This important message is to inform you that your Cooperative will be performing maintenance activities in your area soon. Each year we inspect and treat poles in an effort to provide more reliable electric service and to enhance public safety. This environmentally safe and approved process adds to the life of aging poles and prevents costly premature replacement. The inspection process also allows us to locate poles that are in need of replacement.
This year we have contracted with QPI&M to inspect and treat approximately 2,500 poles. QPI&M has performed work for us for many years and they are regarded as a leading expert in the wood preserving industry. Their work trucks will have "WCEC" identification stickers on them.
This process will begin on or about March 8. This year we will be working in two separate geographic areas:
1. The first area begins in Nada and proceeds north to Altair.
2. The second area begins in Danevang and proceeds south to Midfield.
Please give them your cooperation and assistance in this very important maintenance project. The end result will improve your electric service. If you have questions or concerns, please contact me or Richard Arnett at 979 543-6274.
Thank You!
Wesley Lange
Manager of Engineering & Operations
1815 E. JACKSON
El Campo, Texas 77437
TEL.: 979-543-6271
FAX.: 979-543-6259
There’s no question that demand for electricity, in Texas and nationwide, is increasing. However, there is a big question about how we are going to go about keeping the lights on.
Carbon dioxide (CO2) has come under scrutiny from those who believe that the gas, a byproduct of burning fossil fuels, contributes to global climate change. In Washington, D.C., and elsewhere, a movement is afoot to discourage the use of CO2-producing fuels and transition toward “greener” forms of renewable energy production.
But there’s a long way to go. Recently, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), the nonprofit corporation that oversees the electricity grid serving 85 percent of the state’s power consumers, reported that during the January cold snap that plunged much of Texas into a deep freeze, demand for electricity hit a record seasonal peak. According to preliminary figures, consumers in the ERCOT system used more than 55,000 megawatts (MW) of power at one time on the morning of January 8, a winter record. This means that if that amount of electricity generation were not available, some Texans who depend on electric heat would have been left shivering.
This past summer saw the unofficial, all-time record peak, 63,400 MW. According to ERCOT, one megawatt is roughly enough electricity to supply the needs of 500 average homes under normal conditions in Texas, or about 200 homes during hot weather when air conditioners are running for longer periods of time.
San Miguel Electric Cooperative’s Texas lignite burning power plant produces around 400 MW. That means it would have taken About 160 plants like San Miguel operating at full capacity to fulfill the demand that summer day. Of course, actual generation comes from a variety of sources, not just large power plants.
Wind power, touted as one of the best current solutions to the CO2 emissions problem, currently doesn’t even come close to filling those needs. There are a nation-leading 8,275 MW worth of wind generation installed in the state. ERCOT estimates that at times of peak load, it can count on only about 8.7 percent (about 700 MW) of that capacity to be available because of wind conditions, lack of available transmission and other factors.
Even at the pace at which wind power is being constructed (almost 1,000 additional MW are slated to be added to ERCOT’s system by year’s end), it could take decades before it is ready to shoulder a significant amount of the state’s energy needs. As of 2008, about 80 percent of the electricity generated in the ERCOT region came from burning fossil fuels. To replace that generation with “green” power will take considerably more time and expense.
The amount of federal funds going into researching alternative energy and making the grid more efficient is heartening, but scientists have a long way to go. Until then, we can hope that the decision-makers in Washington will make wise choices and not saddle customers with exorbitant electric rates in an attempt to force conservation through the checkbook, as some strategists recommend.
Please contact your elected representatives and make your voices heard. To make that easier, co-ops nationwide are participating in the “Our Energy, Our Future” campaign Go to www.ourenergy.coop for more information or contact Wharton County Electric Cooperative at 979-543-6271, and we’ll help you register your opinion.
We need your help to keep the lights on at a price you can afford.
By: Gary Raybon, WCEC Manager of Administration/CFO
Article II Section one of the WCEC by-laws state “The business affairs of the Cooperative shall be managed by a board of nine (9) directors which shall exercise all of the powers of the Cooperative except such as are by law or by the Articles of Incorporation of the Cooperative or by these by-laws conferred upon or reserved to the members.” The board’s job is to develop policies and goals and to see that these goals are carried out by management.
To be eligible to serve on the board you must be a member in good standing, reside in the district you represent, not be in a business primarily engaged in selling electrical or plumbing fixtures/supplies to the members of the Cooperative, and not related to a WCEC employee or director. When a membership is held jointly, either the husband or wife is eligible to be a director as long as both meet the qualification requirements. In addition to the by-laws qualifications, a perspective board member needs to understand that there is a time commitment involved in serving on the WCEC board. During the year board members devote an average of four hours a week to WCEC. This includes not only the monthly board meeting but also reviewing and preparing for meetings, training, and talking to members. The board meetings are held at night usually on the fourth Wednesday of the month.
Prospective board members need not have a background in coops or even business, but an open mind, common sense, and willingness to listen to alternate view-points is essential. The most important qualification that a board member can have is to care and want what is best for all concerned.
In March of 2010 a nominating committee will be looking for candidates for three seats on the WCEC board. The three districts up for election are District 1 which is Colorado County, District 4 which is Louise, Hillje, Plainview and Western Acres, and District 7 which is southeast of El Campo, South of Pierce and Five Corners. If you live in one of these areas and meet the qualifications please consider running for the board. Contact Brenda Rodriguez, WCEC Executive Secretary who will put you in contact with the nominating committee. If you do not live in one of these areas please consider running in 2011 or 2012.
A very popular term being thrown around throughout the electric utility industry is “Smart Grid”. The stimulus package as passed by the US Legislature offers funding for a “Smart Grid”. This gives people the impression that the old electric grid is not smart. At Wharton County Electric Cooperative, we have incorporated features of the “smart grid” into our electrical system for the past 10 years. We are not doing things just because they can be done - we are doing things in our system that will pay. Our members should be pleased to know that what we have exactly fits the definition of a “smart grid” and it is saving money and providing reliability to WCEC members.
We are one of the first utilities to use advanced metering infrastructure (AMI). We called it automatic meter reading (AMR) 10 years ago when we launched the program. Our system is a two-way system that we now learn qualifies to be called by the new buzz word “AMI” and/or Smart Metering. With our system, we can take advantage of off peak rates to our members and we have been doing this for eight years through our Home Team Power Partner Program. We send signals to our members when wholesale electric prices are high allowing them to cut back on their power usage during the peak times. In some cases we control the load for them automatically over our power line communications system. Members receive a monthly credit on their bills for allowing the cooperative to manage their usage and the savings created on our wholesale power bill is passed through to all members.
“We are not doing things just because they can be done - we are doing things in our system that will pay.”
Our grid can tell us when a breaker or reclosure operates and allows us to determine where a fault occurred. Furthermore it allows us to restore the power from the office or employee’s home at night and weekends. Our technology is several years old and new technology is being introduced using broadband internet as a communications tool. We have a pilot project in place that can use the internet to control lighting, water heating, and air conditioning from our office or from the members’ home computer. This technology is currently of no use until rates and appliances are developed to take advantage of it. We are simply studying the situation. The system that we do have in operation can do everything needed to manage the load when necessary. We have developed strategies to migrate all or part of our “smart grid” to new technologies when it becomes beneficial. We have estimated that our cooperative, through the use of our “smart grid”, saves our members $1.1 million per year. These savings are flowed through to the member each month by reducing the PCRF on their electric bills.
Other “smart grid” approaches which we use include engineering load studies directly from our billing and metering system, computerized GPS mapping with data bases so that we can look at any location on our system and know exactly what we have at the location including distances, length of lines, transformer size and other equipment data that expedites new line extensions and repairs in the event of an outage.
Through our “smart grid” and all of the systems that we have in place, we are happy to report that our reliability is one of the highest in the country and in South Texas at 99.99% according to records kept in our office and verified by the National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation. Our rates are among the lowest in the South Texas area partially due to the “smart grid” applications that we operate.
Whenever you hear the term “smart grid” and admonishments from environmentalists or the administration to improve our electric grid and to make it smart, please be aware that our grid has been smart for over 10 years and we do recommend it for the rest of the country. But “smart grid” technology should be installed in increments whereby the investment is justified in savings and not the installation of “smart grid” applications just because we can.
In the not too distant future (4 or 5 years), rates will be available to take full advantage of “smart grid” technologies and all electrical appliances will be able to talk to your home computer and allow you to control their use through your laptop from anywhere in the world. If you would like to start making your home “smart” so that you can take advantage of information on the “smart grid”, please call me at 979-543-6274. We have access to the computer programs and “smart grid” and “smart house” devices to get you started.
If you would like more information on the technologies used at WCEC, please do not hesitate to call me.
WCEC EMERGENCY OPERATIONS PLAN - We Are Ready!
By: Wesley Lange, Electric System Manager
Another hurricane season is upon us and WCEC stands ready. We have always been diligent and prepared for natural disasters but when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans followed by Hurricane Rita in east Texas in 2005 we decided to re-examine our Emergency Plan.
The underlying question with any emergency plan is simply what worked and what didn’t work when the emergency occurred? We analyzed the effectiveness of the emergency plan from a cooperative hit by Rita and used these results to revise our Plan.
So what does our revised Plan include? Our Plan identifies specific needs of our Members, the general public, our employees, law enforcement, EMS, the news media, and government. It identifies methods to restore power as quickly and as safely as possible. Every WCEC employee has specific responsibilities and duties. Our Plan is routinely reviewed and revised.
An adequate supply of qualified power line construction workers will be required. All electric cooperatives have standing agreements to render aid to each other in times of need. Texas Electric Cooperatives (TEC), the statewide organization in Austin, is responsible for the coordination of these activities. In addition to this resource, we have agreements with several power line contractors and tree trimming contractors.
We have a new concrete-steel reinforced bunker at WCEC. This facility is completely self sufficient and can house up to (12) employees. This facility will be the nerve center for all local operations; all dispatching and information will originate from here. It will be staffed 24-7 until the emergency has passed.
A “staging area” will be needed so we reached an agreement with the Wharton County Youth Fair & Exposition folks to use their property to house and feed up to (150) emergency workers. If their facilities are damaged and cannot be used, we have a plan in place that will provide a “tent-city” that is completely self sufficient. Our logistical plans to care and provide for these workers includes shelter, food, water, restrooms, showers, laundry service, garbage pickup, medical service and supplies, communications, parking, space for materials and supplies, gasoline and diesel supplies, vehicle and aerial device mechanics, backup electric generation, and security.
An adequate inventory of pole line materials ranging from bolts to transformers are maintained at WCEC. Additional emergency supplies can easily be obtained from the Utility Supply & Service a division of TEC in Austin. Other material vendors are also available.
In the financial arena, WCEC has established lines of credit so funds needed for a disaster can quickly be obtained. We also have experience and expertise in dealing with FEMA.
Of utmost importance, WCEC has well trained and dedicated employees who are ready to serve our Member-Owners. Most of our employees have been involved in large outage restorations and some are veterans of Hurricane restoration efforts.
In closing, this article is intended to enlighten you about your Cooperative’s Emergency Plan. Please let me know if you have questions, concerns, or suggestions.
June and July have gone into the record books for record setting high electric usage and bill levels.
In June of 2008, members used more electricity than any month in the history of WCEC. Historically, August is the highest use month during a year and at the time of writing this article; we still do not have those usage numbers.
To compound matters our power cost from our supplier has been higher this year with natural gas going as high as $13 per million BTU’s. (A few years ago we purchased fuel for less than $2 per million.)
Many people believe that the earth is warming abnormally due to carbon dioxide produced when fossil fuels are burned in cars, planes, trucks, heaters and power plants. There is indeed evidence that the earth is warming but it is only opinion that it is caused by man’s activity. The opinion is becoming so emotional that it has become political… science and reason seem to be going out the window.
Rural Texas is losing political clout in the state and federal legislatures. It is a sad reality that urban areas now dominate the elections of state and federal representatives leaving rural and agricultural interest out in the cold.
Wirehand Wireless along with WildBlue Satellite Internet gives WCEC the ability to offer several high speed packages of internet access.
At a strategic planning session of directors and management staff last summer, one of the strategies for success of the future of Wharton County Electric Cooperative was to have broad band high speed internet service available in rural areas.
HURRICANE PLANNING
The full-fledged hurricane season will be on us again in the next few weeks. Now is the time to plan. WCEC personnel have been conducting serious hurricane planning based on the damage and experience of east Texas electric cooperatives and the coops in the Louisiana area. We have learned much from sending employees to help in those areas and by making on-site visits after the hurricane restoration to better prepare WCEC for such an eventuality. Experts say that weather trends indicate a period the next few years of higher than normal hurricane activity.
Worried about increased usage of electricity? We have compiled a list of things that you can do as a homeowner to reduce the amount of wasted energy used on a daily basis:
Online Bill-Pay
Click the image above to pay your WCEC Electric or WCEC Internet bill online. Or, go directly to http://ebill.wcecnet.net or Pay by Phone at 979-543-5394.
Connections.coop
Click above to see details on local and national discounts.
Tips of the day
*Increase the thermostat to at least 75 degrees, and use ceiling fans. The ceiling fans are a low-cost cooling additive that circulates the air which makes it appear cooler than it actually is in turn reducing your energy bill.
Energy Conservation
Click below to find out how to lower your electric bill.
About WCEC 
