This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
A SUPPLEMENT TO OKLAHOMA LIVING


APRIL 2016 | VOLUME 67 ISSUE 4 | PUBLISHED FOR MEMBERS OF TRI-COUNTY ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE


LIVEWIRE Know What’s Below: Call Before You Dig CEO VIEW


Community Solar By Jack L. Perkins


Members wishing to participate in the community solar program offered by TCEC can now do so.


The new solar array at TCEC’s headquarters in Hooker has 3,840 panels. Members pay a one-time subscription fee of $340 per share of the energy produced by the array. They get a credit on their electric bill.


Because the credit is for a fixed price per kilowatt-hour that increases over the 25- year life of the subscription, this is a way to lock in the price you pay for part of your electric bill.


Members interested in learning more about TCEC Community Solar should call us at 580.652.2418. A member service representative will provide you with the participation agreement, which is also online at www.tcec.coop.


Whether members buy into the array or not, it will benefit all TCEC members because it is a one megawatt array that reduces TCEC’s peak demand. This lowers the overall rate TCEC pays its wholesale power suppliers for energy. n


hether it’s a dreamed up deck addition or a landscaping masterpiece, summer weather is a great time for outdoor improvement plans to actually play out.


W


But if your planned projects include digging, like planting a tree or bringing in a backhoe for trench work, you’ll have to wait a few more days so the job can be done safely. Underground utilities, such as buried gas, water, and electric lines, can be a shovel thrust away from turning a summer project into a disaster. To discover where utility lines run on your property, dial 811 a few days prior to digging. Your call will be routed to a local “one call” center. Tell the operator where you're planning to dig and what type of work you will be doing, and affected local XWLOLWLHV ZLOO EH QRWLÀHG


In a few days, a locator will arrive to designate the approximate location of any underground lines, pipes, and cables ZLWK ÁDJV RU PDUNLQJ SDLQW VR \RX OO NQRZ what's below. Then the safe digging can begin.


Although many homeowners tackling


do-it-yourself digging projects are aware of “Call Before You Dig” services, the majority don’t take advantage of the service. A national survey showed that only 33 percent of homeowners called to have their lines marked before starting digging projects, according to the Common Ground Alliance, a federally mandated group of underground utility and damage prevention industry professionals. Although light gardening typically doesn’t call for deep digging, other seemingly simple tasks like planting shrubs or installing a new mailbox post can damage utility lines. A severed line can disrupt service to an entire neighborhood, harm diggers, and potentially result in ÀQHV DQG UHSDLU FRVWV


Never assume the location or depth of underground utility lines. There’s no need: the 811 service is free, prevents the inconvenience of having utilities interrupted, and can help you avoid serious injury. For more information about local services, visit www.call811.com.


Sources: Common Ground Alliance, SafeElectricity.org


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132  |  Page 133  |  Page 134  |  Page 135  |  Page 136  |  Page 137  |  Page 138  |  Page 139  |  Page 140  |  Page 141  |  Page 142  |  Page 143  |  Page 144