May 2024

USPS: 702-990 | ISSN: 1042-7767 | VOL 74, NO 5

Current Light Flashes is the official voice of West Florida Electric Cooperative Association, Inc., a member-owned Touchstone Energy® cooperative serving Calhoun, Holmes, Jackson, and Washington counties. It is published as a service to the Co-op’s members. Periodicals postage is paid at Graceville, Florida.

L-R: Helen Davis, Manager, Accounting; Sharon Curry, Manager, Member Services - Sneads & Graceville; Keith Varnum, Manager, Engineering; and Will Melton, Manager, Operations & Construction, Sneads. Not pictured, Terry Mullen, Manager of Marketing & Communications.

Don't Delay, Update Today

Take a minute while the sun shines and before storms head our way to update your West Florida Electric account information. Most of us don't realize how important maintaining up-to-date account information is, but it can play a role in how quickly your power is restored when those storms do roll in. Why is that? Because the co-op uses your phone number as an account identifier when there are outages.

If you've called and the automated system answered, it is because we are experiencing an extremely high volume of calls due to outages. The first thing this system does is try to recognize the phone number and link it to an account and location. This helps with restoration efforts. If the automated system answers and you are calling from a number that isn't listed on your account, it won't recognize your location. This could cause delays in power restoration efforts. You don't want that to happen and neither do we.

Updating your account information is extremely easy. The co-op offers several ways to make updates.

1. Online: westflorida.coop

2. On the mobile app

3. Calling the automated system: 855-MYWFECA (855-699-3322)

4. Call the office: 800-342-7400

Lowman Energy Center Will Help WFEC Stay Reliable for Years

PowerSouth Energy Cooperative, a generation and transmission cooperative serving West Florida Electric Cooperative's (WFEC) wholesale power needs, officially dedicated the new, state-of-the-art Lowman Energy Center (LEC) in a special ceremony on March 22.

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey attended the event to celebrate the 710megawatt natural gas facility, which began commercial operation on Sept. 20, 2023.

"History is being made today," Ivey said of LEC's status as one of the most efficient power plants in the United States. "America's future is dependent upon its access to abundant industry, including electricity. Economic development and thousands of new, good-paying jobs, both here in Alabama and for our neighbors in Florida, are directly tied to projects like the Lowman Energy Center."

West Florida Electric Cooperative's Executive Vice President and CEO, Shawn Walling and Board President, Joe Rone were on site to celebrate the dedication of the plant, which replaces the historic coal-fired Charles R. Lowman Power Plant that had operated for 51 years.

"The opening of LEC is a tremendous accomplishment for PowerSouth and West Florida Electric's membership. Today, there is much talk of renewable energy, which has its place in our generation portfolio. LEC represents reliable, clean, and dispatchable power for our members. Dispatchable is electric utility talk for 'we can turn it on when we want,

we can turn it off when we want, and we can control how much electricity it makes.' This control is not available for wind and solar generation. During the heat of the summer and cold of the winter, dispatchable generation, like LEC, is what keeps the lights on and your heat and AC running. The natural gas that fuels LEC is abundant, and for the most part, affordable. LEC will become another work horse for PowerSouth and West Florida Electric to ensure affordable and always-available electricity at our members' homes and businesses. PowerSouth and West Florida Electric take great pride in meeting our goals of providing safe, reliable, and affordable electric service to our members. LEC will play a significant role in achieving

continued on page 6

PowerSouth unveiled a special plaque commemorating the first official day of operations for the Lowman Energy Center. (L-R) Earl Johnson, Tom Duncan, Gary Smith, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey and Tom Stackhouse.

these goals," said Shawn Walling, West Florida Electric EVP & CEO.

PowerSouth's President and CEO, Gary Smith, said the plant will be a work horse in supporting the cooperative's mission to provide reliable and affordable power to its members.

"LEC is not only very efficient, but it also has access to a very good, affordable gas supply," Smith said. "PowerSouth has 20 members in Alabama and Florida, and I want to thank them for their confidence and support in allowing us to move forward in building this plant. It will be there for them to serve their wholesale power needs for decades. We are excited about LEC, and excited about the future."

Collectively, PowerSouth provides power to West Florida Electric Cooperative and 19 other distribution members, and these members supply safe, reliable, affordable power to more than a million end-of-line members.

Diagnosing & Mitigating Blinks

It's a clear sunny day with not a cloud in the sky... Suddenly, the room goes dark for a few seconds. Then, power returns along with the clanging and clunking sound of appliances and electronics "rebooting" around the home or office.

So what just happened? Many people assume an electrical power surge just occurred. Actually, an automatic circuit recloser (ACR or recloser) just opened, then "reclosed" resulting in a momentary interruption of power - this is also known as a "blink."

Automatic circuit reclosers quickly respond to problems on an electric utility's power grid. They are similar to circuit breakers in your home, but different due to their ability to automatically reset themselves to restore power quickly.

Reclosers have been used to protect electric utility systems and members' homes since the 1950s. Few members even knew about reclosers or blinks until manufacturers started building digital alarm clocks in the late 1970s and early 1980s. These new digital clocks maintained time by synchronizing with the 60 Hertz frequency of the utility power wave form.

A typical recloser will open and close 3-4 times before "locking out" due to its inability to clear the line. Once this occurs, a utility service vehicle needs to be dispatched to figure out what is wrong with and make repairs to the distribution line being protected by the locked out recloser.

So, why do electric utilities continue using reclosers? Quite simply, reclosers allow for quick power restoration in a matter of seconds rather than over an hour if a service truck needs to be dispatched to troubleshoot a line or replace a blown fuse.

Contact the co-op if you are experiencing an excessive number of blinks at your home or business by calling 800-342-7400.

Mitigating blinks:

Document when (date & time) blinks happen. This info can provide useful insight to engineering staff who can determine if other events occurred at the time of the blinks and verify the number of blinks at a particular location.

Note if there were high winds, if the wind was coming from a certain direction or if there were thunderstorms in the area during the "blink" event.

Document each event if you are seeing more than 3-5 blinks per week. Documentation is important - the better your records, the sooner the "blinks" can be resolved.

What Causes Reclosers

to Open & Close?

A lightning strike somewhere on the utility line that creates an over-current condition.

Cars hitting power poles can briefly cause the electrical lines to slap together.

Tree limbs falling into power lines causing conductors to short out.

High winds blowing tree limbs and other debris into power lines.

Wayward animals attempting to navigate high voltage lines.

Typical reclosers will open and close 3 or 4 times before "locking out."

Avoid Mail Delays & Late Fees - Pay a Different Way

Mailing delays continue to plague West Florida Electric Cooperative's (WFEC) members and other cooperative members around the country. These delays have influenced members' ability to make payments by the due date listed on their bills causing late fees to be added to some billing statements.

Here's a little information about how the cooperative's bills are mailedelectric bills are sent out in three cycles each month. The cycle you are in determines your due date. If you are in cycle 1, your bill is due the 5th, cycle 2, the 15th and cycle 3, the 25th. WFEC strives to mail bills as early as possible each month to allow plenty of time for you to receive and pay your bill. But, delays by the USPS have impeded this process.

If you don't receive your bill or have issues mailing payments, WFEC offers several other options to make payments:

• Mobile apps - simply go to your IOS or Android store to download the app. You can view bills, sign up for alerts and reminders, view your payment history, pay bills and more.

• Online via the cooperative's website (www.westflorida.coop). Create a user name and password and you are on your way. You can view statements, sign up for alerts and reminders and make payments.

• Bank/credit card draft - you can sign up to have your payments automatically drafted from your bank account or credit card.

• Phone - just call the co-op's automated payment system by dialing 855699-3322. You can also call the co-op during business hours and make a

payment over the phone. When calling to make a payment with a cashier, please have your payment method readily available, know your account number, or the name of the account holder. This will help speed up the payment process.

Remember, when utilizing any of the payment methods listed above, you will still receive a printed bill each month.

These are simply more reliable and faster ways to make payment rather than depending upon the mail to arrive in a timely manner and your payment to make it back to the co-op before your bill's due date.

If you have any questions about any of these billing options, please call 800-342-7400.

Go Paperless! Going paperless

is a great way to eliminate mailing delays that may impact you!

Sign up for paperless billing online (www.westflorida.coop) or by calling our office at (800) 342-7400.

FDLE Commissioner Glass Meets with Florida Electric Co-ops

On April 4, Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) Commissioner Mark Glass met with leaders from all of Florida's electric cooperatives in Tallahassee. Commissioner Glass gave an update on the different initiatives FDLE is undertaking when it comes to critical infrastructure.

As we all know, attacks against critical infrastructure have been on the rise nationwide. This includes electric substations, natural gas facilities, and water utilities. This year, the Legislature passed HB 275, which the co-ops supported, and it is a win for our industry. The bill provides that a person who intentionally damages critical infrastructure, physical or cyber-attack, commits a second to third-degree felony. As Commissioner Glass stated, "A good offense, is a good defense."

Florida's electric cooperatives appreciate Commissioner Glass meeting with co-op leaders and his commitment to protecting Florida. Together, we can all build stronger connections and a stronger community. How can YOU help?

See Something, Say Something: Visit https://sar.fldel.state.fl.us/sar/public/publicSarEnglish.jsf or call 855-FLA-SAFE to report suspicious activity.

Special Needs Registry Program

Concrete Designs by Levon, LLC

Levon Carnley

Special Needs

Shelters are designated to meet the needs of people who require assistance that exceeds the services and basic first-aid care provided at general population shelters.

SURVEYOR

Florida Licensed Surveyor since 1969

If you have a health or medical condition that requires medical attention while at a shelter, you should register for this program. Home health and hospice patients should make sure that your agency has registered you in the system.

Who is eligible to stay in a Special Needs Shelter?

• People with special medical needs

• People whose care exceeds the basic first aid provided at general population shelters

• People with impairments or disabilities who are medically stable

• Anyone with special conditions affecting eyesight, hearing, speech, walking, breathing or an emotional condition and would need assistance during evacuations and sheltering

The capabilities of each Special Needs Shelter varies based on a community's needs and available resources.

This registry must be updated each year. Please keep in mind that completing the Florida Special Needs Registry does not automatically qualify individuals for a special needs shelter. More information will be provided by your local emergency management agency regarding evacuation and sheltering options. If you would like to register for the Special Needs Shelter Registry Program, please contact your local emergency management office. Their contact numbers and websites are listed below:

Calhoun County: 850-674-8075 or calhouncountyfl.gov

Holmes County: 850-547-1112 or holmescountyfla.com

Jackson County: 850-482-9678 or jacksoncountyfl.gov

Washington County: 850-638-6203 or washingtonfl.com

West Florida Electric helps local emergency management agencies get the word out about this program.

Doug Hannon's Fish & Game Forecast

9 1:18-3:18 1:42-3:42 7:45-9:15 8:09-9:39 FRI. 10 2:06-4:06 2:30-4:30 8:33-10:03 8:57-10:27

11 2:54-4:54 3:18-5:18 9:21-10:51 9:45-11:15

12 3:42-5:42 4:06-6:06 10:09-11:39 10:33-12:03

13 4:30-6:30 4:54-6:54 10:57-12:27 11:21-12:51

14 5:18-7:18 5:42-7:42 N/A 12:09-1:39 WED. 15 6:06-8:06 6:30-8:30 12:33-2:03 12:57-2:27 THU. 16 6:54-8:54 7:18-9:18 1:21-2:51 1:45-3:15

Disaster preparedness Sales Tax Holiday

Community Calendar

Home Buyer Education Class

June 6; 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

Jackson Co. Ag Offices, 2741 Penn Ave., Marianna

Understand home buying, analyze personal financial and credit situations & learn basic home care/maintenance to help maintain the value of your home/save money. Pre-registration is required. The Florida Cooperative Extension service is a HUD-approved housing counseling agency. Completion of the course satisfies the homeownership education requirement for the SHIP and USDA Rural Development program. For more info call 850-482-9620 or 850-638-6265 or 850-674-8323. UF is an Equal Opportunity Institution. Require assistance? Call 800-955-8771.

Florida

Agronomic Crop Scouting School

June 14; 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

Washington County Ag Center, 1424 Jackson Ave., Chipley

UF IFAS Extension in collaboration with specialists from Auburn University will host an Agronomic Crop Scouting School. Registration begins at 9:30 with the program beginning at 10:00 a.m. Extension entomologists and pathologists from UF and Auburn will discuss pest identification, life cycle, seasonal occurrence and insect control in peanut, corn and soybean. Disease scouting and management, primarily focused on cotton, will also be covered. Other crops may be highlighted in the disease section. CEUs will be available for Florida (private or row crop) and Georgia pesticide CEUs and Certified Crop Advisor (CCA) CEUs. No registration fee. Please register by June 7. Call 850-482-9620 to register or email ethancarter@ufl.edu. UF is committed to providing universal access to all events. For disability accommodations like sign language interpreters and listening devices, contact Jackson Co. Extension at least 2 weeks in advance.

CLASSIFIEDS FOR SALE

Animals/Livestock

Blue and Gold Macaws, female and male, comes with large cage; 210-421-5911, call or text.

Bulls, 3-year-old registered Angus, $3,500; Yearling Angus/ Beef Master cross, $2,800, pasture-raised not pushed; 607-262-0724 or 850-676-0724.

CavaPoo puppies, super adorable, hypo allergenic; AKC German Shepherd pups, gorgeous, solid black & bi-colors, shots/ de-worming; 850-258-1431.

Red Angus & Black Sim-Angus, 1 bull, 3 cows, 3 heifers; 850-526-3108.

Small Shih Tzu puppies, 2 girls, one boy, pad trained, Parvo boosters, reg. worming, $795; 850-768-0556, text only.

Home/Farm

Vicon CM2400 hay cutter, 7.10 ft., one owner, everything works as it should, field ready; 850-592-4798.

Mahogany solid wood dining room table, w/3 leaves & 8 padded chairs, 2 of them captain’s chairs, great condition, $400; 850-978-9403.

Miscellaneous

Vermeer stump grinder; $15,000, Model SC40TX, 25 hp, 880 hours, service records; 850-272-0999.

Two new Coleman Comfort smart deluxe folding camp cots, w/sleeping pad, never used, $85 each; 850-482-6296, leave message.

Central pneumatic # 69927 framing nailer, uses 10 gauge, 2-3/8” to 3-1/4” long, 21A framing nails; 850-573-5117.

CLF Free Ad Policy (Limited to one ad per household)

WFEC publishes free classified ads in the Current Light Flashes as a service to its members. The following limitations apply: 1) Ads must be 20 words or less and must be legible, with an active electric account number at the top. 2) Ads exceeding 20 words are subject to elimination. 3) Submit ads to the Graceville office by the 5th of the month to appear in the following month’s issue. (Example: An ad arriving by Jan. 5 will appear in the Feb. CLF) 4) Ads for services & businesses are not free. Service businesses include, but are not limited to, pet or livestock breeders or stud services, rentals, baby-sitting, etc. 5) Any buying or selling on a regular basis will be considered a business. On-going garage sales & the sale of similar items on a repeated basis do not qualify for free advertising. 6) WFEC may refuse to publish any ad . 7) You may submit your ad online at www.westflorida.coop WFEC will not accept ads over the phone.

Multiple Listings

Square bale annual peanut hay; square bale grass hay; 12x36 walk-in cooler; 850-263-3427.

Child’s western saddle; Wintec 17” seat saddle; English saddle; Western leather-tooled saddle; day bed; 850-326-7750.

Homemade/handmade quilts, lap, baby, twin, full or queen; two used bathtubs, to be used for water or feed troughs, great price; 850-547-3649.

Grain wagon; 3-horse slant trailer; barrel, roping, pleasure saddles; tack; gentle pony; utility trailer; 850-592-2494 or 850-209-8532.

Real Estate

8.5 acres, 5086 Smokey Road, $159,900; 334-560-6019.

CLF Free Ad Form Please Type or Print Neatly.

Real Estate (cont.)

16 acres of land in the Graceville area, portions farmable; 727-403-4463.

Recreational Vehicles

2018 Textron Arctic Cat Havoc X, 458 miles/210 hours, 957cc, 100 hp, winch, equipment bay, good upholstery, good condition, $10,000 OBO; 843-271-1730.

2009 Yamaha Royal Star Venture, 32,000 miles, good shape, $5,000; 850-209-0888 ask for Steve.

850-849-5410 or 850-693-0439

Email: nixauctionandestatesales@gmail.com Sell it all? Give us a call.

2012 Carolina Skiff JV15 CC, with Mercury 30 hp motor and trailer, $8,500; 850-894-0379.

WANTED

Horses; ponies; donkeys; mules; 850-592-2494 or 850-209-8532.

Reliable, consistent housekeeper, needed in Bonifay area for weekly cleaning, excellent pay for right person; 619-850-6047, Sean.

150-500 acres pasture land in Holmes or Washington County; 850-234-7070.

Pull-behind camper; 850-332-8876, call or text Joseph.

Penny through dollar coins, loose, in jars, collections and estates, buy, sell or trade; 850-326-3437.

License plates from any state, mainly Florida, prior to 1980; old motorcycles or parts, prior to 1960; 850-557-7030, Greg.

Working backhoe loader and possibly forks, will pay cash; 850-726-0132.

Notification Statement

Notice is hereby given that the West Florida Electric Cooperative Association, Inc. Board of Trustees regularly meets on the fourth Tuesday of each month, unless special circumstances warrant a change.

Main Business and Publications Offices 5282 Peanut Road

Graceville, Florida 32440-0127 (850) 263-3231 or 1-800-342-7400

Subscription Rate

Cooperative members, $2.50 per year Non-members, $6.00 per year

Change of Address Notices

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Current Light Flashes

P. O. Box 127

Graceville, Florida 32440-0127

DISCLAIMER: Although paid advertisements may appear in West Florida Electric (WFEC) publications in print, online, or in other electronic formats, WFEC does not endorse the advertised product, service, or company, nor any of the claims made by the advertisement. WFEC reserves the right to edit or refuse to publish any advertisement, article or information.

This Institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients:

2 cans of cream of potato soup

1 can Veg-All vegetables, drained

2 lbs. chicken

1/2 cup milk

1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

2 9-inch pie crusts (thawed)

Directions:

Submitted by:

Juanell Hagan

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Boil chicken and take off the bone. Mix chicken and all other ingredients. Pour into one of the pie crusts. Cover with the other pie crust and pinch together. Cover pie with foil and bake for 40 minutes or until brown. You may want to uncover the pie and let it bake the last few minutes without the foil. Hint: Pillsbury ready-made

crusts work best.

be there when you need them.

P.O. Box 127

Graceville, FL 32440-0127