Currents - August 2025 by SVEC

THE CO-OP WAY

What makes SVEC different from other power providers?

AGE-OLD CHARM Summer in the nation’s oldest city

AROUND THE COMMUNITY Youth Tour, a Rapid Fiber Internet milestone and more

Suwannee Valley

You are the cooperative difference

When you get home and turn on your lights or charge your phone, you probably don’t spend too much time thinking about where that electricity comes from. Maybe you know it comes from Suwannee Valley Electric Cooperative, but what actually makes that any different from a public or for-profit utility?

Executive VP/CEO

MICHAEL S. McWATERS

Even though we might not always realize it, cooperatives like ours serve an important role, especially in rural America. Homes in these areas are often so spread out that it might take miles of electric line just to run power to one of them. For a company with stockholders and profit margins to worry about, that isn’t a very cost-effective investment.

That’s where cooperatives step into the gap, bringing power to even the most remote locations. Founded by the communities they serve, cooperatives will always hold the needs and wellbeing of its communities as its greatest investment. To do that, all cooperatives are founded on and guided by seven core principles.

Voluntary and Open Membership guarantees our cooperative is open to anyone in our service area regardless of race, religion, gender or economic circumstances, who accepts the responsibilities of membership. Democratic Member Control ensures that, unlike customers of other utilities, our consumer-members are empowered to help guide cooperative policies by running for a seat on our board of trustees or electing others to represent their needs.

Members’ Economic Participation in the cooperative means our members contribute equitably to the capital of our cooperative. Our Autonomy and Independence is self-determined, meaning that SVEC’s responsibility is only to our consumer-members and doing what is best for them. This newsletter is an example of our fifth cooperative principle: providing Education on how our co-op and the electric industry work.

In recent years, we have seen the power of the sixth cooperative principle— Cooperation Among Cooperatives—firsthand. When one cooperative is hit by a major storm and there is too much damage to make repairs quickly on its own, cooperatives work together to get the lights back on for everyone much faster than any individual co-op could.

August 2025

Last, but certainly not least, is Concern for Community. As members of the community ourselves, we live this principle in all kinds of ways. It might be the quality of the daily service we provide, working to bring new business to our area or supporting important local events and drives. Our Youth Tour to Washington D.C. and other community programs are some of the ways we live out this principle. Ultimately, what truly sets a cooperative apart is you—our consumer-members. You built this system, shape our goals and continue to set our path in the future. I can’t wait to see what else we can accomplish together in the years to come. ■ facebook.com/sveccoop

Cooperatives like SVEC help bring essential services to rural areas across the country. No matter where they are or what services they offer, co-ops are all guided by the same mission that shapes SVEC. Read more on Page 4.

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Electrical equipment located on your property must always be accessible to SVEC in case crews or contractors need to perform maintenance or make upgrades. The cooperative will always attempt to contact you if crews need access. Return trips can lead to new hazards and increased costs.

Please ensure your contact information is up to date in the event SVEC needs access to your property for:

Emergencies — In the event of a fire, crews need to shut off the power before firefighters can begin their work.

Maintenance — SVEC performs regular maintenance checks to ensure equipment has not been damaged and is still working correctly.

Outages — Inaccessible equipment can lead to longer outages for you and your neighbors.

To ensure access while maintaining security, SVEC recommends using a multiple padlock locking device or providing the co-op with codes for electronic gates.

Online Backup

SVEC’s office will be closed for the Labor Day holiday on Monday, Sept. 1.

The 24-hour outage reporting system is always available, as is our drive-thru payment kiosk. We will have standby crews ready to restore power if needed.

The cooperative spirit

The history and principles that guide SVEC

All across the country, cooperatives like SVEC are connecting rural communities to electricity and other resources that make their consumer-members’ lives better. We are all guided by the same cooperative principles and work tirelessly to make the communities we serve better places to live.

If you have spent much time around a cooperative, you have probably heard someone mention “the cooperative spirit.” It is the idea that our consumer-members come first in every decision we make, whether it’s the board of trustees shaping policy or crews finding ways to make service more reliable.

At SVEC, the cooperative spirit goes all the way back to our roots in 1937. This cooperative was founded through the hard work of local farmers and neighbors who believed their towns deserved access to electricity just as much as anywhere else. When no one else would bring the light, our founders pulled them themselves up by their bootstraps and brought it themselves. This mindset of responsibility, stewardship and selfdetermination continues to guide us today.

Built by and for those we serve, our cooperative’s concern for community extends beyond power and into the way we live our lives in the Suwannee Valley. We support Little League sports and make sure the Friday night lights are always shining. We are active participants in local events and fundraisers. And through programs like the Operation Round Up® Foundation, our consumer-members have been able to give more than $693,000 in grants directly to local classrooms.

These efforts are guided by our cooperative mission, but also by our consumer-members directly. Through democratic elections and local leadership, members have a clear voice on the board and the chance to speak with leaders in-person at events like our annual meeting. Unlike a private electric company, SVEC is accountable to its consumer-members, not outside investors. Everyone on our board of trustees is an SVEC member, ensuring that our utility’s mission never strays from its cooperative principles.

Still working for you

Today, we are constantly reminded that the cooperative mission is not just an artifact of the past but a crucial part of our modern lives. With rural communities still trying to bridge the digital divide, SVEC has once again stepped into the gap with the launch of Rapid Fiber Internet.

Just like our founding members, we are proud to bring this crucial service to our community. High-speed internet does not just let us stream our favorite TV shows and games. It also has the power to transform our businesses, schools and access to health care. That is what the cooperative spirit is all about.

It is also why making your voice heard, not just for SVEC but for all cooperatives around the country, is so important.

SVEC and Rapid Fiber Internet’s staff members are dedicated to local service.

Voices for Cooperative Power is a grassroots network of over 1.1 million advocates who help shape energy policy to keep the lights on for co-op members everywhere. As a VCP member, you can help:

• Shape policy decisions — By engaging in the policymaking process, you can help your co-op advocate for smart energy policy, continue to innovate for the future and keep the lights on at a cost you can afford.

• Protect co-op interests — VCP provides opportunities to share your story with policymakers, ensuring that the needs of your co-op and your family are front and center.

• Empower communities — Electric co-ops are essential to powering rural areas, and joining VCP allows you to have a say in the decisions that affect your access to safe, reliable and affordable power.

If you would like to get more involved in the cooperative community, visit voicesforcooperativepower.com.

At SVEC, we are continually grateful for the support of our consumer-members. You built this cooperative, and it is our privilege to continue growing it each day. We look forward to finding new ways to better serve you and the community in the years to come. ■

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Voluntary and Open Membership

Democratic Member Control

Autonomy and Independence

Education, Training and Information

Concern for Community Members’ Economic Participation Cooperation Among Cooperatives

LEFT: A member rides a horse to pay his SVEC electric bill.

BELOW: A group of SVEC lineworkers gathers in front of one of the cooperative’s substations.

St. Augustine Minorcan Clam Chowder

INGREDIENTS

½ pound salt pork, diced

½ medium onion, diced

2 stalks celery, diced ½ medium bell pepper, diced

1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes

1 15-ounce can tomato puree

1 pound potatoes, diced

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon marjoram

2 bay leaves

Clam juice in can or bottle, about 2 cups

1 pound frozen or canned clams, chopped and drained 2 or 3 datil peppers, diced Salt to taste

DIRECTIONS

In a large skillet, fry diced salt pork until browned. Add onion, celery and bell pepper. Cook vegetables until tender.

Add crushed tomatoes and tomato puree and continue cooking on low heat.

Meanwhile, in a soup pot, boil potatoes until ¾ done. Drain the potatoes, then stir in the salt pork/vegetable mixture, dry seasonings and clam juice. Amount of clam juice used depends on the desired consistency.

Add clams and diced datil peppers. Cook until liquid and clams are heated through. ■

Safety first

Electricity powers modern life, but it can be dangerous if not handled carefully. Check back here each month for new tips on how to stay safe around electric power at your home or business.

Do you know the name and purpose of those outlets in your home with the “test” and “reset” buttons? If so, congratulations! If not, here’s the scoop:

• The outlet with buttons in kitchens and bathrooms is a GFCI, which stands for ground fault circuit interrupter. These outlets protect against electric shock in areas where water and electricity can come in contact with each other.

• A GFCI outlet quickly shuts off electricity when a ground fault is detected. Since the introduction of GFCIs, there has been an 80% drop in the number of electrocutions and a 93% drop in the amount of consumer product electrocutions, according to Electrical Safety Foundation International.

• Another buttoned outlet is an AFCI, or arc fault circuit interrupter, which detects arc faults in wiring and stops

them before they can cause a fire. AFCI outlets are now required in many areas in the home. The Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that 50% of home electrical fires could be prevented with proper AFCI protection.

• It is important to test these special outlets monthly. Simply plug in any small device that emits light and press the “test” button. If the device turns off, the outlet is working correctly. Pressing “reset” should turn the device back on. If not, the outlet should be replaced. ■

To learn more about building safe electric habits, click the Outages & Safety tab on the SVEC website, svec-coop.com, and follow us on social media. /sveccoop @sveccoop

Enjoy end of summer in the Nation’s Oldest City

By Visit Florida Staff

Founded in September 1565 by Don Pedro Menendez de Aviles of Spain, St. Augustine is the longest continually inhabited European-founded city in the United States — more commonly called the Nation’s Oldest City.

Before the kids head back to school, take them to St. Augustine for a stroll down its narrow lanes and a visit to its many museums and historic landmarks such as Castillo de San Marcos, Ponce de Leon’s Fountain of Youth and the Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse.

The old city

Tell your kids that some people believe the first meal between European settlers and Native Americans happened in St. Augustine, not Plymouth, Massachusetts. They ate lots of shellfish for that first Thanksgiving dinner and not so much turkey.

St. Augustine is dripping in history, but a family trip here doesn’t have to be like school. Roam the centuriesold Castillo de San Marcos, and then consider a visit to Ripley’s Believe It or Not. Who wouldn’t want to see a

shrunken head or two? A hop-on-hopoff trolley cruises by the highlights.

Aviles Street

Entered by walking under a stone archway, Aviles Street is the oldest street in the nation, dating back to the 16th century. Aviles once was known as Hospital Street and houses the second Spanish Military Hospital Museum. It was also the location of an early church, cemetery, boardinghouses and schools. Today it is a thriving arts district, and its sidewalks are lined with outdoor restaurant and cafe seating. There’s even a gourmet ice cream sandwich shop called Peace Pies.

Castillo de San Marcos

Built by the Spanish to defend Florida and the Atlantic trade route, Castillo de San Marcos National Monument preserves the oldest masonry fortification in the continental United States. Construction took 23 years, from 1672-95, using a stone called coquina, Spanish for small shells. Coquina consists of ancient shells that bonded together to form a sedimentary rock similar to limestone.

Take a self-guided tour that’s free with admission, and be sure to cover your ears for the cannon firings and weaponry demonstrations on Saturdays and Sundays. Entry is free Aug. 4, Sept. 27 and four other days each year.

Let there be lighthouse

The barber-pole-striped St. Augustine Lighthouse, built in 1874, can be seen from miles away. You and children at least 44 inches tall can climb the 219 stairs to the top and then walk outside the still-working lighthouse. At ground level, activities such as scavenger hunts abound, and visitors can check out the restored 1876 keeper’s quarters, now a museum. Scheduled tours include a ghost romp and nighttime walk, suitable for kids in fourth grade and higher. ■

Attractions in the Nation’s Oldest City include, clockwise from left, the St. Augustine Lighthouse, the Castillo de San Marcos and Spanish Military Hospital Museum.

SVEC goes to Washington

Florida’s electric cooperatives recently joined others from across the nation in Washington, D.C., for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Youth Tour. Representing SVEC were Lydia Gunter, of Suwannee High School, and Kambry Mosley, of Lafayette High School.

During their time in the capital, students immersed themselves in U.S. government and history, gaining a deeper appreciation for civic involvement and the cooperative model. Some of their favorite parts of the trip were visits to the U.S. Capitol, the Library of Congress, Mount Vernon and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.

subscribers and counting!

Rapid Fiber Internet celebrated a new milestone with over 5,000 subscribers! More than 72% of SVEC members now have access to fiber-to-the-home internet speeds of up to 2 Gigs.

To see where service is available or when Rapid Fiber Internet is coming to your area, visit rapid-fiber.com

SAVE LIVES, GIVE BLOOD

Did you know that every blood donation can save up to three lives right here in our community? Your decision to donate blood can truly make a life-changing difference for those in need.

SVEC is hosting a LifeSouth blood drive on Sept. 2, and we invite everyone in our community to come out and help us meet this critical need.

WHEN: Tuesday, Sept. 2, 1:30-5:30 p.m.

WHERE: SVEC Main Office 11340 100th St., Live Oak

Lydia Gunter, left, and Kambry Mosley visit Mount Vernon.

Lydia Gunter, left, and Kambry Mosley pose in front of the Capitol.

PHOTOS COURTESTY OF CHRISTY TUCKEY/SVEC

The Rapid Fiber Internet team welcomes members to the office to celebrate reaching 5,000 subscribers.