<![CDATA[News Releases - Public]]> /news_releases en sandy.neal@powersouth.com Copyright 2012 2012-02-10T16:08:25+00:00 <![CDATA[MENCY, HOOKS REPRESENT POWERSOUTH AT 2012 YOUTH TOUR]]> http://www.powersouth.com/news_releases/mency_hooks_represent_powersouth_at_2012_youth_tour http://www.powersouth.com/news_releases/mency_hooks_represent_powersouth_at_2012_youth_tour#When:16:08:25Z

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PHOTO CAPTION: Pike County High School Youth Tour winners are (left to right) Zandrea Mency (winner), Tyliyah Hooks (runner-up), Kiera Jackson (first alternate), Kristin Bradley (second alternate), and Emily Senn (third alternate).

ANDALUSIA, ALA.– Pike County High School (PCHS) students Zandrea Mency and Tyliyah Hooks have been selected as PowerSouth’s 2012 Youth Tour winner and runner-up, respectively.

In March the students will join hundreds of other Youth Tour winners from across Alabama in the state capitol to learn more about government, the legislative process and the rural electrification program.

As the PCHS Youth Tour winner, Mency will receive an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C., in June to participate in the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s (NRECA) Youth Tour to visit the nation’s capitol and meet with government leaders, along with thousands of other high school students from around the country.

The top 10 students from PCHS will join area Youth Tour Program participants at Point A Lodge on Feb. 15 to learn more about PowerSouth and the electric industry, while interacting with their peers.

Mency and Hooks were chosen based on their performance on written essays, written tests and an interview competition at PowerSouth’s headquarters in Andalusia.

Mency was selected as the PCHS winner. She has demonstrated leadership by serving in the SGA, FBLA, as an AIMS mentor, 4H, Upward Bound, Art Club and Spanish Club. She also participates in track and field and volleyball and attended the Joint Leadership Development Conference.

Hooks was selected as the PCHS runner-up. She has shown leadership through her participation in the Art Club, Junior Red Cross, Business and Finance Academy, FBLA, Delta Gems and as an AIMS mentor. She is a member of the Art Honor Society and National Honor Society.

Kiera Jackson, Kristin Bradley, and Emily Senn were selected as alternates.

PowerSouth has participated in the Youth Tour program for more than 20 years, sponsoring students from Andalusia, Elba, Opp and PikeCountyhigh schools.

The Electric Cooperative Youth Tour has brought high school students to Washington, D.C., every June since the late 1950s, and more than 40,000 students from across Americahave participated in this unique program.

– end –

 

About PowerSouth:

PowerSouth serves the wholesale energy needs of 16 electric cooperatives and four municipal electric systems in Alabama and northwest Florida, with more than a million consumers in 39 Alabama and 10 Florida counties. PowerSouth is dedicated to providing reliable energy at the lowest possible cost to its members.

 

For more information:
Mark Ingram, Corporate Communication Manager
334.427.3330

 

PowerSouth is an EEO and AAP employer

]]> 2012-02-10T16:08:25+00:00 <![CDATA[SIMS, MESSER REPRESENT POWERSOUTH AT 2012 YOUTH TOUR]]> http://www.powersouth.com/news_releases/sims_messer_represent_powersouth_at_2012_youth_tour http://www.powersouth.com/news_releases/sims_messer_represent_powersouth_at_2012_youth_tour#When:16:06:12Z

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PHOTO CAPTION: Opp High School Youth Tour winners are (left to right) Mason Sims (winner), Daulton Messer (runner-up), Hannah Hughes (first alternate), Tyler Ferguson (second alternate), and Tori Puckett (third alternate).

ANDALUSIA, ALA.– Opp High School (OHS) students Mason Sims and Daulton Messer were selected as PowerSouth’s 2012 Youth Tour winner and runner-up, respectively.

In March the students will join hundreds of other Youth Tour winners from across Alabama in the state capitol to learn more about government, the legislative process and the rural electrification program.

As the OHS Youth Tour winner, Sims will receive an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C., in June to participate in the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s (NRECA) Youth Tour to visit the nation’s capitol and meet with government leaders, along with thousands of other high school students from around the country.

The top 10 students from OHS will join area Youth Tour Program participants at Point A Lodge on Feb. 15 to learn more about PowerSouth and the electric industry, while interacting with their peers.

Sims and Messer were chosen based on their performance on written essays, written tests and an interview competition at PowerSouth’s headquarters in Andalusia.

Sims was selected as the OHS winner. He has demonstrated leadership through his participation in the Student Government Association (SGA), Peer Helpers, Mu Alpha Theta and Beta Club. He is SGA Vice President and was chosen for the Capstone Leadership Conference.

Messer was selected as the OHS runner-up. He has shown leadership by serving as a member of the Science Club, Mu Alpha Theta, Beta Club, FFA Blue, FFA Gold and Spanish Club. He has consistently been on the All A Honor Roll.

Hannah Hughes, Tyler Ferguson and Tori Puckett were selected as alternates.

PowerSouth has participated in the Youth Tour program for more than 20 years, sponsoring students from Andalusia, Elba, Opp and PikeCountyhigh schools.

The Electric Cooperative Youth Tour has brought high school students to Washington, D.C., every June since the late 1950s, and more than 40,000 students from across Americahave participated in this unique program.

– end –

 

About PowerSouth:

PowerSouth serves the wholesale energy needs of 16 electric cooperatives and four municipal electric systems in Alabama and northwest Florida, with more than a million consumers in 39 Alabama and 10 Florida counties. PowerSouth is dedicated to providing reliable energy at the lowest possible cost to its members.

 

For more information:
Mark Ingram, Corporate Communication Manager
334.427.3330

 

PowerSouth is an EEO and AAP employer

]]> 2012-02-10T16:06:12+00:00 <![CDATA[FOSTER, MACHADO REPRESENT POWERSOUTH AT 2012 YOUTH TOUR]]> http://www.powersouth.com/news_releases/foster_machado_represent_powersouth_at_2012_youth_tour http://www.powersouth.com/news_releases/foster_machado_represent_powersouth_at_2012_youth_tour#When:16:03:56Z

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PHOTO CAPTION: Elba High School Youth Tour winners are (left to right) Ashley Foster (winner), Korie Machado (runner-up), Brinley Williams (first alternate), Tatiyunna Conner (second alternate) and Ashton Senn (third alternate).

ANDALUSIA, ALA.– Elba High School (EHS) students Ashley Foster and Korie Machado have been selected as PowerSouth’s 2012 Youth Tour winner and runner-up, respectively.

In March the students will join hundreds of other Youth Tour winners from across Alabama in the state capitol to learn more about government, the legislative process and the rural electrification program.

As the EHS Youth Tour winner, Foster will receive an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C., in June to participate in the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s (NRECA) Youth Tour to visit the nation’s capitol and meet with government leaders, along with thousands of other high school students from around the country.

The top 10 students from EHS will join area Youth Tour Program participants at Point A Lodge on Feb.15 to learn more about PowerSouth and the electric industry, while interacting with their peers.

Foster and Machado were chosen based on their performance on written essays, written tests and an interview competition at PowerSouth’s headquarters in Andalusia.

Foster was selected as the EHS winner. She has demonstrated leadership by serving in the FCCLA and EHS Marching Band Color Guard. She is Color Guard Captain.

Machado was selected as the EHS runner-up. He has shown leadership through his service on the Senior Beta Club, Marching Tiger Band, Journalism staff and light and sound crew. He is also co-editor of the Elbala Yearbook.

Brinley Williams, Tatiyunna Conner and Ashton Senn were selected as alternates.

PowerSouth has participated in the Youth Tour program for more than 20 years, sponsoring students from Andalusia, Elba, Opp and PikeCountyhigh schools.

The Electric Cooperative Youth Tour has brought high school students to Washington, D.C., every June since the late 1950s, and more than 40,000 students from across Americahave participated in this unique program.

– end –

 

About PowerSouth:

PowerSouth serves the wholesale energy needs of 16 electric cooperatives and four municipal electric systems in Alabama and northwest Florida, with more than a million consumers in 39 Alabama and 10 Florida counties. PowerSouth is dedicated to providing reliable energy at the lowest possible cost to its members.

 

For more information:
Mark Ingram, Corporate Communication Manager
334.427.3330

 

PowerSouth is an EEO and AAP employer

]]> 2012-02-10T16:03:56+00:00 <![CDATA[PARKER, BOTTA REPRESENT POWERSOUTH AT 2012 YOUTH TOUR]]> http://www.powersouth.com/news_releases/parker_botta_represent_powersouth_at_2012_youth_tour http://www.powersouth.com/news_releases/parker_botta_represent_powersouth_at_2012_youth_tour#When:15:57:06Z

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PHOTO CAPTION: Andalusia High School Youth Tour winners are (left to right) Will Parker (winner), Jennifer Botta (runner-up), Savannah Ricks (first alternate), Sung Mo (second alternate) and Christopher Gerhart (third alternate).

ANDALUSIA, ALA.– Andalusia High School (AHS) students Will Parker and Jennifer Botta have been selected as PowerSouth’s 2012 Youth Tour winner and runner-up, respectively.

In March the students will join hundreds of other Youth Tour winners from across Alabama in the state capitol to learn more about government, the legislative process and the rural electrification program.

As the AHS Youth Tour winner, Parker will receive an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C., in June to participate in the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s (NRECA) Youth Tour to visit the nation’s capitol and meet with government leaders, along with thousands of other high school students from around the country.

The top 10 students from AHS will join area Youth Tour Program participants at Point A Lodge on Feb.15 to learn more about PowerSouth and the electric industry, while interacting with their peers.

Parker and Botta were chosen based on their performance on written essays, written tests and an interview competition at PowerSouth’s headquarters in Andalusia.

Parker was selected as the AHS winner. He has demonstrated leadership through his participation in varsity football, the Peer Helpers Club and Chorus. He has volunteered with Community Christmas and attended a church mission trip to Haiti.

Botta was selected as the AHS runner-up. She has shown leadership through serving as a member of the AHS band, volleyball team, SGA, FBLA, Key Club and Spanish Club. She serves as first chair on the AHS band trumpet section.

Savannah Ricks, Sung Mo, and Christopher Gerhart were selected as alternates.

PowerSouth has participated in the Youth Tour program for more than 20 years, sponsoring students from Andalusia, Elba, Opp and PikeCountyhigh schools.

The Electric Cooperative Youth Tour has brought high school students to Washington, D.C., every June since the late 1950s, and more than 40,000 students from across Americahave participated in this unique program.

– end –

 

About PowerSouth:

PowerSouth serves the wholesale energy needs of 16 electric cooperatives and four municipal electric systems in Alabama and northwest Florida, with more than a million consumers in 39 Alabama and 10 Florida counties. PowerSouth is dedicated to providing reliable energy at the lowest possible cost to its members.

 

For more information:
Mark Ingram, Corporate Communication Manager
334.427.3330

 

PowerSouth is an EEO and AAP employer

]]> 2012-02-10T15:57:06+00:00 <![CDATA[POWERSOUTH EMPLOYEES ACHIEVE SAFETY MILESTONE]]> http://www.powersouth.com/news_releases/powersouth_employees_achieve_safety_milestone1 http://www.powersouth.com/news_releases/powersouth_employees_achieve_safety_milestone1#When:17:36:33Z

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PHOTO CAPTION: PowerSouth employees receive awards for their departments’ dedication to safety in 2011.

ANDALUSIA, ALA.– PowerSouth’s inside employees have again proven their awareness and dedication to safety — the company’s number one corporate value — by completing a full year without a lost time injury, which means no employee within this group has missed work due to an injury suffered on the job. Collectively, 383,638 safe hours were worked by multiple departments at the corporate headquarters in Andalusia, Ala.

“All our employees are to be commended for their commitment to safety,” said PowerSouth President and CEO Gary Smith. “All our corporate values are important, but without safety, reliability and affordability don’t matter much. PowerSouth employees continue to set the standard for safety excellence in our industry. While we are all proud of the safety record, we are even more pleased about the fact our employees go home uninjured to their families every day.”

Departments celebrating the safety milestone include: Bulk Power Services, Communications, Customer Response, Economic Development, Energy Control, Energy Resources, Environmental Services, Finance and Accounting, Financial Planning, Fuels, Human Resources, Information Systems, Legal Services, Member Services, President and CEO Staff, Procurement Services and T&D Planning and Reliability.

“Our employees work together to carry out our safety program,” said PowerSouth Safety Manager Buddy Manring. “Our good safety record is only possible through their combined efforts and dedication to working safely.”

 

– end –

 

About PowerSouth:

PowerSouth serves the wholesale energy needs of 16 electric cooperatives and four municipal electric systems in Alabama and northwest Florida, with more than a million consumers in 39 Alabama and 10 Florida counties. PowerSouth is dedicated to providing reliable energy at the lowest possible cost to its members.

 

For more information:
Mark Ingram, Corporate Communication Manager
334.427.3330

 

PowerSouth is an EEO and AAP employer

]]> 2012-02-03T17:36:33+00:00 <![CDATA[Powerlines Newsletter - February 2012]]> http://www.powersouth.com/powerlines/powerlines_newsletter_february_2012 http://www.powersouth.com/powerlines/powerlines_newsletter_february_2012#When:21:45:59Z In this issue:

NERC assesses long-term reliability

The North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC)’s 2011 Long-Term Reliability Assessment predicts electricity demand will grow by 90,000 megawatts in the next decade, despite a decline in commitments to build new generation.

 
The NERC report assesses long-term electricity supply and demand and transmission reliability in North America for the next decade. It also discusses key issues and trends affecting the reliability of future electric supplies and transmission systems. 
 
To reach its findings, NERC evaluated key reliability indicators, including peak demand and energy forecasts, resource adequacy, transmission development, changes in overall system characteristics and operating behavior, and other influential or regulatory issues that may impact the reliability of the bulk power system. However, for the 2011 assessment, significant effort was also made to identify possible impacts due to pending environmental regulations.
 
Six key issues and risks were identified.
 
Reserve margins — A decrease in projected future generation resources. While most regions are projected to have adequate margins, Texas is an area of concern.
 
Gas-electric interdependency — There is a growing dependence on natural gas as a primary fuel for on-peak capacity. Natural gas, wind, and some solar generation are projected to be the primary source of new generating resources being integrated into the bulk power system. 
 
Demand-side management — DSM programs, including conservation, energy efficiency and demand response programs, provide the ability to reduce peak demand. Significant increases in the use of DSM are expected to offset some generation resource needs.
 
Environmental Regulations — Existing and proposed regulations may significantly affect the bulk transmission system.
 
“One of the greatest risks identified by the NERC Planning Committee is the potential impacts of future environmental regulations,” said Jay Farrington, PowerSouth T&D Planning and Reliability Manager. “There are many uncertainties associated with understanding what the actual impacts will be, so it’s hard for our region, or even the country to know what the final outcome will mean to reliability as electricity demand continues to grow.”
 
Variable generation — A significant growth in the use of wind and solar power is expected. However, tools, training and transmission capacity will be key to their integration and operation.
 
Transmission — The number of miles is expected to increase significantly responding to new generation resources. Roughly 506,000 miles of line are expected in the NERC assessment area, with about 28,000 in the SERC-SE area. 
 
The complete assessment is available at www.nerc.com.
 

PowerSouth hosts trustee orientation

As a general contractor, Greg McCullough is accustomed to managing and coordinating building projects. However, as a PowerSouth Board Member elected last November to represent Wiregrass EC, McCullough admits he has a lot to learn about generation and transmission cooperatives like PowerSouth.
 
That’s why McCullough joined other board members at PowerSouth’s New Trustee Orientation Jan. 13. 
 
“I know the basics about how electricity is made, but the orientation really opened my eyes to how important it is that we plan long-term to ensure future reliability and generation,” McCullough said. “I also understand better how many people it takes to keep an organization the size of PowerSouth going.”
 
The trustees received operational reports from Vice President of Power Delivery Larry Avery and Vice President of Power Supply Damon Morgan.
 
“Seeing what we have to do to comply with Environmental Protection Agency mandates and the cost factors involved is enlightening,” said Leigh Grantham, Orientation attendee and CHELCO CEO and General Manager. “It’s unfortunate that targets keep changing. We need some certainty rather than changing requirements that force higher costs.”
 
McCullough, Grantham and the other orientation participants toured PowerSouth’s Energy Control Center, as well as Central Generation.
 
“Seeing firsthand how PowerSouth maintains power at substations simply amazed me,” McCullough said. “We cover such a large service area, so when we were shown the wall full of lights representing the different delivery points, it brings home the importance of ensuring everything works like clockwork.”
 
In addition to generating electricity and delivering power through an extensive transmission network, PowerSouth provides a variety of value-added services to our members including demand side management, key accounts and economic development, planning, engineering and rates, training, marketing and communications assistance.

President and CEO Gary Smith welcomed the trustees to Andalusia. He emphasized the company’s mission to provide reliable, competitively priced wholesale power while promoting the communities we serve.

Need for organ donors hits close to home

“Give 5 — Save Lives” is the theme of the 2012 ad campaign used by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to promote organ and tissue donations. It only takes about five minutes or less to actually sign up to be an organ donor. 

 
Organ donation is a deeply personal commitment – just ask Barbara Whitehead and Ricky Coxwell from PowerSouth’s Lowman Plant. Both are recipients of donor kidneys. However, their donors represent two different types of donors – a family match and a non-family match.
 
“I was diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease (PKD) in 2000,” says Coxwell, PowerSouth Operations Supervisor. “I was lucky – I was 45, had never been on dialysis, and I had a younger brother who was willing to give me a kidney as a birthday present.”
 
After six weeks recovery, Coxwell returned to the Lowman Plant full time, and he admits he’s lucky – he’s never felt better. However, when Whitehead learned in 2000 of her PKD diagnosis, she went through two years of dialysis before her husband’s sister, who was not a blood relative, called with wonderful news – she was a donor match.
 
“My sister-in-law had told me she was going to get tested, but I honestly wasn’t optimistic because finding a non-family match for an organ donor is hard,” Whitehead admits. “But when she called me at my desk here at the plant, I just couldn’t believe it. She proved you can be a match and not be related.”
 
Every 11 minutes someone is added to the organ donation list.  Each day about 77 people receive organ transplants. However, 19 people die each day waiting for transplants that can’t take place because of the shortage of donated organs.
 
“I believe the reason more people aren’t signed up as an organ donor is because they think they have to go to the drivers license division and change their license to get this changed,” says Cheryl Weeks, PowerSouth Financial Services Department Secretary. “It is way more simple than that. There is a website – www.organdonor.gov – that can help them see the statistics and information they need in order to help them make this decision.”
 
Weeks is passionate about organ donation because she sees first-hand the real need for donors. At PowerSouth, two families await donors for their loved ones.  Weeks’ Finance and Accounting coworker Charlee Dunn awaits a liver donor for her husband, Benny. In addition, George Mangus, employee at PowerSouth’s McIntosh Plant, awaits a liver donor for his daughter, Ansley.
 
Currently, organs of the body that can be transplanted include kidneys, heart, lungs, liver, pancreas and intestines. Kidney/pancreas transplants, heart/lung transplants, and other combined organ transplants also are performed. Organs cannot be stored and must be used within hours of removing them from the donor’s body. Most donated organs are from people who have died, but a living individual can donate a kidney, part of the pancreas, part of a lung, part of the liver, or part of the intestine.
 
“I’m sure some people consider organ donation scary or even gross, but for a recipient, it is something different…it’s hope, it’s life,” Coxwell said. “Talk to me, Barbara, Charlee or George and we’ll tell you what being an organ donor means. It’s a deeply personal issue with a very public need.”
 
For more information about organ donation, visit www.organdonor.gov. 

McIntosh units 4 and 5 put to the test

PowerSouth’s newest simple-cycle combustion turbines – Units 4 and 5 at our McIntosh Plant – have been put to the test in recent months, but not due to generation peaks. Siemens, manufacturer of the turbines, is testing the units as part of integrated product development of hardware designed to improve engine performance.

 
The McIntosh Plant’s two Siemens SGT6-5000F combustion turbines and generators are the only ones currently being tested by the company. As is the case with all combustion turbines, performance degrades over time due to a variety of factors. Siemens is testing ways to minimize that degradation with changes to the clearances between blades and seals within the turbine itself, as well as a combination of new hardware and improved break-in and operating procedures.
 
“We hope the end result of the hardware we’re developing is the same performance year-after-year that you got from units 4 and 5 you received with initial use,” says John Gish, Siemens Engineering Test Lead for the project.
 
“Companies are always asking for ways to improve the performance of their combustion turbines, and we were looking for an operating power plant willing to work with us and share data,” says Barton Pepperman, Siemens’ Design Lead for the project. “After the units were fully operational at the McIntosh Plant, we contacted PowerSouth to see if they were willing to work with us, and you’ve all been very cooperative.”
 
The McIntosh units are simple-cycle, which offers a quick start. In addition, they are the latest model engines offered by Siemens, which means they include the latest hardware and are the easiest to incorporate new hardware.
 
Testing began on unit 5 in February and on unit 4 in September 2011. The initial testing was complete this January, however, the hardware will remain attached to unit 4 while Siemens evaluates all the data collected. Additional testing may be performed before final improvements are made.
 
“We showed up with certain criteria that we hoped to meet, and we’ve met those criteria,” Pepperman said. “We have positive results, and our next step will be to fine tune those results into an affordable option for our customers.” 

Memories of a Sears catalog

When I was young, the second best day of the year was the day the Sears Roebuck & Co. Christmas catalog arrived. I still remember the glossy pages of Christmas joy wrapped in a brown paper mailer. 

 
My brother and I would fight over who had the first look and would continue to fight for days over whose turn it was to pour over the toy section to advise Santa Claus. We would ignore the clothes and turn down the corners of the pages where our favorite toys were located for quick reference to show Mom what we wanted. Those are some of my favorite Christmas memories, where the anticipation and excitement of Santa Claus was even better than the thrill of the toys (clothes in my house) of Christmas morning.
 
On Christmas morning, after the frenzy of opening presents, Mom would take a few pictures. I think her camera was an Instamatic, but the brand was a Kodak, because all cameras were Kodaks back then. I am not sure anyone else made cameras or film - just Kodak.
 
The camera was a small box that film had to be threaded into and could not be trusted to young boys for fear of ‘exposing’ the film. Individual flashbulbs were required that had to switched in and out with every picture. We might have had film, but we were nearly always out of flash bulbs. The smell of burnt Kodak flashbulbs is still a strong memory of Christmas morning.
 
While the Sears catalog and single flash bulbs have been gone for years, Sears and Kodak are also close to extinction. Sears recently reported that 2011 sales dropped to a level that many analysts think unsustainable, operating losses have become regular, and it is thought that Sears will soon be forced to file for bankruptcy protection. Kodak should have filed for bankruptcy protection by the time you read this article and should soon start liquidating assets.
 
What could have happened to these great companies? After all, didn’t Sears have a monopoly of Christmas, tools, appliances and everything else we needed when I was young? Didn’t Kodak control the camera and film markets? 
 
Sears apparently failed to keep up with what people wanted to buy, especially our younger generation that is by far the largest consuming group within our economy. While they still have outstanding tools and good appliances, their clothes don’t have the style and impart the message young people want to portray. Apparently, the sale of tools, appliances and lawn mowers is not strong enough to keep the company afloat.
 
Kodak, after monopolizing the camera market for decades, didn’t have the foresight to make the change from film technology to digital technology. Who could have imagined 10 years ago that every cell phone would have a high-definition camera - if not a video camera - built-in as a normal application? You might think that technology passed Kodak by. But you should know that Kodak labs have been and continue to be one of the most creative institutions in our country. After all, Kodak labs created digital imaging and the digital cameras that will now force Kodak into bankruptcy. The approximately 1,100 patents are about Kodak’s only profitable assets.
 
This brings me to think about PowerSouth and the electric utility industry, and should also have you thinking about your business and life. Have we missed a vision of the future? Have we under-estimated innovation and change that will dramatically affect the way we live, what we sell and buy and will change the face of business into the future?
 
Fifty years ago, who could have imagined a world without Sears Roebuck and Kodak? Who would have imagined that a company later formed - Apple Computers - would have a net worth approaching the value of the U.S. government? Who would have thought everyone would have a cell phone with a digital camera and would communicate the way we communicate today? If we want to survive through the next wave of technology, we must anticipate the future or we will be left reading our Sears catalogs and loading film in our cameras.
 
All this gets me to thinking about countries and civilizations. Next month, I will have some thoughts on how cultures have changed. I hope you have a great month. 

Company reaches calendar year safety milestone

 

For the first time in company history, PowerSouth employees achieved a full calendar year with no lost-time accidents.
 
The safety achievement represents 365 days – over 1.2 million hours – worked safely by more than 500 employees.
 
“Our employees demonstrated a superior level of safety during 2011, as evidenced by reaching a full calendar year without lost time injury,” says Buddy Manring, PowerSouth Safety Manager. “They deserve much praise for accomplishing this feat.”
 
“I commend all employees for their dedication to safety,” said Gary Smith, PowerSouth President and CEO. “Going a full year without a lost-time accident is a tremendous accomplishment, especially for our industry, but adding to it the accomplishment of the calendar year 2011 makes it extra special.”
 
Plans are under way for a special event honoring all employees for their safety achievements. 

 
 

Why is cyber security a problem?

You’ve  heard the news stories about credit card numbers being stolen and email viruses spreading. Maybe you’ve even been a victim yourself. One of the best defenses is understanding the risks, what some of the basic terms mean, and what you can do to protect yourself against them.

 
What is cyber security?
It seems that everything relies on computers and the Internet now — communication (email, cellphones), entertainment (digital cable, mp3s), transportation (car engine systems, airplane navigation), shopping (online stores, credit cards), medicine (equipment, medical records), and the list goes on. How much of your daily life relies on computers? How much of your personal information is stored either on your own computer or on someone else’s system? 
 
Cyber security involves protecting that information by preventing, detecting and responding to attacks. 
 
What are the risks?
There are many risks, some more serious than others. Among these dangers are viruses erasing your entire system, someone breaking into your system and altering files, someone using your computer to attack others, or someone stealing your credit card information and making unauthorized purchases. Unfortunately, there’s no 100% guarantee that even with the best precautions some of these things won’t happen to you, but there are steps you can take to minimize the chances. 
 
What can you do?
The first step in protecting yourself is to recognize risks and become familiar with some of the terminology associated with them. 
 
Hacker, attacker or intruder — these terms are applied to the people who seek to exploit weaknesses in software and computer systems for their own gain. 
 
Malicious code — Malicious code, sometimes called malware, is a broad category that includes any code that could be used to attack your computer. Viruses and worms are examples of malicious code.
 
Vulnerability — In most cases, vulnerabilities are caused by programming errors in software. Attackers might be able to take advantage of these errors to infect your computer, so it is important to apply updates or patches that address known vulnerabilities.
 
Sources: McDowell & Householder; Carnegie Mellon University. 

Verbatim: If the lights go out

 

Source: Wall Street Journal, Nov. 6
 
Say what you will about Obama Administration regulators, their problem has rarely been a failure to regulate. Which makes the abdication of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) especially notable—and dangerous for the U.S. power supply.
 
During a conference late last year, FERC discussed the wave of new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules that are designed to force dozens of coal-fired power plants to shut down. Despite warnings from expert after expert, including some of its own, the FERC Commissioners refuse to do anything about this looming threat to electric reliability.
 
The latest body to sound the EPA alarm is the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), which recently released its annual 10-year projections “Environmental regulations are shown to be the number one risk to reliability over the next one to five years,” the report explains.
 
NERC’s forecasts are the gold standard for the U.S. power system because they are built from the bottom up, starting with finely grained data from individual plants.
 
NERC has been doing this work since 1967, and since 2005 it has operated under the FERC umbrella as an “electric reliability organization.”
 
The threat is that the EPA is triggering what NERC calls “an unprecedented resource-mix change,” with utilities switching to natural gas from coal. For the first time in U.S. history, net coal capacity is in decline. On top of the 38 gigawatts of generation that is already being run below normal levels or slated for early retirement, NERC predicts another 36 to 59 gigawatts will come offline by 2018, depending on the “scope and timing” of EPA demands. That could mean nearly a quarter of all coal-fired capacity.
 
According to the report, “the nation’s power grid will be stressed in ways never before experienced” and reliability depends on building new power plants to cover the losses. 
 
Replacing power is not like replacing a lost cellphone. There are bottlenecks in permitting, engineering, financing and building a new plant and then tying it to the electricity network. Over the next three years, NERC estimates that between 576 and 677 plants will need to be temporarily shut down to install retrofits like scrubbers or baghouses.
 
All of this has been obvious to anyone paying attention. In its draft utility rule the EPA itself warned that “sources integral to reliable operation” may be forced to shut down, before it sanitized these concessions from the final proposal. Twenty-seven states say their regional reliability is at risk, concerns echoed by FBR Capital, Credit Suisse, Fitch, Bernstein Research and several grid operators. FERC’s own Office of Electric Reliability produced an alarming study, before its work was disowned by Chairman Jon Wellinghoff, as we reported in the September 26 editorial “Inside the EPA.”
 
Southern Co., the utility that covers states from Mississippi to Georgia, says the EPA’s timeline can’t be met “at any cost” and that in its region “reliability cannot be maintained without load shedding”—that is, rationing power to large industrial consumers. American Electric Power, which operates in 11 Midwest states, says that option may be a “last resort” as well. This is the kind of political overhang that harms economic growth.
 
Keep in mind that the EPA estimates that the benefits to society from the mercury reductions in the utility rule max out at $6.1 million, total, while imposing $11 billion in compliance costs annually. That is a crazy tradeoff even if it didn’t endanger the electric grid.
 
The best option would be to kill the utility rule and put the EPA on probation, but second best is a longer phase-in to give utilities more time to comply. FERC could do some practical good by formally issuing a “215 finding” that the EPA utility rule endangers reliability. Or the White House budget and regulatory office could require the EPA to repropose the rule with more flexibility. Or President Obama could declare that the rule endangers national security. Or Congress could block the rule, though that would take more fortitude than Senate Democrats have shown so far.
 
None of this is likely to happen because it would interfere with the larger Administration priority to kill as much coal power as rapidly as possible to serve the global warming agenda. But when the brownouts and cost-spikes occur, don’t blame the utilities. Blame their regulator.

Enviro update: FERC, NRECA comment on latest regs

 

FERC issues white paper on advisory role on Utility MACT extensions
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is preparing industry comments on a white paper proposing a process by which FERC could provide advice to EPA on utility applications for a one-year extension to comply with the new utility Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (commonly known as utility MACT) rule.  
 
EPA has the final decision on granting any utility requests for extensions, but FERC wants to provide information on which facilities are critical to electric grid reliability.  The white paper emphasizes the commission’s legal authority over reliability issues and wants to ensure that no FERC-approved reliability standards are violated. 
 
The white paper recommends that utilities file the same information with FERC and EPA, and the commission send EPA its comments on each request.  NRECA is determining if it will submit comments, and if so, whether it will do that jointly with other trade associations.  
 
NRECA supports EPA proposal in RICE Rule lawsuit settlement
NRECA sent comments to EPA supporting the agency’s proposed settlement agreement in an industry lawsuit challenging the new Maximum Achievable Control Technology and New Source Performance Standard regulations for reciprocating internal combustion engines (RICE).  
 
NRECA is supporting the proposed settlement because EPA has previously said it will address petitions to reconsider provisions on peak-shaving.  NRECA would like to see the 100-hour operating limit expanded to include using RICE units for demand response.  Under the agreement, EPA would propose new RICE regulations no later than April 20, and a final rule by Dec. 14. 

2012 Youth Tour winners selected

 

Eight high school students from Andalusia, Elba, Opp and Pike County high schools have been selected as PowerSouth’s 2012 Youth Tour winners and runners-up. 
 
Will Parker and Jennifer Botta from Andalusia High School, Mason Sims and Daulton Messer from Opp High School, Ashley Foster and Korie Machado from Elba High School and Zandrea Mency and Tyliyah Hooks from Pike County High School will join hundreds of other Youth Tour winners from across Alabama in Montgomery to learn more about government, the legislative process and the rural electrification program. 
 
As Youth Tour winners, Parker, Sims, Foster and Mency will receive an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C., in June to participate in the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s (NRECA) Youth Tour to visit the nation’s capitol and meet with government leaders, along with thousands of other high school students from around the country.
 
The top 10 students from all four schools joined area Youth Tour Program participants at Point A Lodge on Feb. 15 to learn more about PowerSouth and the electric industry, while interacting with their peers.
 
The students were chosen based on their performance on written essays, written tests and an interview competition at PowerSouth’s headquarters in Andalusia.
 
PowerSouth has participated in the Youth Tour program for more than 20 years. The Electric Cooperative Youth Tour has brought high school students to Washington, D.C., every June since the late 1950s, and more than 40,000 students from across America have participated in this unique program. 

Coffee Baking Company

Don Holley always had a dream of running his own business. With some encouragement from his father, in 1996 he began baking cakes in his grandmother’s old home on County Road 476 in Kinston, Ala., using family recipes.

 
“I’d been tinkering around with a few of the recipes, and before long we had a small-scale operation going,” says Holley. “We’d bake on Monday and Tuesday, then we’d sell the cakes Wednesday through Friday.”
 
Before long, Holley’s “tinkering around” got noticed. Mitchell Grocery Company called about selling his cakes as a frozen product in its stores. Soon after, Piggly Wiggly and Food Lion started buying cakes, and Coffee Baking Company was born.
 
In 1999, Mark Parker from Covington EC, Victor Wyatt from PowerSouth and Tom Solomon from the Southeast Alabama Regional Planning Commission worked with Holley on a rural economic development loan through Covington EC. The loan funds allowed Coffee Baking Company to expand from Holley’s grandmother’s house into a new, 14,500-square-foot building that includes office space, a baking facility, freezer and warehouse.
 
“We recognized Don’s need for a larger facility, and we wanted to help,” says Parker. “Under the rural economic development loan program, we were able to provide Coffee Baking with a zero-interest loan to promote growth and employment in the Kinston area. The growth has been tremendous; we’re very pleased.”
 
With a maximum manufacturing capacity of 13,000 cakes a day, Holley’s operations have come a long way from his bake-two-days and sell-three-days.
 
“We when started I was limited to cooking about 48 cakes at a time,” says Holley. “Today, we have 22 employees and we’re able to cook 1,056 cakes at a time, which has certainly helped meet distribution.”
 
Coffee Baking Company’s largest customer is in Baton Rouge, La., however, the company also ships its frozen cakes to Memphis, Nashville, Charlotte, Atlanta and two warehouses right here in Alabama.
 
Even though the manufacturing capacity has improved, Holley is quick to point out that the quality of his cakes has not been negotiated to cut costs. All his recipes – 14 cake varieties in all – come from either old church cookbooks, Southern Living magazine or recipes his grandmother cooked when he was a kid.
 
“We started as a small, family-owned business, and God has really blessed us,” Holley says. “We’re proud of where we came from and where we’re headed.  Tell everybody to give us a call at (334) 565-9067 when they need a cake, we’ll ship anywhere!” 
]]> 2012-01-11T21:45:59+00:00 <![CDATA[Powerlines Newsletter - January 2012]]> http://www.powersouth.com/powerlines/powerlines_newsletter_january_2012 http://www.powersouth.com/powerlines/powerlines_newsletter_january_2012#When:21:32:37Z In this issue:

2012 budget a product of multiple departments

 

The 2012 budget, approved at the Nov. 18 board meeting, boasts only a 1.5 percent increase over PowerSouth’s proforma 2011 budget. 
 
While capacity costs remain relatively flat, energy costs increased slightly with the driving force being coal prices.
 
Average member costs, excluding interruptible loads, for 2012 are 78.11 mills, up only 1.15 mills from 2011. 
 
“We can be good at forecasting the costs associated with operating and maintaining our system, but we always have to remember the fact that our distribution members carry those costs,” said Ferrell Walton, PowerSouth Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.
 
According to Walton, personnel look at each expenditure, forecast and budgeted item to ensure PowerSouth is taking advantage of cost savings. Those savings help make our mission of providing reliable, competitively priced wholesale power to our members a reality.
 
In the 2012 budget, fuel and purchase power costs make up 56 percent, and fixed costs make up 19 percent of PowerSouth’s total cost of electrical service. 
 
“Because fuel and purchase power prices in the 2012 budget are up slightly from 2011, our energy fuel rate went from 39.85 mills to 41.12 mills,” said Walton. “We have a 3 percent increase in the energy fuel rate to the members for the budget.”
 
The fuel and purchased power costs are reviewed monthly by the Corporate Planning and Power Supply Committee with any recommendations by the committee presented to the Board of Trustees for approval.  
 
“We continually search for new ways to cut costs to help our members be as competitive as possible,” said Paige Culbreth, PowerSouth Financial Planning Manager. “The budgeting process is an example of how multiple PowerSouth departments work in concert to develop a result that is most beneficial to the company as a whole.”
 

Planned maintenance yields reliability

 

PowerSouth knows the value of good equipment. As a whole, we generated 6,830,303 megawatt hours in 2011, with 20 units (plus two more at Miller Plant) in operation at our six plant locations.
 
Equipment failure during normal operating hours could be disastrous, leading to months of inoperability and expensive power purchases to make up for lost generation. To avoid such failures, PowerSouth plant personnel conduct planned maintenance outages during times of lower demand.
 
Vann Plant
During an outage in early Fall, Vann Plant employees replaced their existing control systems — manufactured by Siemens, Mitsubishi and Honeywell — with one system developed specifically for the Vann Plant by Siemens.
 
“Control systems become obsolete over time, much like personal computers do,” said David Wyatt, PowerSouth Central Generation Plant Manager. “Ten years is the normal life span of a plant operating system, so we took advantage of the timing to install a universal set of controls that will allow us to share information between units easier and more efficiently.”
 
According to Roger Hammonds, PowerSouth Plant Control Systems Specialist, the Vann Plant uses about 3,500 input/output (IO) points to control every aspect of the generation process. 
 
“Before the upgrade, we had to visit three or four different places to handle issues during operation,” said Hammonds. “The new operating system makes IO points easier to access and change. With a more consolidated process, we can make changes on the fly rather than having to shut plant operations down.”
 
Also during Fall outages the control valves on Vann’s Unit 3 steam turbine were disassembled and inspected. Ten valves control the flow of high, intermediate and low pressure steam as it enters the turbine, regulating the flow of steam to control the unit.
 
“Steam tends to cause a build up called ‘blue blush’ that makes the valves stick, making them difficult to close or open,” said Wes Thomasson, PowerSouth Principal Engineer. “We cleaned the blue blush off of the valve components with a grit blaster and conducted a non-destructive evaluation (NDE) to ensure future reliability.” 
 
Lastly, epoxy was injected in the stator of the Vann Plant’s Unit 1 generator. The insulation protecting the copper bars within the stator — the stationary part of the generator — will break down over time and spark. Therefore, the epoxy serves as a stabilizer for the bars as a preventative measure to avoid spark erosion. 
 
Lowman Plant
The smallest Unit at the Lowman Plant — the 86-megawatt Unit 1 — underwent a major planned outage this Fall. The Unit was removed from service and completely diassembled, a process that occurs once every six years.
 
Scale build-up in the turbine was removed, and internal clearances were re-established in an effort to restore efficiency. Contractors disassembled the turbine to repair any damage caused to the blades by solid particle erosion and decrease blade clearances. In addition, the Unit 1 stator was rewound during the outage. 
 
According to Scott Chastain, PowerSouth Superintendent of Technical Services, all of the Lowman Units are manufactured by GE, so GE contractors completed the rewind work. In addition, contractors and PowerSouth employees inspected and replaced as necessary boiler tubes in the economizer section of the Unit 1 boiler and upgraded the soot blower controls.
 
Other Lowman Fall outage work included the repair of steam leaks on the turbine and the reinstallation of the gas recirculating fan, and ongoing maintenance on the jet bubbling reactor (scrubber) of Unit 2. The soot blower controls were upgraded and a new induced draft fan transformer was installed on Unit 3. In addition, the A cooling tower on Units 2 and 3 was reworked.
 
“Whether the fix requires a major tear down of a unit or a couple of weeks for normal maintenance work, we try to be proactive and address potential problems with our generation units before they ever occur,” said David Powell, PowerSouth Director of Power Production. “We say we want to provide affordable, reliable power to our members, and this is one way we do it. It’s a team effort that pays off for everyone in the end through better equipment, more efficient work time and lower rates.” 
 

Donation Made to Covington County United Fund

 

 
 
 
 
United Fund contributions support more than 21 organizations, touching citizens of all ages, races and socio-economic status. Whether it’s a Boy or Girl Scout, recovering drug addict, local church congregation, 4-H leaders-in-training or avid reader, local dollars reach them all. PowerSouth President and CEO Gary Smith (left) presented PowerSouth’s $11,060 donation to Wem Mellown, 2012 Covington County United Fund Chairman, in December. Charitable giving and community service go hand-in-hand with one of PowerSouth’s core values — community development.
 
 
 
 

Phase two HQ construction under way

 

PowerSouth’s five-phase construction project at the headquarters campus in Andalusia moves full-speed ahead. The second phase of construction, approved by the board June 24, began Dec. 5.
 
Phase two includes demolition of building four (originally constructed in 1957). Demolition was completed November 2011. In its place, a new two-story, 19,000-square-foot complex will be built. The new complex will include a walk-thru to building one with an adjoining hallway to the main lobby.
 
The new complex will house the Information Systems Department, Safety Department and Training Department, including a new PC Training Center. Phase two also includes a major renovation and expansion of the lobby entrance, which includes restroom facilities and meeting rooms for access without security check-in required.
 
“This project is the largest headquarters building project since the mid-1980’s expansion that included the three-story main building,” said Joe Armstrong, PowerSouth Principal Engineer. “We ask all employees and visitors to please be mindful and safe, and try to completely avoid the construction area.”
 
The first phase of work — a new building on the north side of the campus attached to the warehouse complex — was completed in September 2011. Phase two will be complete in December 2012.
 
“Our focus is to provide all work teams with work space within adjacent areas and not separated by floors or in different parts of the campus,” Avery said.  “PowerSouth employees will be inconvenienced at times during the construction phase but will be very pleased with their new work space when it is completed.” 
 

EPA issues mercury and air toxics standard

 

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued its final rule addressing emissions of hazardous air pollutants from coal and oil-fired utilities — the Utility Mercury and Air Toxics Standard (Utility MATS, also known as the Utility Maximum Achievable Control Technology or UMACT rule) Dec. 21, including a three-year deadline to comply. 
 
“It is likely that some electric co-ops will have difficulty in achieving compliance with the rule in the time frame allowed,” said Keith Stephens, PowerSouth Environmental Services Manager. “Often, small systems must compete with larger utilities for the limited number of engineering experts and equipment vendors, and smaller systems stand at the back of the line.”
 
There will be provisions for extensions, but not all extensions are certain, and not all will be available to every utility.
 
Utility MATS is likely to be the most stringent and expensive environmental regulation to directly impact electric utilities, costing tens of billions of dollars over the next few years. The rule, considered the most expensive in EPA’s history, is aimed at emissions of mercury and hazardous air pollutants and requires utilities to use the maximum available control technology to meet new standards.
 
Nearly 1,400 power generation units at about 525 U.S. plants will be subject to the rule, and could require expensive new controls to continue operating and avoid fines or penalties.
 
PowerSouth’s coal-fired Lowman Power Plant already has scrubbers installed to reduce sulfur dioxide and selective catalytic reduction equipment to reduce nitrogen oxides, and we are compliant with current greenhouse gas reporting requirements. We are still analyzing the impact of the Utility MATS rule on our units and assessing whether there is a need for additional controls.
 
During the last few weeks, environmental activist organizations have pressured the Obama Administration to make this rule as strict and inflexible as possible. In response, about 30 generation and transmission cooperatives (G&Ts) signed a letter with NRECA, Edison Electric Institute, the Chamber of Commerce and others urging President Obama to use his authority to extend the compliance period beyond three years for all power plants to install the equipment needed under Utility MACT.
 
A recent Associated Press survey found that more than 32 mostly coal-fired power plants in a dozen states will be forced to shut down and an additional 36 might have to close because of new federal air pollution regulations.
 
“In moving forward with this burdensome rule, the Administration is choosing to turn a blind eye to its own Executive Order issued in January 2011 stating that the regulatory system must promote economic growth, job creation, and predictability while reducing uncertainty,” said Lance Brown, Executive Director of the Partnership for Affordable Clean Energy (PACE). “At the very least, the EPA should have recognized recent emissions improvements before implementing a rule with unrealistic deadlines for compliance. The end result will restrain domestic energy, endanger jobs and saddle consumers with higher power bills.
 
PACE reports that the technology used to make the burning of coal for electricity cleaner has improved greatly and been widely implemented. Coal-fired generation facilities are producing 50 percent more electricity than we were 20 years ago with two-thirds less emissions. The use of coal to meet electricity demand has tripled since 1970 and yet emissions are still down.
 
“To say we’re concerned about the effects Utility MATS will have on energy costs and the effects the new rule relative to energy production will have on the average person — that would be an understatement,” said Gary Smith, PowerSouth President and CEO. “However, our mission is to provide the average family the reliable, affordable energy they expect. If electricity is no longer affordable for people in our society, what do we do about those who can’t afford it?” 
 

How do you feel about 2012?

 

By Gary Smith, PowerSouth President and CEO
 
As long as I remember, new years have been depicted as babies in diapers with smiles on their faces, and past years have been depicted as scowling old men. I am not usually optimistic, and the PowerSouth staff often refers to me as the pessimist in the group. As I look ahead, it is easier to think of 2012 as a scowling old man than a smiling baby.
 
I can’t remember any time that people, including me, are as uncertain about the future as now. Tea Party members are concerned about taxes and government debt levels. Wall Street protestors demonstrate against the wealth that investment bankers have accumulated through the latest recession. Businesses question government-imposed regulations that have the prospect of limiting growth and investment. Environmentalists are concerned about the condition of the environment into the future. Politicians complain that the other political party is hindering their social reform. Consumers are concerned about their jobs and their ability to balance household finances. 
 
We have been through recessions and depressions. Things have been bad before. I am as concerned now about the future and prospects for people -- especially the poor and those on fixed incomes -- as I have ever been in the past. 
 
The economy refuses to pick up, regardless of the Federal Reserve’s lowering interest rates to historic lows and other government efforts to spark economic growth. Federal government debt continues to grow, and the stock market remains rather stagnant through volatile periods. Unemployment levels will remain high, new or better jobs will be more difficult to find and compensation levels will remain static without economic growth. Although gasoline prices have declined, increased social costs from government regulation are driving up the price of household necessities such as food, electricity and clothing. The price increases of those items reduce the amount of disposable income available for the average household. The reduction in available disposable household income reduces consumer spending and tends to depress the economy.   
 
Government regulation, especially by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) continues to add increased cost to manufacturing and production by increasing the cost of material production inputs and electricity required for the production cycle. Even as the economy struggles, EPA continues to impose additional regulation that further stifles improvement in the economy. The government also proposes increased taxes, which may curb the growth of government debt but also further slows economic growth. 
 
Capital required for businesses to expand operations and for people to finance personal assets is becoming harder to secure as banks brace for fallout from the deepening European financial crisis and increasing European governmental debt. If European countries are truly bankrupt – and it appears that some are – can we expect those problems to find our shores and cause additional havoc with our economy?
 
While regular people grope for solutions to their everyday problems like paying household bills, finding jobs, educating children and planning for retirement, politicians posture and preach about the opposing party’s unreasonable positions, and how if re-elected they can improve our lives. 
 
With all those problems, no clear social consensus and no easy solutions, it is difficult to view 2012 as a cute, smiling baby. However, I do. I think of the greatness in the country’s past and how we have overcome so many obstacles. I believe we can again find a way to success and prosperity. It will require sacrifices, social and political consensus, people working together for the good of the whole and – more importantly – compromise. I am confident that with a presidential election in the fall we will come together as a single people and work toward a common goal of making a great country and great society even better. 
 
I plan to have a great 2012, and I hope you do, too. 
 

CSAPR on hold for now

 

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled Dec. 30 to delay the Environmental Protection Agency’s Cross-State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR) until its legal merits could be determined. 
 
The EPA rule was scheduled to take effect this month.
 
CSAPR is aimed at cutting emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. It affects power companies in 27 states.
 
The ruling has particular importance for Texas. The state’s Attorney General Greg Abbott said Texas sought a stay in September, to prevent the regulations from “jeopardizing the reliability of Texas’ electrical grid, threatening hard-working Texans’ jobs, and burdening Texas families with higher electricity prices.”
 
Abbott claimed that the EPA failed to comply with laws that require federal agencies to inform the public of rule proposals in advance so that affected parties can participate in the rulemaking process. 
 
The ruling stays the CSAPR’s implementation pending a full review by the court of Texas’ petition for review. The ruling also orders the parties to submit proposed briefing schedules by Jan. 17 so the case may be heard by April.
 
“One of the biggest challenges of CSAPR and similar EPA rules is the time frame given to implement the regulations and make required changes,” PACE Executive Director Lance Brown explained. “Many of the agency’s proposals would be feasible for the energy industry if they were given more time to adopt the rules.”
 
What does CSAPR mean for PowerSouth?
 
“Since we have already installed the appropriate pollution control equipment at our Lowman Plant, PowerSouth is in a position to comply with the CSAPR rule as written,” says Keith Stephens, Environmental Services Manager. “We’ll watch this rule and others, and continue to try to balance compliance with our mission to provide reliable, affordable energy to our members.” 
 

 

 

 

PowerSouth ranks 77th nationally

 

In its annual ranking of the top 100 cooperatives in America, the National Consumer Cooperative Bank (NCB) ranked PowerSouth 77. PowerSouth has been ranked on NCB’s list the last four years. 
 
Each year, the NCB announces the top 100 cooperatives in America, highlighting the business activity and economic power of the member-owned, member-controlled businesses. As the only report of its kind, the NCB ranking is an important indicator of cooperative business activity.
 
“Like our Co-op 100 audiences, we are eager to see which co-ops make the list, how they rank compared to the previous year, and what kinds of revenues they’re generating,” said Charles Snyder, NCB President and CEO. “This year, as always, we are delighted to see that co-ops continue to grow and expand, providing vital services to their community and members.”
 
In 2010, the top 100 Cooperatives generated nearly $194 billion in revenue. PowerSouth ranks with some of the nation’s largest cooperatives, including Land O’Lakes Inc., Ace Hardware Corp., Dairy Farmers of America, Associated Press and Ocean Spray.
 
“Year-after-year, our ranking on the NCB list is indicative of our effort to serve our distribution members effectively and with a mind for economic development,” says Seth Hammett, PowerSouth Vice President of Business Development. “PowerSouth strives to be an excellent corporate citizen in every way
possible.” 
 

Trustee Update Jan. 25-27

 

PowerSouth’s annual Trustee Update is Jan. 25-27 at the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort and Spa. During the meeting, trustees and key operating personnel of PowerSouth’s distribution members will learn about issues impacting PowerSouth and our industry.
 
The theme of the 2012 Trustee Update is the “Power Behind the Principles.”
 
“Today, our industry faces as many challenges as ever before, and we as leaders strive to achieve our primary mission of providing affordable, reliable power to our member owners,” says Earl Johnson, Mayor of the City of Andalusia, Ala., and chairman of PowerSouth’s Member Relations and Strategic Planning Committee. “As cooperatives, we understand the value of the power behind our principles better than anyone else.”
 
Topics at the Trustee Update include overviews of our financial documents and power supply perspectives; industry overviews; economic perspectives; and reports from national and statewide organizations.
 
This year’s spouses activities include “Keeping it Pure and Simple” with Patricia Barnes, founder of Sister Schubert’s Homemade Rolls, as well as pottery painting hosted by Paint N’ Place Pottery Studio. 
 
For more information about the Trustee Update, contact Mark Ingram at mark.ingram@powersouth.com or (334) 427-3330, or Wanda Woods at wanda.woods@powersouth.com or (334) 427-3369.  
 

Powersouthsites.com receives award

 

PowerSouth’s Economic Development website, www.powersouthsites.com, has received a “Standard of Excellence” award from the Web Marketing Association’s WebAwards. 
 
This international competition had over 2,000 websites entered in 96 industry categories from 45 different countries in the 2011 competition. The PowerSouth website won its award in the Regional category. The site, designed by Red Sage Communications, Inc., a Decatur, Ala.-based web development firm, scored above average in all seven assessment areas. 
 
“Our website is an invaluable tool in recruiting new and expanding industries,” said Lee Lawson, PowerSouth Economic Development Representative in Alabama. “The website has been exceptionally beneficial to the communities we serve, and we are honored to be recognized by marketing professionals for its functionality and design.”
 
The website features a robust GIS property directory, enhancing PowerSouth’s ability to promote economic development in its 49-county service area in Alabama and Northwest Florida.
 
“Since its launch last March, powersouthsites.com has received positive feedback from economic developers and community leaders for its ease of use and quantity of information,” said Ed Gardner, PowerSouth Economic Development Representative in Florida. “The amount of information on the website — available  to anyone, anywhere — is pivotal to our recruitment efforts.” 
 

H2O Plus program hits 7,000 mark

 

With increasing focus on energy conservation and reducing residential usage, consumers within PowerSouth’s service territory have responded to the challenge through participation in H2O Plus, a demand-side management program that targets water heaters.
 
H2O Plus has grown exponentially since its inception in June 2008. As of the end of December, 7,478 load control devices have been installed on the PowerSouth system. H2O Plus is administered by PowerSouth on behalf of participating distribution members.
 
The program aims to reduce the need to build or purchase capacity, while allowing PowerSouth to respond to volatile wholesale energy markets and improve load factor. H2O Plus also helps promote efficient utilization of generation, transmission and distribution systems to provide affordable energy to member consumers by increasing off-peak kilowatt-hour sales.
 
A small switching device installed on participants’ water heaters allows PowerSouth to remotely cycle the units.
 
According to Cory Ellis, PowerSouth Member Services Representative, there have been 43 load control events since the program’s inception, 2 of which occurred in 2011. 
 
“Controls are needed for reliability purposes when the system nears megawatt capacity limits or for system emergencies such as plant outages, transmission line outages or heavy loads on transmission lines,” said Ellis. “For economic purposes, controls are initiated to avoid high-cost energy purchases or expected annual system peaks.”
 
Nine distribution cooperatives are now participating in the program, including: Central Alabama EC, Covington EC, Escambia River EC, Gulf Coast EC, Pea River EC, South Alabama EC, Southern Pine EC, Wiregrass EC and West Florida EC.
 
Central Alabama EC is leading the program with 3,473 installations. 
 
The current participation level in the H20 Plus program translates into 3.7 megawatts of capacity during the summer and 8.9 megawatts of capacity during the winter.  
 

Electric co-ops join global celebration

 

When you drink O.J., eat cheese, buy a tool or pay your electric bill, do you think of cooperatives? Maybe you should.
 
The International Year of Cooperatives 2012 (IYC 2012), celebrates the fact that “Cooperative Enterprises Build a Better World.” The year recognizes the role cooperatives play in the economic and social well-being of nations and encourages cooperative development on a global scale.
 
 “At a time when folks are losing faith in big corporations, IYC 2012 offers an opportunity to showcase the ways local, consumer-owned and member-controlled cooperatives benefit communities,” said Glenn English, CEO of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA). “It gives cooperatives a perfect venue to contrast how we differ from profit-driven companies.”
 
Co-ops are everywhere
More than 29,200 cooperatives serve American consumers every day. Well-known products produced by co-ops include Sunkist orange juice, Land O’ Lakes butter, Ocean Spray cranberry juice, Sun-Maid raisins, Welch’s grape jelly, Nationwide Insurance and Blue Diamond almonds. Recognize these businesses: Ace Hardware, REI outdoor gear, Associated Press? They are all cooperatives. 
 
One out of every four Americans are members of a cooperative, including 91 million served by credit unions and 42 million served by the more than 900 electric co-ops in 47 states.
 
Cooperatives differ from typical businesses in that they are organized for the benefit of their members, not single owners or stockholders. Today, cooperatives generate 100 million jobs globally.
 
Cooperative Boot Camp 
For nearly three decades, electric cooperatives in the PowerSouth family have joined the Alabama Council of Cooperatives to hold a three-day statewide youth leadership conference, called Co-op Boot Camp, for more than 50 high school students. 
 
The event, chaired by Chellie Phillips, Communications and Marketing Coordinator for South Alabama EC, and Laura Thornton, Community Relations Specialist at Pea River EC, gives students a lesson in the cooperative business model. 
 
“We highlight all of the different kinds of cooperatives found in our state: banking, farming, dairy, and electric,” said Phillips. “Our biggest challenge is incorporating the co-op message while keeping students engaged and active. We strive to balance educational aspects with recreation and fun times.”
 
Students learn cooperative basics from university professors. Speakers from the Alabama Farmers Cooperative lead activities demonstrating how all co-ops are alike, despite outward appearances. Credit union representatives review banking cooperatives and capital credits. Students later practice what they’ve learned by creating their own co-ops.
 
Family values
The first known cooperative in the U.S. was formed by Benjamin Franklin in 1752. That organization, the Philadelphia Contributionship for the Insurance of Houses from Loss by Fire, still operates today.
 
The cooperative movement traces its roots to a set of business guidelines drawn up by Charles Howarth, one of 28 weavers and other artisans who founded the Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers in Rochdale, England, on Dec. 21, 1844. 
 
As a result, the “Rochdale Principles” were introduced in 1874 and evolving into the seven cooperative principles used today. The principles state that a cooperative must provide: 1) Open and Voluntary Membership, 2) Democratic Member Control, 3) Members’ Economic Participation, 4) Autonomy and Independence, 5) Education, Training and Information, 6) Cooperation Among Cooperatives and 7) Concern for Community.
 
Sources: RE Magazine; International Cooperative Alliance 
]]> 2011-12-19T21:32:37+00:00 <![CDATA[SANTA’S HELPERS BRIGHTEN CHRISTMAS FOR 100 LOCAL KIDS]]> http://www.powersouth.com/news_releases/santas_helpers_brighten_christmas_for_100_local_kids1 http://www.powersouth.com/news_releases/santas_helpers_brighten_christmas_for_100_local_kids1#When:21:19:33Z
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PHOTO CAPTION: PowerSouth employee Dennis O’Neal admires a truckload of donated gifts contributed to Andalusia’s Community Christmas program.

ANDALUSIA, ALA.– Elves aren’t Santa’s only helpers at Christmastime.

For the past nine years, PowerSouth employees acted as Santa’s right hand in the local area, providing toys, clothing, diapers and other gifts through the Community Christmas program. In 2011, PowerSouth sponsored 100 children through Community Christmas, which allows qualifying families to receive assistance providing gifts for their children through the help of anonymous donors.

“We are glad for the opportunity to help struggling families in our community,” said Larry Avery, PowerSouth Vice President of Power Delivery and a Community Christmas program founder. “If we can give of ourselves to make just one child’s Christmas merrier, how could we not support this program?”

According to Andalusia Community Christmas officials, some 560 children were sponsored this year in Andalusia and surrounding communities. Due to economic struggles affecting many throughout the area, the assistance is well received by the families involved.

“I talked with a father who picked up two of his three packages,” said Mattie Freeney, PowerSouth Analyst in Transmission and Distribution Construction. “When I asked if he realized he didn’t get all his packages, he replied, ‘I was so happy to get gifts for two of my children that I didn’t ask any questions. I just appreciated what I did get!’ The joy of the children and the appreciation of the parents places a special value on the hours the community spends putting the event together.”

Freeney serves on the Community Christmas Board and became directly involved through the Civitan Club. She volunteered many hours for the 2011 event.

“Community Christmas has such a great impact,” she said. “It requires many hours of preparation, a lot of work and a lot of people, but seeing the kids’ faces makes it all worthwhile.” 

Andalusia Community Christmas, Inc., is a non-profit organization that provides assistance to needy children between 2 and12 years old for families in the Andalusia, Red Level, Pleasant Home and Straughn school districts.

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About PowerSouth:

PowerSouth serves the wholesale energy needs of 16 electric cooperatives and four municipal electric systems in Alabama and northwest Florida, with 800,000 consumers in 39 Alabama and 10 Florida counties. PowerSouth is dedicated to providing reliable energy at the lowest possible cost to its members.

 

For more information:
Mark Ingram, Corporate Communication Manager
334.427.3330

 

PowerSouth is an EEO and AAP employer

]]> 2011-12-08T21:19:33+00:00 <![CDATA[IMPROVED LAKEVIEW BOAT RAMP OPEN TO PUBLIC]]> http://www.powersouth.com/news_releases/improved_lakeview_boat_ramp_open_to_public http://www.powersouth.com/news_releases/improved_lakeview_boat_ramp_open_to_public#When:19:35:09Z ANDALUSIA, ALA.– The public boat ramp located on Gantt Lake in Lakeview on Highway 29 North reopened Tuesday, Dec. 5, to the public.

The ramp was closed most of November for improvements to the existing pier and construction of a new pier.

“We rebuilt the existing south pier and built a new pier to the north,” said Abb Riley, PowerSouth Senior Real Estate Specialist. “With two piers instead of one, more boats will be able to load and unload from the area, alleviating a lot of congestion.”

The public boat ramp in Lakeview is one of several allowing access to Gantt Lake.

“PowerSouth has the civic responsibility of making sure that our facilities are well maintained,” Riley said. “We ask all boaters to please preserve the beauty of the facilities when enjoying the outdoors.”

 

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About PowerSouth:

PowerSouth serves the wholesale energy needs of 16 electric cooperatives and four municipal electric systems in Alabama and northwest Florida, with more than a million consumers in 39 Alabama and 10 Florida counties. PowerSouth is dedicated to providing reliable energy at the lowest possible cost to its members.

 

For more information:
Mark Ingram, Corporate Communication Manager
334.427.3330

 

PowerSouth is an EEO and AAP employer

]]> 2011-12-06T19:35:09+00:00 <![CDATA[POWERSOUTH DONATES $11,060 TO BENEFIT COVINGTON COUNTY NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS]]> http://www.powersouth.com/news_releases/powersouth_donates_11060_to_benefit_covington_county_non_profit_organizatio http://www.powersouth.com/news_releases/powersouth_donates_11060_to_benefit_covington_county_non_profit_organizatio#When:22:38:59Z

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CAPTION: PowerSouth President and CEO Gary Smith (left) presents PowerSouth’s donation to Wem Mellown, 2012 Covington County United Fund Chairman. The money will benefit local non-profit organizations.

 

ANDALUSIA, ALA.– United Fund contributions touch citizens of all ages, races and socio-economic status throughout Covington County. Whether it’s a Boy or Girl Scout, recovering drug addict, local church congregation, 4-H leaders-in-training or avid reader, local dollars reach them all.

PowerSouth and its employees have strengthened The United Fund’s reach with a contribution of $11,060 to the Covington County United Fund. The United Fund raises money to enable member agencies to deliver human care services in the local area. The United Fund supports more than 21 organizations, including the American Red Cross, Boy Scouts, Meals on Wheels, Sav-A-Life Pregnancy Center and public libraries. Through its donation, PowerSouth helps improve the lives of hundreds of Covington County citizens.

“Through The United Fund, we have the opportunity to give to causes that will build our community and strengthen humanity,” said Mark Ingram, PowerSouth Communications Manager. “We chose to donate funds to the Covington County United Fund because of their commitment to creating safe and healthy local communities.”

Charitable giving and community service go hand-in-hand with one of PowerSouth’s core values — community development.

“PowerSouth strives to cultivate the best possible opportunities for the communities in and around our service area,” Ingram said. “The local United Fund is a good fit for us, because the funds are used locally.”

“Even in this tough economy, the spirit of giving is alive and well at PowerSouth,” Ingram said. “The support of our employees is unwavering because we all recognize that the United Fund’s effort to improve lives and communities is more important than ever.”

 

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About PowerSouth:

PowerSouth serves the wholesale energy needs of 16 electric cooperatives and four municipal electric systems in Alabama and northwest Florida, with more than a million consumers in 39 Alabama and 10 Florida counties. PowerSouth is dedicated to providing reliable energy at the lowest possible cost to its members.

 

For more information:
Mark Ingram, Corporate Communication Manager
334.427.3330

 

PowerSouth is an EEO and AAP employer

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