Rural Electric Nebraskan - 12/16

December 2016

Have a Safe Holiday Season

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Contents Volume 70, Number 12, December 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

Features

Christmas Land celebrates the season

Freelance writer Marita Placek shares the story of Christmas Land, a holiday display near Lynch, Neb. Janis and Les Purviance created the seasonal attraction for their family and now invite the public to visit.

Powering a Brighter Nebraska

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.

December 2016

12

Pat Pope, president and CEO of Nebraska Public Power District, explains how Nebraska’s public power utilities are working together to power a brighter Nebraska.

Treasurer 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.

6

Departments EDITOR’S PAGE

4

SAFETY BRIEFS — Murphy

16

CUT YOUR UTILITY BILLS by Pat Keegan

18

RECIPES

20

MARKETPLACE/CLASSIFIEDS

22

On the cover Winter has a chilling effect on a stream. Photograph by Wayne Price

3

EDITOR’S PAGE

Being neighborly is part of living in Nebraska ebraska has got to be one of the friendliest states in America. We always wave at each other on the street, help each other when a disaster strikes, and work together to provide for our families.

It is this same Nebraska sense of being neighborly that is part of the state’s public power industry. In the 1930s, rural leaders took on the enormous task of building the electric utility infrastructure in Nebraska that would provide themselves and their neighbors with reliable and affordable electricity.

Nebraskans have several reasons to be proud of our public power history. Our state is the only one in the nation that is totally served by public power. Other states have investor-owned utilities that are in the business to make money. Electric utilities in Nebraska are in business to provide low-cost, reliable electricity.

Directors and employees at Nebraska’s public power districts and electric cooperatives want to see the communities they serve succeed. Why? The answer's simple: we live here, too.

Local people working for local good. First and foremost, public power strengthens our communities by doing what we do best: providing a safe and reliable supply of electricity at a affordable cost. The board of directors and staff at your local PPD or electric cooperative supports policies and projects that are good for the communities they serve because what's good for the community is good for the rural electric utility.

We have strong community roots. Public power in Nebraska has been in business for 80 years—we’re not going anywhere. Our business was founded here by members just like you, and we are not going to pull up stakes to pursue greener pastures elsewhere.

We pay our employees fair wages because that in turn helps strengthen the economy when they spend that money here. And by providing good-paying jobs, we keep our towns healthy because employees and their families don't have to move away to make a decent living. The more people we retain

N

by Wayne Price

4

here paying taxes and contributing to their communities, the more vibrant they will be.

Benefits Nebraska communities reap from Nebraska’s public power presence aren’t only financial. We open doors for our young people with scholarship programs, NREA Youth Energy Leadership Camp and the annual Rural Electric Youth Tour trip to Washington, D.C. We teach children safety through programs in schools and online. We help members identify ways to save money by performing home and business energy audits.

We also strengthen Nebraska communities by supporting local charities. We help members and neighbors in need by sponsoring such things as blood and food drives and the Operation Round Up program.

Your PPD or electric cooperative was formed locally, and it’s still managed by your friends and neighbors. The employees go out of their way to serve by coaching youth sports teams, volunteering on school committees, participating in church activities, and even serving in various elected offices. Many are rural electric utility members like you, and like you they want to make their communities stronger.

When it comes to Nebraska’s rural electric utilities, community comes first. That’s just the way we operate.

When you hear someone suggesting that we should privitize our electric utilities, ask yourself just how neighborly do you think a private electric company will be? Will that company’s stockholders even live in Nebraska?

Take a minute to call your local electric utility and tell them “thank you” for working to keep Nebraska’s electric rates affordable and the power on.

Rural Electric Nebraskan

Residential energy storage - Will it work? ne of the holy grails of the energy industry has long been cheap energy storage. Unlike almost all other consumer goods, electricity is created and used in almost the same instant, and storing it has long proven to be difficult and expensive. However, in the last decade, the price of batteries has fallen dramatically, and new energy storage models are emerging. One model that has captured the public’s imagination is residential energy storage, which allows you to store electricity at your home for your own use. Homeowners are often interested in energy storage for one or more of the following reasons: • To store excess energy from their solar panels • To take advantage of time-of-use rates to buy power when it’s cheaper • To have back-up power when the grid goes down • To go entirely off the grid Let’s take a look at a few energy storage technologies.

First, for storing excess energy from solar panels, public power districts and electric co-ops typically have net metering policies in place with solar arrays that allow members to “bank” the extra electricity they produce with their utility and receive credit for that energy on their next bill. For this reason, Mateo Jaramillo, Tesla’s director of powertrain business development, calls net metering “essentially a free battery.”

Next, batteries can be used to lower peak charges for those members who pay a variable price for electricity depending on their use. In fact, most already have an energy storage device in their home––their water heater.

Rural electric utilities have a long history of controlling water heaters as part of their demand response programs, and many offer rebates or other incentives to participate in utility-run programs.

Third, batteries such as the Tesla PowerWall, assuming they’re fully charged when the power goes out, can

O

December 2016

keep a home running for about four to six hours at normal consumption. If used only for critical loads, the battery can last much longer. For many consumers, purchasing a residential standby generator that runs on fossil fuel would be a cheaper option. Even though the generator will have a higher fuel consumption cost, the average rural co-op member only experiences about two outages a year.

It’s important to remember, however, that in addition to higher fuel costs, generators are noisy and potentially dangerous if run inside the home without proper ventilation and useless without fuel, which can be hard to obtain during a weatherrelated emergency.

Finally, one major goal of storage is to couple it with solar energy and go entirely off grid, but many fail to realize the cost involved in sizing a solar and storage system for independent use. Without the grid to rely on, the homeowner must size their system for the worst-case scenario of the year. Depending on geographic location, this could mean designing a system that is able to keep

running after several cloudy days in a row, or adding a back-up generator.

Most will find that the cost of a larger battery and back-up power system don’t justify the savings of being off the grid. However, cost trends for both solar and storage are declining, making these home systems more viable––especially in areas with higher power costs.

Energy storage technologies continue to evolve rapidly, and it’s likely they will be even more cost competitive for many applications within a few years. But many of the potential benefits of a home battery can already be reached through other means. Utilities are also exploring new ways to provide value to consumers through residential energy storage. Green Mountain Power, a utility provider in Vermont, is offering Tesla Powerwalls to its consumers with the option to purchase directly, lease or buy with utility control and receive a bill credit. As programs like this continue to develop and proliferate, consumers can expect to see more batteries in and around the home.

5

Christmas Land celebrates the season

by Marita Placek

hat started out as a small way for Les and Janis Purviance of Lynch, Neb., to celebrate their Christmas has snowballed over the years into covering a large area of their garden with Christmas decorations which they have been sharing with the public for the last three years.

The couple made their first nativity scene in 1983 which was displayed outside their home when their son, Jason, was two years old. A family tradition soon developed that the kids would take one of daughter, Anita’s, dolls and put it in the manager on Christmas Eve. Now the grandchildren, Sienna and Cohen, have this honor.

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Les and Janis Purviance have been sharing their holiday displays with the public for the past three years.

6

Another family tradition was started at Thanksgiving with Nathan and Jason hanging the Christmas lights on the eaves on the front of the house signaling the beginning of the Christmas season.

Christmas Land is mainly Janis’s project. Les helps setting with the larger cut outs and the boys help harvest and erect the cedar trees and string Christmas lights when they have time.

In the ensuing years, Janis’s passion for developing and adding to Christmas Land continues to grow.

She adds a nativity scene and other characters to the collection every year. New additions for the 2016 Christmas season include seventeen characters and four houses.

In 2000, Janis started setting up the Christmas displays in their garden. It was not until 2011 that she started adding and decorating cedar trees with lights for some of her displays. Each year the displays are moved or rearranged with additional details and/or lights.

In 2013, she started her first wood project, cutting out and painting a life size nativity scene complete with camels, kings, shepherds, cattle, sheep, angels, and the Holy Family.

Later she wondered why she picked such a big project to start with.

2014 found Janis busy cutting out and painting a large sized Santa and his sleigh, Christmas Carolers, a trio of singing frogs and a kneeling Santa. In 2015 she added ice skating penguins, elves, a large snowman,

and a Nativity party to the menagerie in the garden.

Not all the displays are made of wood, she convinced Les to let her have the no longed used metal pickup rack, which she had him upend, and turned it into a trellis to be decorated.

She purchased a length of spike iron fence at a rummage sale which she found perfect for the lights she had. With a little work and help from Les a 16 foot wire hog panel became another trellis. She does not overlook discarded items, that with a little thought and work can be made or incorporated into Christmas decorations, including wheels off an old hay rake.

Last year a gentleman admiring her display made the comment that

Rural Electric Nebraskan

Janis Purviance uses wood and paint to create colorful holiday displays at her home near Lynch, Neb.

she must have a very nice workshop.

Janis laughed and told him, “my workshop is the back of the garage for cutting and my kitchen table for painting.”

Early September 2016 found Janis busy wrapping up canning and preserving fruit and garden veggies for the winter and anxious to get started on cutting out and painting new figures and scenes to add to her large and growing collection of Christmas decorations, plus doing touch up work on older decorations.

This year she had to redo Santa’s sleigh. The Journey to Bethlehem is ready to be set up at the mailbox to greet visitors. She hopes to have everything set up and ready by the first weekend of November.

In October, the boys, Brandon,

December 2016

Nathan, Dave and Janis head for the pasture and spend several days harvesting and hauling cedar trees to the yard for the displays. Then the fun/work begins – setting up the spotlights, and putting strings of colored lights on the trees. Last year she had seventeen trees set up and decorated. This year twenty-five trees have been set up for the different scenes. Each tree has anywhere from 100 to 800 lights – all red lights for one tree, blue lights for another, purple lights on the next tree, and orange lights on another, and other trees proudly bear multicolored lights.

At the beginning of the season, extension cords filled two large mineral tubs, which were rapidly used and more needed. Each year

more extension cords must be purchased for the additional displays. Another mineral tub or container will also have to be rounded up when the displays are dismantled, because there is no more room in the two tubs for this year's additional collection of cords.

Janis is very conservative with her finances and makes a point of going shopping after Christmas searching for end of the year bargains of Christmas items, lights and other decorations, and is always on the lookout for Christmas decorations at rummage and garage sales during the year.

Lighting for the family will happen the first weekend of November More on Page 8

7

Christmas Land From page 7 barring no bad weather. The holiday scenes for the public will be turned on for the first time on Friday, November 11, and will be on every weekend through the month of December and the first weekend in January (unless there’s a blizzard) and by request on weekday nights by calling 402-569-3737.

The first time the Purviances invited the public to come and see their Christmas Land was in 2013 and by 2015 the news of the beautiful Christmas display had been spread by word of mouth and over one hundred families made the trip to Purviance’s country home to tour the Christmas display. Some coming from as far away as Norfolk and Lincoln and the neighboring state of South Dakota.

There is NO charge to visit Purviance’s Christmas Land and its multiple displays. Janis says “this is my gift to the people who come to share the Christmas spirit with us.

Only the ones that come get the gift.

You do have to make an effort to come. It’s a free gift, but you have to come to receive it.”

As the sun slowly sinks in the west, 12,000 lights begin to softly glow in the darkness for the 2016 Christmas Land Display and two musical systems, one playing Christmas carols and the other playing Christmas music, fill the air.

Visit Christmas Land

The Les Purviance family wishes to extend an invitation to the public to come and enjoy the Christmas decorations displayed in their garden, which features a variety of animated and lighted displays including penguins ice skating on a pond, nativity scenes, snowmen and lots of new colored LED lights on their farm.

Directions to their farm are as follows: Take highway 12 east of Lynch for 5 miles to 507 Avenue, turn right (south) to 897th Road. Follow the Santa hats, Take another right turn and follow the Santa Hats until you reach a mailbox decorated with Christmas lights and the life size Journey to Bethlehem display welcoming visitors to Christmas Land. Make a left turn and follow the road until you come to all the wonderful lighted displays. Follow the road (Drive slowly), with the window down, so you don't miss any of the beautiful and outstanding scenes and hear the Christmas music and carols. When you reach the end of the display, take another left turn (will be making a U turn) and drive up the opposite side to see more of the scenes.

Above: A young visitor checks out the Santa Claus display.

Left: Les Purviance puts up the angel in the life size nativity display.

8

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Check your furnace filter to help cut energy costs any people assume the primary purpose of their furnace filter is to improve indoor air quality by filtering air inside their home. To some extent, the filter does perform this task.

However, the most important purpose of a furnace or airconditioning filter is to reduce the amount of dust, dirt and debris that accumulates on components inside the heating and/or cooling (HVAC) system. Changing or cleaning your filters when appropriate will help you increase the efficiency and life expectancy of your system while helping you cut energy costs. Not only can clogged or dirty air filters block air flow and cause your system to run longer, but the dirty air that gets past a filter can make its way into the fan motor, coils, and other parts inside, which then damage components.

Some heating and cooling experts recommend changing your filter every month. While that may ensure you never operate your system with a dirty filter, you may be throwing a good filter away prematurely. If you are not sure how frequently yours needs replacement, start by checking it monthly for a year. Some filters may require replacement each time, but if your system runs very little, such as some systems during mild months, you may get additional use from the same filter. Also note that some filters are designed to last multiple months. Only through observation and following manufacturers’ recommendations will you be best able to gauge your replacement frequency.

Many homes have electronic air cleaners or other filters that are designed to collect dust for health reasons. These filters need even more attention than the standard filters because they get dirty more quickly.

Electronic air cleaners are usually cleaned by removing their core and metal pre-filter and washing them in a dishwasher or with a hose outside.

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Change your heating and cooling system’s air filter the filter at least every three months; a dirty filter clogs the system, making the system work harder to keep you warm. Photograph provided by Touchstone Energy Cooperatives Clean or replace other specialty filters according to the manufacturer’s instructions packaged with the filter.

When it comes to evaluating your filter’s ability to remove airborne particles, its effectiveness is measured by its “MERV” rating. The higher the MERV rating, the more effective it is at capturing very small particles. But remember, a filter with a higher MERV rating will also restrict airflow more than a filter with a lower MERV rating and will likely increase your system’s running time and energy use.

Standard fiberglass furnace filters have a MERV rating of about 1 to 4.

Medium efficiency pleated filters have MERV ratings between 5 and 13 and high efficiency pleated filters

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Many manufacturers suggest using filters with a medium efficiency so you do not restrict air flow enough to cause any problems as long as they are changed when necessary.

Ultimately, you should use a filter recommended by your furnace’s manufacturer and contact the manufacturer or your HVAC dealer about using other kinds of filters.

Finally, remember that air filters for home systems can be difficult to locate or hidden from view behind other equipment. Check your furnace manufacturer’s documentation for the designated filter location. If you do not have your documentation, try going to the manufacturers’ website and downloading a copy of the documentation.

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Powering a Briighter Ne ebraska

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NPPD PRESIDENT & CEO

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Approximately 1 penny and a half alf separates 10 states with the lowest est residential electricity costs: Washington Louisiana North Dakota Arkansas Idaho W. Virginia Oklahoma Kentucky Tennesse Nebraska

9.09¢ 9.33¢ 9.62¢ 9.82¢ 9.93¢ 10.08¢ 10.14¢ 10.24¢ 10.30¢ 10.64¢

%\ SURPRWLQJ ZD\V WR VDYH PRQH\ DQG HQHUJ\ 16, NPPD D and its wholesale utilities, s, like yours, have variety of EnergyWiseSM incentivess to Nebraskans. The ogram includes ncludes rebates for LED lighting, hting, incentives to ciency heat h pumps, more efficient heating, ventilation, oning sy ystems or hundreds of dollars ars off the price of mp waterr heater. Together, we want to find energyns that h work k best b for f you, your business b siness i and d your

ENERGY RESOURC ES - 2015

By gene erating power witth FOHDQ HQHUJ\ UHVRXUFHV

(Native Load d) Nebraska Public Power District

Every yy year, NPPD N ggenerates a lot of electricity y. Nearly y 22 billion kilow watt-hours in 2015. (The aveerage residential urs a month.) The vast customer usees about 1,000 kilowatt-hou majority of th his electricity was sold to Nebraska’ N s utilities, like yours. Some power is sold into the enerrgy market, and NPPD uses the reveenues earned to defer operational costs for all customers.

In 2015, 67 percent p of the energy used by b our in-state, Nebraska cusstomers was “clean.” This means m the power was made with nu uclear, wind or hydro resou urces which don’t create greenh house gas emissions.

Gas/Oil 1.4% Coal 24.0%

Purchases 7.0% 0% *Hydro 8.6% Wind 9.2%

67%

CARBON FREE * Hydro includes WAPA

Nuclear 49.8%

By using hydrogen: a cle B ean fuel RI WKH IXWXUH On Oct. 20, 2 2016, Governor Pete Rickettts joined in the round break king of Monolith Materials’’ manufacturing acility near Hallam. Monolith Materials ls will make arbon black k, a product used in many everyday materials, ncluding cell ell phones and tires.

More than 100 people attended the groundbreaking forr Monolith Materials on Oct. 20. The facility will make carbon black ck which is used to make such items as cell phones and tires. The T manufacturingg pprrocess also makes hydrogen, y g , which NPPD PPD will use to generate clean c electricity for Nebraskans.

he manufaccturing process produces hydrogen, ydrogen, and in he future, NPPD will use the emission-free -free by-product to make electricity for approximately 150,000 ,000 Nebraskans around the clock. Not only will this clean ean energy be added to NPPD’s geeneration mix, Monolith will ill be Norris Public Power Distriict’s largest customer. Once completely built out, Monolith th Materials will employ at least 100 people and b the be h larges l st energy user in i the h state.

$QG PRUH FOHDQ HQHUJ\ LV EHLQJ DGGHG WR WKH PL[ ULJKW QRZ Your electric provider might be among nearly n a dozen Nebraska utiilities adding renewable energy to their generation po ortfolios. Some utilities thatt buy y power under d contractt ffrom NPPD are choosing h i to add dd one off these h variable resou urces, while still ensuring a constant power supply rem mains available from NPPD D. A few of the renewable r energy ventures are in n for Custer Pub blic Power District. Other renew r wa communities of V Venango, enango, Kearney and Scotts S Scottsbluff. sb Collectively, public p power is participatin ng in nm 20 wind facillities in the state and is grow wing it production, as a well.

To learn more e about solar energy and ho ow it w visit ZZZ QSSG FRP and search “solaar quees answers.” Alsso, remember to check out ZZZ Z com/wind to o see how NPPD’s eight win nd farrm performing. f i

Advances in technology bring changing costs to power dvances in technology are bringing major changes to the energy industry. We are generating a growing portion of our electricity with renewable resources, and advances in automation and communications technology are making our power grid smarter and more reliable than ever.

These advances are exciting news for American energy consumers, but they’re also changing the cost structure of the industry. Since public power districts and electric cooperatives use costs to determine their rates, changing costs require corresponding changes to rates.

Not-for-profit public power utilities work hard to ensure their rates are fair to all members.

To accomplish this mission, they design their rates so that the bill each member receives matches the cost of serving that member as closely as possible.

But just because your local public power district or electric cooperative’s rates are designed to be fair doesn’t mean they’re always easy to understand. In fact, rate structures that do the best job of fairly assigning costs are often the hardest to understand.

As the energy sector continues to move through this unprecedented period of innovation and change, rural electric utilities across the U.S. are experimenting with new rate structures to figure out the best way to recover costs and pay for the electric grid in a manner that is fiscally responsible and fair to all consumers.

Here is a quick look at three of the

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approaches electric utilities are trying.

Time-of-use rates With time-of-use rates, when you use electricity is just as important as how much you use.

Rather than paying the same price for electricity at all times, time-of-use rates charge different prices based on the time of day when the energy is used.

The goal of this system is to encourage consumers to reduce their energy use at the times when demand for energy is highest.

For most rural electric utilities, demand for electricity spikes in the afternoon and early evening hours as air conditioners battle rising temperatures and families return home from school and work and set about their evening routines.

When demand for energy spikes, they must purchase extra electricity to meet the demand. That extra power typically comes from more expensive power plants.

A time-of-use rate ensures there’s always power available when consumers need it but provides price

incentives to shift certain activities – such as running the dryer or dishwasher – to times when demand for electricity is lower.

When consumers embrace this model, they can lower their monthly bills and help the utility reduce its costs – which can save consumers even more money in the long run.

Demand charges Perhaps the most confusing concept in energy billing is the demand charge.

Historically, most residential consumers have not paid demand charges. But as our power grid becomes smarter and our network of generation resources gets more complex, it’s likely that more public power districts and electric cooperatives will incorporate demand changes into their residential rate structures.

Demand measures the highest amount of electricity you demand from the system at one moment in time. The higher the demand, the more it costs to build, operate and maintain the equipment delivering that energy to you.

To understand demand charges, imagine you’re at a party chatting with two guests you’ve never met before, and you ask them how they got to the party.

Betsy tells you she drove 150 miles per hour to get to the party.

David says he drove 150 miles to attend the party.

There’s a big difference between a car capable of traveling 150 miles and a car capable of traveling 150 miles

Rural Electric Nebraskan

per hour.

If you obey the speed limit, any car can take you 150 miles. But if you want to go 150 miles per hour, you’ll need an expensive car with extra horsepower.

The same thing is true with electricity. If you demand large quantities of electricity be delivered to you all at once, the electric utility has to build larger, more expensive equipment to accommodate that demand.

Even if you only demand that much energy every once in a while, the utility has to ensure its system is capable of handling that request when it comes.

If Betsy and David use electricity the same way they use their cars, Betsy is going to be paying a lot more than David each month, even if their total energy use is the same.

Fixed monthly charges Most public power districts and electric cooperatives charge a fixed monthly fee to be connected to the utility’s lines. The name of that fee varies, but common terms include customer charge, service availability charge or access charge.

No matter what it’s called, the goal is to recover the cost of the poles, wires, bucket trucks, computers, switches and people that bring electricity to your home or business.

Those costs are the same every month whether you use a lot of electricity or turn off everything in your house and go on a month-long vacation.

Most utilities, including public power districts and electric cooperatives, have never charged the full monthly cost of service as a flat fee. Often, the fixed portion of a

December 2016

consumer’s bill is only a fraction of the actual cost to build and maintain the power lines to their home or business.

The rest of that cost has been made up with a separate delivery charge that varies based on how much energy you consume.

To understand the difference between these structures, imagine a new vehicle with a sticker price that would require a monthly car payment of $500.

Now, imagine if instead of charging $500 per month, the car company structured your payment so it was $250 per month, plus an additional 25 cents for every mile driven.

If you drove 1,000 miles per month,

you’d end up paying the same amount.

If you drove more than that, your payment would be higher, and if you drove less than 1,000 miles, your payment would be lower.

That’s how most rural electric utilities currently charge for the delivery of electricity to your home.

While not ideal, it’s a model that’s worked for years, and most consumers are familiar and comfortable with that approach.

But as renewable technologies become more popular and consumers make better energy choices, the old

model doesn’t fully cover the cost of maintaining the grid.

As not-for-profit, member-owned organizations, public power districts and electric cooperatives want to help their consumers find the best energy solutions to meet their needs. If consumers want to install solar, rural electric utilities want to help. If members want to reduce their energy use through home improvements and efficient appliances, utilities are eager to give advice.

But even if we all consume less energy, we still need the power grid, and it costs a lot of money to operate and maintain that grid.

By lowering the variable delivery charge and increasing the fixed charge, public power districts and electric cooperatives can keep the grid running safely and reliably while allowing consumers to make the energy choices that work best for their lives.

This system does a better job of fairly charging each member for the actual cost of their service. The total amount of money raised by the utility remains unchanged, but some consumers end up paying a bit more, and others pay a bit less.

Conclusion The coming years will bring many changes to the way we generate, deliver and use electricity, and advances in energy technology promise to greatly improve our quality of life. America’s public power districts and electric cooperatives are working hard to ensure that whatever the future may bring, you’ll be connected to that future through a modern energy grid that is safe, reliable and fairly priced for all.

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Home fires started by candles increase in December SAFETY BRIEFS

uring 2009-2013, U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated average of 9,300 home structure fires started by candles per year. These fires caused an annual average of 86 civilian deaths, 827 civilian fire injuries, and $374 million in direct property damage.

Candles caused 3 percent of the reported home fires, 3 percent of home fire deaths, 6 percent of home fire injuries, and 5 percent of direct property damage during this period.

Homes include dwellings, duplexes, manufactured housing and apartments.

December is the peak time of year for home candle fires. In December, 11 percent of home candle fires began with decorations compared to 4 percent the rest of the year. The top five days for home candle fires were Christmas, Christmas Eve, New Year’s Day, Halloween and December 23.

Safety Tips Blow out all candles when you leave the room or go to bed. Avoid the use of candles in the bedroom and other areas where people may fall asleep.

• Keep candles at least 12 inches away from anything that can burn.

• Use candle holders that are sturdy, and won’t tip over easily.

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Facts and figures During the five-year period of 20092013: More than one-third (36 percent) of

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Use candle holders that are sturdy, and won’t tip over easily. Never leave a candle burning unattended. home candle fires started in bedrooms.

These fires caused 32 percent of the associated deaths and half (47 percent) of the associated injuries.

On average, 42 home candle fires were reported per day.

Falling asleep was a factor in 11 percent of the home candle fires and 30 percent of the associated deaths.

More than half (58 percent) of home candle fires occurred when some form of combustible material was left or came too close to the candle.

If you burn candles, make sure that you...

• Use candle holders that are sturdy, and won’t tip over easily.

• Put candle holders on a sturdy, uncluttered surface.

• Light candles carefully. Keep your hair and any loose clothing away from the flame.

• Don’t burn a candle all the way down — put it out before it gets too close to the holder or container.

• Never use a candle if oxygen is used in the home.

• Have flashlights and batterypowered lighting ready to use during a power outage. Never use candles.

Source: National Fire Protection Agency

Rural Electric Nebraskan

Lower your energy use this winter he weather outside might be frightful, but inside, you can still keep things delightful.

This winter, save money and stay warm. Considering that nearly half the energy you use in the home goes towards keeping things comfortable, often there are huge energy-saving opportunities you may not have considered. Keep your energy bills low this winter by taking a whole-house approach to heating.

T

Seal it up!

• Weatherstrip and caulk windows.

Check window frames for cracks and fill them with caulk that contains silicon. Putty-like "rope caulk" can help seal large cracks.

• Replace any broken window panes and repair any large holes in attics, crawlspaces or basements.

• Close the fireplace damper and seal the opening shut when not in use.

• Keep doors and windows closed as much as possible. That includes overhead doors on attached garages.

Install foam insulation gaskets behind electric outlets and switch plate covers.

• Seal exposed ductwork. Sealing helps your heating system run more efficiently and also ensures that heated air gets to where it should go.

Check it!

• Check all exterior doors for air leaks. A one-eighth-inch gap around a door is equivalent to a 6-inchsquare hole in the side of your house and causes a lot of energy loss. Have someone stand on the other side of the door and shine a flashlight around the door's perimeter. If you can see light through the cracks, your door needs sealing.

Source: NPPD

Nebraska Eye Doctor Helps Visually Impaired To See Advanced Technology Allows Many To See Better or Drive Again

Grandchildren as viewed by a person with Macular Degeneration

Same scene of Grandchildren as viewed iewed through telescope glasses.

For many patients with macular degeneration or other eye diseases, the loss of vision can signal the end of independence and the joy of life. Nebraska optometrist, Robert Stamm, prescribes miniature telescope glasses to help people who have reduced vision see better.

“Some of my patients consider me their last chance for vision improvement” said Dr. Stamm, one of few doctors specially trained by

the International Academy of Low Vision Specialists.

Imagine special glasses that can improve your vision enough to change your life. Custom designed telescope glasses are an optical technology that can give you back your independence. ³0\ MRE LV WR ¿JXUH RXW HYHU\ \WKLQJ and anything possible to allow a person to see better” says Dr. Stamm.

Call For a Free Telephone Consultation n with Drr. Stamm and to schedulee an appointment.

Dr. Robert Stamm Low Vision Optometrist st

(877) 393-0025 5

www.NebraskaLowVisionDoctor.com December 2016

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Seal tight, ventilate right

CUT YOUR UTILITY BILLS

by Pat Keegan

that winter is here, I’d like Q :toNowmake my home more comfortable by keeping cold air out.

I’m planning to have a contractor inspect and seal air leaks. However, a neighbor mentioned that I could seal up my home too much and cause ventilation problems. Is this true? : You’re certainly on the right Sealing air leaks is usually one of the best energy efficiency investments a homeowner can make. A typical home leaks, on average, about half of its air every hour, which is like having your kitchen window open all day, every day. Sealing air leaks can also eliminate drafts that keep your home from being cozy.

However, it is possible to seal up some homes so “tight” that they have little ventilation, which can contribute to indoor air quality problems or a build-up of moisture.

The challenge is to achieve the best home performance and energy savings while maintaining air quality. The first step to take is to eliminate or reduce indoor air pollutants, such as smoke or chemicals. Experts then recommend sealing air leaks as much as possible and installing mechanical ventilation, as needed. Simple mechanical ventilation can be controlled and consistent, as opposed to “natural” ventilation from air leaks, which can result in a home being too drafty in more extreme weather and not ventilated enough in milder weather.

The best way to inspect your home for air leaks is to hire a contractor or energy auditor who will conduct a

blower door test, which uses a powerful fan to measure the air infiltration rate. During the test, the contractor will be able to locate and seal air leaks. After sealing, the contractor can measure the resulting

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Your home performance contractor can work with you to determine whether whole house ventilation is needed. Photograph provided by Weatherization Assistance Project Technical Assistance Center air infiltration rate and talk with you about any ventilation needs. There is no simple way to determine how much mechanical ventilation your home will need—it depends on a combination of factors, including the rate of air flow into your home, what kind of climate you live in, the layout and occupancy of your home and whether there are other indoor air quality concerns, such as radon or combustion appliances like gas furnaces.

Mechanical ventilation systems allow for controlled air movement and a rate of ventilation in your home on which you can depend, helping ensure good indoor air quality and appropriate levels of

moisture. Generally, newer homes that have been sealed well and manufactured homes have the greatest need for mechanical ventilation.

There are two primary categories of mechanical ventilation. Many people are familiar with spot ventilation systems—these are the fans that you find above your oven range, in your laundry room, in your bathroom and perhaps above a garage workshop. They focus on removing moist air and indoor air pollutants at the source. Generally, these fans only work when you turn them on, but you can install condensation sensors or humidistats so the fans will turn on whenever they sense a higher moisture content in the air. Keep in mind running these fans constantly can take too much heated or cooled air out of your home, increasing your energy bills.

Whole-house ventilation circulates air throughout the home and introduces the right amount of outside air. There are four categories of whole-house ventilation systems; determining which method is best for you will depend on your home’s needs, your budget and your climate: • Exhaust ventilation systems: Fans pull air out of your home, which increases infiltration from the outside, either through air leaks or vents.

• Supply ventilation systems: Fans bring outside air into your home.

• Balanced ventilation systems: Both supply and exhaust fans circulate air in and out of the home.

• Energy recovery ventilation systems: Fans, combined with heat exchangers, modulate the temperature and humidity of incoming air into your home.

Talk with your energy auditor or home performance contractor about whether you need additional mechanical ventilation, and if so, which system would work best for your living space.

Rural Electric Nebraskan

An electrifying story

Novel tells an exciting version of how we came to receive electricity in our homes.

by Paul Wesslund hat if Thomas Edison was a bad guy? An evil genius? A man so desperate to protect his inventions that he would bribe the police and even electrocute dogs to show his electric systems were better than his competitors?

You’d have what writers like me have always been searching for—a dramatic, can’tput-it-down story about electricity.

Graham Moore’s new novel “The Last Days of Night” tells the based-on-fact story of the ultrahigh stakes battle between Edison and George Westinghouse over nothing less than what kind of electricity would power the U.S. As with any good novel, it’s also about more than just the basic plot—it’s about invention and the creative process. It’s about the business, scheming, teamwork and luck that can make the difference between a genius who lives his life undiscovered and unknown, and one who enjoys wealth and fame.

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Oscar-winning author The storytelling moves briskly through courtroom drama, corporate intrigue, romance, greed and political corruption. It’s a history lesson, with a cast of famous characters, including the Wall Street baron J.P. Morgan, Alexander Graham Bell and eccentric inventor Nikola Tesla. The book includes an author’s note at the end to help separate fact from fiction. If it was a movie (and a movie is in the planning stages) it would be rated PG-13— a graphic description of the use of the electric chair plays a role, though the account was taken from actual newspaper reports of the day.

Moore is most popularly known as the Oscar-winning screenwriter for the 2014 movie “The Imitation Game” about World War II codebreakers. “The Last Days of Night” tells its story through the character of Paul Cravath, the smart but inexperienced attorney Westinghouse hired to fight the scores of lawsuits Edison had filed against him.

In the late 1800s, Edison was turning his invention of

December 2016

the light bulb into a network for electrifying the country, starting in New York City. The Westinghouse company had invented what it felt was a better light bulb, but the lawsuits claimed it was just a copy of Edison’s.

The much bigger issue came with how the electricity would be delivered to those light bulbs. Edison’s system used direct current (DC), which is what comes out of any battery you have in your home. Westinghouse and Nikola Tesla had developed alternating current (AC), so named because it actually changes direction about 60 times a second, as a more efficient way to deliver electricity over long distances. Alternating current won— AC is the kind of electricity found in your home today.

Fear of electricity A feature of the fight was a media relations war over whether AC or DC was more dangerous. In those early days of electricity, it created both fear and amazement since few people understood the phenomenon. In the 1930s, 40 years after the events in this book, electricity started coming to rural parts of our country. And some of those same fears came with it. One story told of a man who wanted to make sure a bulb stayed screwed into the overhead socket so the electricity wouldn’t flow out and electrocute everyone in the room.

In the book, Moore covers the complexities of generating and delivering electricity—but he does so with a sense of excitement. The great gift to Moore was that his unlikely and compelling character, attorney Paul Cravath, was a real person. And he had a real romance with a real celebrity, who happened to have her own creative genius, backed by a cleverness for self-promotion and a willingness to cut ethical corners.

The story ends on an intelligently positive note, making the point that invention and creation require a cast of talents. The book concludes with a tribute to all of the characters: “Only together could they have birthed the system that was now the bone and sinew of these United States. No one man could have done it. In order to produce such a wonder … the world required … Visionaries like Tesla. Craftsmen like Westinghouse. Salesmen like Edison.”

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Down Home Recipes

Make Holiday Side Dishes That Stand-Out uring the holidays, the main dish usually steals the spotlight. This year, turn the tables in your own kitchen and make the sides the stars of the show with just a couple everyday ingredients.

Cream and milk are kitchen staples all year long, but they become even more important during the holidays. Whether you are using DairyPure brand Heavy Whipping Cream to prepare delicious and creamy soups and sides - like Garlic Mashed Potatoes or Corn Chowder or using half & half or milk in your guests' coffee, they're perfect and versatile ingredients to always have on-hand. Just make sure to save enough milk for Santa Claus.

The only farm-to-fridge dairy products backed by the exclusive Five-Point Purity Promise, DairyPure creams and milk contain no artificial growth hormones, are tested for antibiotics, are continually quality tested to ensure purity, only come from cows fed a healthy diet and are cold-shipped from your trusted dairy.

For more recipes for the holidays and every day, visit DairyPure.com, and find DairyPure on Facebook and Pinterest.

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Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes 3

pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled, cut into large chunks 1 1/2 cups DairyPure Heavy Whipping Cream or Half & Half 4 large garlic cloves 3 tablespoons butter 1 large leek, chopped 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper In 4-quart saucepan over high heat, heat salted water and potatoes to boiling. Reduce heat to low;

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simmer uncovered 20 minutes until potatoes are tender. Drain well.

In small saucepan over high heat, heat heavy whipping cream and garlic cloves to boiling. Simmer uncovered 15 minutes, until garlic is just soft.

In small skillet over medium heat, melt butter; add leek. Cook 5-8 minutes, until leek is tender, stirring occasionally.

In large bowl, mash potatoes with garlic-cream mixture, leek, salt and pepper until well-blended and smooth.

Rural Electric Nebraskan

Reader Submitted Recipes

1

Creamy Corn Chowder 4 slices bacon, diced 3 stalks celery, finely chopped 2 small potatoes, peeled and diced 1 medium onion, finely chopped 1 green bell pepper, finely chopped 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons paprika 1 can (14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth 1 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 cups DairyPure Half & Half or Heavy Whipping Cream 1 can (15 1/4 ounces) corn, drained In 4-quart saucepan over medium heat, cook bacon until just crisp, stirring occasionally. With slotted spoon, remove to paper towels to drain. Reserve bacon.

Leave 2 tablespoons bacon drippings in saucepan. Add celery, potatoes, onion and pepper, and cook until vegetables are just tender, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in flour and paprika; cook 1 minute.

Gradually stir in chicken broth and salt until mixture is smooth and thickened.

Stir in half & half (or heavy whipping cream) and corn; over high heat, heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low; simmer uncovered 5-10 minutes, until mixture is heated through.

To serve, sprinkle each serving with reserved bacon.

December 2016

3 1 3 1

Delicious Fudge Nut Bars

12 oz. chocolate chips can (15 oz.)sweetened condensed milk tablespoons butter cup chopped nuts teaspoons vanilla cup margarine

2 2 2 1/2 1 1 3

cups brown sugar eggs cups flour teaspoon baking soda teaspoon salt cups quick rolled oats

Melt over hot water: chocolate chips, milk, and butter. Remove from heat and add 3/4 cup nuts and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Set aside. Cream margarine, brown sugar and eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat well. Add sifted together flour, baking soda and salt. Add rolled oats and 1/4 cup nuts. Press 2/3 of this cookie mixture into 10” X 16” jelly roll pan. Then carefully drop and spread the fudge mixture over the crust. Drop remaining cookie mixture over fudge filling, spreading it with a table knife so fudge mixture shows through cookie mixture. Bake in 350 degree oven for 20-23 minutes or until oatmeal is slightly brown, but not over baked. Carefully cut into any sized bar you desire.

Marilyn Janovec, Niobrara, Nebraska 3 1 2 1 1–2

Cheese Ball

8 oz. packages of cream cheese bunch of green onions, finely chopped packages dried beef, chopped into small pieces tablespoon Accent seasoning tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce chopped nuts

Soften cream cheese and combine all ingredients in a bowl and roll into two or three balls. Let sit in the refrigerator for several hours. Roll in nuts, place on plate and serve cold. The green onions and red dried beef make for a great holiday appearance once the cheese ball is sliced open. Serve with vegetables and crackers – it’s a hit!

Jane Johnson, Palisade, Nebraska

Extra Special Fruit Cake

1 1/2 cups Brazil nuts 2 1/4 cups walnuts 3 cups dates (Do not chop nuts or dates – leave them whole) 1 1/2 cups sugar 4 eggs

1 1/2 1 1/8 1 1

cups cake flour teaspoon baking powder teaspoon salt 3 oz. jar red maraschino cherries 3 oz. jar green maraschino cherries

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Add this to whole nuts and dates. Add the juices from the cherries along with the whole cherries, mix well. Separate eggs and beat yolks. Add that to the above mixture. Then beat egg whites until stiff and fold them into batter. Spread into two greased and floured loaf pans. Bake in 325 degree preheated oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes. This is a fruit cake folks will want to eat!

Vlasta Zrust, Clarkson, Nebraska

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MARKETPLACE/CLASSIFIEDS

This Could Bee Yoour Future Hom H me!

This Seward Design feeatur u es a huge master bedroom with an oversized walk-in k closet, a nice size second bedroom and an office thatt could l be used as a third bedroom. This home has two o and a half baths and a large open conceept ffeeel perfect ffo or family gatherings or en ntertaining. www.heritagehom mesofne.com | 800-759-2782

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Rural Electric Nebraskan

TOUCHSTONEENERGY.COM

PROVIDING POWER FOR 50,461 OWNERS. AND COUNTLESS FUTURE GENERATIONS. That’s why your local not-for-profit Touchstone Energy cooperative will always have the reliable information you need about optimal renewable energy options for our region. To learn more about what’s available, go to TouchstoneEnergy.com.

YOUR SOURCE OF POWER. AND INFORMATION.

MAY YOUR SEASON BE BRIGHT

As a power supplier to Nebraskaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cooperatives and Public Power Districts, Tri-State generates electricity for your everyday life and your celebrations.

May you and your loved ones have a wonderful holiday season.

WWW.TRISTATE.COOP