July 2007
Manager's Message
MVEA Promotes Compact Fluorescent Lamps to Members
At MVEA's annual meeting in June, we kicked off our new compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) program. Meeting attendees could take a look at our display booth to see just how much energy and money could be saved by changing their incandescent bulbs to CFLs. We also had a display showing the different types of CFLs available in many shapes and sizes for various applications.
MVEA joined the national campaign promoting CFLs to help our membership save money by using less electricity and to help promote energy efficiency by decreasing the system demand. According to the national Energy Star program, if every American homeowner replaced just one light bulb with an Energy Star qualified CFL, consumers would save enough electricity to light more than 2.5 million homes for a year and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of nearly 800,000 cars. In addition, CFLs last up to 10 times longer than standard incandescent light bulbs. On average, this means only changing a CFL bulb every five to seven years. CFLs use 66% to 75% less energy than standard light bulbs and save up to $60 in energy costs per bulb over its lifetime. CFLs also operate at much lower temperatures, enhancing home safety and generating very little heat.
During our annual meeting, we had several members that were concerned with the safety of these bulbs. Members asked questions on how to properly dispose of CFLs and if the mercury contained in the bulb was harmful to a person's health and the environment. As you are aware, fluorescent lights have been used in commercial applications for over 60 years. CFLs, as with all fluorescent lights, contain a very small amount of mercury sealed within the glass tubing – an average of 5 milligrams (roughly the amount equivalent to the tip of a ballpoint pen). Mercury is an essential, irreplaceable element in CFLs and is what allows the bulb to be an efficient light source. By comparison, older home thermometers contain 500 milligrams of mercury and many manual thermostats contain up to 3000 milligrams. It would take between 100 and 600 CFLs to equal those amounts. Currently, there is no substitute for mercury in CFLs; however, manufacturers have taken significant steps to reduce the amount of mercury used over the past decade. No mercury is released when the bulbs are in use and they pose no danger to you or your family when used properly. Because there is such a small amount of mercury in CFLs, your greatest risk if a bulb breaks is being cut from glass shards.
CFLs are not listed as hazardous waste and you can dispose of them in your daily trash. However, we would strongly urge you to use disposal centers that recycle parts of the bulb, including the mercury, when available. You can find your nearest disposal center by visiting www.lamprecycle.org . If you do dispose of the bulb in your trash, it is suggested you place the CFL in a plastic bag and seal it before putting it in the trash. If your waste agency incinerates its garbage, you should search a wider geographic area for proper disposal options. Never send a CFL or other mercury-containing product to an incinerator.
Another question asked at our meeting was if there was a way to operate a CFL with a dimmer switch. To use a CFL with a dimmer switch, you must buy one that is specifically made to work with dimmers. Be sure to check the packaging. It is not recommended using regular CFLs with dimming switches since this can shorten bulb life and nullify the bulb's warranty. You can also buy CFLs for three-way lights. If you use a regular CFL in a three-way switch, it will work on the middle setting and should not damage the bulb. CFLs also come in a yellow bug light version.
The last question I will address is how to put a lampshade on a CFL. In many cases, lampshades are actually attached to the base rather than sitting on the lamp. If this is not the case, you can generally attach the lampshade on the typical looped CFL. However, CFLs come in a variety of shapes that should suit your needs.
If you would like more information on CFLs, please go to the Energy Star website at www.energystar.gov . We hope you join our efficiency effort at MVEA and get in the loop with CFLs and do your part to reduce the need for future generation plants.
Responsibilities of a Board Member
The MVEA Board of Directors is responsible for directing the affairs of the cooperative. They understand that the electric utility industry is an evolving high-tech system that must be designed and engineered to meet regulatory and consumer standards for reliability, quality and safety. To meet these standards requires an appropriate investment by MVEA for planned growth and unexpected natural and man-made disasters.
The board is responsible for:
• The financial health of MVEA.
• Ensuring and evaluating the long-term stability of the organization.
• Identifying goals through strategic planning and by authorizing the appropriate allocation of resources through the adoption of financial policies and by budget review and approval.
• Maintaining a good relationship with consumers, community leaders, media, public officials and others that can affect the success of the cooperative.
• Managing and maintaining these relationships for the benefit of MVEA.
To help directors gain the knowledge and skills they need to make responsible decisions for the cooperative, all of MVEA's directors have completed utility courses through the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association and the Colorado Rural Electric Association. These courses assist directors in meeting the challenges of keeping a growing cooperative financially stable while providing safe, reliable and cost effective electrical service through innovative technology to its members.
You can be assured that your MVEA board of directors is dedicated to governing a business that is owned by the membership with responsibility, accountability and a thorough understanding of the complex environment of today's electric industry. Effective decision-making is a must and your directors have gained the tools to make those decisions through education and experience.
Limon Operations Superintendent Retires
Thirty-seven and a half years ago, Ted Bandy was fortunate enough to land a job with MVEA at $2.70 per hour and full benefits! How great was that? As Ted finishes his last day before retiring from MVEA, he relates that it is still a great place to work.
Ted has stayed a “hometown boy” all of his life. Born and raised in Limon, the only time he left was to serve in the U.S. Navy. Ted was assigned to the carrier, Coral Sea from 1966-1969. The ship's homeport was San Francisco , but Ted saw plenty of Southeast Asia as it was the Vietnam era. After finishing his stint with the Navy, Ted returned home and started work for Auto Service and Supply. Nine months later he was working for MVEA and the rest is history.
Hired as an apprentice lineman in 1970, Ted moved into the office about a year later to work payroll and work order procedures. In 1973, he decided to go back into the apprentice program and in 1977 became a journeyman lineman. He was later promoted to service area representative and then in 1992 became the Limon operations superintendent – the position he is retiring from. As operations superintendent, Ted was responsible for the smooth operation of the Limon operations department and the employees in that department.
Over the years, Ted has seen many changes within the cooperative. “The vast growth over the last 10-15 years within our territory has been incredible,” says Ted. “Our department has needed to grow accordingly.” Another major change is how things get done. “We used to only have one bucket truck and you had to climb poles. Now nearly all the work is done from a bucket which is quicker and safer,” states Ted. “Since OSHA and the EPA have become more involved in our industry, it has not necessarily been a good thing. With all the rules and regulations it takes almost twice as long to get things done.”
But the one thing that has not changed, according to Ted, is the relationship between the linemen. “It is like a close-knit family in this office. Working with these guys is what I will miss the most when I retire. That and getting in trouble with my old friend Loren Gilchrist.” Ted feels that MVEA has always played a large role in the community of Limon as a major employer and a supporter of the community.
Always active in his community, Ted served as mayor of Limon from 1996 to 2000, when he termed out, and has been on the City Council since 1990. He plans to retire from the council in April and has no other political aspirations.
Ted's wife, Pat, plans on keeping Ted busy with about six years worth of “honey-do's” that have stacked up. Actually, Ted's two sons, Ted and Jason who serve with the State Highway Patrol, also have a few things lined up for him, as does his mother. Then he has the sports activities that his 9th grade daughter, Kayla, is involved in, along with his six grandchildren. Maybe Ted will have a moment to squeeze in the fishing trip to Minnesota he has planned and the woodworking that he enjoys, but it doesn't look too promising.
MVEA's members, directors and employees thank Ted for all of his years of dedicated service to the cooperative and wish him the very best in his retirement. Congratulations!
Operation Round-Up Helps Sheriff's Department
MVEA's Operation Round-up granted the Lincoln County Sheriff's department $5000 to replace their personal body armor. County sheriff Tom Nestor (left) and undersheriff Gordon Nall were very pleased to receive the check. Operation Round-Up, supported by contributing MVEA members, has awarded almost $1,000,000 to organizations and needy families within MVEA's territory. Thanks for your support!
Coops Support St. Jude
MVEA joined with Tri-State G&T, United Power, KC Electric, and Poudre Valley REA to sponsor the annual Touchstone Energy – KYGO St . Jude radiothon this past month. Over $312,000 was raised by the event over a two-day period. MVEA thanks all of its members for their support of this very worthy cause. St. Jude does not charge for treatment so events like this are essential to its existence.
Jim Van Someren, manager of communications at Tri-State, went on the air to explain Touchstone Energy and the co-ops commitment to supporting this cause and their communities.
Effeciency Today At MVEA!
MVEA is kicking off a new energy efficiency campaign and asking for your assistance. We would like to start by lowering our monthly power costs. A little change on your part and our part could go a long way in helping us stabilize our rates and reduce our peak need for power.
First, let us explain how your co-op pays for the power we provide to our members. The largest portion of our monthly power cost is a component called a Demand Charge. MVEA is billed this charge based on our highest consumption period, or peak, of the month. By reducing these peaks and spreading out our usage, we could reduce our wholesale power cost and our need for unnecessary generation to accommodate our peak period.
Here is how you can help. We will identify our peak hours based on MVEA's past history. We will publish the forecasted peak periods in the local newspapers and in Colorado Country Life Magazine so you can target these time periods to reduce your usage on a month-to-month basis.
Your co-op has approximately 38,000 members spread out over 5000 square miles and residential usage is what drives our monthly peak. If you could picture our usage curve on a daily basis, it starts out low and rises dramatically when everyone gets up for work and school. Then around 9:30 a.m., it drops back down until the evening peak. The evening peak varies throughout the year based on when the sun sets. People generally go into the house after the sun sets and turn on lights, prepare dinner, take showers and start laundry. These types of activities help drive our peak. In the wintertime, this peak usually occurs between 5 and 6:30 p.m. and in the summer, between 8 and 9:30 p.m. With a little concentrated effort and awareness of these time periods, we could take a few giant steps toward reducing this peak demand. The smallest of adjustments from each of us could make a big difference. With a force of 38,000 cooperative members and neighbors, we can definitely make an impact.
For those of you that have the flexibility to shift the majority of your power usage to off peak periods, MVEA offers a time of day rate. This rate's peak times are between 5:30a.m-12:00p.m and 4:30p.m-10:30 p.m. While this rate will benefit you with lower energy charges during off peak times, you will pay a premium for energy used during the peak times as well as a small increase in the monthly facility charge. Please feel free to contact our office with any questions regarding our time of day rate.
So, let's ban together and get the ball rolling. Watch for our peak period notification and remember every little kilowatt counts!
Click on this link to view the PEAK CHART.
Summer Fun!!
If you are looking for great family activities this August, check out these two festivals. August 4 is Limon's 16th Annual Heritage Celebration on the grounds of the Railroad Park and Depot. Events are planned throughout the day at the museum complex, pioneer schoolhouse, exhibit building and railroad dining car. There will be more than 30 demonstrators displaying the arts of spinning, carriage wheel rug weaving, pottery, tatting and more. Enjoy a children's musical and impromptu cowboy poetry by Floyd Beard. A barbeque lunch will be available and you can have your dessert on the railroad car where homemade pie will be on sale. Kids can enjoy rides, face painting and a petting corral. As always, the award winning Limon museum will be open for free tours. The festival kicks off at 10 a.m.
On August 25, the museum will host its annual pops concert and ice cream social at 6 p.m. on the Depot lawn. For more information on these events, please call 719-775-8605. Don't miss this rare opportunity to enjoy the great small-town hospitality of Limon and the Heritage Museum .
August 18 the Black Forest will erupt in fun and food with the annual Black Forest Festival at the corner of Shoup and Black Forest Roads. A pancake breakfast from 6:30 – 9:30 a.m. will start your day off right. There is a great parade at 10:30 a.m. In between breakfast and the parade, you can enjoy a visiting craft, business, community organizations and food booths that will operate from 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. If music is your thing, a country western band will be playing from noon to 2 p.m. for your listening pleasure. Games and bounce houses will be available for the kids.
Don't miss out on these great opportunities for family summer fun.
Miracles In Motion
In 1981, Acts 19:11, named for the “miracles” of therapeutic riding, was founded by Tony and Gay O'Rourke. Renamed Pikes Peak Therapeutic Riding Center after reorganization in the ‘90's, the not-for-profit organization helps children and adults with physical, cognitive, emotional, behavioral and learning challenges through hippotherapy and therapeutic riding.
Volunteers and sponsorships, donations and a very dedicated staff and board of directors make PPTRC a success. It is the oldest, largest and only North American Riding for the Handicapped Association premier accredited therapeutic riding center in southern Colorado .
As a non-profit, PPTRC relies heavily on donations and their once a year fundraiser to make these miracles happen. Although the rider's payment is an average of $30 per lesson, the real cost is approximately $70. To help supplement this cost, PPTRC will have their annual gala, Miracles in Motion at the beautiful Norris-Penrose Event Center on September 15. The event includes a fabulous dinner as well as live and silent auctions. Guests will have the opportunity to meet some very special horses and riders and be entertained by an evening of dancing horses in freestyle dressage. The proceeds will help ensure that children and adults have the opportunity to receive this beneficial therapy.
If you are interested in attending the gala or volunteering at PPTRC, please call 719-495-3908 or go to www.pptrc.org for more information.
Touchstone Energy Dutch Oven Cook-off information
Dutch Oven Cook-off entry forms
Let's get cookn'! MVEA's Dutch oven contests are just around the corner. This is the 9th year we have sponsored the cook-offs and they just keep getting better and better.
The dates for this year's cook-offs are: Elbert County Fair in Kiowa, Friday, August 3; Lincoln County Fair in Hugo, Friday, August 10 and Deer Trail Rodeo, Sunday, August 19. For those of you who do not know, Deer Trail is the site of the world's first rodeo and now a great Dutch oven contest.
There will be four categories to enter: bread, main dish, side dish, and dessert. You can enter as many as you like. No entry fees are charged. There is a limit of 10 teams per cook-off. Great prizes are awarded for 1st ,
2nd , and 3rd place in each category, in addition to cash prizes to the overall winners at Lincoln County and Deer Trail. This year we will be adding a cowboy coffee category just for the fun of it at the Elbert and Lincoln County cook-offs. This will be a people's choice award for the best cup of joe cooked up at a cooksite.
If eating is more your forte, come on out to the cook-offs ‘cause there's some great samplin' going on after the judging. For more information call Patsy at 719-775-2861.
Need Help Paying Your Utility Bill?
The Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP) is designed to help low-income households with winter home heating costs. It is not intended to pay the entire cost of home heating . Following are phone numbers for your county LEAP offices. Applications will be accepted from November 1 through April 30.
El Paso – 719-442-0007 Elbert – 719-541-2369
Douglas – 303-688-4825 Lincoln – 719-7432404
Washington – 970-345-2238 Pueblo – 719-583-6356
Crowley – 719-267-3546 Arapahoe – 303-636-1100
or, go to the LEAP website at
www.cdhs.state.co.us/leap
Other agencies in the area to assist with emergency situations:
Health & Human Service Information & Referral – 211, 719-955-0742, 866-488-9742 www.ppunitedway.org
Pikes Peak Community Action Agency:
Administration office - 719-471-7870 Eastern El Paso County – 719-347-2976
Eastern Colorado Springs – 719-385-7930 Fountain Area – 719-382-8515
Northern Churches Cares - 719-277-7470
Tri-Lakes Cares – 719-481-4864
Salvation Army – 719-636-3891
Red Cross - 719-632-3563
New Hope Shelter - 719-578-9190 (Colorado Springs)
Silver Key (60 and over) – 719-632-1521
Army Emergency Relief (military personnel and retirees) – 719-526-4783
The Home Front Cares (active military, reservists and National Guard) – Military Service Center
Get in the LOOP with compact florescent light bulbs
Fund raising opportunities!
MVEA urges you to join in conserving power by installing compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) in your home and business. The Energy Star© qualified bulbs can last up to 10 times longer than a standard light bulb and use 2/3 to ¾ less energy.
The first CFL bulbs were developed in the 1980's and were expensive. Many people complained about dim light output, flickering, noise, funny colors and sizes that were too big to fit in many fixtures. Today's CFLs cost much less while offering great performance. They have instant turn-on, quick warm-up and great light quality. They come in a wide variety of shapes, most of which are no larger than the standard bulbs they replace.
MVEA has joined the national Energy Star© campaign to encourage all Americans to install CFLs. A component of this effort is MVEA's CFL Fund Raiser in which non-profit organizations can sell CFLs as a fundraiser for their organization. MVEA will provide these light bulbs to the non-profit groups at less than wholesale cost. Groups can expect to make approximately $1 for every bulb they sell.
If you are a member of a non-profit group within MVEA's service territory and would like more information on how your group can participate, contact MVEA member services department at 719-495-2283 or 719-775-2861. Energy Efficiency today at MVEA!
DCP Utility Consulting
DCP Utility Consulting will be conducting an attachment audit of MVEA's overhead electric distribution system for approximately ten months (until summer 2007). The purpose of the audit is to insure that all joint use attachments to our poles are in compliance with applicable safety codes and that appropriate joint use agreements are in place for all attachments. DCP employees may require access to your property in order to complete their work on our system. They are only gathering data and should be able to complete their tasks at any given location very quickly. Please extend them the same cooperation you would extend to an MVEA employee. If you have questions please call Mike Garland at 719-495-2283 or 800-388-9881.
