J U LY
|
2020
SECONEWS In the December 2019 edition of SECO News, I shared an overview of our $ 5 5 m i l l i o n 2 02 0 co n st r u c t i o n wo r k plan. I want to share an exciting project from the plan that is currently in progress.
demand as well. The rebuild will increase reliability and meet demand in southwest Marion County.
091201 The current Marion Oaks substation sits on half an acre and is almost forty years old. The cost to build the sub in 1982 was $540,000. The substation was upgraded within the last decade to include a 28 Mega Volt Amp (MVA) power transformer. The original substation has four feeder lines and serves less than 5,000 SECO members.
The price tag for the construction of the new REBUILDING THE ultramodern Marion Oaks substation is $5.6 million. MARION OAKS This substation is being built SUBSTATION IS on a five-acre tract and has the potential to serve 20,000 NECESSARY TO to 30,000 members. The The new, massive Florida SERVE THIS NEW plan is to construct the sub Crossroads Commerce Park with ten feeder bays, with COMMERCE AREA... is the main reason for the eight feeders energized substation rebuild. The Park is initially and two as spares for undoubtedly a boon for Marion future use. The construction County, boosting the economy, plan includes two new 37 MVA power increasing the tax base and bringing in new jobs. transformers and a new control house. Once In Phase I, Dollar Tree will open a 500,000-squarefoot distribution center that will employ 200 people. this construction is complete, the original In fact, they’re already hiring. In Phase II, another substation will be leveled. R e c e n t l y, c r e w s a n d contractors have begun the Marion Oaks substation rebuild in Marion County on County Road 484 about two miles west of Interstate 75.
1.2-million-square-feet will be built and bring another 500 jobs to the area. Just the Dollar Tree portion of capital investment in the Florida Crossroads Commerce Park is upward of $200 million. Rebuilding the Marion Oaks substation is necessary to serve this new commerce area, and because the county says that Marion Oaks’ population could quadruple in the next two decades, the substation must meet growing residential
Continued on page 3
INSIDE THIS ISSUE • 2020 Scholarship Awardees • EV Charger Winner • Summer Energy Efficiency • Florida Fauna & Flora Hurricane Handbook JULY 2020 | SECO NEWS
1
Congratulations to our 2020 SECO Energy Scholarship awardees! Each of the 12 awardees receive $3,000 in scholarship funds to further his or her education. Over the last two decades, your not-for-profit electric cooperative has awarded over $500,000 in scholarships to 300+ local students. The 2020 SECO Scholarship awardees are: TYLIN N. BARNARD
LUCAS MARDEN
Ocala | West Port High School Chemical Engineering
Tavares | Tavares High School Aerospace Engineering
CHEYENNE DIAZ
STUART T. PALMER
Ocala | Vanguard High School Manufacturing Processes/Mechanical Engineering
Umatilla | Umatilla High School Electrical Engineering
ISABELLA HERNANDEZ
ALAYNA PHILLIPS
Clermont | East Ridge High School Engineering
Wildwood | The Villages Charter High School Business
JANIYA HOUSTON
MIGUEL SANTOS
Ocala | West Port High School Quality Engineering
Ocala | West Port High School Business/Marketing
JOSEPH A. LACOURSE
WILLIAM J. SIMMONS
Oxford | The Villages Charter High School Engineering
Dunnellon | Dunnellon High School Electrical Distribution Technology
CAMERON MACLEAN
ALEXANDER Q. WILLIAMS
Tavares | Tavares High School Electrical Engineering
Sorrento | Eustis High School Biomedical Engineering
ADVICE FROM THE
OLD FARMER’S ALMANAC THE OLD FARMER’S ALMANAC IS READY WITH A FLORIDA WEATHER FORECAST FOR THE UPCOMING SUMMER AND EARLY AUTUMN. Summer will be slightly cooler and drier than usual. Watch out for the hottest temperatures in mid-July and midAugust. Look for a tropical storm threat July 23 to 25 and daily thunderstorms in August. Watch for a hurricane threat September 17 to 19 and a tropical storm threat October 19 to 21. Need help creating a hurricane supply list for your family? Visit SECOEnergy.com > Safety > Storm Preparation for a list of hurricane essentials and a link to our Hurricane Handbook. JULY 2020 | SECO NEWS
2
Substations transform high voltage electricity from transmission lines to low voltage electricity that travels through feeder distribution lines to power homes and businesses. The new Marion Oaks substation’s incoming transmission high side will include a ring bus that will provide better reliability for all members served by the sub. The
the new substation. If an oil leak is detected, the oil would be captured in the retention area instead of absorbing into the soil. The retention areas will be specially coated to prevent the oil soaking into the concrete.
Duke Energy 69kV Ross Prairie transmission line serves the substation; however, a set of breakers at our Waterways and Summerglen substations will create a full loop with the new Marion Oaks sub. The circuit will pick up load from other transmission sources. If there is a fault on an incoming transmission line, members shouldn’t even see a blink.
completed the Ocala Park substation upgrade in Marion County. Next up after the Marion Oaks project is complete, significant updates are planned at the Inverness substation this autumn. Upgrades to the Astatula substation are coming in 2021.
491104 On the distribution low side, a breaker ties two power transformer banks together. If one of the power transformers is interrupted, the relays are programmed with an auto-restore scheme that quickly reacts to pick up the load using a product called Schweitzer relays – which are state-of-the-art microprocessors. This relay scheme is so fast that members will only notice a short blink.
141004 Recently, crews finished the Federal substation expansion in Sumter County and
The design and construction of reliable electric facilities have come a long way in recent years. Our investments in highquality infrastructure ensure that the right thing happens when you flip the light switch, turn on the TV and adjust the thermostat. Visit SECOEnergy.com>Newsroom>System Improvement Map to see the enhancements coming to your area.
Sincerely, To reduce the environmental impact, we are installing new concrete retention areas at Jim Duncan Chief Executive Officer
Don’t forget to look for the last six digits of your account number in this month’s SECO News. You can email us at customerservice@secoenergy.com or call if your number appears. Six winners will be drawn at random from all submissions. Winners receive a $25 gift card.
JULY 2020 | SECO NEWS
3
PROTECT YOUR HOME’S APPLIANCES WITH SURGEO Sudden increases in voltage called power surges can damage or destroy your home’s appliances and sensitive electronics. Lightning is a common cause of surges, but falling trees, small animals, birds, or vehicles crashing into power poles create surges as well. SECO Energy offers the Surge MitiGator™ as an extra layer of protection for your home’s appliances. Our meter-based surge arrester is designed to prevent unnecessary financial loss by reducing surges at the meter BEFORE they enter the home. You can lease the MitiGator™ for only $5.95 plus tax with a $25 installation fee. For services greater than 200 amps, installation is $100. If you choose to purchase the Surge MitiGator, prices range from $349 to $399 plus tax -- and installation is free. Members should also purchase of point-of-use devices to protect sensitive electronics such as computers and televisions. Take the bite out of damaging surges and spikes with SECO Energy’s Surge MitiGator™. Enroll online, visit SECOEnergy. com > Energy Solutions > Surge MitiGator™ today.
Congratulations to John J. Reyes, Jr. of Groveland who is the winner of the first SECO Energy branded JuiceBox Pro 40 EV Level 2 charger. We’re giving away one charger each month while supplies last. Text “EV” to (352) 320-4500 for a link to enter. Or click on the EV Charger Giveaway homepage banner on SECOEnergy.com. While on our website, learn more about the benefits of electric vehicle ownership on our EV pages. You’ll find an EV savings calculator, information about CO2 reduction, EV and PHEV models and a nationwide charger-finder map. Visit SECOEnergy.com > Energy Solutions > Electric Vehicles. Watch SECO News for next month’s charger winner. JULY 2020 | SECO NEWS
4
Members enrolled in SECO Energy’s Surge MitiGator™ are winning the surge protection game. For another chance to win, all members who are current Surge MitiGator™ enrollees as of August 14 are entered to win a Nest Learning Thermostat. Winner is chosen August 15.
DAMAGE ELECTRONICS ENERGY LEASE LIGHTNING MITIGATOR POWER
PURCHASE SECO SPIKE SURGE SURGEO VOLTAGE
276402 JULY 2020 | SECO NEWS
5
KEEP IT CLEAR
WE WORK HERE Safety is SECO Energy’s most important core value, and our employees take safety seriously. We are committed to a safe working environment for all employees. Members who live in areas with underground utilities often want to disguise transformers using fences, shrubs, potted plants or other lawn items. Obstructions such as these block access to transformers, meters and poles and are a safety hazard. For the safety of SECO employees and contractors, keep the area surrounding our equipment clear. Obstructions create longer restoration times and an unsafe work zone. Learn more about safe access at SECOEnergy. com > Safety > Keep It Clear.
671702
ENROLL IN EBILL THROUGH SMARTHUB Reduce your carbon footprint, limit your risk of identity theft and avoid wasting paper by enrolling in eBill instead of a traditional paper statement. To enroll in eBill, log in to SmartHub at SECOEnergy.com > My Account > 12 Ways to Pay. In SmartHub, choose “My Profile” and “Update My Paperless Settings.” Choose “on” for your Paperless setting. It’s that easy. Instead of waiting on your bill to arrive by mail, you’ll receive an eBill via email much faster. With SmartHub, you can view your past usage, see payment history, enroll in bank draft and more.
ENROLL TODAY! JULY 2020 | SECO NEWS
6
THE CABBAGE PALM
Looking for easy, low-cost energyefficiency ideas that will help you reduce summer energy use? SECO has cool tips that won’t break the bank.
fauna & flora
T
he Florida state tree is the cabbage palm. You may know this palm as a sabal palm,
sabal palmetto or cabbage palmetto. Cabbage palms are one of fifteen species of palmetto palms. South Carolina has also adopted the cabbage palm as its state tree.
390010
The cabbage palm appears in the background of Florida’s state seal. The seal depicts a Seminole woman spreading flowers on a shoreline with the sun’s rays near the horizon and a sailing steamboat and two cabbage palm trees. “Great Seal of the State of Florida” and the state motto “In God We Trust” encircle the seal. Cabbage palms can grow to heights of 65 feet, and thus should not be planted under or near power lines. This palm is native to the southern United States, Cuba, the Turks and Caicos Islands and the Bahamas. It is very salt-tolerant and often grows near the coast along the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. It requires hot summers to grow well.
HAVE YOU EVER EATEN SWAMP CABBAGE? Cabbage palms have a cabbage-like inner core that is harvested and eaten. If you haven’t tried swamp cabbage, you may find it on a salad bar and know it better
A i r co n d iti o n i n g a cco u n t s fo r approximately 50 percent of your summer bill. SECO Energy and the Department of Energy (DOE) recommend setting your thermostat at 78. Lower the thermostat temperature and expect your cooling costs to increase 6 to 8 percent for each degree lower than 78. Want to feel cooler? Turn on a ceiling or floor fan. Fans make the room feel four degrees cooler than the room temperature. Fans cool people, not rooms, so only use them in occupied spaces. Another way to stay cool this summer is to keep the heat out. Natural sunlight through windows and doors is the source of 76 percent of the heat that enters your home per the DOE. Reduce the amount of heat gain in rooms by using blinds or heavy curtains on windows. Check that the caulking, sealing or weather stripping on windows and doors is in good condition. Fire up the grill to reduce the heat generated inside your home. Choose small appliances such as grills, crockpots, air fryers, toaster ovens or microwaves instead of your oven. These appliances reduce the amount of heat generated in your home and consume less energy. C o n sid e r re p la cin g in c a n d e sce nt lightbulbs with LEDs as they use less power and produce less heat. For more energy-saving advice, visit SECOEnergy.com > Energy Solutions > Energy Efficiency. Try the Home Energy Assessment to conduct a full home energy audit online. Check out the Energy Estimator to find the estimated energy use and costs for each electronic and appliance in your home.
as hearts of palm. It’s delicious!
JULY 2020 | SECO NEWS
7
BOARD BIOS MEET THE TRUSTEES
RICHARD DENNISON PRESIDENT _____
Board President and District 4 Trustee Richard Dennison was elected to serve his first term as Board President on March 30. Mr. Dennison lives in Ocala and was first elected to the SECO Energy Board of Trustees in 2015.
Check back next month to meet Board Vice President and District 9 Trustee Jerry Hatfield.
JERRY HATFIELD
GERALD ANDERSON
PRESIDENT
VICE PRESIDENT
SECRETARY/TREASURER
District 4 Trustee Member since 1999 Resides in Ocala
District 9 Trustee Member since 1974 Resides in Umatilla
District 3 Trustee Member since 2013 Resides in The Villages
SCOTT BOYATT
JOYCE ANDERSON
RAY VICK
District 1 Trustee Member since 2004 Resides in Clermont
District 2 Trustee Member since 2017 Resides in Sumterville
District 5 Trustee Member since 1974 Resides in Inverness
MIKE MUFFETT
JOSEPH KUSIAK
WILLIAM JAMES
District 6 Trustee Member since 1984 Resides in Summerfield
District 7 Trustee Member since 2002 Resides in Dunnellon
District 8 Trustee Member since 2002 Resides in Leesburg
RICHARD DENNISON
The Board of Trustees will meet on Monday, July 20, 2020, at 2:30 p.m. in the Corporate Offices at 330 South US HWY 301 in Sumterville. A Trustees’ meeting will also be held on Monday, August 24, 2020.
24/7 Job Hotline: Report an Outage: secoenergyjobs.com stormcenter.secoenergy.com
8 SECO Energy.com JULY 2020 SECO| SECO EnergyNEWS is an equal opportunity provider and employer.