EMPIRE ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION, INC.
[Echoes of the Empire] EMPIRE ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION’S 2017 ANNUAL MEETING RECAP
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Seventy-eight members and their families attended Empire Electric Association’s June 15, 2017, annual meeting at the Calvin Denton Room at its headquarters in Cortez. All registered members received a $10 credit on their electric bills. General Manager Josh Dellinger welcomed attendees and introduced special guests. Attorney Shay Denning reported on the voting procedures for the open directorships. There was only one candidate from each district who submitted a written petition. Denning announced that Jerry Fetterman (District 1) and Sue McWilliams (District 2) are elected as a matter of law. Secretary/Treasurer Jerry Fetterman presented the Official Notice of the Annual Meeting as published in area newspapers. President William Bauer called for approval of the minutes of the June 16, 2016, annual meeting. Secretary/Treasurer Fetterman reported on the solid financial performance of Empire Electric.
GENERAL MANAGER JOSH DELLINGER REPORTED: • Financials — Empire exceeded its financial goals and returned over $1.64 million in capital credits in 2016 and another $1.55 million in 2017. The total capital credits returned to members throughout Empire’s history is over $26 million. • Rates — Members saw a small rate increase in the 2017 grid access charges for single-phase residential, general service and irrigation rate classes. This is the first time since 2013 that these rate classes saw a general rate increase. • Power Supply — Nearly 80 percent of Empire’s budget is for wholesale power purchased from Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association. Tri-State implemented a 4 percent rate increase in 2017 and preliminary forecasts show a likely 4 percent increase in 2018. After that, the rate forecast is fairly flat for the following eight or nine years. • Electric System — Ninety-five new services were added to Empire’s system in 2016 for a 0.5 percent growth. Overall residential and carbon dioxide kilowatt-hour deliveries were down. However, there was a slight increase in large commercial energy deliveries due to increased load at the Air Products helium plant. A 21-kilowatt income-qualified solar garden was completed in 2016. Empire leveraged existing resources and received grant money from the state of Colorado for this project. A meter upgrade is underway to replace the 20-year-old Turtle coloradocountrylife.coop
General Manager Josh Dellinger talks with President William Bauer.
Working Foreman Marc Karo gives his daughter Bailee a hug while she helps with serving the food and taking photos during the meeting.
Power the Robot entertains Judy and director Bill Mollenkopf before the meeting.
system that has become obsolete and unsupported. • Reliability — The overall power reliability for our members is 99.97 percent. • Safety — Empire is part of an inherently dangerous industry and commits to safety. There has not been a lost-time accident for over four years, and Empire continues to strive for zero future incidents by maintaining and constantly improving its safety culture. • Community Involvement and Member Services — Empire donated over $150,000 to more than 50 organizations and provided an additional $30,000 in sponsorships and giveaways. Scholarship awards totaled $50,000. Partnering with Tri-State, Empire returned over $84,000 in energy efficiency rebates. In addition, Andy Carter was hired as the new energy management advisor.
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