Riverland Energy Cooperative The Outlet A newsletter for members of Riverland Energy Cooperative Riverland Energy Cooperative Annual Meeting and Pancake Breakfast Saturday, March 28 Arcadia High School 756 Raider Drive 8 a.m. - 9: 45 a.m. Registration and pancake breakfast 10:15 Business meeting »» $1,000 scholarship drawings »» Movies and activities for kids »» Director elections All members invited to attend. rizes: Door P reen TV Flat sc Fire Kindle credits ric bill t c le e 5 rill $3 Thirty top electric g r) nde Table s 14 & u ly) e g a ( s 2 Bike ades 9-12 on r IPad (g Welcome, 2015 Youth Ambassadors T he 2015 youth ambassadors had their first meeting of the year last month to learn about cooperatives, renewable energy, and the electric industry. The gathering also included games and pizza. The program is for high school juniors and runs through December 2015. The youth ambassadors for 2015 include l-r: Henry Hilmanowski, Julia Branger, Callie Rae Long, Rachel Hovey, Wil Loewenhagen, Whitney Rud, Michael Sonsalla, Megan Johnson, Sam Weinzierl, Emily Burton, Riley Ruehmann, Jordan Kaczorowski, Andy Dunham, Mariah Filla, Gabe Gullicksrud. Missing from photo are Michael Bestinger and Michaela Pronschinske. March 2015 Look for your ballot this month A s a member of Riverland Energy Cooperative, you play an important role in selecting the co-op’s board of directors, which provides leadership and oversight on behalf of the entire membership. Official election ballots and candidate biographies will be mailed to members in districts 1, 6, and 7 early-to-mid March. All members in those districts are eligible to vote. Please vote and return your ballot in the provided return envelope to the co-op. Your annual report will be inserted in the March WEC News magazine, which will be mailed midMarch. Candidate biographies are also included in the report. Scholarship Applications Due March 20 S cholarships are $1,000 each and recipients will be chosen at our annual meeting on Saturday, March 28 in a random drawing. Applications can be found on our website or through your high school. Best Wishes to Larry Skoug L arry Skoug recently retired after 27 years of service at Riverland Energy Cooperative. Larry began as a lineman for the cooperative and worked his way up to line foreman out of our Onalaska location. Not only was Larry dedicated to his membership, but was one who epitomized the cooperative’s core value of commitment to community by being active in his community. We thank Larry for his hard work and dedication throughout the years. Director’s Term Expires A ccording to the cooperative’s bylaws, a director who has served their full term shall be ineligible for re-election to succeed him/ herself. Clarence Castleberg has reached this term limit as a director for district one in Buffalo County. Thank you, Clarence, for all your dedication and service to Riverland Energy Cooperative! 2 From the General Manager’s Office Plan to Attend the Annual Meeting I invite all of you to attend our Annual Meeting on Saturday, March 28 at the Arcadia High School. This is an opportunity for you to meet with co-op directors and employees who work hard to deliver reliable, affordable power. We will provide reports to update you on your cooperative and issues that could affect you. A complementary pancake breakfast will be served prior to the business meeting. Each co-op household that registers will receive a gift and a chance to win one of several door prizes including a flat screen TV, Kindle Fire, and credits towards your Riverland Energy account. In addition, high school students will have a chance to win an iPad and younger kids will have a chance to win a bike. Winners must be present to win. The annual report will be mailed to every co-op member this month with a complete agenda and a registration slip that will serve as your door prize drawing slip. This year, directors in Districts 1, 6, and 7 are up for election. Candidates were chosen at the district committee meeting held last month, or were write-ins following the meeting. Also at the meeting, 15 high school students will be selected in a random drawing for a chance to win a $1,000 scholarship. I hope to see you there! Best Regards, Jerry Sorenson Kristina Marsolek, Accounting Supervisor Operating Statistics for December 2014 This Month ITEM 2013 2014 KWH Purchased 29,559,686 27,390,799 KWH Sold 28,646,463 25,954,773 Revenue 3,017,748 3,207,588 Cost of purchased power 2,130,541 2,113,003 Other expenses 1,046,815 974,094 Operating Margins (159,608) 120,491 Non-operating margins 28,332 56,895 Capital Credits Assoc. Organizations 276,806 220,973 Total Margins 145,530 398,359 Year-to-Date 2013 286,006,425 2014 288,608,079 272,423,471 275,176,303 22,015,908 21,813,803 35,507,245 35,569,031 11,812,317 11,769,911 114,399 38,373 1,679,020 1,413,067 3,206,486 1,985,317 1,300,075 3,323,765 No Recycle Drive this Year W e’re sorry to inform you that we will not host a Recycle Drive this Spring. Recycling vendors have started charging fees and recycling is no longer free for members or the co-op. For the last five years, Riverland Energy offered a Recycle drive in May where members could drop off old TV’s, computers, electronics, and appliances. This was a free service for members and was highly attended. During those Two Selected for Youth Tour C years, the recycling companies did not charge the co-op or its members a fee to collect and dispose of recycling. Unfortunately, these companies now charge for these services. As a result, we have decided not to host a recycling event this year. Our priority is holding co-op expenses down for our members. The co-op still offers $25 rebates for recycling refrig- ongratulations to two youth ambassadors who were selected as the 2015 NRECA Youth Tour delegates. In June, Jackson Boehm, a senior at Arcadia High School, and Tim Brown, a senior at Holmen High School, will join 1,500 other students from 44 states on a trip to Washington, D.C. They will visit museums, monuments, and memorials and learn about the United States government first hand. They were selected through an essay contest. We are honored to offer them this opportunity. EPA Delays Carbon Dioxide Rule Boehm Brown Community Connection Coulee Conference Classic F erators, freezers and window air conditioning units, good through December 31, 2015 or until funds are depleted. The rebate will not exceed cost of recycling and must be recycled in 2015. Complete the rebate form and turn it in with a copy of the receipt from a recycling center showing the unit was in working order when recycled (not for resale or reuse). Forms and more detailed information can be found on our website at www.riverlandenergy.com under rebates. or the tenth year in a row, Riverland Energy, along with four other electric cooperatives, sponsored the Coulee Conference Basketball Classic at the La Crosse Center in January. The Coulee Conference Classic is an event organized to help raise funds to support the annual scholar-athlete recognition banquet held in the spring. »» F inal federal regulations to control carbon dioxide emissions from new, modified and existing electric generating units will be delayed until mid-summer, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Jo Ann Emerson, CEO of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, said the EPA should use the extra time to study the 1.2 million comments that flooded the agency from advocates for electric cooperatives concerned about the proposal’s impact on affordable, reliable electricity. Emerson said, “By continuing along the course it has set, EPA puts affordability and reliability at risk.” The federal plan will be released this summer along with the final carbon dioxide rules and proceed through the regular rulemaking process. Riverland Energy thanks those members who sent comments to the EPA. 3 Safety Corner What to do if your vehicle hits a power pole »» Stay inside the vehicle unless there is fire or imminent risk of fire. »» If you must get out because of fire or other danger, jump clear of the vehicle without touching it and the ground at the same time. Then hop with feet together—do not run or stride. »» If you encounter an accident involving a vehicle colliding with a utility pole, do not follow your instinct to assist the motorist. Wait for utility workers to de-energize the line. Home Performance Rebates Available A home performance audit is the best way to identify problems and solutions to improve comfort and energy efficiency in your home. The test typically takes a couple of hours and costs about $350. Have it arranged through Riverland Energy and we’ll credit you $150 of that cost. In addition, Riverland Energy offers an incentive of up to $500 for qualified improvements made after a home performance test. Please visit our website at www.riverlandenergy.com for a form and qualifications. The Outlet Riverland Energy Cooperative Headquarters N28988 State Rd 93 P.O. Box 277 Arcadia, WI 54612 608-323-3381 800-411-9115 District Office 1472 Hwy 35 P.O. Box 276 Onalaska, WI 54650 608-783-2238 800-411-9115 District Office 1225 S. Main St. P.O. Box 248 Alma, WI 54610 608-685-4440 800-685-4415 We Deliver High Speed Internet Regardless of Where You Live or Work! RCI (800) 327-9144 (608) 685-4110 Office Hours 7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Outages & Emergencies Call 800-927-6206, 24 hours a day Jerry Sorenson, General Manager Beth Alesch, Editor 4 Riverland Communications, Inc. 800-327-9144 [email protected] Give us a call!
© Copyright 2024