MARCH 2015 VOL. 15 NO. 11

2 March 2015 • cooperative connections

Manager’s

We are getting much closer to spring. I can’t wait! I know it has been a pretty open winter so far but I am a fair weather person. For me, it doesn’t get any better than this time of year too as the high school and college basketball tournaments get started. Good luck to all of our area basketball teams.

With the start of the new year, we are heavy into the legislative session. In South Dakota, the coops are work-

ing with a bill regarding stray voltage on dairy farms. West River Electric doesn’t have any large dairies on our service but many coops east of the river do. It has been a major concern among those coops. As I write this article well ahead of the bill working its way through the legislature, I am hopeful for its passage. Stray voltage can be anywhere, and one doesn’t even know it exists because it is so small. However in dairy barns with the moisture and other factors, if stray voltage is high enough, the milk cow can feel that. Even in small amounts this can cause the cow to decrease production. Stray voltage can be caused by many factors. Many times the local electric utility is singled out as the possible cause for reduced milk consumption instead of it being something on the farmer’s facilities. Many times there are multi-million dollar lawsuits for past years of decreased production. As with any issue, there are always experts that can claim what level of voltage would cause milk production to drop; for both sides. What this bill does is to set limits of what is acceptable stray voltage. I appreciate the fact too that it sets out how complaints for stray voltage are handled. Currently neither party has an avenue to pursue other than legal means to discuss their complaints. The PUC would first set any rules and would be the first point of contact on a complaint. We will see what happens with this bill. We also have a couple of other smaller bills that are clean up items more than major pieces of legislation. We will be watching closely too for any bills filed by others that might affect West River and our ability to provide low cost, reliable electric ser-vice to our members.

On a national front, we will have to see what happens on several key pieces of regulations that await electric utilities. I caught a short piece recently on MSNBC where SD Congress-woman Kristi Noem was visiting with the commentators. They had a poll that showed Americans were interested, as well as Congress, at getting bi-partisan support for infrastructure repair and development. I don’t recall it on the list specifically,

but my hope would be that support for electric infrastructure would be on that list. They were talking more about roads, bridges, and pipelines. Many of our high voltage transmission lines that feed South Dakota are at least 50 years old. They have withstood many ice storms, wind, and summer thunder storms. Although they are still in good shape, limited funding over the years has left WAPA to do minimum upgrades and additions. I am hopeful they will consider electric infrastruc-ture in all of their debate.

One snap of cold weather we had on January 3 put our demand response system to the test. That Saturday started cold and it never warmed up. We set the demand response system to start at 9:00 AM based on a weather forecast that said it would start warming up by 1:00 PM putting us within our 4 hour limit we normally control. That didn’t happen! If we would have brought everyone back on at 1:00 as planned, it could have added an additional estimate of $75,000+ in power costs for West River alone. We had to tweak the system at that time to slowly come back on over the next few hours to try to avoid this large peak. We apologize if members had issues with their water not being hot enough that day. Our intention of the program is, and continues to be, that you will never run out of hot water on a normal demand response event. Since then we have made several changes to the program to try and make certain it doesn’t happen again. Again, I apologize if you had issues. It was a Saturday and many people were home doing laundry and housework. It was a “perfect storm”! The program has been a very positive thing for WREA saving all our members money on their power costs; our single largest expense.

Have a great start to your spring! BUT with spring here, remember to call 811 to locate any underground wires before you dig!

Dick JohnsonCEO/General Manager

Spring is Closecolumn

Call Before You Dig!

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EmployeeBiographies

Joel Stephens - 27 Years I am a graduate from Central High School and Powerline Con-struction and Maintenance at Mitchell VoTech. After graduation I joined West River Electric as Summer help in the Wall Office. I was offered a full time position in the fall of 1988 and have been a Journeyman Lineman with West River Electric for 26 years.

My wife, Lesa and I reside in Wall, South Da-kota. We have 4 children, and 2 grand children who we take great pleasure in spoiling.

I have been a member of the Wall Volunteer Fire Department for 26 years, a member of the Masonic Lodge in Wall, and a member of NAJA

Shriners where I am a part of the clown unit.Many of you have met Katchup the clown at Appreciation Days, entertaining the

kids at school or daycare and hanging out on my scooter at the parades in Western South Dakota.

cooperative connections • March 2015 3

Ross Johnson - 27 Years I have worked at WREA since the fall of 1997. Some of you may know me as the guy who staked the line to your new house or just came out to talk about building a new line across your property to upgrade WREA’s service.

For the last 14 years I have run the meter department at WREA. The biggest part of my job is managing the TWACS system for automated meter reading and data collection. We read over 20,000 meters 5 times a day along with pinging these same meters looking for power outages. Part of the data we collect from

your meter besides the daily KWH reads is an hourly read that lets us graph your daily consumption hour by hour. With all this data you can now log onto our web portal Smarthub and view your hourly, daily, monthly, and yearly usage.

My wife Fern and I live on a ranch south of Rapid City, so when I am not at work I can be found fixing fence, checking cows, or working in my shop. Ross Johnson with grandson, Mickey feeding cows.

With so many people using computers at work and at home, complaints of eye strain, difficulty focusing and discomfort have become commonplace in doctors’ offices.

One of the main reasons for this is although offices have marched into the age of technology, not much else has. People are still using the same lighting, furniture and desk configurations they had when using typewriters.

To mark March as Workplace Eye Safety Month, the American Academy of Ophthalmology has put together some tips to help us alleviate some of the eye problems modern technology has given birth to. They are:

• First and most important – get an eye exam by your ophthalmologist, who can rule out the possibility of eye disease as the cause of your symptoms. You could simply need glasses when working at a computer or your prescription might need updating;

• Screen distance – you should sit approximately 20 inches from the computer monitor, a little further than you would for reading distance, with the top of the screen at or below eye level.

• Equipment – choose a monitor that tilts or swivels and has both contrast and brightness controls;

• Furniture – an adjustable chair is best;• Reference materials – keep reference materials on a document holder so

you don’t have to keep looking back and forth, frequently refocusing your eyes and turning your neck and head;

• Lighting – modify your lighting to eliminate reflections or glare. A hood or micromesh filter for your screen might help limit reflections and glare; and

• Rest breaks – take periodic rest breaks, and try to blink often to keep your eyes from drying out.

Another thing to remember is that the forced-air heating systems in big office buildings can increase problems with dry eyes during the winter months. The usual symptoms of dry eye are stinging or burning eyes, scratchiness, a feeling that there’s something in the eye, excessive tearing or difficulty wearing contact lenses.

Over-the-counter eye drops, called artificial tears, usually help, but if dry eye persists, see your eye doctor for an evaluation.

Source: wellnessjunction.com

March is Eye Safety Month

SafetyTips

4 March 2015 • COOPERATIVE CONNECTIONS

Norah Fadness, 10 years old Norah is the daughter of Jon and Lisa Fadness, Minneota, Minn. They are members of Lyon-Lincoln Electric Cooperative, Tyler, Minn.

Kids, send your drawing with an electrical safety tip to your local electric cooperative (address found on Page 3). If your poster is published, you’ll receive a prize. All entries must include your name, age, mailing address and the names of your parents. Colored drawings are encouraged.

“Never cut down trees by power lines.” Kids’ Corner Safety Poster

There’s An App For That...If you’re one of the millions of Americans with a smart phone or a tablet device, you are probably quite familiar with the phrase “there’s an app for that.” Here’s a quick look at some useful apps in the co-op world:

Politically SpeakingThe NRECA Advocacy app by the National Rural

Electric Cooperative Association’s Cooperative Action Network brings national issues to your finger tips and provides a quick way to contact your elected officials in Washington, D.C.

Published by South Dakota’s electric cooperatives, the South Dakota Legislative Roster, app provides information about the South Dakota legislature and other statewide elected officials along with committee informa-tion and how to contact your leaders in Pierre. The app also provides information on the state’s electric cooperatives.

And for tablets only, check out the South Dakota Legislature’s bill tracking app.

Before you DigPlanning some outdoor projects involving digging? Check

out the South Dakota 811 or Gopher State One Call.

Rain or ShineNeed road conditions? Yep, there’s an app for that, too.

Check out South Dakota 511 and 511 Minnesota.And the Weather Connection app by Touchstone

Energy® Cooperatives is a handy weather tool.

Energy EfficiencyWant to save money on your energy bill? Checkout the

TogetherWeSave.com app also from America’s Touch-stone Energy® Cooperatives.

In an EmergencyThe First Aid by American Red Cross app is a good

choice, giving you a portable first aid guide for a variety of emergencies. (Pet First Aid by American Red Cross is available for a small fee and is handy for helping out for your four-legged friends.” Other American Red Cross apps help you schedule blood donations, prepare for hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, floods, wildfires and find shelters after disasters.)

Looking for news about electric cooperatives across the nation? Check out NRECA’s Co-op Nation app.

Being a Member PaysSeveral co-ops offer the Smart Hub or a similar app

to manage your electric bill. And, don’t forget savings from the Touchstone Energy® Cooperatives Co-op Connections Card app.

COOPERATIVE CONNECTIONS • March 2015 5

Satisfying Seafood

RecipesReader

Whisk 2 T. Juicy Juice, soy sauce, honey, 1-1/2 tsp. ginger, vinegar and sesame oil. Reserve half of mixture for serving. Pour remaining mixture into shallow pie plate. Add salmon and turn to coat. Cover; marinate in refrigerator for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 450° F. Line baking sheet with foil. Heat olive oil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add shallots and garlic; cook, stirring frequently, for 2 to 3 minutes or until fragrant. Stir in quinoa; cook, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in water, remaining 1 cup Juicy Juice, bouillon and remaining 1 tsp. ginger. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low. Cover; cook for 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Fluff with fork; cover to keep warm. Place salmon on prepared baking sheet; sprinkle with pepper. Discard marinade. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Drizzle reserved marinade over salmon; serve with apple-ginger quinoa. Makes 4 servings

Nutritional information per serving: 510 calories; 17g total fat; 2.5g saturated fat; 95mg cholesterol; 41g protein; 46g carbohydrates; 3g fiber; 990mg sodium; 12g sugars Pictured, Cooperative Connections

Baked Salmon Over Apple-Ginger Quinoa

Seafood Slaw

2/3 cup cornmeal1/4 tsp. saltFew drops Tobasco sauce

Catfish fillets2 eggs, beaten lightly

Combine cornmeal and salt in small bowl; stir well. Dip fish in eggs seasoned with Tobasco sauce, then in cornmeal. Place fish on cookie sheet lined with foil and coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425°F. for 8 to 10 minutes until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Mary Jessen, Holabird

Please send your favorite appetizers, beverages, casserole and dairy recipes to your local electric cooperative (address found on page 3). Each recipe printed will be entered into a drawing for a prize in June 2015. All entries must include your name, mailing address, telephone number and cooperative name.

6 oz. macaroni, cooked and drained3 cups finely shredded cabbage1 green pepper, chopped1-1/2 cups cooked or canned salmon, tuna or shrimp

2 T. minced onion1/4 cup salad oil2 T. vinegar1-1/2 tsp. salt1/2 tsp. pepper

Combine macaroni, vegetables and seafood in a large bowl. Mix remaining ingredients; pour over macaroni/cabbage mixture and toss lightly. Chill 30 minutes. Add 2/3 cup salad dressing for a more creamy salad.

Shirley Dreher, Clark

Crab Linguine 8 oz. linguine noodles, cooked and drained1 cup chopped celery2 cups mock crab, cut into bite-sized pieces

2 (10 oz.) cans cream of shrimp soup1/4 cup onion flakes2 T. parsley flakes

Cook celery in a small amount of water until tender; drain. Mix together all ingredients; simmer until bubbly.

Barbara Angerhofer, Hendricks, MN

Shrimp Lover Squares1 (8 oz.) tube refrigerated crescent rolls1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened1/4 cup sour cream1/2 tsp. dill weed1/8 tsp. salt

1/2 cup seafood sauce24 cooked, medium shrimp1/2 cup chopped green pepper1/3 cup chopped onion1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

In a greased 9x13 pan, unroll the crescent dough; seal seams. Bake at 375°F. for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack. In a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, sour cream, dill weed and salt until smooth. Spread over crust. Top with sauce, shrimp, green pepper, onion and cheese. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Cut into squares.

Becki Hauser, Tripp

Country Catfish

8 oz. crab sticks, cut into small pieces16 oz. ranch dressing2 carrots, diced2 ribs celery, diced

1 can water chestnuts, drained and diced1 pkg. chicken-flavored ramen noodles and seasoning

Break noodles. Add dressing and let set for 10 minutes. Add seasoning packet and remaining ingredients. Chill.

Donna Glanzer, Carpenter

1 cup plus 2 T. Apple NESTLÉ® JUICY JUICE® 100% Juice, divided1/4 cup soy sauce1 T. honey2-1/2 tsp. peeled, grated fresh ginger, divided1 tsp. rice wine vinegar1/2 tsp. sesame oil4 (about 6 oz. each) salmon fillets

1 T. olive oil1/2 cup chopped shallots or onion2 cloves garlic, finely chopped1 cup ivory quinoa, rinsed1 cup water1 tsp. MAGGI Instant Chicken Flavor BouillonGround black pepperSliced green onions (optional)

Crab Salad

6 March 2015 • cooperative connections

Co-op news

What is Happening to the Water Heater Legislation

DOE is Considering a Ban on Large Capacity Water Heaters What this means for the Members of West River Electric is less hot water capacity in the coming months. The Department of Energy is looking to stop the production of the large capacity models of electric water heaters. These units have been the workhorse of electric cooperatives load manage-ment efforts for some time. If this plan prevails it will mandate that pro-duction of large-capacity water heaters, anything with a storage capacity of 55 gallons or more, be stopped as of April 16, 2015.

More than 225 electric cooperatives, including WREA, use utility-controlled large water heaters to shift electric load away from peak demand hours, store renewable energy and assist in grid stabilization. Large capacity water heaters are ideal for load control (peak-shifting) because the heating elements can be re-motely switched off for long stretches without a household being inconvenienced by depleting its supply of hot water.

You can think of these water heaters much like a battery that stores energy for use later on. They allow WREA to offer conservation, consumer friendly pro-grams that shave peak electrical demand. Reducing peak demand reduces power generation emissions and fuel use, make efficient use of generation resources and defers building new peaking generation plants and transmission lines. In short, water heater load management programs have saved our members money for the last couple years.

Over time, we feel the DOE ban would severely limit our cooperatives load management and demand-response initiatives. Basically, the regulatory changes include elevating the efficiency standard of large-capacity water heaters to ap-proximately 200 percent. Essentially, this would eliminate the manufacture of electric water heaters unless they are heat pump water heaters.

This is a concern because heat pump water heaters do not work as well in cold climates. This is because heat pump technology extracts heat out of the air in the room where it is located. In turn, this cools the room space and makes the home heating system work harder to keep the home warm in winter. Additionally, heat pump water heaters can’t be cycled like the resistance models and can’t heat water

to as high a temperature as quick. These heat pump water heaters are also pricey, putting them out of the reach of many families. At these high prices, electric cooperatives won’t be able to justify financial incentives sufficient to influence water heater purchas-ing decisions.

West River Electric joins the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) in urging bipartisan legislation that includes language to allow the continued usage of electric resistance water heaters for demand response programs. We will bring you updated information as more information becomes available to us. In the meantime West River Electric will continue to of-fer the Marathon Water Heater Program that has been available to our members until we receive further notice on the results of the bills proposed.

cooperative connections • March 2015 7

Youth ExcursionRoad Trip to Bismarck, NDDeadline is May 20, 2015

High School JuniorsHow about a Trip to DC?June 11-18, 2015

Youth Excursion Road Trip this summer? West River Electric will sponsor area students at the South Dakota Rural Electric Youth Excursion. This three-day event will be headquartered out of Bis-marck, North Dakota.

Young people attend-ing the excursion will learn about the basics of coop-eratives, how the region’s

Touchstone Energy Cooperatives work together and the career opportunities available at the cooperatives. The trip promises to provide fun, sight-seeing and an opportunity to meet new friends with participants from other rural electric cooperatives from across South Dakota.

Students will tour the Great Plains Synfuels Plant, Coteau Properties Freedom Coal Mine, Antelope Valley Station Power Plant and a drive thru the 40-mw Wilton Wind Farm north of Bismarck.

Evenings will be spent swimming, dancing, taking a cruise, shopping and making friends.

All area high school freshman, sophomores and juniors whose parents or guardians are members of WREA are eligible to enter. Students will be picked up Tuesday morning, July 28, and will arrive back home Thursday, July 30. The trip is funded by WREA except for personal/shopping money. Fill out the form below to have your name put into the selection process.

How about representing West River Electric in Washington DC? June 11-18, more than 1500 high school students will travel to Washington DC to participate in the Rural Electric Youth Tour. This action-filled week students learn what it is like to be involved in politics, community service, cooperative philosophy and rural electrification. You will have the opportu-nity to meet with your elected representative in the US House and Senate and discuss the process of government and the is-sues that we face today, while increasing your knowledge about the electric cooperative utilities.

The student is selected and sponsored by West River Elec-tric, and South Dakota Rural Electric Association (SDREA) coordinates arrangements for all South Dakota students. Among the sites that are toured are: National Cathedral, The White House, Washington Monument, U.S. Supreme Court, US Capitol, Ford’s Theatre, Lincoln Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery, Mount Vernon., Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, The Smithsonian, National Archives, Air and Space Museum, and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

Former Youth Tour Rep Ridge Sandall wanted to share, “I would like to encourage any upcoming Juniors interested in government & history to consider participating in the Youth Tour. I can promise you that it’s an opportunity you’ll be very glad you took advantage of.”

All area high school juniors whose parents or guardians are a member of WREA are eligible to apply for the Youth Tour. The funding of the tour is provided for by WREA, which includes the students transportation, room and board, and sight-seeing events. Students will be required to provide their own personal spending money.

Each student is required to submit an essay, not to exceed 500 words on “What does my Electric Coop mean to me and my family?” All essays must be typed and include a cover sheet to include the students name, parents name, address, phone number and school they attend. All essays must be received by West River Electric before March 2, 2015. If you have ques-tions please contact Veronica Kusser at 605-393-1500.

Youth news

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Name_____________________Male_____Female____

Parent or Guardian _____________________________

Address______________________________________

City______________________State_____Zip_______

Telephone_____________T-Shirt Size_____ Age_____

School Attending________________Grade__________Send to West River Electric Association, Youth Excursion, PO Box 3486, Rapid City, SD 57709. For more infor-mation regarding the Youth Excursion contact Veronica Kusser at 605-393-1500 or e-mail veronica.kusser@westriver.coop.

8 March 2015 • Cooperative ConneCtions

Scores of electric cooperative employees in the

region will be facing the clippers in March as they raise money to fight childhood cancer as part of Basin Electric’s 2015 Brave the Shave events.

The annual event brings area organizations, schools, citizens and kids together to go bald as part of Basin Electric’s “Brave the Shave” campaign to raise funds for pediatric cancer research.

The Brave the Shave campaign has evolved from a single event in Bismarck/Mandan, N.D., to a multi-state campaign, featuring several head-shav-ing events throughout the community and beyond. Since 2008, nearly 1,500 volunteers have shaved their heads in solidarity of children with cancer and more than $1.5 million has been raised for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation.

By Brenda Kle in jan

From Bas in E le c t r i c P res s Re leases

Fighting Childhood CancersOne Shave at a Time

The St. Baldrick’s Foundation is a volunteer-driven charity dedicated to raising money for life-saving childhood cancer research and funds more in childhood cancer grants than any organization except for the U.S. government. Since the Founda-tion’s first grants as an independent charity in 2005, St. Baldrick’s has funded more than $222 million to support the most brilliant childhood cancer research experts in the world.

A bulk of co-op employee involvement takes place at Basin Electric’s flagship event, the Official Brave the Shave 2015 event on March 13 at the Missouri Valley Family YMCA, Bismarck, N.D.

Doors open at 1 p.m. for silent auction, kids’ activities and other fun, including a Brave the Shave merchandise store.

Cooperative ConneCtions • March 2015 9

In South Dakota, employees of Basin Electric’s Deer Creek Station located on the Minnesota/South Dakota border east of Brookings lead the charge, teaming up with the Brookings Fire Department and South Dakota State Universitys Sigma Lambda Chi to host a Brave the Shave on March 16 at 4:30 p.m. at the fire de-partment’s East Station at 607 20th Ave in Brookings, S.D.

The 2014 event in Brookings brought 33 participants together, including three from Deer Creek Station.

Basin Electric employees in western North Dakota and Wyoming will ring in St. Patrick’s Day on March 17 with Brave the Shave events. At 10 a.m. MST, the hair clippers will be buzzing at the Dry Fork Station at Gillette, Wyo., and not long after, employees at Antelope Valley Station near Beulah, N.D., will be get-ting a trim for a cause.

“It’s been humbling to watch this campaign grow from a modest goal to raise $10,000 to a multi-state campaign that ranks among the top 10 St. Bal-

drick’s campaigns in the world,” says Mike Eggl, Basin Electric senior vice president of communications and admin-istration, and annual shavee. “The reason why we do this is simple: the kids. We’ve met heroes, survivors, fighters and angels. For as hard as they fight, we’ll continue to do our part to help.”

Jennifer Holen, Basin Electric event planner/charitable giving coordinator, has been working closely with honoree families.

“It’s been an honor to get to know our honorees and their families. They motivate us and inspire us with their kindness, fighting spirit and persever-ance,” Holen says.

Individuals and families who have someone they’d like honored can contact Holen at 701-557-5624.

The public is welcome to attend any of the Brave the Shave events. Silent auc-tion items are welcome for the March 13 event. To participate, volunteer, donate or for more information go, to bra-vetheshave.coop or contact Holen.

Fighting Childhood CancersOne Shave at a Time

Basin Electric’s Gerry Henricksen posed for before (above left) and after (left) photos at the 2014 event in Brookings. Above right: Kevin Crose from the Deer Creek team, Lynn Warnke of Dakotaland Federal Credit Union’s team and Kyle Crose of the Deer Creek team livened up the event with dyed locks. Right: Warnke went on to become the Brookings event’s first female shavee. Bottom right: Prize drawings are part of the festivities. Opposite Page: Participants at the main 2014 Brave the Shave event in Bismarck, N.D., pose for a photo. Cover: Brave the Shave Honoree, Dash Ohlsen, shaves his dad’s head.

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Bonjou – Good MorninG froM Coteaux, Haiti. On Nov. 21 I was notified that I was chosen to be a part of a Mission Trip to Cote-aux, Haiti, I was excited as this is something I have always wanted to do. Helping people less fortunate get power to turn the lights on. Nov. 29 I flew out of Sioux Falls arriving in Port-au-Prince that afternoon where I joined three lineman from Wisconsin, Montana and Washing-ton State. We spent two days touring the area and waiting for the project manager to come from the North.

The first day of December we were able to pick up material from EDH, the government-owned electric company. Due to the road conditions and transportation, it took 7 1/2 hours to make the 120 mile trek to Coteau. We then went to work with a few local lineman for CEAC, the first electric coop in Haiti, who received formal government approval while we were there.

The government is giving CEAC some equip-ment and the authorization to form a cooperative because of the distance from the capital and the lack of reliable power. It has been three years since Port-A-Piment had power when their generator burned up and three years since Roche-A-Batau has had power since their generator went bad. While we were in Coteau the generator there ran for the first time since May.

Our time in Coteau was spent framing out poles which were set by a prior crew. We were able to frame and set an additional 30 poles, set numer-ous anchors and guy wires, taught knot tying and the use of protective grounds, equipment and framing per the RUS standards.

Lineman On A MissionA Look At Electrification in Haiti

Editor’s NoteOne of the things we as Americans take for granted is that when we flip that switch the lights come on...the people of Haiti are looking forward to that day. Recently Byron Frank, Service Technician for WREA had the opportunity to be a part of an NRECA International Founda-tion line crew. For more information go to NRECA International Foundation at www.NRECA.coop.

10 March 2015 • cooperative connections

5002300

Pole yard where poles and supplies are kept waiting for installation.

cooperative connections • March 2015 11

We here in the States focus on the culture of safety and the importance of going home each night to our families. This being said safe work practices was an important part of what we taught to the lineman in Haiti.

The tree trimming crew would climb the trees with bare feet and use a machete to trim the trees as seen in the lower left corner of the picture below.

This was done after a meeting where approval was given for the trees to be trimmed or taken down.

Holes for anchors and poles were dug by hand, most generally by the land owner. If they could not or chose not

to do it themselves, local workers were recruited and were paid by the co-op organizers. The rock that you see on the picture above was hand-picked from a river bed used to fill the excess space in the holes that have been dug. Without the rock the holes will fill with water and won’t support a pole.

I was amazed at the number of cell phones, everyone seemed to have one, which they re-charged on power strips hanging from solar-powered street lights. Solar power used with inverters were used to provide lighting of CFL and LED bulbs.

We ate well while away, mangos were in season and there was a lot of skinless chicken served. Breakfast of spaghetti was made with a fish sauce. Fried plan-tains which are like a small banana are served with many meals and pumpkin

soup was is a Sunday special. They have a water purification plant in Coteau which is where we got our drinking water from. This came in 10 oz plastic bags.

The motel we stayed in used a genera-tor from 6 pm-6 am and each room had one CFL bulb and solar heated water came thru the shower with gravitation.

Being involved in “Lighting the world, one village at a time,” was one of the most rewarding experiences I have ever been involved in, and I would go back in a heart beat. The project that we worked on in Coteau, when finished, will have two generators plus 100 KW

solar panels mounted on the roofs of the local schools. There will be 27 transform-ers serving approximately 3000 people with the anticipated average home using 200 kWh a month operating 120 volts at 35 cents per kWh.

The goal is to help the people of Haiti establish pride of ownership in their electric cooperative.

While waiting for a supply truck to arrive, Byron plays soccer with the local school children.

12 March 2015 • Cooperative ConneCtions

After more than two years of study and consid- eration, Basin Electric Power Cooperative and its member systems are jumping in to the Southwest Power Pool.

The process actually started a decade ago with initial meetings and discussions about joining a regional transmission organzation.

The decision to join an RTO has been anything but quick and straightforward, especially for an organization as complex as Basin Electric, a gen-eration and transmission (G&T) cooperative that provides electricity for other cooperatives – G&Ts and distribution co-ops that ultimately serve the end consumer. In addition, Basin Electric has worked in partnership with the Western Area Power Administration and Heartland Consumers Power District over decades to build a robust transmission

infrastructure, the Integrated System (IS).In its own way, the IS has been like a mini trans-

mission organization.However, with the creation of surrounding

RTOs, the IS became somewhat of an island, excluded from access to neighboring RTO’s market power. The boundaries of the region and limited access to markets caused constraints in times of surplus generation or when the members required more power.

“Ultimately, we had to balance the needs of our membership,” says Mike Risan, Basin Electric senior vice president of transmission. “Basin Electric is charged with providing power for our members at the lowest possible cost.

From cost, benefits, transmission, market access, philosophical and geographic standpoints, joining SPP

By Andrea Blowers

Diving In To the Southwest Power Pool

Editor’s Note: This story is reprinted from the September/October 2014 issue of Basin Today.

The footprint of the Southwest Power Pool will expand in October 2015 when Basin Electric Power Cooperative joins the RTO.

Cooperative ConneCtions • March 2015 13

(Southwest Power Pool) became our best option.”Basin Electric’s board of directors agreed with

staff ’s recommendation and, at their July meeting, the directors authorized Basin Electric to join SPP, the RTO to the south.

The course to this decision has been somewhat uncharted and though it may seem that reaching the decision to join was the ultimate goal, it was really only half the journey.

For Basin Electric, its membership and the IS partners, the tasks yet to be addressed and fully vetted will take several months. Full membership in SPP will not happen until Oct. 1, 2015.

From here, Basin Electric staff and members will charge ahead tackling the tasks and outlining the details of integration for each of the eight defined areas of concentration: operations, transmission planning/engineering, information technology, regulatory, com-pliance, markets, settlements and training.

Part of those integration efforts reside in understand-ing how the SPP marketplace functions. Marketing and Asset Management Vice Pres-ident Ken Rutter says in an RTO there are two markets – a day-ahead market and a realtime market.

“The day-ahead market is a kind of setup for what and how people think the real time is going to operate,” he says.

“At 11 a.m., the day be-fore, we offer our generation units into the market-place. We find out at 4 p.m. if they clear and what price they cleared for. Then, later that evening, right before real time, SPP begins running their real time models, which essentially gives the five-minute price signals to the marketplace. These should pretty closely replicate the day-ahead market,” Rutter says.

“The reason we have a different market for real time is because weather changes, loads can vary, units trip, the wind can pick up and different things happen where more or less generation is needed. So, every five minutes then the real time market gives a new price signal and a new dispatch signal from the marketplace, which will be the real signal in terms of how the unit will operate.”

That doesn’t necessarily mean the cooperative’s baseload units are going to be ramped up and down at five minute intervals. “We can fully control how we operate our units in the marketplace,” Rutter says.

“It’s critical that we understand our unit dispatch costs and structure our generation offers in the marketplace in order to maximize the value of the

membership.”Rutter says every day Basin Electric will put in its

offers for all of its generation on how the coopera-tive wants the units to run, for how long and other parameters. “We have control, in large part, as to how each of our units will operate in SPP. It’s a balancing act. Our goal is to have the baseload units baseloaded.”

Rutter acknowledges the process will not be suc-cessful without good communication between the marketing group and the folks at the plants.

“At this stage of development, this is one of the most important tasks,” Rutter says. “We want to ensure the employees at the plant sites have a good understanding of how the SPP market functions

and how we’ll be working within that market and we need to have a good under-standing of how each of the plants operate.”

Rutter has been making trips with John Jacobs, vice president of plant operations, to each of the facilities to talk with the plant operators and staff. The overall message during these trips is that Basin Electric is going to make every effort to replicate how the cooperative operates today, but still take advantage of the fact that it will have access to a broader market-place.

“There’s a lot of training for everyone involved,” Rut-ter says. “For example, one of the other elements in an RTO

market is market monitors. These monitors ensure there’s no gaming in the market. They have rules in terms of how you can offer units, so an organization can’t manipulate the market. The market monitors test each organization’s offers every day and if they believe you’re violating rules, you’ll be penalized.”

Rutter says ensuring his staff is properly trained and advised on these nuances of SPP membership are vital to successful operation within an RTO.

In addition to training, other tasks on the mar-keting group’s to do list include determining the software for tagging and scheduling in the mar-ket, ensuring they have a full staff, defining their strategy for moving power west to east and east to west across the DC ties, congestion modeling and a number of other tasks.

“There’s a lot to do from all areas of the coopera-tive,” Rutter says. “Communication is going to be key to all our integration efforts. This has certainly been a journey and we’re learning every day, but as they say, it’s the journey that teaches you a lot about your destination.”

Members in 9 states

13

Arkansas

Kansas

Louisiana

Mississippi

Missouri

Nebraska

New Mexico

Oklahoma

Texas

“This has certainlybeen a journey and we’relearning every day.”~ Ken Rutter

14 March 2015 • cooperative connections

Co-opnewsNews Briefs

December 2013Number of Meters: 16,024

KWH 27,402,401

December 2014Number of Meters: 16,253

KWH 26,814,822

Sign UpFill out and send to:

West River Electric Assoc.Cooperative Connections, PO Box 3486,Rapid City, SD 57709

Or drop it in with your payment.

Sign up for:

Operation Roundup Budget Billing Pay By Bank Automatic Credit Card Payment

I am interested in moreinformation on: Marathon Water Heater Radiant Cove Heat Meco Grills Special Electric Heat Rate Geothermal & Air-to-Air Heat Pumps Rebates Radiant Floor Heating Demand Response Unit Generlink

Be sure to include your name and address if you mail this coupon or E mail: veronica. kusser@westriver.coop

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880701

Call Before You Dig!

Tough Enoughto Put on Pink! West River Electric Employees took the challenge to Get Tough, Wear Pink, and Help Fight Cancer serious-ly. The office employees, dressed for the fight, are shown below. The proceeds from the t-shirts bought and the jeans day collection benefit the John T Vucurevich Regional Cancer Care Institute. We challenge you to be Tough and support the fight against Cancer.

Rapid City Office Back Row Left to Right: Adam Daigle, Robert Raker, Willy Nohr, Matt Schmahl, Byron Frank, and Jannette Thayer. Front Row: Christine Ritter, Veronica Kusser, Gerri Johnston, Bonnie Almeida, Tracea Ladner and Amy Thompson.

Wall Office Left to Right: Garrett Shearer, Alicia Fortune, Debbie Shepard, Jeannie Smith, Betty Haerer, Lindsy Reagle, Dawn Hilgenkamp and Jenny Patterson.

cooperative connections • March 2015 15

Co-opnews

(USPS No. 675-840)

Our MissionTo inform you about your cooperative and its

efforts to serve your energy needs; about how to use electricity safely and efficiently; and about the people who define and enhance the quality of life

in communities served by electric co-ops.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer

PresidentAndy Moon, Creighton, S.D.

Vice PresidentStan Anders, Union Center, S.D.

SecretaryBill Bielmaier, Wall, S.D.

TreasurerLarry Eisenbraun, Wall, S.D.

DirectorsHoward Knuppe, New Underwood, S.D.

Dick Richter, Enning, S.D.Marcia Arneson, Rapid City, S.D.

Jamie Lewis, Rapid City, S.D. Jerry Hammerquist, Caputa, S.D.

CEO/General ManagerDick Johnson

EditorVeronica Kusser

West River Electric Cooperative Connections is the monthly publication for the members of West River Electric Association. Members subscribe to Cooperative Connections as part of their electric cooperative membership for $6.00 a year. West River Electric Cooperative Connections purpose is to provide reliable, helpful information to electric coop-erative members on matters pertaining to rural electrification and better living. Nonmember subscriptions are available for $12.00 per year. Periodicals Postageaid at Wall, S.D., and at additional mailing offices. POStMAStER: Send ad-dress changes to West River Electric Cooperative Connec-tions, PO Box 412, Wall, SD 57790-0412.

Other correspondence to: West River Electric Coopera-tive Connections, PO Box 3486, Rapid City, SD 57709; tele-phone (605)393-1500, Exts. 6519, 6517, 6531 or 6522; fax (605)393-0275; e-mail veronica.kusser@westriver.coop.

Call before you dig:All underground cable location requests for the entire state of South Dakota are made through the South Dakota One-Call System. The number is toll free, 1-800-781-7474 (dial 811 instate).

You are required to provide this one-call center with information regarding the location where you will be digging, along with a description of the type of work you will be doing. You are required to give at least a 48-hour notice before you dig. The one-call center will then notify all utilities with underground facilities in the area where you will be digging.

Locate Your Account NumberIn this ConnectionsIf you locate your account number anywhere in this issue of the Cooperative Connections you will be a winner. There will be five account numbers placed randomly throughout the Connections. If you spot your account number and notify our office before the 10th of next month, you will receive a $10.00 credit on your next bill.

enerGY tipYour home works hard for you. Your home works hard for you. Consider giving it an energy checkup. Hire a professional energy auditor to diagnose where your house could be losing energy and where you can start saving money. Auditors check for air leaks, inspect insulation, survey heating and cooling equipment and more. After making efficiency upgrades, you could save 5-30 percent on your energy bills. Source: EnergySavers.gov

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3847800

West river eleCtriC offiCe Hours

rapid City offiCe

3250 e. HWy 44, rapid City, sdMonday-friday 7:00 aM to 5:00 pM

605-393-1500

Wall offiCe

1200 W. 4tH ave, Wall, sdMonday-friday 7:00 aM to 5:00 pM

605-279-2135

A night depository is available at both offices for your convenience.

Service & Billing Questions:Contact 605-279-2135 or 605-

393-1500 during office hours. You can e-mail us at info@westriver.coop on questions concerning your account.

After Hours Power Restoration:Contact 605-279-2135 in the Wall

or Enning areas and 605-393-1500 in the Rapid City area.

New Faces at the Coop Matt Kruse, Apprentice Lineman is a new face in the Enning area. Matt grew up on a ranch in the Interior area. He graduated from Mitchell Vo-Tech with a degree in Utility Technology. He worked for a short time with Timberline Construction, Dale’s Tire, summer help for WREA in 2010 and Kainz Construc-tion prior to starting full time with us.

Matt & wife, Miranda, enjoy riding horses, hiking, traveling and spending time with fam-ily. They have 2 dogs, Ariat & Lucky.

Jared Stalley, Customer Service Rep is a new face in the Rapid City office. Jared graduated from the University of Mary with a Business Administration degree. After college he worked at Best Buy in Sioux Falls in the Home Theater Division. He later transferred to the Rapid City Best Buy, working as Mobile Manager, to be closer to family.

Jared and wife, Cassidy have 2 children and enjoy spending time at Angostura. They like to spend time with family and friends.

Matt Kruse, lineman in the Enning area.

Jared Stalley, CSR in the Rapid City office.

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Regional Dateline

April 1 Day of Excellence, Rushmore

Plaza Civic Center Theater Rapid City, SD www.dayofexcellence.com

April 17-18 Chicago Broadway Nights Fine Arts Theatre, Rushmore

Plaza Civic Center Rapid City, SD, 605-394-4115

April 22 Earth Day Celebration, Main

Street Square, Downtown Rapid City, SD, 605-716-7979

April 24-26 Youth & Family Services Kids

Fair, Rushmore Plaza Civic Center, Rapid City, SD

605-394-4115

May 1-3 Shrine Circus, Rushmore Plaza

Civic Center, Rapid City, SD 6605-394-4115

Basketball Tournament, Arena Huron, SD

March 13-14 Badlands Quilters Weekend

Getaway, Community Center Wall, SD, 605-279-2809

March 14 Philip Area Annual 2015 Gun

Show, American Legion Hall Philip, SD, 605-859-2635 or

605-859-2280

March 19-21 SD State High School Visual

Arts Contest, Premier Center Sioux Falls, SD

March 19-21 SD State High School AA Boys

Basketball Tournament Premier Center, Sioux Falls, SD

March 19-21 SD State High School A Boys

Basketball Tournament Rushmore Plaza Civic Center Rapid City, SD

February 20 Firehouse Brewing Theatre Vanja & Sonia and Masha &

Spike, Firehouse Theatre Rapid City, SD, 605-716-9463

February 21 Flashdance the Musical, Fine

Arts Theatre, Rushmore Plaza Civic Center, Rapid City, SD

605-394-4115

February 27-28 SD State High School State A

Wrestling Tournament, Arena Sioux Falls, SD

February 27-28 SD State High School State B

Wrestling Tournament Rushmore Plaza Civic Center Rapid City, SD

February 28 American Heart Association

Heart Ball, LaCroix Hall Rushmore Plaza Civic Center Rapid City, SD, 605-394-4115

February 28 Last Day to Skate Beach Party Main Street Square Downtown, Rapid City, SD 605-716-7979

March 12-14 SD State High School AA Girls

Basketball Tournament, Frost Arena, Brookings, SD

March 12-14 SD State High School A Girls

Basketball Tournament Civic Arena, Watertown, SD

March 12-14 SD State High School B Girls

March 19-21 SD State High School B Boys

Basketball Tournament Barnett Center, Aberdeen, SD

March 27 Firehouse Brewing Theatre 25th Annual Putnam County

Spelling Bee, Firehouse Theatre, Rapid City, SD 605-716-9463

March 28 SD State High School All-State

Band Concert, Lorang Theatre O’Gorman High School

Sioux Falls, SD

March 27-29 Black Hills Home Show Rushmore Plaza Civic Center Rapid City, SD, 605-394-4115

April 1 SD High School Press Convention, SD State University, Brookings, SD

Events of Special Note

To have your event listed on this page, send complete information, including date, event, place and contact to your local electric cooperative. Include your name, address and daytime telephone number. Information must be submitted at least eight weeks prior to your event. Please call ahead to confirm date, time and location of event.

February 26 18th Annual Liberty Ball

Game, 7 p.m., Riggs High School Gym, Pierre, SD

605-341-4311

March 2 Youth Tour Essay Deadline West River Electric Association Rapid City, SD, 605-393-1500