June 2023 Co-op Comments

C o-op Co-op C omments Comments

REC hosts art calendar contest

Recently, REC held its annual art calendar contest for students within REC’s service territory. The winning artwork submitted will be used in the calendar given to the members at REC’s 84th Annual Meeting.

Students from five schools: Bray-Doyle, Cement, Pauls Valley, Purcell and Rush Springs submitted 28 entries. REC received submissions from students in seventh grade through 12th.

Entries needed to include a rural electricity theme and contain the letters REC.

Students were allowed to use their desired medium on an 8 ½ x 11 inch paper.

REC had local member artists:Valerie Beck and Tara Zangari, anonymously select the winners for the contest. Beck is a former art teacher and artist from Lindsay and Zangari is an artist and the art teacher for Lindsay Public Schools. The judges selected the front cover art winner along with each month's winners. The cover art winner won $100 while the individual month winners won $50 each.

The front cover art winner is Macey Gilm-

ore from Pauls Valley. Monthly calendar winners include: Kadyn Humphrey from Rush Springs, Madeline Russell from Pauls Valley, B.J. Ford from Bray-Doyle, Haylee Peters from Pauls Valley, Victoria Brooks from Pauls Valley, Skiliey Turner from Cement, Rey Smith from Rush Springs, Callie Babcock from Pauls Valley, Lily Frazier from Pauls Valley, Hannah Whitehouse from Pauls Valley, Ellie Feroli from Purcell, Rebecca Anoatubby from Rush Springs and Zoely Stephens from Pauls Valley.

Bray-Doyle art winner.Cement art winner.Purcell art winner.

Rush Springs art winners.

Pauls Valley art winners.

CEO’s MESSAGE

Preparing to better serve our members

underground and overhead power lines. This ROW enables REC to provide clearance from trees and other obstructions hindering distribution powerlines. The overall goal of our vegetation management strategy is to provide reliable power to our members while maintaining the beauty of our area.

Modernizing Vegetation Management

Generally speaking, healthy trees do not fall on powerlines, and clear lines do not cause problems. Proactive trimming and pruning keep lines clear to improve power reliability. However, traditional vegetation management is costly and time consuming. We continue to look for advances and improvements in technology to reduce our costs and improve efficiency.

Planned Outages Improve Reliability

June 2023

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

Providing reliable power to you is and will always be top priority for Rural Electric. These days, power reliability seems to be making news now more than ever.

As the energy industry continues to transition and more segments of the economy are becoming electrified, such as vehicles, machinery and even lawn equipment, additional pressures are being placed on our nation’s electric grid.

With summer storm season upon us, I wanted to share with you about a few measures we are taking to ensure you continue receiving the reliable power you depend on and deserve.

Let me be the first to say, I love trees and the charm they add to our communities, and I know you do too. While trees provide shade and add beauty to our area, you may be surprised to learn overgrown vegetation accounts for about half of all power outages.

This is why we strive to keep our powerlines clear in right-of-way (ROW) areas. A ROW area is the land th Co-op uses to construct, maintain, replace or repair

Although it may seem counterintuitive, we also maintain power reliability through planned, controlled outages. Carefully cutting power to one part of our local area allows us to perform system repairs and upgrades, which ultimately improve electric service. Planned outages can also be used to balance energy demand, but only in rare circumstances. Rest assured, we will always notify you in advance of a planned outage, so make sure we have your correct contact information on file to receive the latest information. If you have not updated your number recently, call our office and make sure we have your most up-to-date cell phone number.

Vegetation management is an essential tool in ensuring power reliability and minimizing the risk of outages. As advancements become more accessible and costs drop, we anticipate using additional technologies to ensure a consistent energy supply while managing the environment. Lastly, I encourage you to follow us on social media so you can learn about the latest Co-op updates.

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

Mark Finch, District 3

Randy Griswold, District 3

Lisa Whitman, 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

Clint Yeary, Manager of Safety and Loss Control/Facilities

David Crull, System Superintendent

Jason Mays, Operations Superintendent

Projects for the weekend warrior to promote energy-savings

Are you a weekend warrior? If you are considering home improvement upgrades to save energy and money, we have a few project ideas for you–all of which can be completed in a day or less.

Here are three energy-saving projects you can easily tackle, whether you are a weekend warrior pro or a DIY dabbler.

Cooling and heating your home typically account for the largest portion of energy bills. Smart thermostats can help keep your cooling and heating costs in check, with ENERGY STAR®-certified models saving about eight percent annually on your energy costs. 171200

new smart thermostat and connecting it to your home Wi-Fi.

Remember to carefully read the installation instructions before you get started.

If you have a green thumb, you already know rainwater is the best water for your outdoor plants. Rainwater is free of minerals, salts and treatment chemicals found in tap water or groundwater. It also contains helpful macronutrients to foster healthy plant growth.

If you have enough outdoor space available, installing a clothesline is a great way to save energy. Not only will you save on dryer costs–in the summer, you can also save on cooling costs since unwanted heat from the clothes dryer won’t be added to your home (which makes your air conditioner work harder). Additionally, air drying is gentler on fabrics and will keep your clothes and linens looking fresh longer.

You can create your own clothesline with two T-posts, wire and hook-and-eye turnbuckles. Depending on your soil, you may need a small amount of Quikrete to set the posts. Another option is installing the line between two trees. A typical load of laundry requires about 35 feet of line, so keep this in mind as you are determining the best location.

If an outdoor clothesline is not an option, you can easily create an indoor drying rack that folds to save space. Home improvement websites like thespruce.com and hgtv.com offer step-by-step tutorials for a variety of indoor clothes racks.

Smart thermostats are more affordable (as little as $70). This simple upgrade makes for a fun, efficient weekend project. Smart thermostats offer a variety of bells and whistles, but the average model will allow you to set custom temperature schedules, adjust the settings from anywhere (from your phone) and over time, learn your cooling and heating preferences.

Your new smart thermostat will come with step-by-step instructions, but this project typically involves shutting off your HVAC at the breaker panel, disconnecting/ removing the old thermostat, installing the

Installing a rain barrel is an easy way to harvest large amounts of rainwater and reduce home water use–it is a win-win. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, one rain barrel can save a homeowner 1,300 gallons of water annually.

Most residential rain barrels range in size from 50 to 90 gallons, so size accordingly based on your watering needs.

The simplest way to install a rain barrel is positioning a plastic or wooden barrel directly under your gutter downspout. Basic piping may be required, but this is an easy way to harvest rainwater, and the barrel won’t take up much space. Consider a cover for the top of your rain barrel to keep insects and small debris out of your harvested water.

These are just a few simple ideas to help you save energy and money. So, get out there, roll up those sleeves and tackle a few projects this weekend.

PETS & LIVESTOCK

FOR SALE: Two 15 month old Red Angus Bulls, $1150 each. PH: 580-788-2999.

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.

Does REC have your most up-to-date account information?

Have you changed your phone number or email address lately? 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 at REC.

Energy Efficiency Tip of the Month

Looking for additional ways to save energy this summer? Your laundry room is a great place to start. Wash clothes with cold water, which can cut one load's energy use by more than half. Your washing machine will use the same amount of energy no matter the size of the clothes load, so fill it up when you can. When drying clothes, separate the heavier cottons. Loads will dry faster and more evenly if you seperate heavier cottons like linens and towels from your lightweight clothing.

Learn more at www.energy.gov.

RECREATIONAL FOR SALE: 15 foot above ground pool along with pump, sand filter, some chemi-

cals, tools and covers for best offer, you take down. PH: 405-207-0428.

Artists help judge Art Calendar Contest

Local Co-op Connection Card Deals

A-U-Store It, Purcell$5 off first month rent

Backroads Boutique, Lindsay5% 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, Lindsay10% Off $50 or More Purchase of Pictures

Lindsay Tire and Lube, Lindsay$5 Off Any Full Service Oil Change

M & M Furniture, Chickasha10% Off Any Purchase

Mazzio’s Italian Eatery, Purcell10% Off Purchase

Photos by Ginger, Pauls Valley1 Free 8x10 Print With First Order of $25

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.

Local artists Tara Zangari (left) and Valerie Beck (right) both from Lindsay helped judge REC's annual Art Calendar Contest. The student's artwork will be displayed in the calendar given to members during REC's 84th Annual Meeting.