February 2008
Manager's Message ~
Government to Impose Energy Conservation Measures
It was Mark Twain that said, “No man's life, liberty, or property is safe while the legislature is in session” . Mr. Twain sure “nailed it” when he made this statement over a century ago. If you keep up with actions under the dome, you know that things have not changed much and this quote still rings true. Colorado 's legislature is back in session and as always, your pocketbooks could be affected.
House Bill 08-1107 is aimed squarely at Colorado 's municipal utilities and cooperative electric associations. The bill directs the Municipalities and Cooperatives serving 5,000 or more customers to engage in cost-effective energy efficiency programs and to devote spending an amount equal to 1 percent of sales revenue in 2009, and 2 percent in 2010 and every year thereafter, to such efforts. There is one exception; if a utility's retail electricity sales, in megawatt–hours, falls at least 3 percent below its sales for the preceding year, then it is exempt for only that year. Otherwise, the amount required for funding would continue on a perpetual basis. The cost to the Cooperatives and Municipalities to implement this bill would be approximately $32 million per year. The Cooperatives would have to raise rates by over $20 million a year to comply. The annual cost to MVEA would be over $1.5 million for 2010. Ultimately, MVEA would be forced to increase everyone's bill by 2 percent which calculates to about $35 per year added to the average residential bill. The monthly dollar amount for Commercial and Irrigation accounts would be much higher.
Although, the Cooperatives and the Municipalities are not regulated by a state office, the bill grants oversight and compliance of the utilities to the Governor's Energy Office (GEO). The GEO was created by Governor Ritter with an Executive Order on April 16, 2007. It currently has about 25 employees. Their purpose is “ to work with communities, utilities, private and public organizations, and individuals to promote renewable energy such as wind, solar, and geothermal, and energy efficiency technologies in commercial and residential buildings. ”
The purpose of the bill, at first glance, appears to be admirable – to reduce costs and increase energy efficiency. The proposed legislation is unnecessary. MVEA has been engaged in load control and demand-side management programs to improve the efficiency of the system since 1995. We started these programs with the goal of decreasing the cost of our purchased wholesale power. We made changes to the rate schedules to make the benefits of the programs available to the membership. As the price of wholesale power has increased over the past few years, the economics of the existing programs continue to improve. The main point to remember is that MVEA has been actively involved in these types of programs for over 10 years. We currently have the ability to determine the best programs without a government imposed mandate to spend money for the sake of an admirable cause without direct benefit.
Another point to consider, over 50% of the homes served by MVEA were built after 1995. These homes were built to very high energy efficient standards. It is difficult to retrofit newer homes with cost-effective energy saving projects with an acceptable payback period. I have to ask, would the newer homes see a benefit from this bill?
HB-08-1107 was introduced by Representative Claire Levy, Boulder (D), and supported by peers that live in the Denver/Boulder metropolitan area. Let me make this crystal clear. The State Senators and Representatives that serve the constituency in the MVEA territory DO NOT support this bill or any legislation of this nature.
MVEA does not feel that effective energy efficiency and conservation requires spending a set amount of money nor do we feel that this is an area in which government involvement will have a positive impact. But, the only way to help make sure your pocketbook is not impacted is to speak out. With the very real probability that this bill will pass both the House and the Senate, I would urge you to contact your local Senator or Representative and express your gratitude to them for looking out for your interests. Then, send a note to the Governor's office to express your opposition to this bill and encourage him to exercise his veto powers.
( For more information on HB-08-1107, go to www.leg.state.co.us ; click on Colorado General Assembly Home Page; click on “Current Year” across the top of the page; put in HB08-1107 in the box to go directly to the bi ll.)
Essay Contest Winner!
Each year MVEA holds an essay contest to select winners to attend the NRECA Washington, D.C. Youth Tour and the Colorado Electric Education Institute's Cooperative Youth Leadership Camp in Clark, Colorado. This year's first place winner is Kelsey Carter, daughter of Lane and Debbie Carter of Simla. Kelsey is a junior at Big Sandy High School and involved in FBLA, FCA and National Honor Society. She is also a member of the volleyball and basketball teams. Kelsey has been a Girl Scout for 13 years and is currently working on her Gold Award, the highest award a Girl Scout can earn. In her free time, she enjoys reading, being outside with her animals and taking pictures. Congratulations to Kelsey and following is her winning essay.
Is Nuclear energy the answer to Global Warming?
Nuclear power is the only power source that can produce huge quantities of electrical power without generating greenhouse gases.
Creating electricity from nuclear power costs about the same as it costs to produce electricity from coal. Therefore, nuclear energy is not very expensive. While there are small amounts of waste in creating nuclear energy, it does not emit smoke or carbon dioxide into the air unlike fossil fuels. In addition, nuclear power is very reliable. Furthermore, a single, quarter-ounce pellet of uranium generates as much energy as 3.5 barrels of oil, 17,000 cubic feet of natural gas, or 1,780 pounds of coal all without further deteriorating the ozone layer. Although nuclear energy isn't renewable, if the United States joined France and Japan in recycling used fuel, by recycling the more than 15,000 plutonium pits removed from dismantled United States ' nuclear weapons, the existing and recycled supplies would allow for an almost unlimited quantity of nuclear fuel. Not only will nuclear energy reduce the smog given off from factories, but also the amount of pollution caused by transportation. By running new light rail and subway systems on electricity generated by nuclear plants, this would also help prevent new emissions into our atmosphere.
By combining nuclear power with fuel cell technology, the process used for testing different cells that could replace gasoline, the Untied States dependency on foreign oil will be substantially reduced. In spite of this tremendous benefit, the American public is more concerned about the perceived health hazards that have been associated with nuclear power. The facts reveal that most of these concerns are not justified. In the last forty years of the production of nuclear power in the United States , not one single fatality has occurred; whereas, numerous people die in coal mining accidents every year. Even more dangerous is the fact that approximately ten-thousand Americans die every year from coal burning pollution. Coal fueled power plants produce 100,000,000 tons of ash and sludge every year while the nuclear power industry only generates about 2,000 tons of solid waste. Not even these 2,000 tons of waste are truly waste due to the ability to reprocess nuclear fuel turning waste into energy.
Nuclear power stations are not atomic bombs waiting to be set off and they are not prone to “meltdowns.” To make a bomb, there must be a high concentration of Uranium-235, which there is none used during the entire process. Even if the does become too hot, the control rods lower and cool it down. There are also sets of emergency control rods that automatically drop down and shut the reactor completely down if the other control rods fail.
Although nuclear power plants are expensive to build, they are cheap to run. Economically nuclear power is better than wind power because nuclear power plants produce power at about five cents a kilowatt-hour, which is less than half the cost of wind power. In addition, workers' health is not an issue since they have better health statistics than average. The risks are small compared to the impact on humanity from not dealing efficiently with global warming, smog, less dependency on foreign oil, and power outages. Nuclear energy is the answer to global warming.
Eastern Plain Relay for Life
Sponsored by Touchstone Energy
On July 4, 2008, families, friends and coworkers will join together in Limon to CELEBRATE the lives of those who have battled cancer, REMEMBER those who lost and FIGHT BACK against a disease that has touched nearly everyone. Sharing the power of purple. The Eastern Plains Relay for Life will be a life changing event for those that participate. Relay for Life represents the hope that those lost to cancer will never be forgotten, that those who face cancer will be supported and that one day cancer will be eliminated.
In May 1985, Dr. Klatt, a Tacoma colorectal surgeon, spent a grueling 24 hours circling the track at the University of Puget Sound for more than 83 miles. Throughout the night, friends paid $25 to run or walk 30 minutes with him. He raised $27,000 to fight cancer. While he circled the track, he thought about how others could take part. He envisioned a 24-hour team relay event that could raise more money to fight cancer. In 1986, 19 teams took part in the first team relay event and raised $33,000.
For the Eastern Plains Relay, teams of 8-11 people will walk from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. around the Limon School track raising money for cancer awareness and research. Why walk through the night? Because cancer never sleeps. Fighting cancer is a team effort. The strength of people coming together for a common cause is greater than the strength of one. Relay For Life is a great way for corporations, schools, and businesses to demonstrate their commitment to fighting cancer in their community. The Relay is also a community gathering. The Eastern Plains encompasses a lot of small communities that we hope, for one night at least, will become one.
If you are a Survivor, join us as an honorary guest for the Survivors' Lap, which begins the Relay For Life. Your strength and courage will help the community see that cancer survivorship is real – that we are making progress in the battle against cancer.
Luminaries will be available for those who wish to remember someone special and a special ceremony will take place during the evening. And, activities will be going on through the night – fireworks, music, information booths, and food.
Get a team together and come out and join us on July 4 in the fight against cancer. For more information, go to www.relayforlife.org and go to “Find Relay Events” or call Deborah Skillicorn at 2577 or 719-641-6539. Join the fight!
2008 Photo Contest Begins
Get those cameras out and for that perfect picture in our service territory. Maybe you will be one of the lucky winners to have their pictures on the MVEA calendar. For instructions and entry forms for the 2008 photo contest, click here.
There's a New Chamber in Town
When the Falcon area started to take off commercially in 2001, businesses in the area decided to form the Falcon Business League. The group met once a month to discuss issues important not only to their businesses, but also to the community. As the area grew and more and more businesses joined the league, the group decided it was time to develop into a chamber of commerce to provide more unity and support to the organization. On November 8, the Falcon Business league became an official Chamber of Commerce. On December 5, the group adopted the name of Eastern Plains Chamber at their holiday business breakfast at Antlers Creek Golf Club attended by approximately 40 members.
The Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce has spearheaded the development of the Pikes Peak Regional Business Partnership. This organization is comprised of multiple community partners working together for the betterment of the region. On December 11, Eastern Plains, Fountain Valley, Tri-Lakes and Southern Colorado women's Chamber joined the partnership bringing the total membership to eight chambers. Current president of the Eastern Plains Chamber, Bob Deck said, “This partnership is a huge opportunity for the small business communities everywhere in this area.” The partnership will give a stronger voice to the area concerning legislation and issues that affect businesses and the community.
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In The Board Room
The Co-op Way Keeps Rising Electricity Rates in Check
Many Americans do business with a cooperative everyday. They exist in almost every industry from energy to news reporting to healthcare. Co-ops are a huge part of the economy here in the United States and serve some 120 million members, or 4 in 10 Americans.
While cooperatives may resemble most companies in some ways, they are very different in others. One of the most important differences is that co-ops are not driven by profit. For-profit companies aim to return a profit to their shareholders. After all, these shareholders have invested their money in the business.
A co-op's mission, on the other hand, is meeting its members' needs for goods or services. Electric co-ops are part of this tradition of doing business, one that has a long history going back to 1752 when Ben Franklin started the first cooperative in Philadelphia .
A cooperative, however, is still going to see its operating costs rise when the price of doing business goes up. There's no better example of this than right now when the cost of fuel to run power plants is at a record high. We work everyday to achieve operating efficiencies as we face these cost increases. We will work with you to make sure you have the information and help you need to use energy wisely. However, if we find it necessary to pass along power supply increases, you can trust that the decision was based on keeping the business financially strong on behalf of all members. We are not driven by the profit motive to make money for outside investors.
At a time when Americans' electric bills are going up around the country—in some places by as much as 40 percent—the co-op way of doing business is an important way to keep costs manageable.
We are not profit-driven and we don't have to impress Wall Street every quarter. Rather, we are service-driven and operate at cost. You can bank on the cooperative difference.
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.
