Currents-April 2020

APRIL 2020

Suwannee Valley

CURRENTS

INSIDE: INSIDE THE SUB Get a closer look at SVEC’s substations

MEET YOUR TRUSTEE

Learn about District 8 Trustee Cynthia Boyette

AROUND THE COMMUNITY

Operation Round Up® sends nearly $20,000 to local schools

CEO’S MESSAGE

Suwannee Valley

CURRENTS April 2020

Michael S. McWaters Executive V.P./CEO

Suwannee Valley Currents is a monthly newsletter published by Suwannee Valley Electric Cooperative, © 2020. It is distributed without charge to all consumermembers of the cooperative.

Here to serve you

The last month has been difficult for people across the state and throughout our country. As the seriousness of the coronavirus threat has become more clear, I know many of our members have faced a rapid change in their dayto-day lives. Maybe you have found yourself suddenly out of work, concerned for your health or that of your family and friends, or are just learning to deal with the isolation that comes with social distancing.

We have also felt the impact of these changes here at Suwannee Valley Electric Cooperative. We have changed the format of this year’s annual meeting, and on April 25, will hold a virtual meeting that will be livestreamed on our Facebook page. We have also been forced to postpone popular events like the Suwannee Valley Cornhole Tournament.

These were difficult decisions to make, but as a cooperative, SVEC has always put the needs of our consumer-members and community first. While we will miss these opportunities to gather together as a cooperative, we believe it is important to make everyone’s health and safety the top priority.

One thing that won’t change, however, is our dedication to bringing you reliable electric service. During a time when many members are spending more time at home and working remotely, that service has become even more critical. SVEC will continue to maintain our system and respond to outages while also taking steps to ensure that our employees are able to work safely.

A key part of that electric system, which many members have probably seen but might not fully understand, is the network of substations. These facilities play an important role in helping SVEC transform the electricity we get from Seminole Electric Cooperative into energy we can distribute to each of our members.

If you’ve ever been curious about how substations work or where they fit into our electric system, I encourage you to spend a few minutes reading about them in this newsletter. SVEC staff put in a great deal of time to maintain and inspect the cooperative’s substations, and I know we all appreciate their efforts.

You’ll also find a Q&A with our newest trustee, Cynthia Boyette. Before her retirement, Cynthia spent 30 years serving her neighbors while working at the Suwannee River Water Management District and the Florida Department of Transportation. I know she’ll fit right in on the board and be an excellent representative for our consumer-members in District 8.

And if you’re looking for some good news in our local community, you can also find a quick rundown of what SVEC has been able to accomplish for students through Operation Round Up® so far this year. While these are challenging times, community efforts like this give me confidence that we can work together to get through them.

Until next month, stay safe, and thank you for the privilege of serving you. 

2 | April 2020

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 24/7 Power Outage Reporting 800-752-0025 svec-coop.com facebook.com/sveccoop @SVEC_COOP_FL Instagram.com/sveccoop SVEC is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

On the cover: Field Equipment Specialist Daniel Carver inspects a substation. Routine maintenance like this ensures a steady flow of electricity from transmission lines to SVEC members. See story, Page 4.

Suwannee Valley Currents

ENERGY EFFICIENCY TIP Get smart about your home temperature A smart or programmable thermostat is an investment that can quickly pay off.

A smart thermostat can learn your habits, automatically switching to a more efficient setting when you’re out and getting your home back to a comfortable temperature before you return. It can also increase the lifespan of your HVAC system by giving it more breaks.

NEVER FORGET A PAYMENT WITH SMARTHUB Want a reminder when your bill is due each month? How about confirmation that your last payment posted successfully?

With SmartHub, you can set up notifications to tell you: • • • • • •

when your bill is available. when a payment is due. when your payment has posted. when your bill is overdue. if there is a problem with your payment method. when there is a power outage in your area.

When you log in to your account, you can customize notifications to arrive by text or email. You can even set how many days in advance you would like notifications to be sent. Get started today at svecsmarthub.com.

PAY ON YOUR SCHEDULE Does the arrival of your monthly electric bill cause you stress?

MyChoice does away with the monthly bill by letting members pay for energy as they use it.

• Eliminate monthly bills.

• Pay for the electricity you want, when you want it.

• Never face late charges or disconnect fees.

• Track your energy use in the SmartHub app.

• Save money by learning more about your usage.

Best of all, when you switch to MyChoice, your existing security deposit can be put toward paying for your electric usage. Sign up today at svecmychoice.com or call our Member Service Department at 800-447-4509.

Suwannee Valley Currents

Is an electric vehicle right for you?

If you have ever considered buying an electric vehicle, the new Electric Vehicle section of SVEC’s website can help answer your questions and get you started on the path to owning a new, energyefficient car.

Electric vehicles were once an oddity. Today, with more manufacturers producing affordable models and as interest in energy efficiency grows, EVs are more easily available and provide more benefits than ever before.

• EVs cost less to operate than gas-powered cars.

• They are environmentally friendly, producing no tailpipe emissions.

• They provide smooth, quiet operation with stronger acceleration and less maintenance than a gaspowered car.

To get up to speed on EVs, visit svec-coop.com and click on “Electric Vehicles” under the “Efficiency & Solar Energy” tab.

April 2020 | 3

SUB PLOTS HOW SVEC KEEPS ITS SUBSTATIONS RUNNING

Most members have probably seen an electrical substation on the side of the road. But have you ever wondered what goes on in that network of electrical coils and wires?

For a cooperative like SVEC, which does not generate its own electricity, substations play a critical role in making sure that the power we purchase can be used by our consumer-members.

HOW SUBSTATIONS WORK

SVEC’s power is generated by Seminole Electric Cooperative and transmitted over long distances to our service area. To make the trip with as little energy loss as possible, transmission lines operate at a very high voltage. The first step in making that electricity useful for our consumer-members is reducing the voltage.

That’s where substations come in.

“The primary function of a substation is to step the voltage from the transmission lines down to the voltage we use on our distribution lines to deliver power to our consumer-members,” says Daniel Carver, field equipment specialist for SVEC. To do this, the electricity passes through an array of transformers, circuit breakers and other electrical equipment before leaving the substation.

Electricity enters the substation from the transmission lines, passing through a transformer that reduces its voltage. It then is metered and regulated to a constant voltage. After that, it travels through a series of switches and circuit breakers that protect the transformer and isolate certain 4 | April 2020

sections of the substation for repairs.

Finally, the electricity leaves the substation via the cooperative’s distribution lines to be carried to SVEC consumer-members.

HOT SPOTS

Carver has made a career out of understanding the workings of substations and maintaining them to ensure members have reliable service. Along with Journeyman Lineman Jodi Hughes, he is responsible for the monthly inspections and testing SVEC does on substations and the high-voltage equipment in them.

The most common problems in substations are the result of flawed or degraded connections in these different components. When a faulty connection exists, it tends to heat up due to increased resistance. SVEC works

to stay ahead of these issues by using infrared cameras to identify areas of overheating.

“It gives us the ability to locate hot spots we can’t see with the naked eye,” Carver says. “If we find an issue, we can address it before it turns into an outage and causes inconvenience to our members. We try to be proactive.”

SVEC performs infrared inspections on its substations twice each year. Carver and Hughes also conduct inspections of relays and other substation equipment on a monthly basis.

However, Carver emphasizes that he and Hughes are able to work safely with substation equipment because they are qualified to do so and have decades of experience in the electric industry. No unauthorized person should ever enter an electrical Suwannee Valley Currents

substation, as the high-voltage electricity poses a serious safety hazard.

“It’s not a playground for people to come in and explore,” Carver says. “We’ve had people cut their way into the fences to steal copper and other items. It’s really a dangerous environment that only trained personnel should be in.” 

DURING AN OUTAGE During large outages, SVEC often first checks to see if the problem is with equipment in the substation.

High-voltage transmission lines: The transmission lines leading into SVEC’s substations are owned by Duke Energy and Florida Power & Light, while the power itself comes from Seminole Electric Cooperative. When the lines are damaged, SVEC must wait for them to be fixed before we can deliver the electricity to our consumer-members.

Daniel Carver checks the alarm on a voltage regulator.

Substations: Each substation serves hundreds of consumer-members, which is why SVEC regularly performs maintenance on the equipment in each one. During an outage, the cooperative may first need to repair damage to a substation before power can be restored to a large number of people.

SVEC’s Blackmon Substation

Suwannee Valley Currents

April 2020 | 5

Sawfish: What to do when you accidentally hook one

By Jill Christoferson, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission When I started graduate school at Florida State University, I had never seen a sawfish in the wild but I was excited to be part of the recovery of a species I had been so awestruck by in aquariums.

The smalltooth sawfish, the only sawfish found in Florida, has been protected in Florida since 1992, and it was federally listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act in 2003. While little was known about the species when it became listed, scientists have learned a lot about its biology and ecology.

As sawfish recovery efforts continue, we expect there to be more sawfish sightings, especially in Florida. This includes anglers who may accidentally catch one on hook-and-line while fishing for other species.

SAWFISH ENCOUNTERS

Sawfish can be encountered when participating in a number of activities, including boating, diving and fishing. One of the first things that stood out to me while conducting permitted research was the speed at which a sawfish can swing its rostrum — commonly referred to as the saw. For creatures that glide along the bottom so slowly and gracefully, they sure can make quick movements when they want to.

If you happen to catch a sawfish while fishing: • Do not pull it out of the water and do not try to handle it.

• Refrain from using ropes or restraining the animal in any way.

• It’s best to keep a safe distance between you and the saw. Never remove the saw.

• Untangle it if necessary and release the sawfish as quickly as possible by cutting the line as close to the hook as you can.

Proper release techniques ensure a high post-release survival of sawfish.

In addition to being captured on hook-and-line, sawfish can easily become entangled in lost fishing gear or nets. If you observe an injured or entangled sawfish, be sure to report it immediately, but do not approach the sawfish. Seeing a sawfish up close can be an exciting experience but you must remember that it is an endangered species with strict protections.

If you are diving and see a sawfish, observe at a distance. Do not approach or harass them. This is illegal and this guidance is for your safety as well as theirs.

An important component of any sawfish encounter is sharing that information with scientists. Your encounter reports help managers track the population status of this species. If you encounter a sawfish while diving, fishing or boating, please report the encounter. Take a quick photo if possible (with the sawfish still in the water and from a safe distance), estimate its length including the saw and note the location of the encounter.

The more details you can give scientists, the better we can understand how sawfish are using Florida waters and the better we can understand the recovery of the population. Submit reports at SawfishRecovery.org, email sawfish@MyFWC.com or phone at 1-844-4SAWFISH. For more information on sawfish, including FWC’s sawfish research visit: MyFWC.com/research, click on “Saltwater” then “Sawfish.” 

6 | April 2020

Carolina Sweet Onion Dip 1 cup finely chopped sweet onions 1 cup mayonnaise (preferably Duke’s) 1 cup grated parmesan cheese Paprika Pita chips Heat oven to 325 degrees. Combine onions, mayonnaise and cheese and place in baking dish. Lightly dust top with paprika and bake for 20-30 minutes or until bubbly and brown on top. Serve with pita chips.

Tip: Add collard greens that have been cooked, mashed and very well-drained to this dip for a taste explosion. 

Do you have a great recipe?

Email a copy of a recipe you’d like to share to communications@svec-coop. com.

Suwannee Valley Currents

MEET YOUR TRUSTEE

Q: What do you like most about living in the Suwannee Valley?

Q: What do you like to do outside of work?

I enjoy working in my yard and flower beds, deer hunting, fishing and spending time with my family.

There are several things I like about living in the area. For the most part, it still has a small community feeling where pretty much everyone knows each other. I love and appreciate the people in my community and church. Everyone is kind, and we help each other out when someone is in need. I like seeing the family farms and people working their land to grow crops and raise animals.

Q: What made you want to serve on the SVEC board?

I was reading the Suwannee Valley Currents newsletter and noticed a trustee was needed for the district I live in. With my background and familiarity with the Suwannee Valley area, I feel I can be an asset to the board. I enjoy meeting new people and giving back to the community.

I appreciate the board’s confidence in allowing me to represent the members of District 8.

Q: What line of work are you in?

CYNTHIA BOYETTE

I am a retired State of Florida employee with 30 years of service at Suwannee River Water Management and the Florida Department of Transportation. I work as a consultant for Marlin Engineering Inc., where I serve in two roles — as office administrator and on various contracts with FDOT as a project manager/GIS specialist.

Providing and maintaining topquality electric service at an affordable price to our members.

GEORGIA

District 8

Jennings

H A M I LT O N C O U N T Y Jasper

an

75

ne

1 ADAMS

Mayo

5 LORD

27

9 HART

White Springs

10

8

S U WA N N E E BOYETTE COUNTY Wellborn

Dowling Park

River

Live Oak

e

7 HUNTER

3 ROBERSON

4 PUTNAL

Suw

Cynthia Boyette represents District 8, which is in northeast Suwannee County and a portion of Columbia County surrounding U.S. Highway 90 west of I-75. She is the newest member of the SVEC board of trustees.

Q: What’s the most important impact SVEC has on its community?

McAlpin

2 129 GOFF

Lake City

C O L U M BI A C O U NT Y

6 WALKER

O’Brien

Branford

L A FAY E T T E COUNTY

Suwannee Valley Currents

April 2020 | 7

FIRST QUARTER OPERATION ROUND UP® REPORT Nearly $20,000 given to local schools

Thanks to our members, Operation Round Up® continues to provide huge benefits to the students in our local classrooms. Items purchased in January, February and March by schools using Operation Round Up® grants included reading and AP geography books, calculators, art supplies, science lab materials, math learning tools and much more.

YEAR TO DATE

LIFE OF PROGRAM

Funds collected:

Funds collected:

Grants approved:

Grants approved:

$27,988 41 $19,759

$130,960 296 $116,273

Cooperative employees pitch in for Community Cleanup Day Being an active member of the community has always been key to the cooperative mission and to what we do at SVEC. That’s the purpose behind the cooperative’s SVEC Cares initiative. SVEC employees take part in volunteer projects that benefit individuals and nonprofit agencies within the local community.

This year, Operation Round Up® has provided AP geography books, science lab materials, calculators and other learning tools to local schools.

On March 14, SVEC employees lent a helping hand during the Live Oak Police Department’s Community Cleanup Day, joining other members of the community to clear the cemetery on Miller Street of trash and invasive vegetation.

The cooperative’s goal is to provide a minimum of 348 personhours of community volunteer service in 2020.