Rural Electric Nebraskan - 12/15

December 2015

EVEN THREE IS A CROWD.

NEVER OVERLOAD OUTLETS. Helping members use electricity safely, that’s the power of your co-op membership.

Learn more from the experts themselves at TogetherWeSave.com.

Contents Volume 69, Number 12, December 2015

“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 Randy Papenhausen, Cedar-Knox Public Power District Vice President/Secretary Ron Jensen, Loup Valleys Rural Public Power District

Features

Keeping electricity affordable

Justin LaBerge, a writer of consumer and cooperative affairs for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, explains how public power is working to keep electric rates affordable in Nebraska and the rest of the United States.

The rise of natural gas

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 Quad Graphics, 2300 Brown Ave., Waseca, MN 56093.

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.

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Electricity produced using natural gas has increased dramatically in the U.S. in the past year. Freelance writer Paul Wesslund shares the story of what has caused this change and how it impacts the electric industry.

Treasurer David Keener, Niobrara Electric Association, Inc.

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

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Departments EDITOR’S PAGE

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SAFETY BRIEFS — Murphy

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CUT YOUR UTILITY BILLS by James Dulley

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RECIPES

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MARKETPLACE/CLASSIFIEDS

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On the cover Photograph by Wayne Price.

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

December 2015

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Lower your electric bill with efficiency EDITOR’S PAGE

nergy efficiency isn’t a new concept for public power districts or electric cooperatives. Nationally, we’re known as leaders in helping our members better manage their electric use.

Nebraska is no exception. Public power districts and electric cooperatives offer a variety of incentives and services to help you save. Stanton County Public Power District offers incentives for installing residential heat pumps. Wheat Belt Public Power District gives an incentive to customers that purchase and install LED light bulbs in their homes.

Twin Valleys Public Power District offers heat pump and water heater rebates to customers.

The list goes on and on.

And most of our fellow electric co-ops around the country provide similar services.

Surveys by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, our national service organization, found that 93 percent of rural electric co-ops educate those they serve about energy efficiency, through the magazine you’re reading right now to bill inserts to TV ads. Nearly 80 percent perform residential energy audits, which identify ways you can boost the energy efficiency of your home to keep electric bills affordable.

Contact your local electric utility to find out what programs they offer. These programs can help you reduce the amount of electricity you use and lower your monthly bill.

Check out some of the different calculators

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by Wayne Price

now on Nebraska Public Power District’s website (www.nppd.com) and available to you around the clock in the comfort of your home.

They have calculators on appliances, heating, irrigation, lighting and televisions. If you have a plasma or LCD TV in your home, you might be surprised by the amount of electricity it is using.

We’re not alone in these investments, either.

Electric co-ops across the country are upgrading power lines, replacing transformers, and installing advanced metering infrastructure to increase efficiency of their operations.

Of course, when it comes to efficiency, much more can be done. According to a study by the Electric Power Research Institute, Americans could save 236 billion kilowatt-hours by 2030 if utilities everywhere adopted simple energy efficiency initiatives. That’s five times the amount of electricity New York City uses in one year.

It’s easy for you to get started on the path to energy efficiency. Call or visit your local electric utility to learn more about our energy efficiency programs and services. You can also visit www.togetherwesave.com and discover how making little changes around your house can result in big savings on your energy bills.

Helping you keep electric bills affordable is just another way those of us at Nebraska’s public power districts and electric cooperatives are looking out for you.

Top Ten Tips for Saving Energy and Money

1. Plug electronic devices such as cable boxes, printers and TVs into power strips to turn off during vacations or long periods without use.

2. Replace any light bulb, especially ones that burn more than one hour per day, with a lightemitting diode (led) bulb.

3. Close shades and drapes during the day to help keep heat out in summer.

4. Outside your home, caulk around all penetrations including telephone, electrical, cable, gas, water spigots, dryer vents, etc.

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5. Set water heater temperature no higher than 120ºF. 6. Use air-dry cycle instead of heat-dry cycle to dry dishes.

7. Keep your garage door down. a warmer garage in the winter and cooler garage in the summer will save energy.

8. Change HVAC filters monthly.

9. Make sure the dryer vent hose is not kinked or clogged.

10. Ensure gaskets around door seal tightly.

Source: www.togetherwesave.com

Rural Electric Nebraskan

Sometimes rankings can be deceiving GUEST EDITORIAL

hen it comes to sports, we can all recall teams that we follow who were either ranked higher, or maybe not as high as we thought they deserved. There are often extenuating circumstances and a great deal of subjectivity to how high a team ranks in any given sport.

We see the same subjectivity when it comes Troy to ranking other Bredenkamp areas related to NREA General business or Manager society.

In short, whether it is in sports or the utility sector, sometimes rankings can be deceiving.

Recently the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) released their latest annual scorecard ranking states in the area of energy efficiency. The ACEEE is an organization focused on the efficient use of electricity and the promotion of efficiency programs across the country. This year, the state of Massachusetts topped California as the highest ranked energy efficient state according the ACEEE scorecard, while our state of Nebraska stayed steady at 42nd out of 50 states for energy efficiency. ACEEE’s scorecard is an analysis of such things as utilitybased programs, transportation infrastructure, building energy codes, combined heat & power programs, and state government led energy efficiency initiatives along with stateled appliance standards.

Digging a bit deeper into the ACEEE scorecard, it is important to note that Nebraska’s low score was, in large part, because Nebraska does not have many state government-led energy efficiency mandates or other

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December 2015

state level energy efficiency programs when compared to many of the states that ranked lower than Nebraska.

Keep in mind that Nebraska’s public power utilities such as NREA’s member-systems have many energy efficiency programs and incentives available to our members and ratepayers. But because we lack having coordinated state-based and led programs, the ACEEE scorecard gives our Nebraska very little credit in their analysis. In short, we score poorly because Nebraska does not have a one-size-fits-all approach to energy efficiency.

According to ACEEE, Massachusetts and California are joined by Vermont, Rhode Island and Oregon as the most energy efficient states in the nation. In addition to being energy efficient, there is something else, far less commendable, that four of these states all have in common. It just so happens that Massachusetts, California, Vermont and Rhode Island also have some of the highest electric rates in the U.S. By contrast, in a report of the annual average electricity price comparison by state - published by the Nebraska Energy Office, Nebraska enjoys the 14th lowest electric rates in the nation with an average price of 8.80 cents/kWh. It is important to note that energy efficient-leading states like Massachusetts’ electric rates rank as 5th highest at 15.34 cents/kWh, California ranks 7th highest at 15.23 cents/kWh. Meanwhile, Vermont has the 8th highest rates at 14.53 cents/kWh and Rhode Island ranks 4th highest in electric rates at 15.57 cents/kWh. According to this particular report, Nebraska’s rates are 19 percent below the national average, and when compared to both Massachusetts and California, rate payers in Nebraska pay, on average, only 57 percent of what ratepayers in the two highest ranked energy

efficient states pay for electricity.

They say that necessity is the mother of invention. Nearly every state that is recognized by the American Council of Energy Efficient Economy as being the most energy efficient states also happens to have some of the highest electric rates in the nation. Perhaps it is as much out of necessity that the states with some of the highest electric rates in the country are also the same states that are ranked high on this scorecard for energy efficiency. If any one of us were a rate payer in California or Massachusetts and paying nearly double what Nebraskans pay for electricity, we would certainly be looking for any and all ways to make our homes and/or businesses more energy efficient in an attempt to lower our monthly electric bill. If that means adopting several of the numerous efficiency incentives that are available through state-based programs, then we would do it in a heartbeat.

As Nebraskans, we have a lot to be proud of when it comes to public power and our rural electric systems.

We are proud to provide some of the most affordable electricity in the nation, but that doesn’t mean we just waste energy resources like electricity.

Whether it is a load management program for irrigators or weatherization incentives for a homeowner, Nebraska’s utilities have undertaken numerous energy efficient initiatives and NREA’s membersystems work with their customers every day on ways to better manage their energy use. We don’t offer these programs out of necessity because our electric rates are similar to those in energy-efficient California or Massachusetts; we offer our energy efficient programs because it is the right thing to do, both for the environment and for all Nebraskans.

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Keeping energy

affordable

by Justin LaBerge ike shelter, food and clothing, electricity has become a staple of our lives. When the price of energy goes up, you have less money to spend on other things. For some families, that might mean a shorter vacation or one less meal at a restaurant. But for many families, increases in energy costs mean hard choices, such as whether to pay the light bill or the grocery bill.

Nebraska’s public power districts and electric cooperatives understand that reality and work hard every day to keep rates as low as possible while still maintaining a safe and reliable system.

A detailed explanation of all the ways public power works to keep energy affordable could fill every page of this magazine, but here are a few you should know about.

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Not-for-profit model The most powerful weapon in your rural electric utility’s fight to keep energy affordable is the not-for-profit business model. Unlike investorowned utilities, public power districts and electric cooperatives aren’t in business to make profits for shareholders.

Public power districts and electric

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cooperatives exist to provide safe, reliable and affordable energy to members in the communities they serve. Any surplus revenue is reinvested in the utility or used to pay down debt.

Energy policy advocacy Regulation is a necessary and important part of a modern world, but well-intentioned regulations often have costly and unintended consequences.

Your public power district or electric cooperative is a member of the Nebraska Rural Electric Association and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, which act as a voice for you and your fellow rural electric utility members in Lincoln and Washington, D.C. These associations work hard every day to ensure lawmakers and regulators understand the impact changes they propose could have on the cost and reliability of your electric service.

In addition to their efforts, there are two member-driven programs that give public power district and electric cooperative members a powerful voice in the democratic process.

The first is the Action Committee for Rural Electrification, or ACRE®.

Founded in 1966, ACRE is the federal political action committee

(PAC) of America’s electric cooperatives.

ACRE supports candidates for the U.S. House and Senate who will speak for and protect the interests of electric cooperatives and their consumerowners.

ACRE contributions to candidates are backed by more than 31,000 eligible employees, directors and consumer-members across 47 states with an average contribution of $56, making it truly a grassroots PAC. The second is the Cooperative Action Network – the advocacy hub for America's public power districts and electric cooperatives. This program is free to join and allows coop members to band together and promote common sense solutions to the problems facing our nation.

The Cooperative Action Network boasts a grassroots army of more than one million advocates across the country. When you join the Cooperative Action Network, you can sign up to receive alerts related to proposed state and federal regulations that could impact you and the price you pay for electricity.

Each alert includes an explanation of the issue, its potential impact and information on how you can make your voice heard. To learn more about this program, visit action.coop.

More on Page 8

Rural Electric Nebraskan

KEEPING ENERGY AFFORDABLE

Public Power is looking out for you by working hard to provide for affordable electricity

December 2015

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Keeping electricity affordable From page 6 Technology and innovation The energy industry is in the midst of a period of significant change, and many of these advances have the potential to improve the affordability, reliability and efficiency of our nation’s electric system. Your public power district or electric cooperative is actively involved in the development of new technologies and monitoring the advances of other researchers through its national association.

It might surprise you to know that America’s rural electric utilities are often leaders in the implementation of new energy technologies. The lowdensity rural areas served by electric utilities often stand to gain the most from advances in automation and efficiency.

Technologies such as automated meter reading and remote system control allow public power districts and electric cooperatives to save money while improving service.

In rural areas where people and infrastructure are more spread out, crews often travel great distances to reach trouble spots and make repairs. In addition to travel time, this results in higher costs for fuel and labor.

Through smart grid technology, many routine system issues can be addressed remotely. When a crew must be dispatched to make repairs, smart grid technology can help diagnose the problem remotely so the utility can send the right personnel, equipment and parts to make the repair quickly.

Public power districts and electric cooperatives are also leaders in the development of renewable energy projects. In fact, three of the top four solar utilities in America are electric cooperatives.

As energy technology continues to advance, you can be confident that your local electric utility will be

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Norris Public Power District journeyman lineman Mike Wiltse, left, and apprentice lineman Trevor Nitzel prepare to restore electric service to a customer. keeping a close eye on these changes and seeking ways to improve the affordability and reliability of your service.

Conservation and efficiency Finally, it’s important to remember that the cheapest kilowatt is the one you never use. Though there are many factors that impact the price of electricity that are beyond your control, you do have control over the energy choices you make in your home or business. Check with your local electric utility to find out what programs and services they offer to help you improve your efficiency and better understand how the choices you make every day impact your energy consumption.

The Nebraska State Energy Office has a number of energy efficiency programs available as well. Check

out their www.neo.ne.gov.

programs

at

As you can see, there’s no shortcut to keeping energy affordable. It takes a lot of people working hard on many different fronts to fight the affordability battle. Though it might not be simple, you can be confident your local electric utility is looking out for you.

Justin LaBerge writes on consumer and cooperative affairs for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the Arlington, Va.-based service arm of the nation’s 900-plus consumer-owned, not-for-profit public power districts and electric cooperatives.

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Home energy networks are evolving

n ever-growing number of U.S. households subscribe to highspeed, broadband Internet service, and most of them are blanketed in WiFi networks. This means most households are already high-speed Internet gateways, and Americans are increasingly filling them with more connected devices than ever—expanding their universe of products beyond “traditional” networked devices like computers and smartphones to include smart appliances, streaming media players, smart thermostats and other devices that can communicate with each other and the Internet. These growing home networks – often referred to as smart homes, connected homes or referenced as the “Internet of Things” by technology media – can be leveraged for a variety of applications, including security, convenience, health, entertainment and energy management.

Homeowners use networks for a variety of purposes, including security, productivity and entertainment, but as network connectivity and control expand to larger residential end uses like appliances, HVAC, lighting and electronics, these networks can increasingly be leveraged for energy monitoring and energy efficiency.

At their most basic, home energy networks provide information on energy use and control over connected devices. Forget to turn off

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the lights or turn down the thermostat before going on vacation?

Need to see how much money your home is spending to run laundry equipment? With home energy networks, there’s an app for that.

Advanced home energy networks can analyze use trends, suggest behavior changes, automate/optimize the setup of certain devices and frequently provide mobile apps to centralize settings and controls.

A well-known example is the Nest Learning Thermostat, which users train to recognize their temperature preferences and away-from-home schedules. The more complicated the network and the greater number of connected devices, the deeper the

potential energy savings and the more sophisticated these “orchestrations” become.

In the most advanced systems, homeowners can create scenarios that effectively provide a “sleep” or “standby” mode for the entire house.

Of course, home energy networks require a lot more than a smartphone and software wizardry.

There can be significant hardware investments, and many times products from one vendor can’t control products from another.

Getting everything to work seamlessly from one app is the goal, but often homeowners have to use multiple apps from multiple vendors for products to work.

We are still in the early stages of the smart home revolution, but there’s no denying it – advancements are taking place every day, and more and more people are discovering the convenience of controlling things remotely.

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Rural Electric Nebraskan

Comfort when you’re home, Savings when you’re away here’s no such thing as a regular routine for today’s busy families. No two days are alike and schedules change by the minute. The Lyric thermostat by Honeywell is designed to put you back in control. The Lyric thermostat knows when you are coming and going, based on smartphone location, to deliver comfort when you’re home and savings when you’re away.

The Lyric thermostat is the first offering in a new family of innovative connected home products from Honeywell, the recognized category leader found in more than 150 million homes globally. It is designed for how people really live today.

Using the location of your smartphone, the geofencing feature automatically turns the Lyric thermostat into energy saving mode when a home is empty, and then senses when you are coming home and heats or cools the house to your preferred temperature.

The Fine Tune feature factors indoor and outdoor temperature, humidity, and weather into its algorithm, enabling it to provide the most comfortable temperature for homeowners. No other do-it-yourself Wi-Fi thermostat on the market does that.

Beyond a smartphone, the temperature can be managed using Honeywell’s familiar round dial control on the thermostat itself. With the Lyric app (available via the App Store on iTunes and Google Play), homeowners can adjust their home’s temperature to life as it happens, wherever they are. When a homeowner walks up to the Lyric thermostat, a built-in proximity sensor signals the display to turn on and show current temperature and the home’s heating or cooling status.

A soft halo of light in orange (heating), blue (cooling), or green (away/energy savings) momentarily illuminates around the thermostat to indicate it is making temperature adjustments. Additionally, touch-

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December 2015

sensitive buttons flank the center display – one for accessing current and upcoming weather information, and one for setting back your temperature while you’re away. The Lyric thermostat provides easy-to-

understand alerts on when to change a filter, if and when your furnace needs servicing, and even helps find a trusted service professional.

The gloss white finish and silver accents of the Lyric thermostat, along with its shallow depth and flush wall mount, add a contemporary appearance to any room. Beyond contemporary design and innovative functionality, it delivers the same reliable control and accuracy for which Honeywell is known since it introduced the iconic ‘Round®’ in 1953.

The Lyric thermostat is available from professional heating and cooling contractors, and will be available at retail stores for $279 (MSRP). Consumers who want installation assistance can search for a local contractor at www.lyric.honeywell.com.

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How natural gas caught coal as an electricity fuel And how that changes the world of energy

by Paul Wesslund

nergy made history last April when more electricity in the U.S. was generated with natural gas than with coal. It lasted only a month, but it signals huge changes that are making the landscape of power production a lot more complicated.

In April, natural gas fueled 32 percent of the electricity in the U.S., compared with 30 percent for coal. In one way, that was a fluke, since electricity use typically declines in the spring and fall and coal plants take advantage of those times to schedule maintenance. Sure enough,

by May, coal was back in first place by 33 percent compared with 31 percent for natural gas.

But recent trends will soon make the April ranking the new normal.

As recently as 2005, coal sat way on top, generating more than half of all the electricity in the U.S. Natural gas provided just 19 percent.

There’s no single reason for this dramatic reversal. For one, utilities retire their coal generating capacity at the rate of more than 3 percent a year since 2012, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). EIA estimates that the pace of coal plant closures could continue

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through 2020. Another reason for the trend is certainly concerns about coal’s effect on the environment and the resulting government regulation.

The much-publicized natural gas drilling boom of the past seven years is also producing plentiful supplies of the alternative to coal at relatively low costs. Another key reason for this trend is that natural gas generation technology is cheaper and easier to build than coal plants.

To better understand the trends, it helps to go back to 1985, when coal fueled 57 percent of the nation’s electricity, and natural gas 12 percent. Natural gas, however, was nearing the home stretch of a decade of deregulation activity—prices fell from $3.97 for a thousand cubic feet in 1983, to $1.68 by 1994.

Electric utilities started taking advantage of those prices, as well as the smaller-scale benefits of natural gas-powered turbines. The turbines look about the size and shape of a jet engine, and are generally used for peaking power. That is, when people use the most electricity, like the cold of winter or heat of summer, natural gas turbines can power up in a few minutes. That easy-to-build and quickly-available capacity can avoid

Rural Electric Nebraskan

having to construct an additional large and expensive coal plant that might only occasionally be needed.

Another technology began developing in the 1960s — “combined-cycle” plants that burn natural gas to generate electricity, then capture the exhaust to produce more electricity, making them more efficient.

Today, combined-cycle plants generate about 25 percent of our electricity, and that’s growing at about 3 percent a year.

Environmental rules make that cheaper technology even more attractive. Emission control has greatly increased the costs of building and running coal plants. The search for reductions in emissions of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide, which is blamed for climate change, puts even more pressure on coal. Natural gas emits about half the greenhouse gases of coal.

The Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, announced in August, calls for 27 percent of the nation’s electricity to be generated from coal by the year 2030, and 33 percent by natural gas. Under that plan, renewable energy would rise from 12 percent now, to 21 percent.

It all adds up to continued declines in coal as an electricity fuel, says Mike Casper, senior manager, generation and fuels for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. He says, “There are no electric co-ops that I’m aware of that are looking at coal to build capacity over the next 10

December 2015

years.”

This shift to natural gas, however, brings its own challenges, says Casper.

Among those challenges: • Natural gas will continue to face added emission regulations.

• The Interstate Natural Gas Association of America estimates 850 miles a year of new gas transmission pipeline could be needed between now and 2035 in order to transport new production to demand.

Factors in that demand include the expansion of new gas-fired generation.

• More effort and cost will go into coordinating operations with the increased use of intermittent resources such as solar and wind power; and • New transmission lines will be required to carry electricity from new resources—including new natural gas generation and new solar and wind farms— to where people live.

“It’s all intertwined,” says Casper. “There are a lot of factors that need to be considered, including time, planning and costs to appropriately integrate new generation sources.”

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 consumer-owned, not-forprofit public power districts and electric cooperatives.

13

Inno In n vate. y

Patrick Pope P

It means to o make changes in n something es s blished, espec sta cially by intr t oducing new methods, ideas orr products. od cts

in n no n va vating t g ting NPPD PRESIDENT & CEO

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started workingg for f NPP PD in 1979 as an electrical engineerr,, and over the past 35 years, I have witnessed oour efforts to generate electricity with alternative fuel sourrces ces like chiccken manure, tirres, es, and be beef eef tallow. In the last decaade, we have brought eigh ht of 13 wind farms to the state and incorporated moore than 300 MWs of rene enewable ewable enerrgy gy to our generation geneeration rresour esource mix.

We own three hybrid SUVs, oone hybrid bucket truck andd one Chevy V Volt olt electric vehicle, v along with som me electric l t i utility tilit trucks t k att our power plants. l t Today’ odday’’s transmission crrews ews ar arree using computers in theiir trucks to patrrol ol the gridd and can repair power linees while they are “hot� or carrying electricityy..

Succh advancements did not exxist 20 years ago.

Ele ectric utilities, like NPP PD, have come a lon ng way, and the depictiion of us being “ol old, stodgy and uninven ntive� is just plain ntive wro ong. In reality, NPPD is s:

Cu ustomer-centric c. The 75 utilities

that buy NPPD’s power at wholesale and deliver it to you have access to NPPD info formation through a variety of electronic, text, and face-to-face ace-to-face channels. ,I \RX DUH DQ LUULJDWRU \RX PD\ EHQH¿W IURP D GHPDQG waiv ver program managed with our utility customers whicch can shave more than 600 megawatts of power duriing peak times. Through youur utilityy,, you can take DGYDQWDJH RI RXU PXOWL PLOOLRQ GROODU HQHUJ\ HI¿FLHQF\ fers residential, prog gram called, EnergyWise, which offfers com mmercial and industrial customers omers incentives to redu uce enerrgy gy use. Meters can be b read with wireless SM

the e utillity busin b ess. technologgy g , and about 90,000 , NPPD,, end-use customers can conneect with us via their smart ph hones. Technology LV PDNLQJ XV EHWWHU IRU \RXU EHQHÂżW

Hydrogen o hopeful. In April, A NPPD announceed its plans to generate electrricity using hydrogen instead of coal at one of ourr Sheldon Station XQLWV QHDU +DOODP :H DUH HQJLQHHULQJ WKH ¿UVW RI LWV NLQG boiler whhich, once installed and operaational (by 2019), will give us even more emission-free generation than we have today t . NPPD’s current footprrint of 42 percent carbon freee power is better than the national carbon-fre n average and one of thee best in the region.

Solarr suppor tive. While we are going hydrogen in the southeast corner of th he state, we are going solaar in Scottsblufff. f. If one of NPPD’ N s retail communities wants to install a solar garden g for its residents, NPPD will work with them m. Scottsbluffff is joined by several other NPPD commu unities exploring the possib bility of generating local pow wer with renewable resources. We also support pp our whole wholesale sale utilityy customerss’ interest in adding more ren newables. Look no furtherr than the solar arrays installled in Central City or the winnd turbines installed by the City C of Valentine and Loup Power District. Under a new w agreement, your utility cann generate up to 10 percent (and ( even more) of its ownn power with renewable reso ources. The option gives them m alternative enerrgy gy choicess while still ensuring you receivve reliable power from NPPD for the long-term.

Educa ation energized d. Enerrgy gy

bbreakthro kth oughs h are happening h i through th hhoutt the th state. t t NPPD’s eeducation specialists are engaging Nebraska’s youth witth STEM technologies, robottics and enerrgygyrelated acctivities. We support line tech technician hnician and enerrgy gy

g eration pprograms gene g at Nebraska’ a’s communityy colleges, g , and we w fund projects conducted by students and teachers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’ incoln’s Enerrgy gy Sciences Reseearch Center who are inventing ing new technologies WKDW QRW RQO\ EHQH¿W 1HEUDVNDœV DJULFXOWXUH VHFWRU EXW also produce electricity better and nd diffferently ferently than we do todayy. Check out http://ncesrr.unl.edu/ .un nl.edu/.

My pride p in working 35 years fo or NPPD is accompanied by ann excitement in knowing wee will continue to seek new ways to serve customers eveen better than we do todayy. Whether through your feeedback the employees we hire h in the future, or the technologies which drive invenntion, we welco whatt enerrgizes gizes thos those of uss who work for a utility, because we know w how we produ and deliver d electricity will continue to evolvve, customers’ need ds will inevitably chan nge, and enerrgy gy will always be at th heartt of it all.

Inn novating the e utility bus siness is n only expecte te it is s absolute absolute ute nec cessar y, an a and we utilities sa doing it ever y

Be ready for Santa with a safe holiday season SAFETY BRIEFS

he most wonderful time of the year can also be the most stressful—particularly when it comes to keeping your kids safe through parties, presents, travel, and meals. Follow these tips from the Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) to protect your little ones this holiday season. For more information, visit holidaysafety.org.

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Electronic gifts About 70 percent of child-related electrical accidents occur at home when adult supervision is present, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. So make sure those new toys don’t pose a danger.

• Electric-powered toys and other devices can be extremely hazardous if improperly used or used without proper supervision.

• An adult should supervise the use of any electrical product.

Consider both the maturity of the child and the nature of the toy when deciding how much supervision is required.

16

• Do not buy an electrical toy, or any toy, for a child too young to use it safely. Always check the age recommendation on the package, and remember that this is a minimum age recommendation. You should still take into account your child’s capabilities.

• Never give any child under 10 years old a toy that must be plugged into an electrical outlet. Instead, choose toys that are batteryoperated.

• Make sure all electrical toys bear a fire safety label from an independent testing laboratory, such as UL (Underwriters Laboratories, Inc.).

• Inspect all electrical toys periodically.

Repair, replace, or discard deteriorating toys.

• Ban play with electrical toys near water, and make sure they understand that water and electricity don’t mix.

• All electrical toys should be put away immediately after use in a dry storage area out of the reach of younger children.

Decorating safely Christmas, Christmas Eve, and New Year’s Day lead the year for candle fires, according to ESFI. Mind your festive decorations for safety hazards: • Read manufacturer’s instructions and warning labels for any decoration that will be used around young children, like electronic trains or animatronic dolls.

• Keep candles, matches, and lighters out of reach, and never leave children unsupervised when candles are lit.

• Instead of traditional candles, try using battery-operated candles.

• Cover any unused outlets on extension cords with plastic caps or electrical tape to prevent children from coming in contact with a live circuit.

• Place electrical cords out of the reach of small children.

• Never allow children to play with lights, electrical decorations, or cords.

Source: Electrical Safety Foundation International

Rural Electric Nebraskan

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Other charges and restrictions may apply. Screen images simulated.There are no additional fees to call GreatCall’s U.S. Based Customer Service. However, for calls to an Operator in which a service is completed, minutes will be deducted from your monthly balance equal to the length of the call and any call connected by the Operator, plus an additional 5 minutes. Monthly minutes carry over and are available for 60 days. If you exceed the minute balance on your account, you will be billed at 35¢ for each minute used over the balance. Monthly rate plans do not include government taxes or assessment surcharges. Prices and fees subject to change. We will refund the full price of the GreatCall phone and the activation fee (or set-up 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. Jitterbug and GreatCall are registered trademarks of GreatCall, Inc. Samsung is a registered trademark of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. ©2015 Samsung Electronics America, LLC. ©2015 GreatCall, Inc. ©2015 firstSTREET for Boomers and Beyond, Inc.

CUT YOUR UTILITY BILLS

Efficient methods to improve indoor air quality

by James Dulley We don't use the AC much Q :during the summer because we prefer fresh air. During the winter, though, we have to close up and run the heat pump. What are some efficient methods to improve our indoor air quality now?

it’s likely the fine particles are leaking out of the vacuum cleaner.

Think about installing a central vacuum, which vents outdoors, or buying a new portable vacuum with a HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) exhaust filter.

: If your family is used to having

A fresh air in the house, winter months can be a challenge. People often think the filter on their heat pump will take care of indoor air quality. It does help remove particles from the air, but only the ones that stay suspended. Central heating systems with efficient variable-speed blowers, which run slower and longer, will improve air quality.

Particles in the air are only one aspect of good air quality. The humidity level and other odorous and unhealthy chemicals also play a role. Just open the cabinet under your sink where you store cleaners, and you will realize the “soup� of stuff you breathe.

Even though not all particles make it to the heat pump filter, you could try installing a high-quality pleated media filter. It will cost more than the 99 cent fiberglass one, but it is much more effective. This is particularly true for the smallest of particles.

Room-size electronic air cleaners are effective for removing those tiny particles that pop up when you plop down in a chair. They don't use much electricity and are quiet, so using one in a bedroom at night can help improve air quality.

Although it sounds counterintuitive, vacuum cleaning often creates much smaller particle concentrations. If it smells like you just vacuumed when you are done,

18

A high-quality pleated media filter cleans air better than a standard fiberglass filter. Photograph provided

by James Dulley Keep the indoor air properly humidified so you can set your heat pump thermostat lower by a few degrees and still be comfortable. A heat pump-mounted central humidifier works well during cold weather, but it may not run long enough to adequately humidify the air during milder weather. Using several room humidifiers is effective, and the ultrasonic and evaporative types are energy efficient.

Keep in mind, there is not one ideal humidity level for every home.

Typically, 30 to 50 percent relative humidity provides comfort and healthy indoor air. To avoid window condensation in cold climates, it will likely have to be set lower as the outdoor temperature drops.

During winter, the best way to reduce indoor chemical pollutants in the air is simply to use less of them.

Try using natural cleaners that are vinegar- and citrus-based, and reduce the use of aerosols. Many recipes for natural indoor cleaners are available on online.

Bringing fresh air into the house is necessary and not always inefficient.

Since the heat content of the air itself is not high, opening several windows on a windy day can exhaust much of the stale, chemical-laden air.

It only takes a couple of minutes to freshen the air.

Another option is to have your HVAC contractor install a damper in the return duct. The damper is ducted through a filter and leads to the outside of your home. When running the bathroom fan or range hood, the negative pressure created will draw fresh air indoors. When there is no negative pressure, the damper stays closed.

The most efficient method to bring in filtered fresh air is a heat recovery ventilation system. The outgoing stale air transfers most of its heat (up to 80 percent) to the incoming cold fresh air, and vice versa during summer. Most models have their own duct system. Window models, similar to a window air conditioner, are effective for a single room, and they can be controlled by a timer or a humidity sensor.

Send inquiries to James Dulley, Rural Electric Nebraskan, 6906 Royalgreen Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45244 or visit www.dulley.com.

Rural Electric Nebraskan

Prospects look good for pheasant season pland game hunters across Nebraska will have improved prospects during this year’s pheasant season, which opened Oct. 31. Pheasant numbers are 55 percent higher than last year.

Nebraska’s weather has been kind to the state’s upland game this year.

The state has experienced relatively mild winters recently, which has aided over-winter survival of pheasants. The more pheasants – particularly hens – that survive the winter, the larger the breeding stock is for the breeding season.

The favorable spring weather this year allowed pheasant populations to increase in relatively short order.

Rainfall this past spring appears to not have occurred during the sensitive phases of the nesting and brood-rearing periods; chicks during the first week or so of life cannot regulate their own body temperatures and have low survival if they become wet and catch a chill.

The timely spring rainfall also produced abundant vegetation, which in turn produced abundant insects.

The insects provide chicks with food

U

December 2015

they need to grow and develop into healthy adult birds. Having adequate nutrition during development can result in healthier adult birds and possibly increase their survival through the winter. The vegetation also provided ample habitat for nesting and for brood-rearing, which had been lacking.

Surveys this year have indicated that pheasant abundance was higher in all regions of the state compared to 2014. The southwest and Panhandle regions should offer the best hunting opportunities this year, but better opportunities should be available statewide.

The season runs through Jan. 31, 2016. The entire state is open to pheasant hunting, although no hunting is allowed on state refuges and sanctuaries. Only rooster pheasants may be harvested. The daily bag limit is three and the possession limit is 12.

Quail season dates are the same as for pheasant. Surveys have indicated increases in abundance of quail compared to 2014 across almost all of the quail’s range. Habitat conditions

were excellent for production and brood-rearing across the state. The southeast and south central parts of the state should offer the best opportunities this year, but there will be good opportunities throughout quail range.

To view the full report, visit OutdoorNebraska.org, and then click on Hunting, Upland Game, and Forecast. Hunters can find public hunting sites as well as private sites open to public walk-in hunting in the Nebraska Public Access Atlas. Go to OutdoorNebraska.org, and then click on Guides.

Source: Nebraska Game and Parks Commission

19

Down Home Recipes

Make Your Holiday Festive and Flavorful ow can you put a unique twist on a holiday tradition that your family will love?

What should you bring to your office potluck? What’s a savory appetizer that will hold everyone over until the big meal? With plenty of gettogethers during the season, deciding what will be on your holiday plate can be difficult.

When you’re challenged to find recipes that are as easy to prepare as they are savory, one strategy is to choose a versatile go-to as the base for several different dishes. Slowmarinated and seasoned just right, Smithfield Seasoned Fresh Pork brings a delicious meal to your holiday table in no time at all.

Whether entertaining a crowd at a holiday party or looking for a meal solution for a wintry weeknight, try Smithfield’s premium cuts of 100 percent fresh pork for a dish everyone will love. In flavors like Garlic and Herb, Peppercorn and Garlic and Applewood Smoked Bacon, fresh pork can be grilled, roasted or sauteed for a simple holiday recipe that will taste like you’ve been cooking for hours.

For a unique twist on your dinner table this season, try CornbreadStuffed Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin. Featuring delicious, seasonal ingredients including apples, cranberries and pecans, this recipe is sure to impress friends and family. These BBQ Pork Tortilla Rollups can be made in a cinch and served before the big meal or brought along to cocktail parties for an easy to eat dish that everyone will enjoy.

For more holiday meal inspiration and recipe ideas, visit Smithfield.com.

H

20

Cornbread-Stuffed Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin 1 Smithfield Peppercorn and Garlic Seasoned Pork Tenderloin 7 slices Farmland Thick Cut Hickory Smoked Bacon, divided 3 tablespoons butter 1/4 cup apple cider 3/4 cup cornbread stuffing mix 1/3 cup chopped red cooking apple 3 tablespoons dried cranberries 2 tablespoons chopped pecans, toasted Heat oven to 375 F. Cut 3 slices bacon into 1⁄4-inch wide slices. In

medium saucepan, cook over medium heat until crisp; drain.

Leave 1 tablespoon grease in pan.

Add butter and apple cider; bring to a boil. Remove from heat; stir in cooked bacon, stuffing mix, apple, cranberries and pecans. If needed, add additional cider to moisten stuffing.

Place remaining slices of bacon about 2 inches apart down center of 15-by-10-by-1-inch baking sheet. Cut down center of tenderloin but not all the way through; lay flat on top of bacon slices.

Spoon stuffing down center of tenderloin; wrap bacon slices around tenderloin, overlapping on top.

Secure with wooden picks.

Bake 40-45 minutes until internal temperature of stuffing reaches 160 F. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

Rural Electric Nebraskan

Reader Submitted Recipes Sweet Potato Casserole

BBQ Pork Tortilla Rollups 1 package (12 ounces) pimiento cheese spread 3 tablespoons barbecue sauce 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 4 flour tortillas (10 inches) 1/2 Smithfield Applewood Smoked Bacon Seasoned Pork Loin Filet, cooked and finely diced In small bowl, combine pimiento cheese spread, barbecue sauce and paprika; mix well.

Divide cheese mixture between 4 tortillas; evenly spread on each tortilla.

Sprinkle chopped pork over top of cheese spread. Tightly roll up each tortilla and wrap in plastic wrap.

Place in refrigerator 2 hours or up to 2 days.

Cut each tortilla into 1/2-inch slices. Serve with light drizzle of barbecue sauce.

3 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes 2 eggs separated 3/4 cup sugar 1/2 cup melted butter 1/3 cup milk 1 tsp. vanilla Topping ingredients: 1/2 cup firm packed brown sugar 1/4 cup flour 2 1/2 Tbls melted butter 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Beat egg whites and set aside. Add the 2 egg yolks to the mashed sweet potatoes, sugar, butter, milk and vanilla. Fold in the egg whites and put in greased casserole dish. Mix the topping together and spread over the top of the sweet potato mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 – 40 minutes.

Helen Pollock, Johnson Lake, Nebraska 1 3/4 1 1/2 1/2 1 1

Cheesy Pumpkin Pie

8 oz. pkg. cream cheese softened cup brown sugar (packed firmly) tsp. cinnamon tsp. salt tsp. ginger cup milk cup canned pumpkin

Preheat oven to 375. Place cream cheese, spices and salt in large bowl. Blend ingredients and beat 1 minute more. Add eggs one at a time, beat well after each egg. Stir in pumpkin and milk. Pour into unbaked pie shell and bake 45 to 50 minutes.

Eleanor Zywiec, Columbus, Nebraska

Creamy Cappuccino Mix

Mix the following ingredients in a medium bowl: 1/3 cup dry milk 2/3 cup plus 1 tbls. Sugar 1/3 cup instant coffee 2/3 cup flavored* coffee creamer

Mix all dry ingredients together and place in a covered container of your choice.

To use: Place 1 1/2 to 2 Tbls of the mix into a cup, add 1 cup boiling water, stir until mixture is completely dissolved. *Powdered coffee creamer is available in several flavors. Try amaretto, hazelnut, vanilla, mocha almond, etc.

Sandy Bednar, Miller, Nebraska

December 2015

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