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Summer Storms Cause Outages, But Forecast Looks Sunny for Co-ops


his summer brought plenty of rainfall, not to mention numerous outages caused by lightning and wind damage. Choctaw Electric(CEC) maintenance and outage crews stayed busy replacing poles, clearing fallen trees and splicing conductor to restore power. We appreciated your patience as we worked to bring the lights back on.


T


BY JON K. MILES cHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER


We continue to work with our outage management


system that takes members calls when widespread outages result in a high call volume. The outage management system allows members to leave their name, account number and information regarding their outages via automated voice recording. The system then collects this info and uses it to dispatch crews and equipment to the trouble areas more efficiently. For members who call to report outages, the process is still taking too long, so CEC management staff is looking at possible options that might offer a faster and more effective process. We are also looking at our dispatching of outages and service orders to the linemen working in the field. We will stay in touch with you regarding these issues as we work to simplify the reporting process.


Members interested in alternative energy sources will be interested to know CEC’s power supplier, Western Farmers Electric Cooperative (WFEC), has about 366 megawatts (MW) of renewable wind


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energy in its energy portfolio. This green energy is generated using large-scale wind turbine generators located primarily in the western and northwestern parts of Oklahoma. Electricity generated by these large units connects to the transmission grid that supplies power to electric cooperatives across the state. Another 200MW of wind power is currently under contract and scheduled to be built and come online in 2015 and 2016.


WFEC is also exploring possibilities to own and operate large solar projects within the state. Choctaw Electric and other WFEC member co-ops are currently discussing how smaller solar generation might fit into their individual distribution systems. While renewable energy provides additional capacity and is a clean energy source, it is limited in its ability to provide additional generation during peak periods. When the wind doesn’t blow, or the sun doesn’t shine, there must be another generation resource available on short notice to provide backup power. More on solar will be coming in the months ahead.


Lastly, I want to encourage members to plan to attend Choctaw Electric Cooperative’s Annual Meeting on Saturday, September 26, 2015. Check out the information found inside this month’s newsletter or watch for the CEC Annual Report, delivered to members in September. We look forward to seeing you there.


Find the CFL light bulb at www.choctawelectric.coop and your could win $25. When you spot it, contact Jennifer Boling at 800-780-6486, ext. 207 or jboling@choctawelectric. coop. *Limited to one win per member every six months.


SEND US EMAIL: Please email questions for Ask Your Co-op to: Jennifer Boling, jboling@choctawelectric.coop. Or, mail questions to Choctaw Electric Cooperative, PO Box 758, Hwy 93 North, Hugo,Oklahoma 74743.


CO-OP ASK YOUR


■ Why does Choctaw Electric hold an annual meeting?


Choctaw Electric holds an annual meeting because it is a member- owned and democratically controlled cooperative. The annual meeting provides a way for members to come together to perform the business of their co-op, hear from their co-op leadership, and ask questions. Business matters might include electing trustees for the CEC board of directors, approving changes to co-op bylaws, and approving financial statements.


CEC bylaws stipulate CEC must hold an annual meeting to conduct business, and that an official quorum of at least five percent of the co-op membership must be present to do this.


In this day and age, asking roughly 700 members to sacrifice their Saturday for a business meeting makes little sense when the goal is to take care of business. That’s why your co-op tries to make the business meeting a bit more fun. Prizes, games for kids, food and drinks, live music and displays provide the extra incentive for members to attend the meeting and fulfill CEC’s legal requirement for conducting important end-of-year business.


Judging from past attendance records, annual meetings that offer a lively atmosphere are much more likely to attract the necessary quorum of CEC members.


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