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Today in Mississippi
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May 2015
May 2015
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Today in Mississippi
QUESTIONS
&
How can I keep my house cool
without spending a ton of money?
ANSWERS
Where our members have the power
This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
CEO’s message
Robert J. Occhi
President and CEO
Many thanks to those
who recognized a lineman
April 13 marked this year’s Lineman
Appreciation Day and I want to thank
those of you who took time to drop a word
of thanks to our linemen. It is a job that
requires much – physically and intellectually – for those who do it and we are forever
grateful for their service and your support
and kind words for them. A kind word or
pat on the back is sustenance for those who
often do thankless work. So thank you for
giving that to our employees. You are the reason we
do what we do and work to
power your homes and businesses. It is a privilege for all
of us to serve you; so we
appreciate your kindness
more than you may know.
The most important
thing we can do every day is
make sure our employees
have the proper training and
tools to stay safe while completing what can
be dangerous work. The best sounds any of
us will hear are the voices of our loved ones
when we walk through the door at the end
of a long day, whether that day is spent
behind a desk, on a phone or in a bucket.
We work in an environment where safety is
always our first priority. We must continually assess situations for danger and make
sure safety standards are never compromised. We want you to be just
as serious about electrical safety as we are – even if you
never do line work.
May is Electrical Safety
Month and we’ve got some
great information for you on
the following pages that will
help keep you safe at home.
Please make sure to review it
and make safety a priority in
your home every day!
Communicators: Melissa Russo and April Lollar
For Today in Mississippi information,
call 877-7MY-CEPA (877-769-2372)
www.coastepa.com
Coast Electric will
host the first-ever
Ready, Set, Glow 5k
and one-mile fun run
on Saturday, June 27!
All proceeds benefit
the American Cancer
Society. Registration
forms and information are available at
www.facebook
.com/CEGlowRun.
1. It will take place on the beautiful Bay St. Louis boardwalk.
2. It is a night race. Coast Electric always lights up the night
and we want to do the same with our glow run!
3. There will be participation medals for everyone and plaques
for winners.
4. There will be music, prizes and a really cool T-shirt!
5. It benefits the American Cancer Society which is the best reason of all!
Coast Electric offices
closed for Memorial Day
Coast Electric’s offices will be closed Monday, May 25 in
observance of Memorial Day. Dispatchers will remain on duty
and crews will be on call throughout the holiday weekend.
Please call 877-769-2372 to report outages or use the free, CE
on the Go mobile app for Apple and Android devices.
This month’s question
is answered by
Senior Residential Energy
Management Representative
Phillippe Michel.
1) Block the sun light
coming through your
windows. Use solar
curtains or blinds and
cover the windows on
the sunny side of the
house.
Top five reasons
you should register for the Glow Run:
Stay up-to-date with the latest
information about your cooperative, visit
coastepa.com, like us on Facebook, and
follow us on Twitter, Instagram
and Pinterest.
6) Make sure your attic has enough ventilation and
insulation. The attic is a major heat load on your
house in the summer and if the heat cannot get out
of the attic adequately it will come through your
insulation and into your home.
A:
Coast Electric’s
Ready, Set, Glow 5k
In this climate
you need to do
everything you
can to keep
your house cool. Here
are five tips for cooling
your home that you
might not have thought
about:
2) Leave your AC unit on. Some people turn the
unit off during the day when they are not home and
turn it on only at night. That is fine until the outside
temperature gets around 90 degrees. The heat builds
up moisture in the air and the unit has a hard time
getting the moisture out. It also uses a lot of electrici-
7) Try our Time of Use Rate and cool your house
down before the peak time. Turn the thermostat up
during the peak time of 3-6 p.m.
ty while doing so. Leave the thermostat between 7880 degrees and this will keep the moisture out.
3) Set the thermostat on 78 degrees and turn on a
fan if you are warm.
4) Make sure the condensing unit is clear of
any debris (i.e. bushes)
and consider shading
your outside unit.
Studies have shown that
shading the outside unit
can save as much as 10
percent on the cooling
costs.
5) Plant shade trees on
the west side of your
house.
For more energy
efficiency tips
contact:
Hancock County
Phillippe Michel:
228-363-7261
Pearl River County
Scott White:
601-889-5109
Harrison County
Tyler Green:
228-539-5720
We want to work with you
to manage your energy use and save!
Energy Fair Dates and Locations:
8 a.m. - 2 p.m.
• May 1 – Coast Electric’s Gulfport Office
• May 4 – Coast Electric’s Biloxi Office
• June 1 – Coast Electric’s Bay St. Louis Office
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Today in Mississippi
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May 2015
May 2015
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Encouraging electrical safety for all
Putting safety first this
month – and throughout the year
It’s May – and Coast Electric is celebrating
National Electrical Safety Month. While safety for our
members is top priority year-round, Electrical Safety
Month is a time to acknowledge the importance of
safety excellence.
This year, we’re focusing on electrical safety in the
home. Electricity is the cause of more than 140,000
fires each year, resulting in more than 500 deaths,
4,000 injuries and 1.6 billion in property damage,
according to Electrical Safety Foundation
International (ESFI).
There are many measures you can take to ensure
the safety of your loved ones. Use these helpful tips
from ESFI to safeguard your home.
■ IN THE KITCHEN
• Vacuum refrigerator coils every three months to
eliminate dirt
buildup that
can reduce efficiency and create fire hazards.
• Ensure all
countertop
appliances are
located away
from the sink.
• All appliance cords should be placed away from hot
surfaces. Pay particular attention to cords around
toasters, ovens and ranges. Cords can be damaged by
excess heat.
• The top and the area above the cooking range
should be free of combustibles, such as potholders
and plastic utensils. Storing these items on or near
the range may result in fires or burns.
■ LIGHT THE WAY TO SAFETY
• The wattage of the bulbs you use in your home
should match the wattage indicated on the light fixture. Overheated fixtures can lead to a fire.
• Check lamp cords to make
sure they are in good condition – not damaged or
cracked. Do not attempt to
repair damaged cords yourself. Take any item with a
damaged power cord to an
authorized repair center.
• Extension cords should not
be used to provide power on
a long-term or permanent basis. Have additional
receptacles installed by a professional to provide
power where needed.
■ BE PREPARED
• Nearly two-thirds of fire deaths result from fires in
homes without working smoke alarms. Smoke alarms
should be located on every level of your home, inside
ELECTRICAL
SAFETY TIP
each bedroom and outside each sleeping area.
• Test smoke alarms every month. Batteries should be
replaced at least once a year
– or sooner if indicated in
the manufacturers’ instructions. All smoke alarms
should be replaced at least
every 10 years.
• Talk to your family about
an emergency plan in the
event of a fire in your home.
If you have small children,
include them in planning an emergency escape route
– they are more likely to remember the plan if they’re
involved in creating it.
Electrical safety awareness and education can save
lives. For more tips and information about electrical
safety, visit www.coastepa.com or www.esfi.org.
Coast Electric has always been dedicated to providing
safe, reliable and affordable utility service to you, our
member-owners. The lengths we go to keep you, your
family and our linemen safe are a point of pride for us and
are never taken lightly.
A lot has changed for the electric utility industry in the
United States over the last 130 years. In the 1880s, power
came to New York City through the direct current (DC) supply method. Direct current supply required generation stations to be within a mile of a consumer’s home, which was
great for city residents – but not so great for those living in
the suburbs or rural areas.
Because of its inability to travel long distances – and the
higher cost – the DC system eventually lost out to the more
economical alternating current (AC) system. The AC system
allowed power to travel across greater distances through
the use of transformers located at power stations. These
transformers required higher voltage to pass through stations in order to bring power to homes at the end of the
wire. This increase in voltage spurred the need for
increased electrical safety procedures.
High voltage is considered in the U.S. to be a voltage
above 35,000 volts. Designations of high voltage also
include the possibility of causing a spark in the air or causing electric shock by proximity or contact.
ty in our communities by performing demonstrations at
local schools and community events. There, we show
members just how easy it is for an accident to occur when
working with electricity and how to prevent these dangerWe strive, every day, to raise awareness ous, and sometimes deadly, mishaps. We also increase
awareness of electrical safety by engaging with volunteer
of, and encourage development in
fire departments, emergency medical teams and sheriff’s
electrical safety.
departments on a regular basis, offering education courses
and demonstrations. These programs keep service men and
High voltage wires and equipment are a constant danger women, as well members of
the community, safe.
for cooperative lineworkers, but they can also pose a danAt Coast Electric, we
ger to cooperative members. That is why electric cooperaknow that the more
tives are proud to be at the forefront of electrical safety
equipment development, as well as electrical safety educa- people we have in
our communities
tion.
“Our line crews participate in monthly training sessions,” who are knowledgesaid Bob Occhi, president/C.E.O. “These courses ensure that able about electrical
safety, the safer we all
our employees are constantly reminded of the safety
aspect of the job and the importance of using equipment in will be. That’s why we
strive, every day, to raise
the safest manner possible.”
In addition to safety training for employees, Coast
awareness of, and encourElectric is continuously raising awareness of electrical safe- age development in electrical safety.
May calendar winners
Coast Electric’s 2015 calendar was completed with help from
some talented young artists in the service area. Artists from
schools in Harrison, Hancock and Pearl River counties submitted
artwork, and winning students are featured each month. This
month, we congratulate our May artist, Sarah Roth. Sarah’s artwork reminds us to get outside and enjoy the beauty of nature.
Sometimes, we just need to unplug and enjoy the simple things.
Thanks, Sarah, for this great reminder.
When using a
portable generator,
make sure the
extension cords used
are rated for the load,
are free of cuts or
frays and have
three-pronged plugs.
St. Clare Seafood Festival in Waveland May 22-24!
There will be live music, carnival rides and a fireworks show
to end the event at 10 p.m. on Sunday, May 24.
Source: Electrical Safety
Foundation International
Sarah’s drawing of fun summertime activities reminds us that it’s nice to unplug every once in a while.
Enjoy the first official party of summer!
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Today in Mississippi
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May 2015
SME executive voices
concerns about CO2
regulations
Jim Compton, chief executive officer of South Mississippi Electric
Power Association (SME), joined other electric cooperative leaders from
around the country to meet with Environmental Protection Agency
Administrator Gina McCarthy in April. SME is Coast Electric’s wholesale power provider, a Generation and Transmission cooperative
(G&T) owned by 11 distribution cooperatives in the state. Three-quarters of every dollar of a member’s electricity bill paid to Coast Electric
goes to SME to pay for the purchase of generation and transmission of
wholesale power.
The purpose of the meeting was to continue to express concerns that
many electric cooperatives have with the Environmental Protection
Agency’s Clean Power Plan, a proposed rule to regulate carbon dioxide
(CO2) emission rates from existing generating plants. The key messages
presented to McCarthy addressed: the numerous fundamental flaws in
developing states’ CO2 reduction goals; the unrealistic timeline for
compliance; the resulting stranded investment due to the forced closure
of numerous coal fired power plants; and the threat the rule has on
electric power reliability and affordability.
The group also met with key congressional staff members of both the
House Energy and Commerce Committee and the Senate Environment
and Public Works Committee.
Under the Clean Power Plan proposal, the Environmental Protection
Agency’s stated goal is to reduce CO2 emissions nationally by 30 percent. From 2005 to 2014, SME actually lowered its overall carbon
emission rate by more than 45 percent. This achievement was the result
of an investment of $621 million over the last six years by South
Mississippi Electric and its members. So in essence, without any intervention from the Environment Protection Agency, SME has already
exceeded the goal of the Clean Power Plan. Unfortunately, the
Environmental Protection Agency’s simply ignores that and, in fact,
penalizes this early action because, moving forward under the plan, we
get no credit for those reductions.
The plan sets individual CO2 reduction goals for each state and they
vary widely. Mississippi has been treated unfairly and disproportionately
compared to the vast majority of states. Our target CO2 emission goal
is now 692 lbs/MWh, which is well below the national average goal of
991 lbs/MWh and would be 64 percent below the 2005 Mississippi
emission rate. In its comments submitted to the Environmental
Protection Agency about the rule, the Mississippi Department of
Environmental Quality called the proposed final goal for Mississippi
“overly aggressive and unachievable.”
“The Environment Protection Agency’s Administrator indicated that
she understood there were issues that were unique to rural electric cooperatives and that there are equity issues with those who have taken early
action to reduce their carbon emissions,” reported Compton after the
meeting.
We hope that the Environment Protection Agency will take a serious
look at the consequences associated with its proposal. Coast Electric,
South Mississippi Electric and its other member cooperatives are committed to protecting the environment where we all live and work.
However, this effort must be accomplished in such a way that the electric service that our 419,000 combined members rely on every day does
not become unreliable and unaffordable.
May 2015
The po
power
werr o
off w
working
o
orking
tog
together.
ogetherr.
The strength
strength o
off taking a stand.
In Mississippi, 12 electric cooperatives work together to provide safe, reliable and
affordable power from the Delta to the Coast. As a not-for-profit cooperative owned by
those we serve, ourr main focus is on protecting and improving this place we all call home.
L
Learn
earn mor
more
e about y
your
our po
power
wer as a member a
att MyElectric
MyElectricCooperative.com.
Cooperative.com.
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