Since 1940 RECIPES EVENTS IRMA RELIEF October 2017 Bad bets ECLIPSE TRIPS UP TRADERS
OUR HISTORY, OUR FUTURE Looking back provides the path forward Larry Dokkestul, President and CEO You have probably heard the quote, Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it. Sometimes remembering our history with the goal of repeating it can actually be a good thing. As the nation s 40,000 cooperatives celebrate National Co-op Month this October, it is a great time to take a look back and a look forward. Take the history of your electric co-op. Pierce Pepin Cooperative Services (PPCS) was founded when neighbors worked together to bring electricity to our rural community. Big investorowned power companies thought they couldn t generate enough profit so they bypassed rural areas. Back then, there were frequent meetings among neighbors to discuss the formation of the cooperative. Once established, annual meetings were the must attend event of the year. The co-op on behalf of the member-owners committed to provide the community with electricity. Fast forward to today and tomorrow. PPCS currently serves over 6,700 members. This October, PPCS will return over $772,000 in capital credits to the members. Including this year s return, PPCS will have returned over $12 million to our members since our formation. We understand the spirit that helped create this co-op must be continually nurtured. While times and technology will continue to change, our commitment to our members will not. Over the years, as we ve listened to you and your fellow co-op PLUGGED IN member-owners, we know that we must keep pace as technology and consumer tastes evolve. Chances are you probably don t think too often about your ownership role with your electric cooperative. Every member of PPCS can take pride in the fact that you are an owner of your electric co-op. While at times it may seem easy to take the provision of electricity for granted, we are working 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to make sure you, the member-owners of the co-op, are well taken care of when it comes to your electricity needs. The special bond between the locally based cooperatives and the members creates an obligation for the cooperative to be an integral part of the community. PPCS understands that you can t sell electricity to a business that has closed its doors, or to people that have left the community because there are not enough local opportunities. Electricity is a critical need, but it takes more than poles, wires, and kilowatt-hours to make a community. We are owners of our co-op, and in a real sense, we are owners of our community. Our community is strong. Think about how much greater it can be when we work cooperatively to tackle our future challenges. If we act like owners on a consistent basis, we will put even more care and attention into our community, and we will look locally for solutions. Finding local solutions can help keep money and people right here in our community. We all have a role to play. As your local electric cooperative, we promise to do our part for the community. If you have thoughts about how we can do a better job, please contact us. You are the owners of the co-op and we welcome your active participation. MY CO-OP There are more than 40,000 cooperative businesses in the United States that generate $514 billion in revenue and more than $25 billion in wages There are 900 electric cooperatives located in 47 states Electric co-ops provide power to 18 million homes, schools, and businesses - Electric cooperatives serve 56 percent of the nation October is National Cooperative Month In October, cooperatives in our communities and around the world will join in celebrating the role cooperatives play in serving their members. This year s theme, Cooperatives Commit, emphasizes that cooperatives are committed to improving our communities through jobs, service, and education. The cooperative difference Cooperatives represent a strong business model and greatly contribute to both the national and local economies. This business model emphasizes local democratic control, commitment to supporting the communities they serve and improving quality of life, special benefits and services, and the return of margins (the co-op term for profits) back to members in the form of capital credits. Cooperatives are special, states Larry Dokkestul, Pierce Pepin Cooperative Services president and CEO. We have an obligation to provide reliable, affordable, and safe electricity, but we take that a step further. We also have a responsibility to support our members, enrich schools, and enhance our communities. www.piercepepin.coop October 2017 15
YOU GET THE CREDIT PPCS refunds over $772,000 to members PPCS board of directors has authorized the refund of $772,300 in capital credits to current and inactive members of the cooperative who purchased electricity and appliances during 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, and about 32 percent of capital credits allocated in 1999. One of the many benefits of belonging to an electric cooperative is that you are an owner. Unlike investor-owned utilities whose profits belong to the shareholders, in a co-op any excess revenues (margins) over expenses belong to our members and are allocated back to you in proportion to your total electrical purchases for the year. These are called capital credits. Capital credits, or member equity, represent your investment in the cooperative. Over time capital credits are refunded to members based on the cooperative s financial condition as determined by your board of directors. Once capital credits are returned to a member, the member s equity in the cooperative is reduced. To date, your cooperative has returned more than $12 million in capital credits to its members. COOPERATIVES COMMIT AND SO DO CO-OP EMPLOYEES Commitment to community is one of our foundational values at PPCS. We have many programs in place that promote well-being in the community: Operation Round Up, Child ID Fingerprinting, Scholarships, Youth Leadership Congress, and safety demonstrations to name just a few. Our co-op employees also take on this challenge to serve the community in their personal lives. One-third of PPCS employees participate in some form of community service. Two of our linemen serve on local fire departments. Another employee serves as a village councilman and on the ambulance governing board. Other employees give their time as Boy Scout leaders, coaches, or as members of service organizations like the Lions Club. Whether they are volunteering at local churches, school sporting events or assisting with charitable events, we re proud that so many of our employees choose to engage in personal commitments that help improve the lives of others in their communities. 1. Jay Nesseth performs vision screening on an elementary student as part of the Ellsworth Lions Club vision screening program. 2. Barb Bee and son Tyler at the Plum City Cancer Walk. 3. Charity Lubich, pictured with husband Chad and son Aaron, has been Scoutmaster for Prescott Troop 9133 for seven years. 3 1 2 16 Wisconsin Energy Cooperative News
JAY TALKING Not all air filters are created equal Jay Nesseth, Member Relations Manager Forced air heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) systems require effective air filtration for optimum energy efficiency, maintaining clean(ish) ductwork and good indoor air quality. Air filters should be changed regularly. How often they need changing depends upon a number of factors including, but not limited to: Presence of pets that shed Amount of carpeted versus hardwood floors Where you live amounts of dust, pollen, etc. Use of wood-burning supplemental heat sources Presence of cigarette smoke This junk-laden air flows through a filter before encountering the HVAC equipment. For cooling, there is usually an A-frame arrangement of what look like car radiators. For heating, it is generally a combustion chamber. Without a filter, the cooling coils would get clogged and the heating side would burn off whatever was in the air. Ah, the smell of burnt hair in the morning Air filters trap a lot of debris that otherwise would end up back in the house, stuck in ductwork, clogging HVAC equipment or in our lungs. Filters have more choices than you can shake a stick at. Fortunately, they can be broken down into two nicely defined categories, making the selection process manageable. The two are: Permanent or disposable Flat or pleated media PLUGGED IN Disposable are the most prevalent. Some in the flat media group look like they will stop only particles larger than a golf ball. They have flimsy cardboard frames and a thin, flat mesh you can easily see through. Pleated filters perform better using media you cannot see through. While they look impervious, air can move through under pressure leaving its airborne cargo trapped. So, how do you decide which level of filter to use? If you have your system s operating manual or can grab it online, check for recommendations. Note: When you have your furnace serviced (yes, you should have it serviced), ask the technician what type of filter your system will handle. Spend a little more and breathe a lot easier with a regular schedule of air filter replacement. It s a simple change that pays big dividends. MY CO-OP The air inside our homes is full of particles originating from inside and outside sources. As the name forced air implies, conditioned air is blown into the house through ductwork. In order to operate efficiently, the air supplied is returned to the system for reconditioning, taking with it all the particles in the air and the occasional tumbleweed of pet hair that many of us are familiar with. DEADLINE FOR UNDERGROUND SERVICE IS NOVEMBER 15 New service installations for underground service or conversions from overhead to underground need to be completed by November 15. We cannot guarantee completion of any underground work once the cold weather and frost set in. If you are considering this type of service work, please contact our Operations Department as soon as possible. INSPECTIONS INSURE RELIABILITY Pole testing in November PPCS has contracted with Utili-Tech Solutions to perform pole testing in River Falls Township beginning in November. This work is done annually to ensure that we are delivering safe, reliable electricity. If you have questions about the pole testing, please contact our operations department at 800-924-2133. www.piercepepin.coop October 2017 17
WATT S UP? Inquiring Members Want to Know Q. What are these capital credit refunds I have heard about? A. As a member of a cooperative, you are also an owner. You own a stake in our business, and just like any stakeholder, there are many benefits to your membership, including capital credits. As a member-owner of PPCS, you get money back. Our top priority is to provide you with safe, reliable, and affordable electricity. Just like any other business, we must think about the basics of daily operations, including paying expenses, building infrastructure, and maintaining an emergency fund. After all these expenses are paid and we have funds left over, this surplus goes right back to each member into an individual capital credit account. Then, when your board of directors determines the co-op is in good financial shape, this capital is returned to you. For Pierce Pepin Cooperative members, this is usually in the fall. How much money you get back depends on how much electricity you used. Capital credits are a direct benefit of being a member of PPCS. Receiving this refund also means you have more money to spend at local businesses, which results in a boost to the local economy. That s the power of co-op membership! To learn more about capital credits, go to the Capital Credits page in the About Us section on our web site, www.piercepepin.coop. MANAGE YOUR ELECTRIC ACCOUNT ANYTIME, ANYWHERE SmartHub is just one more way PPCS is helping YOU manage your electric account. Available in both mobile and web apps, SmartHub delivers accurate, timely account information and allows you to make secure payments with the touch of a button. You can also check ck your electric usage, contact our office, report a service interruption, n, sign up for notifications and more! Learn more by visiting the Payments page on our web site, www.piercepepin.coop. Fall/Winter Energy Tip: When you are asleep or out of the house, turn your thermostat back 10 to 15 for eight hours and save around 10 percent a year on your heating and cooling bills. A programmable thermostat can make it easy to set back your temperature set it and forget it! Source: U.S. Department of Energy W7725 U.S. Highway 10, P.O. Box 420 Ellsworth, WI 54011-0420 715-273-4355 800-924-2133 info@piercepepin.coop www.piercepepin.coop Follow us on Facebook and Twitter Office Hours: Monday Friday, 8 a.m. 4:30 p.m. Power Outages and Emergencies: 800-927-5705 Larry Dokkestul, President & CEO Board of Directors District 1...Gerald Drier District 2...Edward Hass District 3...Brian Berg District 4...Joseph Bacon District 5...Lonnie Feuerhelm, secretary/treasurer District 6...Ginny Huber, vice chairperson District 7...Roger Wiff, chairman District 8...Brian Bergseng District 9...Daniel Reis 18 Wisconsin Energy Cooperative News