Rural Electric Nebraskan - 08/16

August 2016

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Contents Volume 70, Number 8, August 2016

“The Rural Voice of Nebraska”

Staff

Editor Wayne Price

Editorial Assistant Tina Schweitzer Published by the

Visit us at www.nrea.org General Manager Troy Bredenkamp

President David Keener, Niobrara Electric Association, Inc. Vice President/Secretary Butch Gray, Cornhusker Public Power District

Cleaner Coal

Advertising in the Rural Electric Nebraskan does not imply endorsement for products by the Nebraska Rural Electric Association.

Correspondence should be sent to Wayne Price, Editor, Rural Electric Nebraskan, Box 82048, Lincoln, NE 68501.

The Rural Electric Nebraskan is printed by the Aradius Group, 4700 F Street, Omaha, NE 68117.

Form 3579 should be sent to the Rural Electric Nebraskan, Box 82048, Lincoln, NE 68501.

Periodicals postage paid at Lincoln, Neb. POSTMASTER: send address changes to the Rural Electric Nebraskan, 1244 K Street, Box 82048, Lincoln, NE 68501.

Publication numbers are USPS 071-630 and ISSN 0193-4937.

Rates: $10 for one year; $15 for two years; $20 for three years, plus local and state tax.

August 2016

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Researchers around the world are studying ways to capture carbon from coal-fired plants to keep the greenhouse gases from entering the atmosphere. Read about how new technology could change the way we look at coal.

Digging up the past

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The Hudson-Meng Education and Research Center, located at the end of a narrow gravel road northwest of Crawford, Nebraska, is the site of an important Paleo-Indian archaeological discovery.

This unique site is a popular destination for both history and archaeology enthusiasts from around the world.

Vice President/Secretary Greg Weidner, Elkhorn Rural Public Power District

Published monthly by the Nebraska Rural Electric Association, 1244 K Street, Box 82048, Lincoln, Nebraska 68501, (402) 475-4988.

Features

Departments EDITOR’S PAGE

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SAFETY BRIEFS — Murphy

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CUT YOUR UTILITY BILLS by Pat Keegan

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RECIPES

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MARKETPLACE/CLASSIFIEDS

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On the cover Ryan Means, site manager at the Hudson-Meng Education and Research Center, shows off a small section of the bison bonebed. See the related article on Page 12. Photograph by Wayne Price

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Public power continues to serve us well EDITOR’S PAGE

ave you heard that privatizing Nebraska’s electric utilities would be better than our public power model?

Do you know the difference?

In 1936, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, sitting beside Nebraska’s own Senator George Norris, signed the Rural Electrification Act into law. Private, Investor Owned Utilities saw no profit in providing electricity to rural areas so rural Nebraskans came together, formed public power districts and electric cooperatives, and electrified our farms and ranches.

The founding members of Nebraska’s public power districts and electric cooperatives went door to door to collect $5 in order to raise a portion of the original investment the utility needed. Those “gogetters” realized the only way to get electricity for me was to get it for we, the whole community.

Public power ownership is in the hands of the people who use the utility’s goods and the services (not investors), so not only do rural electric utilities start out answering the question of “What’s in it for we?” – they continue to answer that question for as long as they exist.

These days, we often hear about companies that abandon their local communities and move overseas in search of cheaper labor.

This negatively impacts the community through job loss, decline in housing values and school closures. Because local residents own a majority of cooperatives, they are less likely to leave their community. In fact, it would be impossible for your public power district or electric cooperative to leave Nebraska. The public power model is a critical part of what makes the community a community.

Public Power means your rural electric utility knows you and has deep roots in the community. It’s your family, your friends, and your neighbors that work for and operate your power district. It’s their job to quickly respond and get your lights back on during an outage, not a large company headquartered out of the state.

One of the most attractive features of

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by Wayne Price

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public power is that we answer the popular question, “What’s in it for me?” with “What’s in it for we!” Public power districts and electric cooperatives are formed when the market fails to offer a good or service, with decent quality, at an affordable price.

Still today, the decisions governing your not-for-profit rural electric system are made by locally elected consumer-owners. Unlike investor owned utilities, there are no majority shareholders making decisions to maximize profits; only locally elected individuals that receive the same service that you do.

With local control also comes access. Unlike private power suppliers, public power board meetings are open to the public. If you have a concern, you can attend the board meeting and be heard. Try doing that at a private electric utility.

Not-for-profit public power is why Nebraska’s electric rates are 15 percent below the national average. Our governing board members have a stake in every decision they make and have a sincere concern for their community.

The way rural electric utilities continue to answer the question, “What’s in it for we?” is critical to their survival. It is imperative that we keep you – our members – as the primary focus. Keeping rates as low as possible is one major part of that focus, but ensuring that we provide real value as your trusted energy advisor is also extremely important.

By maintaining that focus with your help and support, we will continue to be able to serve the “me” and the “we” in our community long into the future.

The bottom line is YOU are an important member-owner of Nebraska’s all-public power model. So the next time you hear someone suggesting that we should privatize our public power system, remember that we’re here to serve you with affordable, reliable electricity, not to make money for a group of investors in California and New York.

Rural Electric Nebraskan

Electric co-ops develop research on greenhouse gases hat if carbon dioxide from burning coal at power plants could be contained and turned into something useful?

A group of electric co-ops and other partners who want to investigate that issue recently broke ground on a research facility at the Dry Fork Station, a power plant in northeast Wyoming owned by Basin Electric Power Cooperative.

More than a dozen sites around the globe now study “carbon capture” as one possible solution to climate change, but they generally don’t offer the real-world conditions the Integrated Test Center partners say their site will offer when it’s finished next summer.

The facility will allow researchers to place equipment that can test ways to grab carbon dioxide from a working power plant and use it in ways the world might find valuable.

In addition to Basin Electric’s involvement, financial support comes from Denver-based Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.

The state of Wyoming has been the main funder and organizer of the test center, and another key partner is the XPRIZE Foundation.

XPRIZE Foundation is an organization that seeks “radical breakthroughs for the benefit of humanity.”

In the past, it has offered cash prizes for space travel and health innovations. More recently it announced two $10 million prizes for “transformational approaches to converting (carbon dioxide) emissions into valuable products.”

The carbon XPRIZE will be awarded in 2020, but this past spring’s preliminary deadline has already produced several applicants, says Dr. Paul Bunje, principal scientist and senior director of energy and environment at XPRIZE. He says those entries have come

The Wyoming Integrated Test Center will allow researchers to test the capture and utilization of carbon dioxide. The center will use flue gas from the Dry Fork Station, a 422megawatt generation facility owned by Basin Electric Power Cooperative.

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August 2016

from “big corporations, garage tinkerers, universities and small and medium-sized businesses.”

The variety of planned research includes using carbon dioxide to make fuels, ingredients in chemical processes, or thin, extremely strong “supermaterials” of the future.

XPRIZE contestants will begin moving equipment to the test center

in the summer of 2018, says Dr. Marcius Extavour, XPRIZE director of technical operations. And what will that look like?

“Some of the equipment will be tall and skinny, some of it low and wide,” says Extavour. “Some of it might be in a smooth steel case, others will be exposed pipes, others will be, who knows what?”

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Rural Electric Nebraskan

Cleaner Coal Innovation could put coal use in a whole new light

by Paul Wesslund

ince coal generated more than half the nation’s electricity as recently as 10 years ago, that share has fallen to one-third as of last year. The decline of coal generation will continue as new environmental rules are set in place and prices for natural gas remain relatively low.

So it’s curtains for coal, right? Not so fast.

The Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan still calls for more than one-fifth of our electricity to come from coal by its 2030 target date.

Even President Obama’s Energy Secretary sees a future for coal.

“We are talking about a progressively lower-carbon future, but we have not abandoned coal as part of that future,” Secretary Ernest Moniz told the Lexington (Kentucky) Herald-Leader in April. “Coal can play a major role in a low-carbon economy.”

A role for coal is important, says Daniel Walsh, senior program manager for generation, environment and carbon at the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA). Citing the huge coal supply in the U.S., Walsh

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August 2016

sees coal as a key to energy security.

“We need to use this valuable resource we have in this country.”

Achieving that brighter future for coal could depend on huge improvements to a technology called carbon capture.

Carbon capture seeks to solve a top environmental complaint about coal, which is that burning it releases carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that has been linked to climate change. Grabbing the carbon dioxide before it leaves the power plant would keep it out of the atmosphere.

People might look at coal in an entirely new light.

Carbon capture is still a developing technology, with 15 test plants in the world and seven more coming online by 2017, according to an international industry group. One of the main holdups to that development is that the technology is expensive to build and operate.

Really expensive.

Running carbon capture equipment at a power plant uses about one-third of the electricity produced by that power plant.

As daunting and inefficient as that sounds, Moniz cites $6 billion spent on carbon capture research by the Department of Energy as proof of his optimism. NRECA’s Walsh believes in the power of researchers to make carbon capture costs competitive.

“We will continue to see innovation,” says Walsh. “We’re going to be successful.”

One reason for that sunny outlook comes from a 35-year trend of finding cleaner and more efficient ways to burn coal. Since 1970, electric utilities in the U.S. have reduced pollution regulated by the federal Clean Air Act by more than 60 percent. Techniques have ranged More on Page 8

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Cleaner coal From page 7 from washing coal with water, to burning it at lower temperatures to release less harmful chemicals, to large and expensive flue gas desulfurization equipment, also called scrubbers.

Over the decades, those technologies improved, says Kirk Johnson, NRECA senior vice president for government relations.

He says those improvements can be a model for carbon capture.

“We didn’t start out with scrubbers that achieved a better-than 90 percent reduction in sulfur dioxide removal, but we ultimately got there,” says Johnson. “The future has got to be in continued research.”

Electric co-ops launched a drive to that success with the April groundbreaking for the Integrated Test Center in Wyoming. Operation is scheduled for summer 2017. The state of Wyoming is funding $15 million of the center, which will be built at the site of the existing Dry Fork Station, a coal plant owned by Basin Electric Cooperative, a regional co-op based in North Dakota. Another $5 million of support will come from another regional co-op, Denver-based TriState Generation and Transmission Association, and $1 million from NRECA. The test center aims to advance carbon capture research by focusing on a looming question about the technology—once you capture the carbon dioxide, what do you do with it? The test center focus will be on a new area of carbon capture work that is even changing the name of the technology.

For years the process has been referred to as CCS—for Carbon Capture and Storage (or Sequestration). Geologists looked for underground formations where the carbon dioxide could be stored safely and permanently. An evolving terminology refers to CCU, for

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Gerald Gentleman Station, Nebraska’s largest generating plant, consists of two coal-fired generating units, which together have the capability to generate 1,365 megawatts of power.

Carbon Capture and Utilization, or CCR, for Carbon Capture and Recycling.

The idea is that one way to make carbon capture more cost-effective would be to find commercial or other uses for the carbon dioxide that produces a better return on investment than burying it underground. Researchers at the test center will be able to use carbon dioxide from the Dry Fork Station to run tests. Among the first researchers, the test center will host teams competing for part of $20 million in XPRIZEs on ways to use carbon dioxide (CO2) at power plants. The XPRIZE Foundation supports innovation in several areas, and its recent call for entries reads, “Do you have what it takes to turn CO2 emissions into valuable

products?”

There’s reason to believe that lofty challenge might succeed at the test center, says NRECA Communications Manager John Pulley. He describes the plans as bringing researchers in to develop their ideas in the “real-world” setting of a power plant.

“Once you have a facility like this in place that will allow people to test their great ideas, the sky’s the limit,” he says. “People might look at coal in an entirely new light.”

Paul Wesslund writes on cooperative issues for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the Arlington, Va.-based service arm of the nation’s 900-plus consumerowned, not-for-profit public power districts and electric cooperatives.

Rural Electric Nebraskan

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Electrifying ways to help kids be smart energy users “Did you turn off the lights in your room?”

“We’re not paying to heat the whole neighborhood!”

“Save some hot water for the rest of us!” cross America, parents utter these phrases to their children countless times each day. Despite their best efforts, it can be tough to help kids understand the importance of saving energy––and to put that knowledge into action.

Few people have more experience talking about energy efficiency than the communication professionals who work at America’s public power districts and electric cooperatives. So we asked them how they persuade the toughest audience they face every day: their kids. Here are a few of their tips.

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A Penny Earned Carol McGregor of Cedar-Knox Public Power District in Hartington, Neb. rewarded her children when they turned off lights. “I would give them a penny for every light they shut off if it had been left on by someone else,” she said. “I gave them more if it was a television or appliance. It really wasn’t the amount of money, of course, they just liked doing it, and we saved energy in the process.”

Deputize an “energy enforcer” Several parents recommended deputizing children to investigate wasteful energy practices.

When her children were young, Heidi Smith of Tideland Electric Membership Corporation in North Carolina let them take turns playing

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the role of energy deputy.

Each week, the appointed child was given a badge and empowered to seek out energy waste and hold the offending party accountable.

“My youngest son took it so seriously that he once cracked open the bathroom door and reached in to turn off the light on his dad after he decided daddy had been in there long enough,” Smith said. “All five of my children are now grown, but they continue to practice energy efficiency in their own lives.”

Diana Hersch of Hancock-Wood Electric Cooperative in Ohio offered a slightly different twist on the same idea. She suggests offering your little energy deputies a bounty for finding leaks, drafts and other wasteful energy practices around the house.

Their progress can be tracked with stickers on a calendar, and when the kids reach their goal, they can be rewarded with a sheriff ’s badge or another small toy of their choice.

Paying with Jelly Beans Joe Janousek of Niobrara Valley Electric Membership Corp. in O’Neill, Neb. used to leave a small jar out in the kitchen with a dish of jelly beans next to it. Every time the kids left a room if they turned the lights or television off they put a bean in the jar. “If I had to turn it off, I took one out,” he said. “At the end of each week I'd take out the jelly beans, count them and give them a penny

for each one. The whole point was the repetition, over and over it sent the message that it costs "something" to leave the lights on.. it's not free.” His children got twenty or thirty cents each, got to eat the jelly beans, had fun doing it, and it was reinforcing a good behavior.

The invisible hand If your child’s hand never seems to find its way to the light switch, perhaps the invisible hand of the free market can help them out.

Katie Kothmann Haby of Medina Electric Cooperative in Texas said her dad used to fine her 25 cents for every light bulb she and her siblings left on in their rooms. For her ceiling fan with four bulbs, that was a costly mistake.

“It taught us that electricity really did cost money since we had to pay when we didn’t conserve it,” Haby said. Though her daughter is only 2 years old, Haby says she plans to use the same approach when she’s older.

Game Theory Other creative strategies to inspire kids to do their chores and keep peace in the home can be found in The Game Theorist’s Guide to Parenting. The recently published book, written by Paul Raeburn and Kevin Zollman, shows how Game Theory can be applied to many daily transactions of parenting, such as sharing, dividing, collaborating and compromising.

No matter what the approach, talking to kids about energy use is sure to pay dividends. They might not always follow through, but they’ll be learning important lessons about the value of energy and the importance of conservation that can last a lifetime.

Rural Electric Nebraskan

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by Wayne Price

DIGGING up the past he Hudson-Meng Education and Research Center, located at the end of a narrow gravel road northwest of Crawford, Nebraska, is the site of an important archaeological discovery.

Approximately 10,000 years ago, as many as 600 Bison Antiquus, an extinct form of the modern bison, died in a narrow, sheltered valley near a natural water spring.

The site was discovered in 1954 when Albert Meng, a local rancher, was building a dam to create a livestock pond. As he was digging in to the earth, he uncovered a large amount of bones. Meng first talked to his friend, Bill Hudson, who was a bit of an amateur archaeologist. The two men contacted Dr. Larry Agenbroad from Chadron State College, who identified the bones as ancient bison bones, rather than our modern bison.

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Site Manager Ryan Means noted the exact cause of the massive bison kill is yet unproven, however, three interpretive theories exist.

Researchers believe the bison were killed and butchered by paleo-indian people, or perhaps the bison died of natural causes and were butchered by people in the area. Still other researchers think that the bison died of natural causes and over time, people camped over the area of the bison kill site.

Several items of weaponry, such as spear tips and arrowheads, were found among the bones along with cut marks and breaks, indicating at least some human involvement.

Many of the artifacts, known as Alberta points, have been relocated to the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C. Dr. Agenbroad thought that the site was where Paleo-Indian people may have trapped or driven the bison over a cliff. He believed the bones were there due to the fact of a natural water spring in the area that had been there for thousands of years. The hilly terrain could have been used as a possible vantage point for people that were maybe responsible for the kill site. The paleo-indian tribes were thought to be nomadic due to a lack of any established villages near the site.

Rural Electric Nebraskan

All the bones are from cows or calves, Means said. The absence of bull bones has been explained as the result of the larger, more aggressive gender being removed during a hunt.

This explanation fits the theory that the bison were killed by the paleoindian people.

There have been a series of research periods that followed the discovery of the bison bones by researchers from Colorado State University, University of NebraskaLincoln, and from Saint Cloud, Minnesota. The first excavation, conducted between 1971-1974, exposed the site to the size of a football field. Dr. Mark Muniz, a student of Dr. Agenbroad, later discovered over 500 bison by expanding the site. Through the process of carbon dating, the type of bison, and with the assistance of archeologists, it has been determined that the bison remains are approximately 10,000 years old.

The Hudson-Meng Visitor Center and facilities are located in Nebraska’s Ogalala National Grassland. The center was built in 1997 and opened to the public in 1999. There was a hand-drawn map in the visitor’s center that roughly shows just how large of an area the bone bed covers. This map has a small, red square that depicts the part of the bone bed that is unearthed and is located under the visitor center building. The HudsonMeng staff are not sure of the exact size of the entire site. Means said the site continues to be an active dig site but no formal research has been conducted since 2014.

Means pointed out the fact that there have only been six bison skulls uncovered at the site. The skulls may have been taken by the paleo-indian people to be used as bowls. The few skulls that were discovered made it difficult to determine a total number of bison, so the researchers used the number of shoulder blades that were found to estimate the total number of animals. Two of the researchers, Larry Todd and David Raspon, used the method of counting shoulder

August 2016

Opposite: The Hudson-Meng Education and Research Center was built in 1997 over a portion of the bonebed.

Above: A section of the bonebed has been excavated.

Below: Visitors can read about the theories behind the bison kill site at interpretive displays at the center.

blades to come up with 225 bison, as well as remains of coyotes and rabbits.

Means has served as site manager and visitor information specialist for the past year. Prior to this position he worked at Fort Union National Monument in New Mexico. Means, who is deaf, communicates by American Sign language and with assistance of interpreters.

The site is open to the public each summer from Memorial Day to September 30.

It includes interpretive displays, guided tours, and interactive science activities to help visitors understand why this site is such an important discovery.

The center will be celebrating with an open house during Labor Day weekend.

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Improving energy performance of new homes

by Brian Sloboda

urchasing a newly constructed home is an exciting process and a major milestone.

Whether you are building a custom home or buying a spec home, you will be making dozens of important decisions before moving in––from purchasing the perfect kitchen countertops to selecting a home financing package.

The decisions you make about the energy efficiency of your new home will have lasting consequences.

These energyrelated decisions, such as how you heat, cool, light and insulate your home, are often overlooked.

The first step to maximizing energy efficiency is to select a properly sized home that meets your family’s needs. America is known for its sizeable homes, but after hitting a peak of 2,268 square feet in 2006, the median size of new single-family homes started to trend down.

According to a recent report by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, “as square footage increases, the burden on heating and cooling equipment rises, lighting requirements increase and the likelihood that the household uses more than one refrigerator increases.

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Square footage typically stays fixed over the life of a home, and it is a characteristic that is expensive, even impractical to alter to reduce energy consumption.”

According to the Department of Energy, appliances account for about 13 percent of the average household’s energy use.

Clothes dryers, refrigerators/freezers, computers, microwaves, dishwashers and washing machines tend to use the most energy in a typical American home. Every appliance you purchase has an operating cost (i.e., the cost of the energy needed to power that appliance). To facilitate more informed shopping, the federal government requires many appliances to include an EnergyGuide label stating the approximate energy consumption and operating cost of the appliance.

Appliances with an Energy Star label use 10 to 50 percent less energy than standard appliances.

Many owners of new homes are interested in solar energy. If you are considering solar, make sure your home is as energy efficient as possible. This will enable a smaller, less expensive solar system to provide a substantial portion of your

energy needs. Prices for solar panels have dropped considerably over the last decade, and there are many financing models and incentives available to residential customers.

Another efficient option is a residential geothermal system.

While they do not generate electricity, geothermal systems save energy by using heat from the earth to replace conventional heating and cooling systems. Throughout the year, the earth remains a constant, moderate temperature (i.e., 50 degrees Fahrenheit) just below the ground. Geothermal heating and cooling systems, also known as ground source systems, make use of this constant underground temperature by circulating water in a loop to exchange heat between your home, the ground source heat pump and the earth––providing highly efficient heating, cooling and hot water.

Installing an easy-to-use programmable thermostat is also a great way to efficiently operate your home. Energy Star estimates a typical household can annually save $180 by properly using a programmable thermostat.

Regardless of the number of energy efficiency features in your home, occupant behavior is still a major factor in how much energy your household consumes. From unplugging appliances you rarely use, like a mostly empty second refrigerator, to making sure you run full loads in the washing machine, dryer and dishwasher, to turning out the lights––it all adds up in energy savings.

Rural Electric Nebraskan

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IMPORTANT CONSUMER INFORMATION: Jitterbug is owned by GreatCall, Inc. Your invoices will come from GreatCall. Plans and Services require purchase of a Jitterbug phone and a one-time setup fee of $35. Monthly fees do not include government taxes or assessment surcharges and are subject to change. Coverage is not available everywhere. 5Star or 9-1-1 calls can only be made when cellular service is available. We will refund the full price of the Jitterbug phone and the activation fee (or setup fee) if it is returned within 30 days of purchase in like-new condition. We will also refund your first monthly service charge if you have less than 30 minutes of usage. If you have more than 30 minutes of usage, a per minute charge of 35 cents will be deducted from your refund for each minute over 30 minutes. You will be charged a $10 restocking fee. The shipping charges are not refundable. There are no additional fees to call GreatCall’s U.S.-based customer service. However, for calls to a GreatCall Operator in which a service is completed, you will be charged 99 cents per call, and minutes will be deducted from your monthly rate plan balance equal to the length of the call and any call connected by the Operator. Jitterbug and GreatCall are registered trademarks of GreatCall, Inc. ©2016 GreatCall, Inc. ©2016 firstSTREET for Boomers and Beyond, Inc.

Reduce the risk of electrical fires for students SAFETY BRIEFS

our child’s first year away at college is always an exciting time. Living in a dorm room, being away on their own, and of course keeping up with the whirl of studies all adds up to a pretty heady experience for your 18-year-old. Odds are that the last thing on their mind will be following electrical safety precautions in their dorm room.

Before heading to college, students need to be equipped with supplies for their dorm rooms and important knowledge for living on their own— including electrical safety knowledge.

Many colleges across the U.S. ban cooking appliances from on-campus housing including: hot plates, coffee makers, and microwaves; and many of these places may already have a designated area for the use of these products.

Safe Electricity offers tips for students to help prevent and reduce the risk of electrical fires in student housing: • Only purchase and use electrical products tested for safety. Some common approved safety labels include UL, CSA, and MET. • Avoid overloading extension cords,

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power strips, or outlets.

• Use power strips with an overcurrent protector that will shut off power automatically if there is too much current being drawn.

• Never tack or nail an electrical cord to any surface or run cords across traffic paths or under rugs where they can be trampled or damaged.

• Use the correct wattage light bulbs for lamps and fixtures. If no indication is on the product, do not use

a bulb with more than 60 watts. Use cooler, compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs).

• Keep all electrical appliances and cords safely away from bedding, curtains, papers, and other flammable material.

• Make sure outlets around sinks are equipped with ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) before use. If they are not, contact the resident assistant, campus housing staff, or landlord.

• Unplug small appliances when not in use and all electronics when away for extended periods.

• Always use microwave-safe containers. Glass, ceramic containers, and plastics labeled “microwave-safe” should always be used. Metal and aluminum foil can damage the microwave or start a fire. If the microwave is damaged in any way, do not use it.

• Smoke detectors should never be disabled, and fire alarms should never be ignored or taken casually as a drill.

Every time a fire alarm sounds, residents should calmly and quickly follow practiced procedures and immediately exit the building.

Rural Electric Nebraskan

Avoid using electricity during peak times to help save money hy does your electric bill seem to shoot up during the summer? Most people blame air- conditioning as the culprit. While it is true for average homeowner that cooling consumes the largest portion of energy during hot months, there is another reason why you have to reach deeper into your pocket to pay summer electric bills.

To support extra-high electricity usage on very hot days, your electric utility often requires supplemental electricity from additional generating facilities known as “peaker plants.” These plants, which usually do not operate 97 percent to 99 percent of the year, can be switched on quickly to satisfy peak power demand, experienced when homes and businesses are using air conditioning in addition to their regular electrical use. For most utilities in the U.S., these peak periods occur weekdays, between 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Unfortunately, electricity from peaker plants is more expensive than from traditional generation resources. Estimates show that 10 percent to 20 percent of the overall annual cost of providing electricity comes from supplying electrical demand during the 100 mostexpensive hours of the year. In Nebraska these “peaks” usually occur during the summer; therefore, most Nebraska utilities bill their customers using a summer rate (June through September) and a winter rate (October through May).

Summer rates are often designed 25 percent to 35 percent higher than winter rates to cover additional peaking power costs.

Is there anything you can do to reduce the impact of summer electrical use on your wallet?

Absolutely, there is! The wholesale purchase price your utility must pay for the electricity you use is significantly impacted by what time of day you are using it. If it is during

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August 2016

Beatrice Power Station uses two combustion turbines and one steam turbine in tandem, called “combined-cycle,” to achieve a greater percentage of energy output efficiency. The station can generate 250 megawatts of power. the peak period, your utility will pay more for additional energy resources needed. But if you can reduce your usage during these peaks or shift your usage to another time of day, your utility will pay less.

Here are easy ways for you to help your electric utility and reduce your “peak” energy use: • Your microwave uses about twothirds less energy than your stove.

Better yet, grill outside.

• Your dishwasher uses less water and energy than washing dishes by hand. Use the air-dry setting on your dishwasher to save even more.

• Fill your refrigerator. Filling your fridge with lots of food and beverages will keep it from warming up quickly when the door is open – causing it to run for a long time after the door is closed.

• Set your thermostat to 78°F when you are home and 85°F or off when you are away. Using ceiling or room fans allows you to set the thermostat higher because air movement will make the room feel cooler.

• Do your laundry by using the cold water setting on your washer.

Line-dry clothes whenever you can.

• When you need to use the clothes dryer, run full loads, use the moisture-sensing setting, and clean the lint trap after each use.

• Unplug electronic devices and chargers when they are not in use.

Turn computers and printers off at the power strip.

• Unplug and recycle that spare refrigerator in the garage if you do not really need it.

• Replace air conditioner filters.

Dirty filters restrict airflow and can cause the system to run longer.

• Install and use window shading to reduce heat gain inside.

• Install patio covers, awnings, and solar window screens to shade your home.

Your local rural utility and Nebraska Public Power District want to help you make the most of your energy dollar this summer while keeping you cool. For more ideas on how you can make your home or business EnergyWise, along with possible energy efficiency financial incentives, contact your local rural utility or visit www.nppd.com.

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Is your ductwork delivering?

CUT YOUR UTILITY BILLS

by Pat Keegan

I recently moved from a home Q :with wall-mounted heaters to one with central heat and air, and a duct system. How can I ensure my ducts are working efficiently?

Homes with central forced-air A :heating and cooling systems, like furnaces, central air conditioners and heat pumps, use air ducts to deliver the conditioned (heated or cooled) air through the home. Ducts are often concealed in walls or in areas of your home you don’t go to often, like a crawlspace, so many people do not immediately think of them as an area to save energy.

You may have received flyers in the mail with offers for air-duct cleaning and claims that doing so will improve the air quality and efficiency of your home. However, duct cleaning may not always be necessary for air quality, and there is no indication that just cleaning your air ducts will improve your system’s efficiency.

A Duct Blaster test can show you how leaky your ductwork is.

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Duct cleaning may be necessary if: • There is visible mold in your duct system or there was a recent flood that caused mold or mildew in your home.

• There is something in the ductwork impeding airflow, like debris or an infestation. Major renovations or new construction can put construction debris into the duct system, so post-construction is an ideal time to consider duct cleaning.

• Your heating registers are releasing dust into the air.

• Home residents have allergies or asthma problems that have not been alleviated by other changes.

While duct cleaning may not always be necessary, regularly changing your air filters can help your heating and cooling system work more efficiently. How often you change them depends on how much your system runs, whether you have pets and whether you periodically vacuum your air filters. For the average home, air filters should be changed four to six times a year.

Though duct cleaning may not do much for the efficiency of your systems, duct sealing is important for saving energy and lowering utility costs, particularly if your ducts are in unconditioned spaces, like a crawlspace or an uninsulated attic. In a typical home, 20 to 30 percent of heated or cooled air escapes through unsealed gaps and holes in the duct system, which can cost you money and make your home less comfortable. You wouldn’t put up with a leaking water pipe, so why should you put up with a leaking air duct?

The best way to assess the condition of your home’s ductwork is to have it tested by a professional

Mastic can be used to seal small gaps and leaks in your ductwork.

Photo Credit: Weatherization Assistance Program home energy auditor who can conduct a Duct Blaster test. If you can easily access your ducts, you might get by with a visual inspection, which will identify the larger holes and disconnections. Where ducts meet or where they connect to a heating register are common places to find leaks. A professional trained in ductwork can help you identify and fix the gaps and leaks you may not be able to see. Talk to your local public power district or electric cooperative to find the right person for the job.

Once gaps and leaks have been identified, you can work to seal your ducts. Small duct leaks can be sealed with mastic, a type of caulk. Larger duct leaks and disconnections may require additional lengths of duct, mechanical fasteners or special heatresistant tape. Do not use duct tape—ironically, it is not designed to adhere well to ducts.

If you have ducts in unconditioned areas, like an attic or crawlspace, your ducts could be wasting energy by heating or cooling the surrounding air, even if there are no leaks in the ductwork. Insulation around the ducts can help reduce this energy loss. Consider adding insulation to the unconditioned space, such as in the attic or basement, which can further increase the efficiency and comfort of your home.

Rural Electric Nebraskan

TECHNOLOGY SIMPLIFIED – BIGGER AND BETTER

Wow! A Simple to Use Computer Designed Especially for Seniors!

Easy to read. Easy to see. Easy to use. Just plug it in!

NEW Now comes with...

Larger 22-inch hi-resolution screen – easier to see 16% more viewing area Simple navigation – so you never get lost Intel® processor – lightning fast Computer is in the monitor – No bulky tower Advanced audio, Better speaker configuration – easier to hear Text to Speech translation – it can even read your emails to you!

U.S. Based Customer Service

FREE

Automatic Software Updates

– Janet F.

Have you ever said to yourself “I’d love to get a computer, if only I could figure out how to use it.” Well, you’re not alone. Computers were supposed to make our lives simpler, but they’ve gotten so complicated that they are not worth the trouble.

With all of the “pointing and clicking” and “dragging and dropping” you’re lucky if you can figure out where you are. Plus, you are constantly worrying about viruses and freeze-ups. If this sounds familiar, we have great news for you. There is finally a computer that’s designed for simplicity and ease of use. It’s the WOW Computer, and it was designed with you in mind.

This computer is easy-to-use, worryfree and literally puts the world at

your fingertips. From the moment you open the box, you’ll realize how different the WOW Computer is. The components are all connected; all you do is plug it into an outlet and your high-speed Internet connection. Then you’ll see the screen – it’s now 22 inches. This is a completely new touch screen system, without the cluttered look of the normal computer screen.

The “buttons” on the screen are easy to see and easy to understand. All you do is touch one of them, from the Web, Email, Calendar to Games– you name it… and a new screen opens up. It’s so easy to use you won’t have to ask your children or grandchildren for help. Until now, the very people who could benefit most from E-mail and the Internet are the ones that have had the hardest time accessing it. Now, thanks to the WOW Computer, countless older Americans are discovering the wonderful world of the Internet every day. Isn’t it time

you took part? Call now, and you’ll find out why tens of thousands of satisfied seniors are now enjoying their WOW Computers, emailing their grandchildren, and experiencing everything the Internet has to offer.

Call today!

• Send & Receive Emails • Have video chats with family and friends • Surf the Internet: Get current weather and news • Play games Online: Hundreds to choose from!

Call now toll free and find out how you can get the new WOW! Computer.

Mention promotional code 103752 for special introductory pricing.

1-877-734-9223 © 2016 firstSTREET for Boomers and Beyond, Inc.

81059

“I love this computer! It is easy to read and to use! I get photo updates from my children and grandchildren all the time.”

Down Home Recipes

Jazz up your meals with healthy spices & sauces he sun is shining which means it’s prime grillin’ time outdoors with family and friends! It also means tubs of ketchup, mayo, mustard and artificially flavored BBQ sauces go flying off the shelves. Stop the numbing of our collective taste buds!

Don’t cook naked meat then try to cover it up with condiments.

Instead, jazz things up with healthy and additive free spices and sauces.

Stand up to the cover up!

Sauce Goddess spice rubs are created using all natural ingredients, which means: • No artificial flavoring in our sauces.

• No added anti-caking agents in our spices.

• No silicon dioxide (which is sand and who wants to eat that) used for anti-caking.

• No MSG or GMO ingredients.

• Gluten FREE certified by the Celiac Sprue Association.

• Potential allergens are clearly listed on each product label.

No artificial smoke as found in many popular BBQ sauces.

Sauce Goddess uses nothing but the best ingredients. Providing a flavorful and unique line of sauces and rubs made with natural ingredients is what makes these products the choice of discerning grill masters and chefs around the country. Carefully selecting and preparing the food for sacrifice to the fire gods is as important as perfecting the cooking process, so using the right spices and flavors to showcase one’s art is imperative.

Sauce Goddess products don’t overpower what you’re eating with extra water, added thickeners or artificial ingredients, but instead compliment the flavors.

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Hawaiian Chicken and Bacon Skewers 8 8 2

3/4 1 1 1

skewers (if they are wood, soak for 30 minutes in water) slices of bacon lbs chicken, boneless skinless thighs; moist cup Sauce Goddess Sweet & Tangy Marinade and Mop sauce sweet onion, cut into chunks then separated into slices red bell pepper cup pineapple chunks

Chicken Prep Cut chicken into 1-2 inch cubes.

Place Sweet & Tangy sauce into a zip top bag and add chicken chunks.

Remove most of the air and zip closed.

Place in fridge overnight.

Skewer Creation Start each skewer by first adding a pepper slice and then an onion slice.

Add one end of a strip of bacon (one per skewer). Do "NOT" move the bacon down the skewer. You need to move it only far enough to get another ingredient on so it will be tightly woven.

Add the chicken then move down slightly and add pineapple, onion and pepper.

Gently stretch the bacon and run the skewer thru it a second time.

Continue with chicken, onions, pineapple and pepper, weaving one strip of bacon every 2 " or so.

Heat your grill to 300 at most.

Place skewers on the grill and cook slowly to make sure the bacon and chicken are both cooked completely.

Rural Electric Nebraskan

Reader Submitted Recipes

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Watermelon Pie

3 oz. package watermelon Jell-O cup boiling water 12 oz. carton whipped topping, thawed cups seeded, cubed watermelon 9” graham cracker pie crust

In a large bowl dissolve Jell-O in boiling water. Cool to room temperature.

Whisk in whipped topping, fold in watermelon. Spoon into crust.

Refrigerate for 2 hours or until set. Makes 6 large or 8 medium servings.

Shirley Renner, Madison, Nebraska

Chicken Wing Dip 1 lb cooked chicken 1 cup Sweet & Spicy Grillin' sauce 8 oz blue cheese 1/2 cup mayonnaise 2 Tbsp Sweet Heat seasoning Place all ingredients in food processor and puree. Adjust thickness by adding either more sauce or cheese. Dip with celery sticks or chips.

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Cauliflower – Broccoli Salad

bunch raw broccoli head cauliflower cut in small florets cup sour cream cup Miracle Whip Tablespoons water Tablespoons vinegar envelope good seasons Italian dressing mix small onion

Mix together sour cream, Miracle Whip, water, vinegar, dressing mix and onion. Pour over broccoli and cauliflower. Refrigerate overnight before serving.

Sharon Siebrandt, Bancroft, Nebraska

Peanut Butter Apple Crumble

Filling: 5 baking apples, peeled and thinly sliced 2 tablespoons flour 1/2 cup white sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar 2 teaspoons cinnamon Sauce Goddess is a small female owned company that turned a passion for cooking into a successful business.

Sauce Goddess maintains a high level of quality by using the best natural ingredients and a passion for creating good food.

For more information and how to order, visit Saucegoddess.com.

August 2016

Crumble Topping: 1 cup oatmeal 2 tablespoons butter 1/4 cup peanut butter 1/3 cup brown sugar 2 tablespoons apple juice (or water)

Mix together apples, flour, white and brown sugar and cinnamon until the apples are well coated. Pour mixture into a greased 9” X 9” baking dish.

In a medium sized bowl, place the oats, butter, peanut butter and brown sugar. Using a fork, combine until the mixture appears crumbly. Spread the crumbly mixture over the apples. Pour apple juice over the crumbs.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Makes 8 servings and delicious served warm with ice cream or whipped cream.

Joyce Bierbaum, St. Libory, Nebraska

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MARKETPLACE/CLASSIFIEDS

Advertise in Rural Electric Nebraskan Classifieds

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Rural Electric Nebraskan

o ct N tr a e n Fe Co No ly th on M

Breakthrough technology converts phone calls to captions.

New captioning telephone lets you hear AND see the conversation.

The Captioning Telephone converts phone conversations to easy-to-read captions for individuals with hearing loss.

A simple idea… made possible with sophisticated technology.

If you have trouble understanding a call, the Captioning Telephone can change your life. During a phone call the words spoken to you appear on the phone’s screen – similar to closed captioning on TV. So when you make or receive a call, the words spoken to you are not only amplified by the phone, but scroll across the phone so you can listen while reading everything that’s said to you.

Each call is routed through a call center, where computer technology – aided by a live representative – generates voice-to-text translations. The captioning is real-time, accurate and readable. Your conversation is private and the captioning service doesn’t cost you a penny.

Captioned Telephone Service (CTS) is regulated and funded by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and is designed exclusively for individuals with hearing loss. In order to use CTS

in your home, you must have standard telephone service and high-speed Internet connectivity where the phone will be used.

Callers do not need special equipment or a captioning phone in order to speak with you.

Finally… a phone you can use again. The Captioning Telephone is also packed with features to help make phone calls easier. The keypad has

SEE what you’ve been missing!

“For years I avoided phone calls because I couldn’t understand the caller… now I don’t miss a thing!”

See for yourself with our exclusive home trial. Try the Captioning Telephone in your own home and if you are not completely amazed, simply return it within 60-days for a refund of the product purchase price. It even comes with a 5-year warranty.

Captioning Telephone large, easy to use buttons. You get adjustable volume amplification along with the ability to save captions for review later. It even has an answering machine that provides you with the captions of each message.

Call now for our special introductory price!

Call now Toll-Free

1-866-620-7588 Please mention promotion code 103753.

The Captioning Telephone is intended for use by people with hearing loss. In purchasing a Captioning Telephone, you acknowledge that it will be used by someone who cannot hear well over a traditional phone.

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Do you get discouraged when you hear your telephone ring?

Do you avoid using your phone because hearing difficulties make it hard to understand the person on the other end of the line? For many Americans the telephone conversation – once an important part of everyday life – has become a thing of the past. Because they can’t understand what is said to them on the phone, they’re often cut off from friends, family, doctors and caregivers. Now, thanks to innovative technology there is finally a better way.

ENERGY EFFFICIENCY STARTS IN YOUR HOME At Tri-State Tri-State Generation and T Transmission ransmissioon Association, we encourage your responsible energy use.

We support your local cooperative or public power district in offering many rebate programs for energy efficient appliances and lighting ng fixtures in your homes and businesses. When we work t th , you’re together ’ empowered d to t harness h s your electricity l t i it efficiently ffi i tl and d affordably ff d bly.

TRISTATE.COOP