Issuu

AUGUST 2023

Suwannee Valley

CURRENTS

INSIDE: NEXT GENERATION Seminole Electric completes construction on cutting-edge natural gas facility. DOG DAYS How to keep your pet comfortable and safe in the summer heat. AROUND THE COMMUNITY SVEC students take in the capital on the NRECA Youth Tour.

CEO’S MESSAGE

Suwannee Valley

CURRENTS August 2023

Michael S. McWaters Executive V.P./CEO

Cooperative values make a difference daily Back when Suwannee Valley Electric Cooperative was founded, the goal was simple: Bring electricity to the people of this rural community. While the mission was straightforward, accomplishing it was anything but. The major power companies had already looked at regions like this one and decided there wasn’t enough profit in them to make the investment worth their while. That’s why SVEC was born. A group of neighbors pulled together and decided if no one else would bring this transformative new technology to their area, they would do it themselves. Over time, SVEC and other Florida distribution cooperatives formed Seminole Electric Cooperative to be their wholesale power provider. Earlier this year, Seminole completed a major project with the construction of the Seminole Combined Cycle Facility in Palatka. The natural gas-powered station uses cutting-edge technology to generate power extremely efficiently. The new facility replaces one of Seminole’s less efficient coalfired units. You can read about how the new facility works in this issue, as well as its importance to keeping our energy mix reliable and sustainable.

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In this issue of our newsletter, you can also read about the local students SVEC sent to Washington, D.C., in June for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) Youth Tour. While there, they joined thousands of other teens from across the country in meeting their elected officials, touring historical monuments and learning about the cooperative mission. Not only did these students get to enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime trip to our nation’s capital, but they were also wonderful representatives of our community. You can learn more about their trip and see photos on the back page of this newsletter. Finally, as we enter the dog days of summer we know our two-legged members aren’t the only ones feeling the heat. For our furry friends, the combination of high temperatures and humidity can be extremely uncomfortable and even dangerous. Be sure to check out our tips for keeping your pets safe in the heat, even in the hottest days of the summer. From the biggest generation facilities to the smallest members of our families, the cooperative mission guides everything we do. Just like for our founders, serving you may be a simple goal, but we take it seriously each and every day. You can count on us to continue bringing you safe, affordable and reliable service that puts our members first. 

Earn up to $30 a year with Cooperative Rewards SVEC is teaming up with Seminole Electric Cooperative for a new smart thermostat program called Cooperative Rewards. Help lower energy costs and contribute to the reliability of our electric grid while earning credits on your bill each year.

Visit svec-coop.com and go to the “Smart Thermostat Program” link under the “Energy Efficiency” tab for more information. 

WE BELONG TO THOSE WE SERVE Business Office: 800-447-4509 11340 100th St. Live Oak, FL 32060 Lobby Hours: 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday Drive-thru Kiosk Open 24 Hours

Keep pets safe in the heat Summer can be uncomfortable — even dangerous — for pets. It’s difficult enough simply to cope with rising temperatures, let alone high humidity, but things really get tough in areas like ours that experience both.

can burn your pet’s paws, so walk your dog on the grass if possible. Always carry water with you to keep your dog hydrated.

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Here are some tips to keep your furry friends safe and comfortable this summer.

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Never leave pets in a parked car

Any time your pet is outside, make sure it has protection from heat and sun and plenty of fresh, cold water. Tree shade and tarps are ideal because they don’t obstruct air flow. A doghouse does not provide relief from heat — in fact, it makes it worse. 

24/7 Power Outage Reporting 800-752-0025

@SVEC_COOP_FL Instagram.com/sveccoop SVEC is an equal opportunity provider and employer. On the cover: After three years of construction, the Seminole Combined Cycle Facility in Palatka is operational and bringing cuttingedge natural gas generation technology to SVEC members. See more on Page 4.

Suwannee Valley Currents

Not even for a minute. On an 85-degree day, for example, the temperature inside a car with the windows cracked can reach 102 degrees within 10 minutes. After 30 minutes, the temperature will reach 120 degrees. Your pet may suffer irreversible organ damage or die.

Provide ample shade and water

Watch the humidity

It’s not just the ambient temperature, humidity can also affect your pet. Animals pant to evaporate moisture from their lungs, which takes heat away from their body. If the humidity is too high, they are unable to cool themselves and their temperature will quickly skyrocket to dangerous levels.

Limit exercise on hot days

Adjust the intensity and duration of exercise in accordance with the temperature. On very hot days, limit exercise to early morning or evening hours. Asphalt gets very hot and Suwannee Valley Currents

AUGUST 2023 | 3

A new generation

Seminole Electric completes construction of cutting-edge natural gas facility At Suwannee Valley Electric Cooperative, we are committed to providing you safe, affordable and reliable electric service. It’s not just about repairing lines after a storm. Every day our team builds new distribution lines, maintains existing lines and looks for new technologies that will enhance the service we provide.

While SVEC builds and maintains our local distribution system, the electricity you use is provided by our wholesale power provider, Seminole Electric Cooperative. Incorporated in 1948, Seminole is one of the largest generation and transmission cooperatives in the country. Earlier this year, Seminole completed construction on the Seminole Combined Cycle Facility (SCCF), which will benefit SVEC and eight other electric cooperatives in Florida for many years to come with its cutting-edge generation technology. The new facility in Palatka is adjacent to Seminole’s existing coal-fired Seminole Generating Station. SCCF is able to generate more than enough electricity to make up for the 650 megawatts generated by the coalfired unit it will replace. “SCCF is an exceptionally efficient generating facility, and although it has a capacity of approximately 1,100 megawatts, it has a remarkably small footprint,” says Seminole Electric Cooperative CEO and General Manager Lisa Johnson. “It uses state-of-the-art technology and has the ability to produce electricity around the clock for our members.”

Two for one

A combined cycle plant works by using two types of turbines at the same time. At SCCF, there are two natural gas combustion turbines that Tim Parsons, director of plant operations at Seminole’s Midulla Generating Station, compares to jet engines.

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“They’re basically the same thing, just built for power generation,” he says. “All the basic components are there, jet engines are designed to provide thrust to propel the airplane, power combustion turbines are designed to provide torque to generate electricity.” Instead of simply venting the waste heat from the gas turbines, SCCF uses that heat to power a nearby steam turbine, producing more energy from the same amount of fuel. It’s from the combination of the two methods for generating power that the station gets its name. “The term ‘combined cycle’ refers to the two thermodynamic processes, or cycles, between the combustion turbine and the steam turbine,” Parsons says. “It’s the marriage of the two.” The new combined cycle facility offers SVEC members the reliable power they expect, with improved efficiency and sustainability. SCCF is estimated to be approximately 20% more efficient than even the most efficient coal-burning units — generating more power from the same amount of energy input.

With the completion of SCCF, Seminole and SVEC are ready to enjoy responsible, highly efficient and reliable power for decades to come.

Safe and sound

The completed, state-of-the-art natural gas facility in Palatka.

After extensive testing, SCCF began commercial operations on April 17 of this year. Construction was completed in three years, with nearly 500 people working on-site at one point. Parsons is particularly proud of the dedication of contractors and Seminole employees to work safely. “I can’t say enough about how safely the jobs were done,” he says. “A culture that prioritizes safety is tremendously important during complex construction projects involving so many people and large pieces of equipment. The focus on safety that Seminole and its contractors have long fostered clearly paid off.” 

The streamlined nature of the combined cycle plant also makes it a perfect fit for a future in which a growing portion of the system’s power could come from renewable energy sources like solar. While solar energy can be a great option on a cloudless day, it isn’t a reliable energy source at night or when the sun isn’t shining. “One of the benefits of generating facilities like SCCF is that it has the flexibility to increase or decrease power production based on demand,” Johnson says. “This supports the expansion of more renewable resources, like solar, in Seminole’s power supply portfolio in the future without sacrificing reliability.”

Suwannee Valley Currents

AUGUST 2023 | 5

Catfish with Lemon Pasta

Your guide to lobstering in BY TERRY TOMALIN, VISIT FLORIDA

There’s good reason lobster divers are called bug hunters. The hardest part about catching these tasty crustaceans is finding them. Lobsters don’t stay put. They love to move around.

Lemon pasta:

1/2 pound fettuccine pasta 1/3 cup olive oil 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice 1-2 teaspoons lemon zest 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped (or 1 tablespoon dried) Salt and freshly ground pepper

Catfish: 4 2 1 5 1 1 1 4 3 3 1

catfish fillets teaspoons salt teaspoon dried, crushed red pepper flakes tablespoons olive oil medium onion, finely chopped (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes cup dry white wine (or chicken broth) cloves garlic, chopped tablespoons chopped Italian parsley (or 1 tablespoon dried) tablespoons chopped fresh basil (or 1 tablespoon dried, crushed) teaspoon dried oregano leaves, crushed

Cook the pasta in salted water until tender but still firm. Meanwhile, whisk oil, cheese, lemon juice, lemon zest and basil to blend. Drain the pasta, but reserve 1 cup of the water. Toss the pasta with the lemon blend. If needed, add some of the reserved pasta water. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside. Season the fish with salt and red pepper flakes. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the fish and saute, rounded side down, for 3 minutes; turn and saute 3 minutes or until

bright ideas When you save energy, you save money. Check back here each month for new ways to make your home or business more energy-efficient.

For more energy saving tips, the latest cooperative news and more, follow SVEC at: 6 | AUGUST 2023

cooked. Transfer the fish to a plate and set aside. Add the chopped onion to the same skillet and add 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil. Saute until translucent. Add the undrained can of tomatoes, wine (or chicken broth), garlic, parsley, basil and oregano. Simmer until the sauce is reduced slightly, about 10 minutes. Gently return the fish and any juice to the tomato mixture to absorb the spices, then spoon it over the pasta. Makes 4 servings. 

When the special two-day spiny lobster sport season opens each year the last Wednesday and Thursday in July, thousands of scuba divers and snorkelers head to the Florida Keys hoping to bag their limit before the regular season opens in August. The Caribbean spiny lobster, Panulirus argus, ranges from North Carolina to Brazil. Divers call these creatures “bugs” because these crustaceans and insects are both invertebrates and come from the same phylum, Arthropoda. The common traits lobster and insects share are jointed appendages — legs, antennae and mouthparts — hence the bug reference. They also have a rigid external skeleton that they molt, or shed, as they grow. A lobster in its natural habitat.

When you save energy, you save money. Check back here each month for new ways to make your home or business more energy efficient.

Marine biologists have tracked lobsters equipped with sonar tags for weeks at a time. One specimen walked 78 miles over a 42-day period, and then ended up in the same place it started. The correct way to measure a lobster.

Most of the hotels in the Keys book up early, but there are other alternatives. Jupiter, Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Miami all have good Florida lobstering grounds and a fraction of the divers. South Florida has another advantage — you can go lobster fishing after sundown. Lobsters are great travelers, and they tend to move around more at night. It is not uncommon to see 10, 15 or even 20 of them out walking in a line across the sand.

But don’t assume a lobster hunting out on the open sand is easy pickings. They are faster than you think. You have not lived until you have been humiliated by a crustacean. If you do head to Monroe County, you will need to know how to measure a lobster. The average bug has a carapace (the shell that covers its body) length of 3 inches and weighs about a pound. Smaller lobsters are too “short” to take legally. But these critters do get big. The largest one on record had a 10-inch carapace length and weighed more than 21 pounds. Researchers aren't sure how old a lobster that size would be, but they guess about 21 years old.

Air ducts carry air from your furnace and central air conditioning unit to every room in your house. As a result, ducts that are leaking air into an attic or crawl space can cost hundreds of dollars a year on your heating and cooling bill. Often, the problem is ducts that aren’t sized, sealed or insulated properly. Look for blocked registers, stuck dampers or damaged or disconnected ducts. If you have air ducts in unconditioned spaces, make sure they’re insulated and sealed so no air is leaking from them. 

You will also need to know how to identify an egg-bearing female. Female lobsters carry eggs — you will see them directly under the tail — for about a month anytime between April and August. An egg-bearing female is said to be “berried,” and under the regulations they must be released unharmed. 

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A Florida lobster looks a little like a crawfish. It doesn’t have the large claws for hunting and defense like its northern cousin. The spiny lobster’s main defense is its speed. With one flip of the tail, these critters can take off in the blink of an eye, leaving a diver bewildered and empty-handed.

Suwannee Valley Currents

AUGUST 2023 | 7

SVEC on tour For over 50 years, teens from the Suwannee Valley have been going to Washington, D.C., on the “trip of a lifetime,” courtesy of Suwannee Valley Electric Cooperative. On the trips, these delegates join roughly 2,000 other young people from across rural America to tour of some of the finest museums in the world and visit America’s most historic monuments. They meet with their elected officials and explore Capitol Hill. They also learn about the impact electric cooperatives have on their communities.

Washington, D.C.

Elijah Dockery (Columbia High School), Ella Hancock (Lafayette High School) and Sarah Welch (Hamilton County High School) represented SVEC on this year’s Youth Tour in June. The three were chosen to go on the Washington trip based on the quality of their participation in an earlier tour of Tallahassee. They were chaperoned by SVEC Member Engagement Team Leader Denny Tompkins. “I received comments from other chaperones about how well-mannered and pleasant to be around our kids were,” says Tompkins. “They represented SVEC well and we are very proud of them.” 

SVEC’s Youth Tour delegates joined students from other Florida co-ops on a visit with congresswoman Kat Cammack.

The U.S. Capitol building was one highlight of the trip. 8 | AUGUST 2023

SVEC’s delegates visit the National Mall. Suwannee Valley Currents