KEC Light Post April 2023

LIGHT POST

Q&A with KEC’s first female board member, District 2 Director Amy Miller

Part 2

What do you feel you add to the board?

My work at Verisk provides people and technical skills, knowledge in GIS (Geographic Information System), specialized software, personal communication, and an abundance of computer expertise. My education in the fire service provides an understanding of nonprofit corporation practices and laws, safety training requirements, radio programming, hazardous materials, etc. My general industry experiences provided me with experience in people skills and goal alignment for the long-term success of the cooperative as a business. The female perspective that I provide adds to the overall continuity of the board.

Being the first and only female board member in KEC history, how does that make you feel?

I am happy and proud to be the first KEC female board member. There are many women in leadership positions at KEC, and they and others like them in the overall coop community are fiercely dedicated and hard workers. This role has allowed me to meet the most extraordinary people and organizations. There is an excellent collaboration of professionals, and I am glad to be a part of and know them. The inner workings of the cooperative principle are a fantastic model to be a part of.

2Grid pressure and changing fuel mix 2 Efficiency upgrades to help you save

How has this experience helped you grow in your professional career?

This role continues to enhance my professional career. There is a vast amount of knowledge that I have gained from being around our many coop professionals. The networking and combined information from our partners has shown me many overlaps between my work at Verisk and the coop model. The work on membership surveys, green energy, and the need to provide broadband involves data to make wise decisions. Good data is priceless! Any advice to women who have strong leadership skills?

I am blessed with a mother that was the best role model. If it needed to be done, you did it yourself. There was no gender or role assignment at our house. Women with leadership skills overcome many challenges even today. You will have many people in your corner helping you succeed and, sadly, others that wait for you to fail. Over time you can gain the respect you deserve if you become the best in your field at whatever it may be. Do not be afraid to try anything! If you fail ten times, get up ten and try again. Failure is the quickest way to learn. Do not expect perfection because nobody is perfect, and remember, we don’t judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree. Lastly, remember the sayings, what you permit, you promote, and you teach people how to treat you.

944 SW Highway 2

PO Box 340

Wilburton, Oklahoma 74578

(918) 465-2338 | (800) 888-2731

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Ron Pelaconi, President

DISTRICT 3

Russell Shaw, Vice President DISTRICT 1

Amy Miller, Treasurer

DISTRICT 2

David Ray

DISTRICT 4

Don Parr

DISTRICT 5

Mark Ichord

DISTRICT 6

Larry Culwell

DISTRICT 7

KEC SENIOR STAFF

Brett Orme

EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT — CEO

Linda Baldwin

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT

Crystal Butler

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Dennis Dolan

MANAGER OF OPERATIONS

Andy Eakle

MANAGER OF ENGINEERING

Sharla Ivy

MANAGER OF PROCUREMENT

Michelle Warmuth

MANAGER OF MEMBER & PUBLIC RELATIONS

Heather Ziverk MANAGER OF MEMBER SERVICES

I love springtime, but the seasonal shift isn’t all good news. The rapid change from harsh, cold air to warmer temperatures triggers severe weather. To protect our lines and keep power flowing safely to your home, Kiamichi Electric Cooperative (KEC) maintains our right-of-way (ROW). Think of it as spring cleaning for power lines.

ROW maintenance keeps tree limbs and other obstacles away from high-voltage power lines. It’s an important part of the service we provide to you, our members, for three reasons: safety, reliability, and cost.

Our primary concern is the safety of our workers and members. Properly maintained ROW keeps our crews safe when they are working on the lines. Keeping trees clear of power lines also keeps your family safe. From making sure a child’s tree house will never come in contact with a power line to creating a safe environment for you while you work in your yard, a well-maintained ROW helps avoid tragedy.

Kiamichi Electric Cooperative (KEC) works hard to keep the area around our lines clear, but we need your help. Be alert this spring. Don’t plant trees or tall vegetation under power lines and keep an eye out for power lines when working around your property. When severe weather blows through, a well-maintained ROW leads to fewer outages and faster response time.

Trees will fall during the worst storms

but when it happens our crews are able to restore service a lot faster than they could in poorly maintained areas.

Brett Orme General Manager

Kiamichi Electric strives to keep costs affordable for you, and maintaining the ROW is an important part of controlling costs. Fewer and shorter outages save money for everyone. When crews work in clean areas, we also reduce risks for employees and lessen the wear and tear on our equipment.

Safety, reliability, and cost: if we compromise on one of these areas, it will affect the others. At KEC, we aren’t willing to compromise. Maintaining our ROW is a priority for your safety, comfort, and pocketbook.

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

KEC has contracted with RMA Engineering to conduct pole inspections beginning Feb. 16, which could take several weeks to complete. The crew is required to wear safety gear and will be in a marked KEC truck. They will take measurements of the pole, document information and take pictures during the inspection. This will include poles located off the Manning substation:

• West Bowers, Gowen, and south to Hartshorne

• West 6-mile lane, Patterson, north to Centerpoint, Robbers Cave State Park

• Arkla Road & Limestone

• Franklin Electric

• Beard addition, east down Cravens Road

• South along Hwy 2, Damon Valley, Hulsey Prairie, Veterans Colony

There may be some areas where the crew has to walk because of access, so we’d like to ask if you have a locked gate, please leave it unlocked.

Efficiency Upgrades to Help You Save This Summer

By Abby Berry

Spring and summer are opportune times for home upgrades and DIY projects. If you’re planning to make improvements to your home, consider upgrades that promote better efficiency.

Here are a few projects that can help you save energy and money––and increase the comfort of your home.

Installing a smart thermostat is one of the simplest ways to manage home energy use and keep summer bills in check. Smart thermostats are easy to install and allow you to control your heating and cooling system from your phone. You can purchase an ENERGY STAR®-certified smart thermostat for as low as $100, which can save you 8% on annual heating and cooling costs, about $50 per year. This upgrade will quickly pay for itself, and you’ll gain insight into better ways to heat and cool your home.

Speaking of smart, additional devices like smart LED bulbs also offer convenient control and help boost energy savings at home. With smart lighting, you can set a schedule for when and how your lights should be turned on or off. And the next time you head out to run errands and realize you left the lights on, all you have to do is turn them off through your phone. Smart lights come in a variety of shapes, colors and brightness levels––and you can purchase bulbs for indoor or outdoor use. Schedule outdoor smart lights to illuminate your home at night and when you’re out of town for better security.

While it’s not as trendy as incorporating smart technologies, sealing air leaks around your home is a simple, effective way to save energy

and lower your bills. Applying new (or replacing old) weather stripping around doors and windows can instantly make your home more comfortable and reduce energy waste. Applying caulk to fill gaps can also improve the seal of your home. Caulk can be applied to a variety of areas, including windows, doors, bathtubs and sinks.

If your home feels too warm during summer (and too chilly during winter) even after you’ve sealed with weather stripping and caulk, your home may need additional insulation. Insulation is considered a more expensive efficiency upgrade; however, if your home is underinsulated, additional insulation can make a big impact on reducing energy use and costs. The cost of new insulation depends on a variety of factors like materials, size of the home and whether you use a contractor. Typically, the project costs can be recouped in a few years and your home will immediately feel more comfortable.

Of course, there are additional efficiency upgrades that can make a big impact on energy use, like replacing old appliances with ENERGYSTAR® models or replacing old, leaky windows with new, energy efficient windows. But these upgrades can be a bit pricey.

If you’re wanting to make your home more energy efficient but you’re not sure where to start, your best bet is to enlist the help of an expert to conduct an energy audit of your home. An energy audit can easily identify areas to boost efficiency, and then you can determine the projects you want to tackle first based on your budget and needs.

A Glimpse at KEC’s Tree-Trimming Practices

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.

MONTHLY UPDATE operation round up

Operation Round Up® is a voluntary bill roundup program that benefits local communities, organizations ,and needy families. Funding applications are available at Kiamichi Electric, local social services, or online at www.kiamichielectric.org.

COLLECTIONS:

Energy Efficiency Tip of the Month

This planting season, include energy efficiency in your landscaping plans. Adding shade trees around your home can reduce surrounding air temperatures as much as 6 degrees. To block heat from the sun, plant deciduous trees around the south side of your home. Deciduous trees provide excellent shade during the summer and lose their leaves in the fall and winter months, allowing sunlight to warm your home.

Air Fryer Tacos de Papa

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups water

• 1 (4 ounce) package instant mashed potatoes

• ½ cup shredded Cheddar cheese

• 1 green onion, chopped

DIRECTIONS

• ½ teaspoon ground cumin

• 10 corn tortillas

• 1 serving nonstick cooking spray

• ½ cup salsa verde

• ¼ cup crumbled cotija cheese

Heat water in a medium saucepan to boiling. Remove from the heat and stir in instant mashed potatoes. Mix thoroughly with a fork to moisten all potatoes and let stand 5 minutes. Stir in Cheddar cheese, green onion, and cumin.

Preheat an air fryer to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Wrap tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave on high until warm, about 20 seconds.

Spread 1 tablespoon potato mixture in the center of a tortilla and fold over to make a taco. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

Working in batches, place tacos in the basket of an air fryer. Spray the tops with cooking spray and cook until crispy, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter and repeat to cook remaining tacos.

Drizzle salsa verde over tacos and top with cotija cheese.

Recipe from AllRecipes.com

Renewables Report

Data collected from Western Farmers Electric Cooperative — KEC’s wholesale power provider — reflects generation during December 2022, which shows 29 percent of the power generated by WFEC potentially came from renewable sources.