News
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Protect Electronics, Prevent Hazards
Big-ticket electronics, such as televisions, computers, and gaming consoles, are at the top of many holiday wish lists—but safety may not be. Purchasing, installing, and operating these items safely protects not only the expensive equipment, but also your entire home. The Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) offers the following tips, and for more information, visit holidaysafety.org. Safety tips Always purchase electrical devices from a reputable retailer that you trust. Be especially wary when making online purchases. Check that all electrical items are certified by a nationally recognized testing laboratory, such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL), Canadian Standards Association (CSA), or Intertek […]
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Cooking Efficiently
Control energy costs while preparing holiday feasts The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that cooking alone accounts for 4 percent of total home energy use, and this figure doesn’t include the energy costs associated with refrigeration, hot water heating, and dishwashing. As holiday parties and potlucks gear up, keep these tips in mind to control energy costs: Don’t peek. Every time the oven door is opened, the temperature inside is reduced by as much as 25 degrees, forcing it to use more energy to get back to the proper cooking temperature. Turn it down or turn it off. For regular cooking, it’s probably not […]
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Spotting Energy Myths and Scams
A quick Internet search reveals many ways to save energy around your home—and a lot of them are too good to be true. Scams generally center around misstatements of science or confusion over utility programs. That’s why it’s always a good idea to call your electric co-op to verify or ask questions about any energy-saving program you see advertised. The most popular scam right now involves a device that promises to save energy without requiring you to make any changes in behavior, turn anything off, or adjust the thermostat. People who sell these “little boxes” often claim outrageous energy savings—sometimes […]
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American Blackout
Filmed as a fictional docudrama, National Geographic Channel’s “American Blackout,” premiering tonight, depicts the first 10 days immediately following a nationwide blackout caused by a cyber attack that takes down the entire electric power grid. The movie focuses on several different storylines of how people deal with the blackout. The movie is presented in “real time” by using video clips from recent events, like Superstorm Sandy, Hurricane Katrina, the 2003 Eastern US blackout, and footage of President Obama addressing the nation. While the movie is an excellent reminder to be prepared for routine power outages and natural disasters, the current […]
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Cooperative Difference research scheduled
The Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association will be fielding the National Survey on the Cooperative Difference statewide beginning in October. The Co-op Difference project is conducted annually by Touchstone Energy and TSE Services, a subsidiary of the North Carolina statewide. Five hundred telephone interviews will be conducted with co-op members across the state, and our goal is to better understand how different generations of electric cooperative members view their electric provider and how cooperatives can better communicate the value of cooperative membership. Survey results will help cooperatives: identify overall satisfaction and value propositions by member segment measure the impact of rising […]
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Bowers named PEC president
John Bowers was selected by the PEC Board of Directors to fill the position of President upon the retirement of Karl Dudley. Bowers started his career at PEC in 1992 as an electrical engineer after graduating from Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville. He received his Professional Engineering license in 1996. In 1997, Bowers was promoted to substation superintendent and shortly thereafter he assumed the manager of operations position. In 2010 he was named vice-president of operations. John and his wife Karen live in Ramer and have two children, Seth and Sophie. The family attends the Fourth Street Church of Christ […]
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FPU earns high marks on TVA compliance audit
Fayetteville Public Utilities (FPU) has received high marks after an exhaustive audit performed by Tennessee Valley Authority’s Distributor Compliance Group. During a presentation to FPU’s board of directors, Walter Haynes, representing TVA, told board members that FPU’s compliance audit was “one of the cleanest” he has seen since TVA began performing compliance assessments of each of TVA’s local power companies. “The compliance audit that TVA does is an audit that looks at the operations of Fayetteville Public Utilities to determine if you are in compliance with the wholesale power contract that you have with the Tennessee Valley Authority,” he explained. […]
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Sequachee Valley safety demo trailer
Sequachee Valley Electric Cooperative recently completed their Live Line Safety demonstration trailer. “We have already hosted a few safety demonstrations for volunteer fire departments, two for CRC co-op camp in Dunlap and a contractor’s meeting hosted by Lowe’s,” says SVEC’s Shelby Potterfield. The trailer was built by district operations manager Jarvis Wooten and line foreman Dean Cartwright. In the photo, Dean Cartwright shows a group of volunteer fire fighters from Dunlap the importance of a lineman’s personal protective equipment.
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MLEC reaches member service milestones
Meriwether Lewis Electric Cooperative is proud to announce that My Power My Way, MLEC’s prepay electricity option, has reached 500 users since the program’s start in March. MyUsage.com, MLEC’s online energy monitoring service, has reached a total of 200 users. With My Power My Way, residential members pay for electricity before it is used much like putting gas in their vehicle. When the tank gets low, homeowners will receive an alert via phone, text, or email with a reminder to add more money to their account so that the electric service stays active. The program eliminates late fees and deposits […]
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September employee updates
Each month we share news and updates, promotions and retirements that we receive from our co-ops. Below are updates from September. Cumberland EMC Travis Akins was selected to fill the position of District Operations Supervisor in the Portland District. Akins replaced Homer Mayes who retired July 15. Akins previously served as District Engineer. Todd Hesson was selected to replace Akins as District Engineer in Portland. Hesson previously worked in Gallatin as the Engineering Technician. (photo)