grassroots advocacy efforts, all of us can help influence policy decisions that will affect our communities now and for years to come. We can leverage our collective power to get things done.

At our recent annual meeting, members were asked to join in an effort to inform Congress and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of the potential harm caused by new regulations on existing power plants. Many responded and their names were added to the hundreds of thousands of other cooperative members nationwide who have joined in the cause. Time will tell how successful we will be.

Locally, REMC will continue to partner with other cooperatives, local businesses, and community leaders to achieve economic development goals. Creating better opportunities and increasing the quality of

ELECTRIC CONSUMER • JULY 2014 • ElectricConsumer.org

life for our families and communities — just as our founding co-op members did.

Your board of directors and staff understand decisions we make today can greatly affect how future generations live, so we invest in energy efficiency programs that protect our future generations while providing high-quality, affordable electric power. For a very long time, this REMC has offered financial assistance to help members afford energy efficiency upgrades to their home heating, cooling, and water heating equipment. Beginning in 2009, the cooperative invested in the infrastructure to allow members to help control future cost increases through voluntary participation in an Energy Management Program.

More recently, REMC designed and made available a time-of-use rate option allowing members to impact the amount of their bills on a current basis. Member response to each of these initiatives has been overwhelmingly positive.

Orange County REMC and cooperatives nationwide are helping to build the next generation of leadership through our Youth Tour programs, sending high school students to Washington, D.C., to meet with lawmakers and get an up-close view of how our government functions. Youth Tour participants leave our nation’s capital feeling energized and inspired to make a difference in their communities. Youth Tour provides young people from our communities with an opportunity they may otherwise have never known.

All of these things, plus so much more, are what make up the “cooperative difference”. This Fourth of July, as we think about the future of electric cooperatives and how we will continue to shape our country and our society, Orange County REMC remembers what it took to bring power to our communities. May we let the determination of those who came before us, guide us.

DANNY L. ARNOLD is the general manager/CEO of Orange County REMC.

IVE Rate Schedule (for July, August and September of 2014) Rate Schedule for Standard Service Standard Service Consumer Charge TOU-ETS Consumer Charge Standard Service Energy Charge TOU-ETS Off-Peak Energy Wholesale Power Cost Tracker Security Lighting- 100 W HPS Security Lighting- 175W MV Total bill x Indiana sales tax 7%

$26.00 $5.40 $0.1124 $0.0691 $0.0019832 $9.82 $9.82

Example for 1,200 kWh Standard Service Consumer Charge $26.00 1,200 kWh @ .1124 $134.88 Wholesale Power Cost Tracker @ 0.0019832 $2.38 Total $163.26 Indiana sales tax $11.43 Total bill $174.69 Example for 1,200 kWh (regular) and 750 kWh (ETS) Standard Service Consumer Charge $26.00 TOU-ETS Consumer Charge $5.40 1,200 kWh @ .1124 $134.88 750 kWh @ .0691 $51.83 Wholesale Power Cost Tracker @ 0.0019832 $3.87 Total $221.97 Indiana sales tax $15.54 Total bill $237.51 (Visa, MasterCard and Discover cards accepted)

Attention prepay members: Starting Sept. 1, members participating in the prepay program will be disconnected seven days a week, 365 days a year when the prepay balance reaches a negative balance. To make a payment members will need to call 855-865-2229 (toll free) or visit www.myremc.coop.

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Orange County REMC News

Celebrating MEMBERS 77th annual meeting held June 6

Youngsters play on bounce houses during the annual membership meeting.

Members of Orange County REMC enjoy a catered meal in the commercial building at the annual meeting.

Orange County REMC employees Ashley Terrell and Misty Tincher greeted members at the registration tables.

The Sweetwater Band keeps members entertained with live music.

Dozens of local businesses and groups set up booths to provide information about community services during the event.

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Members of all ages enjoyed bucket truck rides. Orange County REMC lineman Chris Wesner kept busy throughout the meeting accompanying members on rides.

New GPS project underway

A

lpha Engineering has been contracted by Orange County REMC to conduct a complete GPS field inventory of our power distribution system. Alpha personnel will be walking the rights-of-way.

Whenever the terrain is vehicle accessible, they will be driving a white Ford Ranger and Ford Escape with signs on both sides.

Orange County has 1,094 miles of line and plans to complete this project by 2017. The actual field work involves data collection, as well as registering global positioning points. Alpha will be gathering information such as pole and meter locations, wire size, transformers, security lights, and material.

This also includes pole attachments such as telephone, cable and fiber.

This data will be used to develop, update and interconnect most of our operations systems to ensure the most accurate information for repairs and maintenance crews. In order to gather the necessary information, Alpha employees must have access to any property that has REMC facilities.

They should be on members’ property for a short period of time. There will

be a pilot project starting at the end of July on one circuit served by the Leipsic Substation. Then the remainder of the Leipsic customers should be completed by the end of December.

The remainder of the field inventory will take place in 2015, 2016, and possibly into 2017.

As data is collected, Orange County REMC imports the information into our computer mapping software. This software then creates electronic maps and supports the use of electronic devices in the field by our line personnel, which is updated daily.

This allows a quicker response and more accuracy in the field.

Accurate mapping data will also enable engineering to plan more effectively for system growth and maintenance.

Alpha Engineering is based out of Indianapolis. Their employees will have identification showing they are Alpha employees. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Marty Frank, operations manager with Orange County REMC, 812-865-2229. …

July 12-Blend, July 19-River Cities Band, July 26-Tobin and Friends, Aug. 2-Sweetwater Band, Aug. 9Crawford County Community Band

Join us at 7 p.m. at Congress Square in Orleans and bring your own drinks, lawn chairs or blankets.

Service anniversaries

Michael Newlin 5 years

Michael Duke 13 years

Larry Clements 17 years

Marcy Bennett 17 years

Carla Piper 18 years

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