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Volume 66, Number 1, January 2012

“The Rural Voice of Nebraska”

Staff Editor Wayne Price Editorial Assistant Kathy Barkmeier

Contents Features

Debunking Energy Myths

6

Published by the

Visit us at www.nrea.org General Manager Jay Holmquist President Gary Dill, Roosevelt Public Power District Vice President/Secretary Randy Papenhausen, Cedar-Knox Public Power District

Interested in saving energy to lower your electric bill, but confused about new technology and information available to help you do so? Separate fact from fiction with a few energy-saving myths.

The Year of Living Cooperatively Nebraska’s electric co-ops join a global celebration of memberowned businesses during the International Year of Cooperatives 2012. Electric co-ops play a vital role in deploying the advanced distribution and transmission infrastructure that rural America needs.

Treasurer Ron Jensen Loup Valleys Rural Public Power District Published monthly by the Nebraska Rural Electric Association, 1244 K Street, Box 82048, Lincoln, Nebraska 68501, (402) 475-4988.

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 Jacob North Companies, Box 82046, Lincoln, NE 68501. 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.

January 2012

12

Departments EDITOR’S PAGE

4

SAFETY BRIEFS — Murphy

16

CUT YOUR UTILITY BILLS by James Dulley

18

RECIPES

20

ADULT PEN PALS

21

MARKETPLACE/CLASSIFIEDS

22

On the cover An electric transmission line is part of the infrastructure in Nebraska.

See the related story on Page 14. Photograph by Wayne Price.

3

EDITOR’S PAGE

Checking off electrical safety hazards in your home ach year, electrical accidents kill over a thousand people and injure tens of thousands more. Most, if not all, of these accidents could have been avoided by correcting and updating potential electrical

E

hazards. Don't wait until a problem occurs to find the problems. By using this electrical safety checklist, you'll be able to find potential hazards around your home and keep your family and property safe.

by Wayne Price

Check outlets for loose–fitting plugs. Replace missing or broken wall plates so wiring and components are not exposed. If you have young children at home, cover unused outlets with plastic safety caps.

Never force plugs into outlets. Don’t remove the ground a fit plug prong threea make to ing pin (third prong) rs adapte with s outlet ading overlo Avoid two-prong outlet. and too many appliance plugs.

Make sure cords are not frayed or cracked, placed under carpets or rugs, or located in high traffic areas. Do not nail or staple them to walls, floors or other objects.

Use extension cords only on a temporary basis – not as permanent household wiring. Make sure they have safety closures to protect children from shock and mouth burns.

Make sure outlets in the kitchen, bathrooms, laundry, workshop, basement and garage have GFCIs. Test them monthly to ensure they’re working properly. t If an appliance repeatedly blows a fuse, trips a circui ateimmedi shock, ical electr an you breaker or has given ly unplug it and have it repaired or replaced. Look for cracks or damage in wiring and connectors. Use surge protectors to protect electronics.

Check periodically for loose wall receptacles, wires, or loose lighting fixtures. Listen for popping or sizzling sounds behind walls. Immediately shut off, then profes touch the to hot are that es switch light sionally replace and lights that spark and flicker.

4

Rural Electric Nebraskan

GUEST EDITORIAL

Electricity drives our standard of living magine a world without electricity -- no refrigeration, no cell phones, no television, no internet, no GPS, no lights, no running water in the house, no sanitation, no MRI or X-Ray machines, no...wait a minute -- Yuck! Let’s just say no life as we know it.

More than anything in the world today our standard of living is directly dependent on electricity. It doesn’t matter how it is generated as long as it is available in ample supply and at a cost that allows everyone to access it. The type of generation does have an effect on the price to the consumer as does the complexity of the distribution system.

Electricity coming out of a generator is of no use to a final consumer until it can be transmitted and transformed into the proper voltage at the proper location at the proper frequency and at the exact proper time.

This is no simple or inexpensive task to accomplish. It takes a lot of people with enormous expertise and dedication working with systems and equipment so sophisticated that they defy logic to the layman -- just to deliver a kilowatt of electricity to the last house on the longest stretch of electric line so that the consumer can bake a cake for a granddaughter’s first birthday.

So how much is too much to pay for this amazing stuff? Well, if a bottle of water is worth $1.69 and a 12pack of pop is $4.00 -- is it worth a dollar’s worth of electricity to keep them cold for a day (along with all of the food in the fridge)?

Electricity is so prevalent in our lives that we really don’t take the time to appreciate what it does for us until there is an outage that puts us back in the dark ages for a few minutes or even hours or horribly for days. We simply do not function well without electricity and with computers and other sensitive equipment

I

January 2012

Keith Harvey General Manager North Central PPD we cannot even tolerate blinks where the power is off for a fraction of a second.

Also, I’m sure that most of you know that some of this system is over 60 years old and that means that replacements and maintenance are increasing at costs that are much greater than were incurred when these items were installed so many years ago. Then there is the incessant release of new and more costly regulations out of Washington, D.C. -- but that’s another story.

In order to put into perspective the increasing cost of electricity in Nebraska, we should take a look at what is happening across the U.S. In the Mile High City of Denver, Colo., Xcel Energy has instituted a 21.4 percent increase for 2011. In 2009 Honolulu, Hawaii residents were hit with a 24.8 percent increase and in 2010 had residential rates that averaged 27.83 cents per kWh or almost three times as much as North Central PPD customers average cost. Ask the power districts in western Nebraska about their rates since the Colorado legislature mandated a

very rigorous renewable energy standard.

Nebraska Public Power District wants a 6.5 percent wholesale rate increase January 1, 2012 to cover the higher price of coal and associated transportation costs as well as increased debt service payments on bonds used to upgrade and repair their system. This rate increase along with increased demand charges that were experienced last summer due to the extremely hot weather will translate into a need for an additional $500,000 just to cover North Central’s anticipated 2012 power bill. North Central has other costs besides the power bill, although it is about 60 percent of our total annual expenses.

In the long run rates of North Central and other rural electric systems in Nebraska will be under extreme upward pressure due to increases in wholesale power as well as material and maintenance costs associated with keeping power supply adequate and high quality. The real wildcard here is how much the EPA and other governmental regulatory bodies are going to increase the cost of fossil fuel generation with a myriad of new “greenhouse gas”, “clean water” and “clean air” regulations. Whatever the scenario, I feel relatively confident that electric rates are going to continue to increase at a rate that is anything but pleasant but that Nebraskans will still have some of the lowest rates in the country.

The affordability of electricity is being threatened more and more every day. Thus, the day has come when the average electric consumer needs to become a whole lot more educated on his or her electric consumption and really needs to get involved in making some thoughtful choices as to how to use it more judiciously.

5

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nterested in saving energy to lower your electric bill, but confused about new technology and information available to help you do so? Separate fact from fiction with the following energy-saving myths.

Myth #1: It takes less energy to have my thermostat maintain a comfortable temperature while I’m away than it does to have it heat up or cool down my house when I get home.

If you’re going to be gone for more than a few hours, then it is more costeffective to turn heat or air conditioning on once you return than it is to maintain a comfortable temperature while you’re out. Energy Star, a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy, recommends adjusting your thermostat up in the summer and down in the winter by 8 degrees

6

Fahrenheit while you’re asleep or away from your house.

Myth #2: I can save money simply by installing a programmable thermostat.

On their own, programmable thermostats do not make your heating or cooling system more efficient. Their money-saving value lies in their ability to, once properly programmed, automatically regulate the temperature inside your house to coincide with when you’re there and when you’re not. If you need help programming your thermostat, directions are usually available from the manufacturer’s website.

Myth #3: When I turn off electronics (like my TV, game console, or computer) they stop drawing power from the outlet.

Even when turned off, most modern electronics consume a small amount of electricity if they’re still plugged in. Chargers for mobile devices also consume electricity if plugged in, even when they are not actively charging the device. This wasted energy, called “phantom load,” accounts for as much as 10 percent of a home’s total electric use, according to the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The solution: unplug your electronics when you’ve finished using them. Using a power strip can

Rural Electric Nebraskan

by Todd Camnitz help you conveniently unplug multiple devices at once, while newer, “smart” power strips can automatically cut off phantom loads on their own.

Myth #4: Compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs) take forever to reach full brilliance, have inadequate light quality or unpleasant color, and make no difference on my utility bill.

As with many products, CFLs vary in quality. Color and brightness differ across manufacturers, and some bulbs simply work better than others. Looking for the Energy Star symbol ensures that you’re purchasing a high-quality product. Also, be sure to install CFLs in fixtures that remain on for long periods, or that you use often, to get the maximum energy savings out of your bulbs. In addition, specialty CFLs are available for

January 2012

applications such as spotlighting or bathroom vanity fixtures.

Myth #5: Mercury from CFLs poses a serious risk to the environment.

On the contrary, CFLs actually prevent the release of mercury into the environment by reducing the electricity needed from power plants.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, about half of electricity in the U.S. is generated from coal. EPA estimates that coal combustion for power plants releases roughly 400 times the mercury into the environment than the cumulative mercury contribution from land-filled CFLs, assuming that no CFLs are recycled. However, it is still important to dispose of burnedout bulbs and clean up broken bulbs properly. Learn how at www.lamprecycle.org.

Myth #6: It is not worth my time or money to seal small air leaks around my windows and doors, or to make sure my home is adequately insulated.

According to Energy Star, air leaks around cracks and gaps throughout your home become the equivalent of leaving a window open all year long.

Typical homeowners can save up to 10 percent on their total annual energy bill by sealing and insulating their home. Check with your local electric utility to find out if they offer rebates and incentives to reduce the up-front costs of your efficiency projects.

Todd Camnitz writes on energy efficiency issues for E Source, a Colorado-based provider of energy business intelligence. For more information, please visit www.esource.com.

7

The Efficiency of

Space Heaters

by Brian Sloboda

pace heaters are small, versatile, and generally good at warming a room, and many people consider purchasing one at some time or another. However, some manufacturers claim that their electric space heater can cut a home’s heating bill significantly. Do these claims hold up?

Some basic facts about space heaters will help you get at the truth of the matter. Space heaters work best as a supplement to a furnace or heat pump—they rarely are used as the primary heating source. Three main types of space heaters are available: radiant heaters, convection heaters, and combination heaters.

These usually can be purchased for $30 to $100.

S

Radiant Heaters A radiant heater heats objects and people—not the air—in a room. Their best use is in rooms where those who want to be warmed are in the direct line of sight of the heater. Radiant heaters can be a good choice if you are

in a room for a short period of time and want instant heat. They can pose a burn or fire risk, however, and should not be placed near furniture, drapery, pets, or small children.

Convection Heaters Convection heaters are designed to heat the air—not people or objects— in a room. Hot air from the convection heater rises to the ceiling and forces cooler air to the floor. The cooler air is warmed by the heater and rises to the ceiling, creating a cycle that continues as long as the heater is on. These typically are either baseboard or oilor water-filled heaters. The oil- or water-filled heaters are the most efficient types and often look like a small radiator. These units generally become warm to the touch and, compared to a radiant heater, have a decreased fire and burn risk.

Combination Heaters As the name implies, combination heaters try to merge the best features of radiant and convection heaters.

Before You Buy Before buying a space heater, it will be beneficial to take some easy and inexpensive energy-saving measures in your home. Any of these could solve your heating problems without any additional heating equipment: • Add caulk and weather stripping around doors and windows • Add insulation to attics and exposed walls • Clean or replace furnace filters • Move furniture or obstacles away from heat registers • Insulate duct work • Close blinds or curtains at night 8

They often have an internal fan that aids in distributing heat throughout the room. These heaters are versatile, but they typically do not perform as well as radiant or convection heaters.

Before purchasing a space heater, you should determine how and where it will be used, and whether a radiant, convection, or combination heater will do the job best.

Combination units are versatile, but you likely will get better performance from a radiant or convection heater.

Use a radiant heater if you want heat instantly and will stay in one spot. If you need to warm an entire room, a convection heater should do the trick.

So can using a space heater cut your home heating bill? Maybe. Most space heaters use between 600 and 1,500 watts of electricity. A homeowner using a space heater 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, for a month, would spend approximately $15.26 for this additional electricity. However, space heaters can heat only a small space.

You can save significantly if you use the space heater in this way: turn the thermostat of your central heating system down considerably (as low as 50 degrees in some cases). Place the space heater in a room occupied by people and close that room off from the rest of the home. This method of “zone heating” will save money.

Space heaters do have their place in warming a house, but they simply cannot replace energy efficient central heating or weatherization improvements to the home. For example, all electric space heaters produce 1 unit of heat for every 1 unit of electricity consumed; in other words, they are 100 percent energy efficient.

Those that use natural gas are 80 percent efficient. In comparison, geothermal heat pumps can produce more than 3 units of heat for every unit of electricity consumed, making them 300 percent efficient.

As with any technology, before purchasing a space heater you should understand how the device is used, as well as the energy claims of the manufacturer. While it may be technically possible to cut your heating bill by 50 percent using a space heater, it is impractical for most people.

Rural Electric Nebraskan

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January 2012

9

Use engine block heater wisely

Dogs pose potential threat to utility workers

othing can be more aggravating in the winter than jumping into your vehicle and turning the key in the ignition, only to find the engine will not start. And it is bitterly cold outside!

Unfortunately, three things have happened under your hood as a result of the bone-chilling weather.

First, your gasoline will not evaporate as quickly when it is cold.

Vaporization is necessary for combustion to properly occur. Second, oil becomes much thicker in cold weather. Thicker fluids take more effort to pump.

Finally, batteries have problems with the cold, too.

Chemical reactions inside a battery produce the electrons needed to power the engine’s starter. Since these reactions are occurring more slowly, there are fewer electrons flowing to the starter.

Fortunately, Andrew Freeman of Grand Forks, North Dakota came up with a remedy for these problems in the 1940s: the electric engine block heater.

But remember! If you do not pay attention to how you use this nifty device, it could end up costing you each winter more than twice its initial purchase price. You may be tempted to “plug” it in when you get home every day so your vehicle will start easily the next morning. If you are using a 500-watt heater for 12 hours per day from November through February, you can expect to pay around $100 for this convenience. Here are a few tips for managing that cost.

Unless it is going to be colder than 10º or 15ºF outside, it is usually not necessary to plug in your vehicle.

The electronic fuel and ignition systems in today’s vehicles automatically adjust to compensate for cold temperatures. At this point, the best way to warm your engine is to

tility employees regularly visit homes to read meters and provide other types of service to customers, but they also frequently encounter aggressive dogs.

Veterinarian Dr. William VanAlstine says, “These animals are merely trying to protect their home or their owners and dog owners should ensure their animals are safe and secure when a utility employee is scheduled to visit a home or business.”

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report in a recent year that 4.7 million Americans sustained dog bites and one in every six required medical treatment. Small children were the most frequent victims, but meter readers are particularly vulnerable to attacks by dogs which do not recognize a utility worker as needing to be around the home to provide the required services.

Dr. VanAlstine offered suggestions to prevent dog bites and provide a safe environment for a meter reader or other utility worker who visits your home. He says home and business owners can help themselves by being familiar with the schedule for reading meters and plan ahead for a visit by a meter reader that day, or knowing when a utility worker is anticipated to arrive to provide a service.

Confine a dog if necessary, keeping the animal either inside or outside, and away from the utility employee until the service is completed. Dr. VanAlstine also suggested relocating the animal temporarily to reduce its concern for your welfare. A “beware of dog” sign near the home will help the utility employee anticipate a potential encounter or even contact the owner of the home or business to help avoid such an encounter.

Provide a collar for your dog to more quickly control its behavior if it becomes aggressive toward a utility employee.

Source: SafeElectricity.org

N

10

drive gently for the first couple of minutes. Do not rev your engine!

That is the worst thing you can do, because you are putting a lot of strain on the engine at the very time it is least prepared to handle it. Not to mention, it wastes fuel and releases more emissions due to inefficient combustion.

Similar concern can be expressed for starting your vehicle and allowing it to idle for five to 10 minutes before driving.

You may think you are doing your car and yourself a favor by “heating” things up before you go, but that is not necessarily true. The greatest amount of wear and tear on an engine occurs when it is first started. Idling wastes gas and creates more air pollution.

Consider using a timer on your heater to reduce unnecessary usage.

Research done by the Agricultural Engineering Department of the University of Saskatchewan has shown that operating a block heater for longer than four hours prior to starting a vehicle is a waste of energy. It was found that engine coolant temperature increased by about 36ºF during a four-hour period.

However, continued use of the heater for an additional one to two hours only achieved an additional 3º to 5ºF increase.

You may also want to consider an engine heater with reduced wattage. Finally, electric battery blankets typically draw less power than block heaters and still condition the battery to provide ample electrons that will get the engine started when it is bitter out.

Having peace-of-mind that your car will start on the coldest days should not have to cost you an armand-a-leg. By making some EnergyWise choices this winter, you can be assured you will get to your destination and be energy efficient at the same time.

U

Rural Electric Nebraskan

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The Year of Living Cooperatively

Electric co-ops join a global celebration of member-owned businesses during the International Year of Cooperatives 2012

By Megan McKoy-Noe

12

s it possible to change the way people eat a fruit? Could cheese unite communities?

Can electricity transform the future of a country? It’s possible ... with a little cooperation.

The United Nations General Assembly designated 2012 as International Year of Cooperatives (IYC 2012), under the banner “Cooperative Enterprises Build a Better World.” The resolution recognizes the vital role cooperatives — democratically governed businesses that operate on an at-cost, not-forprofit basis — play in the economic and social well-being of nations around the globe and encourages countries to foster cooperative development as a way to generate local wealth, employment, and marketplace competition.

“At a time when folks are losing faith in big corporations, International Year of Cooperatives 2012 offers us a great opportunity to showcase the many ways the local, consumer-owned and member-controlled cooperative form of business benefits communities all over the world,” declares NRECA CEO Glenn English. “It gives cooperatives a perfect venue to contrast how we differ from profit-driven companies.”

I

Co-ops are everywhere If variety is the spice of life, co-ops are a zesty bunch. Every day, more than 29,200 cooperatives supply essential products and services to American consumers, touching our lives in almost every way.

Tomorrow at breakfast, check your morning paper. Many of the articles may be labeled “Associated Press” or “AP.” Those stories were written by individual reporters but distributed by a cooperative news organization.

If your breakfast includes freshly squeezed orange juice, it may be from a Sunkist product. Sunkist is a cooperative formed by California and Arizona citrus growers.

And the list goes on: Land O’ Lakes butter, Ocean Spray cranberry juice, Sun-Maid raisins, Welch’s

Rural Electric Nebraskan

grape jelly, Nationwide Insurance, Blue Diamond almonds, Ace Hardware, REI outdoor gear — they are all cooperatives. In fact, one out of every four Americans claims membership in some type of cooperative, including 91 million served by credit unions and 42 million connected to more than 900 electric cooperatives in 47 states.

Although many in number, cooperatives differ from “typical” businesses in one big way: they are organized for the benefit of their members, not single owners or stockholders.

“Co-ops are established when the for-profit, investor-owned commercial sector fails to meet a need, either due to price or availability of goods and services,” explains Martin Lowery, NRECA executive vice president, external affairs and chairman of the Washington, D.C.-based National Cooperative Business Association Board of Directors. “The co-op business model works in housing, utilities, and in both rural and urban settings. Co-ops empower people to take control over their own economic destinies.”

He continues: “When you’re a member of a co-op, you have a real say in the direction of that business.

That’s critical — it helps the co-op rapidly respond to changing conditions. As an example, a number of electric co-ops have branched out into other pursuits beyond electricity to meet pressing consumer and community requirements.”

Dallas Tonsager, under secretary for rural development with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, points out that co-ops “are only as good as the people running them and only succeed when members support them. But well-managed, democratically run co-ops have proven time and time again that when people unite to achieve a common goal, they can accomplish anything.”

On the cutting edge Odds are you have orange juice in your refrigerator. But before a 1916 advertising campaign by Sunkist, oranges were only eaten by the slice.

By the end of World War I, however,

January 2012

America’s 29,200 cooperative enterprises strive to build a better world A few interesting facts about cooperatives.

• Provide 2 million jobs with annual sales of $652 billion • More than 900 electric co-ops deliver electricity to 42 million consumers in 47 states • Electric co-ops own and maintain 42 percent of the nation’s electric distribution lines that cover 75 percent of America’s landmass • Two million farmers are members of nearly 3,000 farmerowned cooperatives • More than 7,500 credit unions offer financial services to 91 million consumers • Approximately 233 million people are served by insurance companies organized as or closely affiliated with co-ops • Around 50,000 families use cooperative day-care centers • Roughly 1.2 million Americans in 31 states are served by 260 telephone cooperatives • More than 1.2 million families live in housing owned and operated through cooperative associations Source: International Cooperative Alliance

Sunkist’s “Drink an Orange” push had increased the average per capita serving size from one-half an orange to almost three.

This pioneering co-op tradition continues in many ways today: • Credit unions fought off the destructive cycle of payday loans by creating salary advance loans with low rates that placed part of the borrowing into a savings account — helping members escape a cycle of debt • Marketing cooperatives added food nutrition labels to products long before it was required by federal law • Electric cooperatives lead the way in smart grid implementation — close to half have installed advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), with 30 percent integrating AMI or automated meter reading devices with various software applications, such as outage management and geographic information systems “Co-ops have made these invest-

ments because it makes sense for them and their members,” stresses English. “It’s an outgrowth of the coop commitment to innovation — the same spirit that allowed co-ops to overcome seemingly insurmountable technical, engineering, legal, political, and financial hurdles in the late 1930s to bring central station electricity to all corners of America. Thanks to our consumer orientation, co-ops work to ensure that all decisions technology-based or otherwise — focus on their core mission: providing members with a safe, reliable, and affordable supply of power.”

It is hard to conceive of America without cooperatives, Tonsager reflects. “Agricultural co-ops have made our nation the breadbasket of the world. This occurred, in part, through lending from the farmerowned, cooperative Farm Credit System and power supplied by elecPlease turn to page 15

13

A spotter’s guide to distribution poles

by Maurice Martin

ver look up at a utility pole and wonder: “What is all that stuff?”

While wires are easy — everyone knows they carry electricity — how about those attached metal boxes and other mysterious gadgets? What are they called, and what purpose do they serve?

With a little information, you can understand a lot more about the utility line you pass every day. Not only could “pole spotting” shed light on the work done by your local public power district or electric co-op, you just might be able to impress your friends and family.

A guide to pole spotting follows.

Enjoy, but please keep in mind: • Utility poles are not for climbing!

Looking is OK, but keep a safe distance from all equipment described here.

• The measurements and descriptions given here represent common configurations, but in the real world, design varies greatly. Part of why rural electric utility employees undergo such extensive training is to enable them to identify components in the field with a high level of confidence and certainty.

E

Transmission vs. Distribution First, make sure that the pole you’re looking at is a distribution pole and not a transmission pole.

Distribution poles are those you see in your neighborhood, unless your distribution lines run underground.

They are generally up to 55 feet high and made of wood. Power running through distribution lines ranges from 4,600 volts to 33,000 volts.

Transmission lines are designed to carry electricity longer distances and at higher voltages — 69,000 volts and above. Relative to distribution poles, transmission poles are much larger — from 55 feet to more than100 feet — with the conductors higher off the

14

ground. Some large transmission lines use steel poles and tower structures.

In cases where a pole carries both transmission and distribution lines, the transmission lines will run above distribution lines An easy rule to follow is the lower the voltage of the line, the lower it is on the pole.

Transformers lower voltage to a level that’s safe for use in your home.

Homes served by electric co-ops can often be identified by transformers sporting redundant mounting brackets on the outside of the canister.

Photograph provided by Shelby Energy Cooperative; United Utility Supply Four Common Distribution Devices Transformers are something most people can already spot — they’re hefty metal cylinders that hang off poles. The transformer that connects your home to a distribution line lowers the distribution voltage to what you need in your house — generally 120 volts for your outlets and 240 volts for your air conditioner and clothes dryer. Look at the top of a transformer and you’ll see bushings — ceramic projections with several disks running around the outside. On the inside of bushings are metal conductors; the outsides are insulators, so that when they attach to a transformer the metal casing doesn’t

become electrically charged.

Capacitors look somewhat like transformers, with bushings on top, but have flat, rectangular casings.

While transformers change voltage, capacitors improve the power factor on the utility lines — they prevent power from being wasted and help boost the voltage on long rural distribution lines.

Reclosers protect lines and consumers from short circuits. For example, if a tree branch touches a line, electric current will flow through the tree, burning it and overheating the wire. Eventually, this will result in a fault that causes a protective device, like a fuse or circuit breaker, to operate and interrupt the power. Circuit breakers “open” the circuit, cutting off the power. Because many shorts correct themselves in a few seconds — as the high current will usually burn a tree limb away from the line — most modern circuit breakers have a mechanism that allows them to reclose a moment later (hence the name recloser). Like transformers and capacitors, reclosers also have bushings.

They tend to be rectangular, like capacitors, but squatter.

Fuses are also designed to protect lines and homes from short circuits.

But fuses are one-shot devices — a fault, like the tree branch described above, on the load side of the fuse will cause them to burn out. High-voltage fuses look like a bar offset from the pole by one or more insulators. When a fuse blows, lineworkers have to go out and find why the fuse blew, fix the problem, and refuse the line to restore power.

These four devices are the most common on distribution poles. Once you know what they look like, you’ll realize you’ve been seeing them every day for years.

Maurice Martin is senior program manager for the Cooperative Research Network, a service of the Arlington, Va.based National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.

Rural Electric Nebraskan

Year of Cooperatives From page 13 tric co-ops. Today, electric and telephone co-ops are playing a vital role in deploying the advanced distribution, transmission, and telecommunications infrastructure that rural America needs to prosper and stay competitive.”

Building a better world The IYC 2012 theme, “Cooperative Enterprises Build a Better World,” embodies NRECA International Programs, a division of NRECA that celebrates its golden anniversary this year. Since its creation in November 1962, NRECA International Programs has assisted with electrification endeavors that have resulted in increased agricultural output, millions of new jobs, as well as an enhanced quality of life for more than 100 million people in 40-plus nations.

NRECA International Programs projects are currently under way in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Pakistan, the Philippines, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.

Despite progress, much work remains.

“More than 2 billion people worldwide still lack electricity and millions more must depend on unreliable and unsafe power,” emphasizes Ingrid Hunsicker, manager of international program development for the NRECA International Foundation, a charitable organization that has partnered with more than 300 electric cooperatives in the United States to bring power and economic development to rural villages overseas. “In many countries, traditions of self-help, self-government, and joining together to achieve a common goal don’t exist. A dismaying array of financial problems, such as a lack of investment capital and little understanding of even the most basic accounting procedures, throw up even more barriers.”

January 2012

Because circumstances vary so widely, NRECA International Programs has adopted the slogan, “Electrifying the world, one village at a time.” Outreach relies on the time-tested electric cooperative approach — giving individuals, many for the first time, practical experience in democratic decisionmaking and entrepreneurship so they can launch locally driven services. “By aggregating small stakeholders into large-enough units to compete, cooperatives expand the critical people-to-people relationships required to break down mistrust,” Hunsicker asserts.

In many cases, volunteer electric co-op lineworkers from the United States head to distant lands for a few weeks to teach their peers safe construction practices.

Then NRECA staff instructs local residents on how to maintain simple power grids and run their own utilities.

“We’re sharing knowledge about best techniques on a person-to-person basis,” says Chris Stephens, vice president of engineering at Palmetto, Ga.-based Coweta-Fayette Electric Membership Corporation, who assisted with an electrification undertaking in Ixcan, Guatemala.

“Even though we may speak a different language, we all speak the same work.”

“One of the challenges we face in many countries is building a rural business culture,” indicates Hunsicker. “When electric cooperative employees and volunteers arrive, they outline how to create a business plan, how to conduct meetings, how to collect the full amount due from consumers, what type of electric generation system to invest in, and everything in between. It’s all about discovering and building on what works. Best of all, we show the best face of not only who we are as co-ops but who we are as Americans.”

While NRECA International Programs does not limit help to coops — municipal electric systems benefit, too — many foreign communities embrace the cooperative way.

Argentina boasts the largest number of electric co-ops — nearly 800 — outside of the United States, while Cooperativa Rural de Electrificacion in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, serves more than 400,000 members, ranking it as the largest electric cooperative anywhere. The Philippines has 119 electric co-ops, Bangladesh 72, and the imprint of cooperation can also be seen in Costa Rica, South Sudan, Uganda, and other countries.

15

SAFETY BRIEFS

Garage door safety: An open and shut case ry this riddle: What weighs 600 pounds, deters intruders, and goes up or down at the push of a button? It’s your automatic garage door, the largest moving piece of equipment in many homes.

Automatic garage doors may be a routine part of leaving and arriving home, but you should be aware of the potential for injury.

Underwriters Laboratories, Inc., recommends these tips to make safety an open and shut case when it comes to your home’s garage: 1. Always keep automatic garage doors fully open or fully closed. Some folks may leave a small opening at the bottom for pets to get in and out for food or shade. But a small opening could also be an invitation for a child to try to crawl through and get stuck.

Another push of the button could send the heavy door down — causing injury — instead of bringing the door up when trying to free anyone stuck underneath. If you encounter someone stuck in an automatic door,

T

16

call your local fire department.

2. Read instructions on how to operate and maintain your garage door properly. Check your automatic door monthly to be sure safety pre-

cautions are working. Many garage doors boast a safety feature that triggers an automatic reversal if anything is encountered while closing. To check, place a 1.5-inch object (like a flat 2x4) in the path of the door to make sure the door correctly

reverses when contact is made.

Instructions should also advise on maintaining a properly balanced door. Call a qualified repair company for service or maintenance.

3. Do not allow children to operate a garage door. It may seem like a harmless, simple task to allow children to push the garage opener. But activating heavy equipment should be taken seriously.

4. Avoid walking under a door that is opening or closing. You never know when a malfunction may take place.

Steer clear of a moving door.

5. Know when and how to use the emergency release.

You’ll find a cord with a handle hanging along the track of your garage door. Always use caution when using this release, and only use it when the door is fully closed.

An automatic garage door opener is a common convenience powered by electricity. Just as electricity demands safety and respect, so does the equipment it operates.

Source: Underwriters Laboratories, Inc.

Rural Electric Nebraskan

Tri-State G&T to test plug-in hybrid Chrysler pickup trucks

by Michael Kahn Electric Co-op Today

olorado’s Tri-State G&T has become the sole electric cooperative to test a fleet of plugin hybrid Chrysler pickup trucks.

Westminster-based Tri-State now has six of the Ram 1500 PHEVs, which it will be using for the next three years.

“They are being assigned to TriState personnel in fleet, safety and member services, primarily,” Jim Van Someren, Tri-State’s communications manager, told ECT.coop. He said they anticipate putting a minimum of 1,000 miles a month on the vehicles.

Chrysler has been rolling out a test fleet of the Ram PHEVs that will number 140 by the end of the year.

Along with being the lone electric coop, Tri-State is also the only organization in the Rocky Mountain region taking part in the program. That’s a source of pride for Ken Anderson, the G&T’s executive vice president and general manager.

“We are excited to get these trucks into our vehicle fleet to see how the technology performs in the variety of conditions throughout our 200,000 square-mile service territory,” Anderson said.

That huge expanse—Tri-State serves 44 distribution co-ops in Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico and Wyoming—appealed to Chrysler.

“With Tri-State’s vast geographic footprint and the variety of weather conditions throughout the year, we’ll be sure to collect a significant amount of valuable data,” said Abdullah Bazzi, senior manager of Chrysler’s advanced hybrid vehicle project.

Chrysler began distributing the trucks May 25, when the city of Yuma, Ariz., received the first 10. The automaker said then—and now— that it is only testing the pickups and has no plans for a production version.

C

January 2012

ference, where one Colorado Gov. John of the pickups powHickenlooper joined ered the publicAnderson and other address system.

Tri-State officials, as That was a smallwell as Chrysler repscale demonstraresentatives, at a tion of one of the Nov. 18 delivery ceretrucks’ other uses— mony at the state providing power Capitol in Denver. back to the grid in a Anderson, Van “reverse power Someren and Bazzi flow” of up to 6.6 drove one of the kilowatts. trucks from Tri-State Each truck to the governor’s has a 12.9 kilowatthome that morning. hour battery pack “He then jumped into the driver’s seat and Parked outside the Colorado located under the drove us all to the Capitol is one of the new second row seat.

When fully Capitol,” Van Chrysler PHEVs that Tri-State G&T is testing. Photograph charged, a truck can Someren said. go 30-60 miles on Hickenlooper said provided by Tri-State G&T electric, depending that the PHEV techon conditions, before the gasoline nology “can change the world.” It was engine kicks in. already doing that at the news con-

17

CUT YOUR UTILITY BILLS

Weigh options before installing heating and cooling system

by James Dulley

My old heating and cooling sysQ :tem must be replaced. With high energy costs and future energy price volatility, how can I determine the best type to go with? : It can make economic, environ-

A mental, and lifestyle sense to

switch to an entirely different type of heating source for your home. The costs of fuels, such as natural gas, propane, heating oil, and electricity, have shifted dramatically over the past decade. Many new heating systems last 20 years or more, so with wide variations in fuel costs, longterm estimated operating costs and paybacks are not always reliable.

Electricity prices are the most stable and will probably continue that way. For homes heated with electricity, air-source or geothermal heat pumps make good sense because they can heat, as well as cool, your house efficiently.

A standard air-source heat pump is basically a central air conditioner with a few extra parts. The outdoor unit looks exactly the same as a central air conditioner. It is called a heat pump because it literally pumps heat out of your house (cooling mode) or into your house (heating mode) to or from the outdoor air around the outdoor compressor/condenser unit.

Among central heating and cooling systems, geothermal heat pumps provide the highest efficiency and lowest year-round utility bills. While geothermal heat pumps have boasted much higher initial installation costs (due to the need to place loops, or tubing, to run through the ground or to a well or pond), the federal stimulus bill provides consumers (through the end of 2016) a 30 percent tax credit on the cost of putting in a geothermal heat pump system, which makes them

18

A super-efficient geothermal heat pump shown with and without the front cover.

Notice the large air cleaner and water fittings for also heating hot water.

Photograph provide by Waterfurnace much more affordable.

The primary advantage of installing a heat pump of any kind is they can be used year-round for both heating and cooling. This provides year-round savings, and shortens the payback period.

In contrast, a super-efficient furnace gets used only during winter and a central air conditioner only during summer.

I use a portable heat pump in my own home/office for year-round savings. In addition to cooling the room during summer, it also functions as an efficient portable heater during winter. It produces 14,000 Btu per hour (Btuh) of cooling and 11,000 Btuh of heating. This is much more heat output than a standard electric space heater using the same amount of electricity during winter.

The efficiency of a portable air conditioner is similar to a window air conditioner. Although this is less efficient than the newest central air conditioners, using one can still save money. By keeping just one or two rooms comfortably cool with clean air, you can set

your central thermostat higher and save electricity overall. Use it in the dining room for dinner, roll it into the living room for television, and then to the bedroom for sleeping.

They are typically mounted on castors so they can be easily rolled one from room to room. Most operate on standard 120-volt electricity, so they can be plugged into any wall outlet near a window.

A portable air conditioner/heat pump operates similarly to a typical window unit. The internal rotary compressor, evaporator and condenser function in the same way. The primary difference is it is on castors and rests on the floor.

When choosing a heating and cooling system, there are other intangible factors to consider. Every type of system requires some maintenance which can increase the overall costs.

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

Rural Electric Nebraskan

The right night light can save energy and money ou probably never give a second thought to a night light until you find yourself in the dark and wished you knew where you were. At that point, just having a light is your number one concern; more important, probably, than your light’s energy efficiency. But to save money and help provide electricity for future generations of night light users, energy efficiency should always be a consideration. Let’s take a moment to give some thought to your night lights.

Many traditional incandescent lamps require four to seven watts to operate. One 7-watt night light left on all year will cost a little over $6 in energy at $0.10 per kilowatt hour.

That may not seem like much, but if you have several night lights, it can add up. As the lamp life ranges from 1,000 to 3,000 hours, those little bulbs may need replacing several times a year.

If you are faithfully turning off your night lights every morning, you can cut costs roughly in half.

Photosensors in some models sense “daylight� and turn off automatically.

In addition to this neat convenience, you may want to think about energyefficient light bulbs for even greater savings.

Start by considering what you need the light to do. Does it simply serve as a location mark in a room or hallway? Or does it have to provide enough illumination to complete small tasks without turning on brighter lights? Do you need one night light or several? As the level of illumination and/or the number of lights increase, so does your opportunity to save energy while providing the safety, security, and capability you desire.

If you want to keep your existing night light fixture but wish to make it more efficient, change out your incandescent bulbs with light-emitting diodes (LEDs). LEDs come in both standard and candelabra bases.

Some use as little as a third of a watt, which could reduce your energy

Y

January 2012

usage by more than 95 percent. An LED lamp lives 12,000 to 100,000 hours, so at the very least, they last four times longer than incandescents.

Electroluminescent night lights emit a uniform blue, green, or orange glow from a flat panel. Also known as “limelights� or “indiglos,� if you leave it plugged in 24-hours-a-day for an entire year, it will use less then 0.3 kWh of electricity and cost only pennies. While not overly bright, electroluminescent night lights provide a soft glow at night that help children feel safe and often provide enough light to guide someone through a hallway.

Need a little more light? Miniature fluorescent night lights use 1.5 to 6 watts and last much longer than incandescents. More importantly, they produce seven-to-ten times

more light, watt-for-watt, than incandescents. Fluorescent night lights can easily cast a glow through an entire medium-sized room enabling you to write a short note, get a drink of water, or deal with a frightened child in the middle of the night.

You might want to also look for a night light that uses a photo and motion sensor. These night lights only switch on when it is dark and movement is detected. Unless both sensors are activated, the light uses virtually no energy! Most people do not consider night lights when it comes to energy saving opportunities. However, now that you see how traditional night lights can add to your electricity costs, you also know how to make some EnergyWise choices!

Source: Nebraska Public Power District

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DOWN HOME

RECIPES

8 Can Soup 3 1 1 1 1 1 2

cans (10 3/4 oz.) minestrone soup can (15 1/4 oz.) whole kernel corn, do not drain can (10 oz.) Rotel tomatoes, mild can (16 oz.) pinto beans, do not drain can (14 1/2 oz.) chopped tomatoes can (14 oz.) beef broth pounds hamburger

Brown and drain hamburger. Combine all ingredients together and heat.

Serve. Also is excellent for freezing and use later.

Karen Brosius, Stapleton, Nebraska

Roasted Beef Crostini & Wasabi Sour Cream 2 pounds beef shoulder tender petite roasts (8 to 10 ounces each) 1 tsp. black pepper Garlic Bread: 6 Tbsp. butter, melted 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley 1/2 tsp. garlic salt 1 (12-inch) baguette, cut into 24 (1/2inch thick) slices Wasabi Sour Cream: 1 carton (8 ounces) dairy sour cream 1 Tbsp. prepared wasabi paste Heat oven to 425°F. Press pepper evenly onto beef roasts.

Place roasts on rack in shallow roasting pan. Do not add water or cover. Roast in 425°F oven 20 to 25 minutes for medium rare to medium doneness. Let stand 5 minutes before carving.

Meanwhile combine butter, parsley and garlic salt in medium bowl. Place baguette slices on two 15 x 10 x 1-inch jelly roll pans. Brush tops with butter mixture. While roasts are standing, toast baguette slices in 425°F oven for 8 minutes or until golden brown.

Combine dairy sour cream and wasabi paste in medium bowl until well blended. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Thinly carve roasts into medallions and evenly layer over toasted garlic bread slices. Top with 1 teaspoon Wasabi Sour Cream.

Recipe provided by the Nebraska Beef Council 20

Tamale Squares 3/4 cup cornmeal 3/4 cup flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup chopped tomato 3 Tablespoons melted butter/margarine

1 pound ground beef 1/2 cup chopped red or green bell pepper 1 (8oz.) jar Cheez Whiz 3/4 cup milk 1 tablespoon chili powder

Combine dry ingredients. Add milk and margarine; beat until smooth.

Pour into greased 8 inch baking dish. Brown meat, drain. Add green/red pepper, cook until tender. Set aside 1/2 cup Cheez Whiz and 1/2 cup tomato. Stir in remaining Cheez Whiz, tomato, and chili powder. Carefully spoon meat mixture over batter. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Top with rest of Cheez Whiz and tomato, continue baking 5 minutes. Remove from oven, let sit for 5 minutes. Cut into squares. Spicy variation: Add 4 ounce can chopped green chilies (drained) to the meat mixture.

Linda Robertson, Cozad, Nebraska

Cream Cheese Cookies 1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened 1(8oz.) package cream cheese, softened 1 egg 1/4 teaspoon vanilla 1 (18.5 oz.) package yellow or devils food cake mix Cream butter and cream cheese. Blend in egg and vanilla. Add dry cake mix, 1/3 at a time, mixing well after each addition. (If an electric mixer is used, add last third of cake mix by hand.) Cover and chill 30 minutes.

Drop by scant teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake 8-10 minutes in a pre-heated 375 degree oven until light brown. Cool slightly before removing from baking sheet.

Mrs. Hollie Gilbert, Lochbuie, Colorado Rural Electric Nebraskan

JAN-1: SWM, NS, 22, tall, strong from north central Nebraska. I love ranch life, outdoor activities, dancing, country music, friends, and family. Looking for a good hearted country girl 20-25. Photo and phone number appreciated.

JAN-2: WWidF, 48 from eastern Nebraska. I am tall & slender. Enjoy country living, nature, Harley’s and music. Looking for male companionship 45-55 with similar interest.

To appear in print The Rural Electric Nebraskan Adult Pen Pal Service is exclusively for member-readers ages 18 and over.

To be considered for use, submissions must: (1) Identify rural electric system providing magazine; (2) Include $6 to cover mail forwarding costs; (3) Be 25 words or fewer; (4) Include full name and mailing address (will not be used in magazine); and (5) Be first person, submitted directly by person to receive responses. Acceptance, editing and issue scheduling is at editor’s discretion.

Address all submissions to Rural Electric Nebraskan Adult Pen Pal Service, P.O. Box 82048, Lincoln, NE 68501. All responses received by the Adult Pen Pal Service are routed directly, postage paid, to the response number assigned to each submission.

JAN-3: SWM, 42, NS, social drinker, good personality, farmer from central Nebraska who enjoys farm life, college football & basketball, deer hunting, camping, movies, music, slow dancing, playing cards, family and friends. Looking for young lady with similar interests to spend life with.

JAN-4: SDWM, 60, NS, sometimes social drinker from south central

Nebraska. Country guy enjoys motorcycling, rodeos, concerts, fairs, shows, etc. I’m positive, sincere, honest, and trustworthy. Church, family and friends are important. Like to meet nice lady 50-62 with same interest and farm related. Recent photo, phone number.

JAN-5: DWM, 52, from central Nebraska. Enjoy cooking, movies, country music and Rock and Roll, all sports, and outdoors. Have great sense of humor. Looking for lady between 50-55 who enjoys having a good time and likes to laugh. Like to start as friends, maybe turn into something great. Send photo and phone number.

JAN-6: DWF, 46, from northeast Nebraska. Looking for someone to spend time with and build new memories. Love the outdoors, music, animals, laughter, and fun. I am honest and caring and to the extra mile to make someone happy.

Looking for someone who wants to do the same.

To write To respond to one of the adult pen pal requests, write letter, place in envelope, seal and affix first class postage. Address to full, correct response #, c/o Rural Electric Nebraskan Adult Pen Pal Service, P.O. Box 82048, Lincoln, NE 68501.

Your letter will be forwarded unopened. Do not send money or additional postage; forwarding is prepaid. Enclose your full mailing address for return correspondence.

Once again . . . it is very important that all responses carry the full response number—both month and number—to be properly forwarded.

Abbreviation Code C — Christian; C/W — Country-western; D — Divorced; F — Female; M — Male; NS — Non-Smoker; ND — Non-Drinker; R&R — Rock and roll; S — Single; W — White; Wid — Widowed

January 2012

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Rural Electric Nebraskan

Every day, every business across the West relies on the power of electricity. But for some businesses, higher electricity bills could delay important investments in new employees and equipment that increase productivity. At Tri-State, we’re working hard to address the challenges that threaten affordable electricity, including unreasonable regulations and policies. As a not-forprofit co-op, we’re committed to protecting consumers today and in the future by providing affordable power while investing in innovation. In keeping electricity affordable, we believe businesses have the power to make the economy that much stronger.

Learn more about our commitment to affordability at www.TriState.coop.

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