Currents-Dec. 2018

Suwannee Valley

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currents December 2018

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The days after

Postelection priorities

Michael S. McWaters Executive V.P./CEO

I’m sure many of you will agree when I say that this most recent election season felt like it lasted years rather than months. These days, we see so much news coverage about candidates across the country that it can be a relief when campaigns end, whether our preferred candidate won or lost.

With a new Congress settling into Washington, D.C., now is the time for them to start building policies that can make a real difference. That means it’s also the time to make sure our voices are heard on the issues that are most important to us.

At Suwannee Valley Electric Cooperative, we are already busy identifying initiatives that could have a major impact on our region, such as infrastructure improvements or a new farm bill. In this newsletter, you can learn more about those efforts, which we believe can garner support from both major political parties.

Some areas of our state, though, continue to face challenges that can’t be solved by the passage of a new bill alone. Our friends in the Panhandle are still recovering from the effects of Hurricane Michael, which is why SVEC sent crews to help rebuild their electric system.

I encourage you to read about the important work our employees did as well as the resilience they saw from the people in areas damaged by the hurricane. We hope our members never have to face a storm like Michael. But if we do, I’m comforted to know our cooperative family will be there to support us.

I also want to take this opportunity to wish all of our members a Merry Christmas and happy New Year from all of our employees and trustees. Our cooperative has had a fantastic year and I am excited about the bright future ahead of us. We look forward to lighting the way in 2019. 

With the midterm elections in the rearview mirror, SVEC is looking ahead at the impact and opportunities for rural America and electric cooperatives.

Electric cooperatives across the nation played an active role in the elections, including gathering information about each candidate running for federal office.

This was particularly important since more than 60 members of Congress decided to retire or run for other offices.

Through Co-ops Vote, a nonpartisan political engagement effort led by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, more than 100 candidates attended electric cooperative functions or met with co-op staff. Several statewide co-op associations sponsored or hosted a debate or forum for gubernatorial candidates, while SVEC joined more than 30 electric cooperatives to participate in National Voter Registration Day activities.

As we continue getting to know our new elected officials, SVEC will advocate for policies that protect local business interests and advance the quality of life in the Suwannee Valley.

There are several opportunities for our elected leaders to find the common ground needed to advance legislation that will benefit our community.

Improving our nation’s aging infrastructure is a great place to start. Congress and the White House should explore an infrastructure package that helps all Americans, but especially those at risk of being left behind in rural America. And this investment in critical infrastructure needs to go beyond roads and bridges. Congress should leverage an infrastructure package to help maintain and modernize the electric grid that connects rural communities to the modern economy.

The new Congress also presents an opportunity to produce a new farm bill.

The farm bill, which authorizes numerous rural economic development programs, traditionally has enjoyed bipartisan support in Congress. Although the House and Senate have passed very different versions of a farm bill this year, we’re hopeful lawmakers can come to an agreement on a compromise bill that promotes rural economic development and protects Rural Utilities Service electric loan funding on which electric co-ops depend.

Electric cooperatives like SVEC are engines of economic development in their communities, and we are proud to continue working toward a brighter and more prosperous rural America. 

FROM THE GROUND UP HOW SVEC HELPED NEIGHBORS REBUILD AFTER HURRICANE MICHAEL As Hurricane Michael made its way toward the coastline in October, Suwannee Valley Electric Cooperative planned for the worst.

Crews from nearby co-ops like Glades Electric and SECO Energy, and even from as far as Tennessee, were prepared to roll out or had already arrived by the time the storm made landfall.

As it turned out, the Suwannee Valley was fortunate to be on the edge of the storm.

SVEC’s linemen worked on repairs and, with the help of crews from Glades and Powell Valley Electric Co-op (TN), had everyone’s electricity back on within 24 hours.

Other Florida co-ops, however, were not so lucky. As soon as repairs on SVEC’s system were complete, a team from SVEC left for Southport, where Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative had felt Michael’s full wrath.

“If people only had two or three trees on their house, they were blessed because most of the time you couldn’t see anything underneath all the trees,” he says. “You couldn’t see roads or driveways. It was total chaos.”

In total, Gulf Coast Electric estimated there were about 10,000 broken poles in need of repair before power could be restored to the system, which was entirely dark at one point.

“There was no break in the destruction like you would have with a tornado,” says Director of Operations Andy Lawrence, who made the trip as crew supervisor. “It was just nonstop devastation.”

The 16-man SVEC crew got straight to work when they arrived the Sunday after the storm.

The priority was to make repairs to the main feeder lines that serve multiple subdivisions.

TOTAL CHAOS

Jason Carroll first began working with SVEC as a contractor 25 years ago. Now a foreman and full-time employee for 15 years, he’s no stranger to working major hurricanes like Opal in 1995 and Katrina in 2005. However, none of his past experiences compared to the damage he saw as a result of Hurricane Michael.

2 DECEMBER 2018

Mutual aid crews, including those from SVEC, helped Gulf Coast Electric replace around 10,000 broken poles following Hurricane Michael.

Suwannee Valley Currents

However, with many smaller distribution lines also down, it took several days for linemen and members alike to see the results of their hard work. A second 10-man crew from SVEC came to relieve the original 16 workers after the first week.

“The rewarding part of this job is turning people’s lights back on, but we probably worked three or four days on the main feeders before we were able to start doing that,” says Carroll. “That part is what gives you that extra bump that makes you want to keep going. It can be tough to work and know you’re getting something accomplished, while also knowing that most people can’t see the progress.”

GIVING EVERYTHING

Despite those struggles, the local residents who offered linemen food and drinks kept them going. Photos of the SVEC crew at work even made it back to their friends and family as Gulf Coast Electric members posted them to the cooperative’s Facebook page.

“Most of them were glad to see us. It didn’t matter if we were working on their road or on the main road. They knew we’d get to them eventually,” says Carroll.

Carroll also met several local families who had bunkered down for the storm, including one that took shelter in a portable carport that held up under the weight of five fallen pine trees. Many of Gulf Coast’s linemen barely had the chance to tend to their own situations beyond ensuring the safety of their families.

“That’s one thing people don’t always understand about this profes-

sion: what we give up,” says Carroll. “I have a lot of respect for those guys. Their houses were torn up as bad as anyone else’s, but they were out there working side by side with us to rebuild lines and restore power.”

FLICKING THE SWITCH

After the first few days, SVEC linemen were finally able to start restoring power to homes throughout Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative’s system. When that moment came, there was no mistaking members’ gratitude.

“When you turn somebody’s power on, you don’t need to go check with them. They’ll let you know,” says Carroll. “You can hear them from 10 miles away. That’s a great feeling. It’s the thing that keeps you going.”

For Lawrence, it’s also what makes the cooperative model so successful. “That’s why we work for a co-op,” he says. “In times like these, everyone is in need to some degree. We’ve had a lot of help over the years, and it’s great to be able to help others.”

Likewise, Carroll hopes that a storm like Michael never hits his own system. But if it does, he knows other cooperatives will be there to help so he can get back to what matters most.

“Our system covers a lot of territory, so if we don’t have that help, we could be out here for weeks,” he says. “We know other linemen are dealing with the same thing, so if we can give them some relief, that gets them back to their families a little quicker.” 

“There was no break in the destruction … It was just nonstop devastation.”

— Andy Lawrence, Director of Operations

SVEC sent 26 workers to Gulf Coast Electric Cooperative to assist with restoration efforts following Hurricane Michael.

Suwannee Valley Currents

DECEMBER 2018 3

APPLY NOW FOR THE

YOUTH TOUR Suwannee Valley Electric Cooperative begins Operation Round Up in January, when the bills of participating members will be rounded up to the nearest whole dollar. Money raised through the program will fund grants to benefit students in local schools.

While an individual member’s donation amounts to pocket change each month, the program allows SVEC to collect an average of $6 (never more than $12) annually for each participating account. Together, those donations add up.

Once the donations have been collected, teachers from local schools will be able to submit applications for classroom projects or supplies.

While we hope all our residential members will want to take part in this program, participation in Operation Round Up is entirely voluntary. Initially, all SVEC members will be enrolled unless they choose to opt out. Members can opt out at any time by submitting the online form at svec-coop.com/community/operation-round-up, by emailing SVEC’s Member Services Department at info@svec-coop.com or by calling 800-447-4509.

Even after the program begins, a member can still choose to end their participation at any time, and at their request, SVEC will refund the donations collected from them.

More information about Operation Round Up can be found at svec-coop.com/ community/operation-round-up.

Christmas electric safety tips

As you decorate your home for the holidays, don’t forget to keep fire safety in mind! yy Don’t let your tree get dry. Water it daily. yy Check your electrical cords, including extension cords, for exposed wires. yy Never leave a candle burning out of view. yy Don’t overload outlets with decorations.

For the 41st consecutive year, SVEC is sponsoring a tour of Tallahassee for 10 high school juniors. While in Tallahassee, the students will be introduced to the cooperative business model and Florida’s legislative process. Possible activities include a tour of the state Capitol, participation in a mock bill debate on the floor of the Senate or House of Representatives, and visits to the governor’s mansion and the Florida Supreme Court.

To be eligible for the tour, which is Feb. 20-21, a student must be enrolled in the 11th grade of a high school or homeschool in SVEC’s service territory and have an unweighted grade point average of at least 3.0. The student must also be a dependent of an SVEC member but cannot be a child or grandchild of a current SVEC employee or trustee.

Students will be chosen for the tour based on a 250- to 500-word essay about how cooperatives can engage with people of their generation.

More information and a tour application form can be obtained from juniorclass guidance counselors or online at svec-coop.com/youth-tour. Applications are due back to SVEC by Jan. 18, 2019.

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