“People are getting smarter about geothermal, especially the younger generation of homeowners. They do their research, and they know it will save them money in the long run. There’s no doubt about it; geothermal is the up and coming thing.” - David Brookshire, owner of Brookshire Homes


loops, allowing the member to pay it out slowly via a small monthly fee or a special rate. Either way, the homeowner enjoys the Cadillac of heating and air systems, a significant reduction in heating and cooling costs, plus other benefits. Like their brethren co-ops, CKenergy and Kiamichi Electric offer cash rebates of up to $1,050 per ton on qualifying geothermal units, which further reduces the price tag for members. They also provide expert oversight throughout the installation process, helping the member select a qualified con- tractor and ensuring the unit is properly sized and installed to the member’s satisfaction. Officials at CKenergy estimate each geothermal system requires roughly 225 feet of ground loop. At $9 per foot to install, the co-op investment in the loops is no small change. For that reason, the program is raising some eyebrows among co-op leaders. Yes, geother- mal technology helps members save money, but can an electric co-op with thousands of miles of line to maintain, fewer consumers and therefore less revenue collected per mile, afford that sort of risk? Boyd Lee, president of strategic planning at CKenergy, believes the answer is “yes.” “They can afford it if they’re concerned about rising power costs, and I guarantee it, they are concerned,” Lee stressed. CKenergy hired Lee in 2005 to help control those costs by finding a way to reduce its high demand for electricity in the summer. In the quest to lower the critical summer usage “peak,” a determining factor in what the co-op and its members pay for wholesale electricity, CKenergy initiated its geothermal loop program in 2011, the first of its kind in Oklahoma. To those unfamiliar with the mysterious world of wholesale power rates, the heavy AC use that comes with Oklahoma summers would seem more of a cash cow than an albatross. The reality, however, is much different. Like many co-ops, CKenergy serves a large number of residential consumers who heat their homes with propane or natural gas in the fall and winter, and cool with electricity in the summer. For CKenergy, the westward expansion of Oklahoma City and Mustang magnified the problem by adding even more residential load to co-op lines. The high summer usage followed by months of low kilowatt-hour


sales amounted to a financial headache for the co-op, Lee explained.


Continued on Page 10 JUNE 2017 9


Is geothermal right for you?


Let the professionals at Geothermal Experts of Oklahoma (GEO) help you decide. Sponsored by power supplier Western Farmers Electric Cooperative and its member co-ops, GEO serves as a well of information on all things geothermal. Eddie Lee, WFEC commercial and industrial mar- keting manager, said GEO staff are available to answer homeowner questions about geothermal systems or visit their website to read about the technology and request an information packet. The packet includes information about electric co-op rebates. If you’d like a list of reputable dealers/installers in your area, they can provide that, too. Call GEO at 844-436-2667 or visit www. oknm.coop.


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