A newsletter for members of Rural Electric Cooperative
January 2022
Co-op Comments When portable space heaters make sense to use in your home Small space heaters are meant to do exactly as their name says: heat a small space. Unfortunately, many people use portable space heaters to heat their entire home, which can really take a toll on your energy bills. The truth is, whether you should use space heaters really depends on your home’s efficiency and energy needs. If you are using a space heater to compensate for problems in your home, like inadequate insulation, drafty windows and exterior doors, or an inefficient heating system, space heaters are not a practical solution. Your best bet is to improve the overall efficiency of your home. If you are on a tight budget, caulking and weather stripping around windows and exterior doors is a low-cost, easy way to save energy. Depending on the size of your home, adding insulation can be a great next step. Loose fill insulation typically costs $1 to $1.50 per square foot. Taking these proactive energy-saving measures rather than relying on space heaters for supplemental warmth can reduce your heating and cooling bills for years to come. Perhaps your home is energy efficient but you are cold-natured and want a specific room to be cozier than the rest. In this case, a space heater may work for your needs. A good comparison is ceiling fans; we use ceiling fans in the summer to cool people, not rooms. A space heater can be used in a similar way during winter
months. Only use a space heater in small spaces you are occupying and, if possible, try to shut off other rooms to contain the warmth provided by the space heater. If you decide to use a space heater to heat a small area in your home, make sure the heater is properly sized for the space; most heaters include a general sizing table. A word about safety: the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates more than 25,000 residential fires are associated with the use of space heaters every year, resulting in more than 300 deaths. If you must use a space heater, purchase a newer model including the most current safety features and make sure it carries the Underwriter’s Laboratory (UL) label. Choose a thermostatically controlled heater to avoid energy waste and overheat-
ing, and place the heater on a level surface away from foot traffic when in use. Always keep children and pets away from space heaters. 218500 Consider alternative ways to stay warm like extra layers of clothing or UL-approved electric blankets. If you have hardwood or tile floors, lay down area rugs to provide additional insulation (and appeal!) and maintain warmth. We know it is cold out there, but remember in addition to safety concerns, space heaters can greatly increase your energy bills if used improperly. If you are looking for alternative ways to save energy and increase comfort in your home, contact us at 405-756-3104. We are here to help you manage your energy use.
TIPS TO DITCH THE SPACE HEATER • Use an electric blanket to keep warm during the night. • Caulk and weatherstrip around all windows and doors to prevent heat loss. • Consider adding insulation to your attic and around duct work.
CEO’s MESSAGE
Working with local legislators for us all
“All politics is local.” This observation by the late Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill, Jr., former Speaker of the House of Representatives, means even national politics have a local impact, and people care most about issues directly affecting them. Indirectly, this famous adage underscores the importance and value of local politics. At Rural Electric, we think it is critical to develop and cultivate relationships with local legislators because they craft, introduce
Does REC have your most up-to-date account information? If you change your phone number or have a new email address, please notify us so we can update our information. Call our office at 405-756-3104 and make sure we have your current phone numbers and email address. When we have the most up-to-date contact information it allows us to better inform you, our members about what is happening around REC. 2 Co-op Comments
and vote on legislation impacting the local business climate, the environment and quality of life for our community. This is why we work closely with our local elected officials. Afterall, our purpose is to provide safe, reliable, affordable electricity, but our mission is to help the communities we serve thrive. REC is a local business powering economic development and prosperity for our region. As a cooperative, we have deep roots here, and we listen closely to our members to better understand the needs of the community. Our leadership, Board of Trustees and employees live and work right here in the communities we serve. We strive to be an advocate for our community, ensuring local legislators know, understand and act on the issues important to our area. Providing industry guidance and expertise As a practical matter, we recognize most legislators are “generalists,” yet they vote on a wide range of issues. Their expertise may not include the changing energy industry, which is why Rural Electric provides guidance and expertise from subject matter experts who have been in the energy industry for many years. Today’s energy landscape is an increasingly complex topic covering not only the traditional engineering and vegetation management aspects of the industry, but also encompasses technology, cybersecurity, the electrification of the transportation sector and more. Our experts provide briefings and backgrounders to legislators, committees and staff, and we offer expert testimony for hearings and other legislative or regulatory meetings or gatherings. Since we are involved in economic development and we know local community leaders, we can provide insight on how issues and policies under discussion might impact our region.
January 2022 Co-op Comments Official publication of Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc. CO-OP COMMENTS is owned, controlled and directed by Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc. It is printed monthly and mailed to members in Garvin, McClain, Comanche, Stephens, Grady and Carter counties in Oklahoma. Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc. 13942 Highway 76 • P.O. Box 609 Lindsay, OK 73052 405-756-3104 • 800-259-3504 Outage Number: 855-399-2683 www.recok.coop
Board of Trustees Gary Jones, President, District 1 Scott Christian, Vice President, District 1 Brent Bacon, Sec./Treasurer, District 1 Larry Anderson, District 2 Johnny Harrel, District 2 Terri Hays, District 2 Charles Crawford, District 3 Mark Finch, District 3 Randy Griswold, District 3 Dan Williams, Attorney Management and Staff Dusty Ricks, Manager/CEO Linda Ray, CFO Kelli Lindsey, Administrative Assistant and Staff Coordinator Elaine Gilreath, Manager of Customer Service and Data Processing Jon Jones, Manager of Engineering Mitch Gilreath, Manager of Information Technology Services Megan Lawrence, Manager of Member Services and Marketing Jason Brown, Manager of Safety and Loss Control/Facilities David Crull, System Superintendent Jason Mays, Operations Superintendent
Southwest Power Pool overview Southwest Power Pool (SPP) is a regional transmission organization (RTO) granted certain responsibilities and authorities by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) related to ensuring the reliability of the bulk electric system on behalf of a diverse group of utilities and transmission companies. SPP has members in 14 states: Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming. Rounding out the overall 17-state region, SPP also provides contract reliability coordination services in Arizona, Colorado and Utah. Their membership is comprised of investor-owned utilities, municipal systems, generation and transmission cooperatives, state authorities, wholesale generators, power marketers, independent transmission companies and a federal agency. SPP ensures the reliable supply of power, adequate transmission infrastructure, and competitive wholesale electricity prices for a 552,800-square-mile region, including more than 70,000 miles of high-voltage transmission lines. SPP is one of nine independent system operators (ISO) and RTOs in North America. As a balancing authority (BA), SPP balances electric supply and demand, ensuring there is sufficient generation to meet the demand for electricity. This is why
energy conservation in one place, such as North Dakota, can have a meaningful impact on electric reliability in another, like the panhandle of Texas. By consolidating its entire 14-state service territory into a single, large BA area, SPP has a diverse fleet of hundreds of generating units with different characteristics to serve load under varying conditions. As an RTO, SPP is like the “air-traffic controllers” of the electric power grid. RTOs do not own the power grid; they independently operate the grid minuteby-minute to ensure that power gets to customers and to eliminate power shortages. SPP does not control or direct the use of the distribution networks that directly serve homes and businesses. As an RTO and balancing authority, if SPP determines their region does not have enough available generation to meet region-wide demand, they will direct their transmission-operating members to reduce energy use by the amount needed to bring supply and demand into balance. It is then the responsibility of each of those utilities to determine how best to lessen their electricity usage according to their own emergency operating plans. This can be done by curtailing residential, commercial or industrial load at their discretion. SPP Energy Emergency Alert Levels During an emergency, if deemed necessary depending on the situation, SPP may
begin to issue alert levels, starting from normal operations and increasing depending on the order of severity for common reliability events. • Normal Operations: SPP has enough generation to meet demand and available reserves, and it foresees no extreme or abnormal threats to reliability. • Weather Alert: Declared when extreme weather is expected in SPP’s reliability coordination service territory. • Resource Alert: Declared when severe weather conditions, significant outages, wind-forecast uncertainty and/or loadforecast uncertainty are expected in SPP’s balancing authority area. • Conservative Operations: Declared when SPP determines there is a need to operate its system conservatively based on weather, environmental, operational, terrorist, cyber or other events. • Maximum Emergency Generation Notification: Issued when SPP foresees a need to make use of emergency ranges of resources. • Energy Emergency Alert Level 1: Declared when all available resources have been committed to meet obligations, and SPP is at risk of not meeting required operating reserves. • Energy Emergency Alert Level 2: Declared when SPP can no longer provide expected energy requirements and is an Energy Deficient Entity, or when SPP foresees or has implemented procedures up to, but excluding, interruption of firm load commitments. • Energy Emergency Alert Level 3: At this level, SPP is utilizing operating reserves such that it is carrying reserves below the required minimum and has initiated assistance through the Reserve Sharing Group. Declared when SPP foresees or has implemented firm load obligation interruption. • Restoration Event: Defined as a major or catastrophic grid outage which could be a total or partial regional blackout, island situation or system separation. Co-op Comments 3
Classified Advertisement MISCELLANEOUS FOR SALE: Wheelchair, $280. PH: 405-351-0878. FOR SALE: King size wood headboard in beautiful condition, $300. PH: 405-200-8553.
Classified Ads are FREE to REC members to post noncommercial items. Deadline for ads is the 8th of every month. Call the Member Services Dept. at 405-756-3104 ext. 238.
COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS FARM ESTATE SALE January 14 -16 in Foster, Okla. from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weather.
dependent. For more information call 405-471-9557 or search for ‘full circle estate sales in Ardmore, upcoming sales’.
GOING THE EXTRA MILE
Electric co-ops maintain more miles of power lines per consumer than other electric utilities. Even though we power fewer consumers on our lines compared to other utilities, we’ll always go the extra mile for you, the consumer-members we proudly serve.
ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES
Serve 8 consumer-members per mile of line
Account number worth $10 bill credit Locate your account number in an article of this issue; it will be good for a $10 credit on your electric bill. To claim the prize, you must locate the account number - if the number is yours, contact REC by the 10th of the month and we will credit your account. Only the member assigned that number is eligible for the prize. If you don’t know your account number, it can be located on your electric bill.
1 mile of power lines
Co-op Connections
Serve 32 consumers per mile of line
Use your Co-op Connections Card to save you money on lodging, photographs, oil changes and other items. You can also save on prescriptions, dental, vision, hearing, lab work and imaging and chiropractor services at participating locations. Your card is a discount card. If you have misplaced your card, contact REC for a replacement card and use it to save yourself some money.
Energy Efficiency Tip of the Month Maximize your heating system’s performance by inspecting, cleaning or replacing air filters once a month or as needed to reduce energy costs and prevent potential damage to your system. Make sure radiators, baseboard heaters and warm-air registers are not blocked so air can flow freely. Learn more at www.energy.gov.
OTHER ELECTRIC UTILITIES
Local Co-op Connection Card Deals A-U-Store It, Purcell $5 off first month rent Backroads Boutique, Lindsay 5% off everything excluding special order and sale items Best Western, Chickasha 15% Off Regular Room Rate Blue Moose Outdoor Portable Rentals, Elmore City 5% Off Septic Tank Pumping, Tent Rental and Special Event Toilet Rentals
Chickasha Diesel Services, Chickasha $50 off any big diesel oil change Edwards Canvas, Pauls Valley - 5% Off Jenny’s Pics Photography, Lindsay 10% Off $50 or More Purchase of Pictures Lindsay Tire and Lube, Lindsay $5 Off Any Full Service Oil Change M &M Furniture, Chickasha 10% Off Any Purchase Mazzio’s Italian Eatery, Purcell 10% Off Purchase Photos by Ginger, Pauls Valley 1 Free 8x10 Print With First Order of $25 4 Seat Saddles, Boots and Hats 10% Off $100 or More, or 5% Off Repairs Pharmacy Discounts Check out the discounts available using your Co-op Connections Card at participating pharmacies throughout our area. For a complete list of pharmacies, visit REC’s website to see if your pharmacy is offering discounts to Co-op Connections Card holders. Co-op Comments 4