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POWERLINES DECEMBER 20185 6 1
Volunteer Energy Cooperative Newsletter
DEC2018
Aswelooktofinishup2018atVolunteerEnergyCooperative(VEC),IamgladtobeabletoreporttoyouthatyourElectricCooperativeisingoodshapefrombothafinancialandsystemoperationstandpoint.Fromanelectricsystemcapacitystandpoint,VEChasneverbeeninbettershape.Ourongoingsystemmaintenanceprogramsofreplacingagingpoles,investinginnewsubstations,updatingsystemprotectionequipmentandclearingtherightofwayaroundourpowerlinescontinuetoimprove.ThisyearVECisinvestingarecordamountonthesemaintenanceprogramstoimproveservicetoourmemberconsumers.Wearealwayslookingforopportunitiestoimproveourservice. ThelesspositiveandaprimaryconcernthemanagementandVECBoardhaveatthistimedealswiththeongoingrateincreasesfromourwholesalepowersupplier,theTennesseeValleyAuthority(TVA).Foreightofthelasttenyears,includingthemostrecentsixyearsinarow,TVAhasraisedthewholesaleratestheychargethelocalpowercompaniesintheTennesseeValley.TVA’scurrentannualrevenuescoveralltheircostsincludingoperationsandmaintenance,allcapitalcostsandalldebtservice.TVAwantstopaydownasignificantportionoftheirlong-termdebt,andweagreewiththeplantoreducesomeofTVA’sdebt.OurconcernisthatTVA’sratesaresohighnow,inadditiontopayingdowndebttheywillbebuildingupbillionsofdollarsofexcesscashthatisnotneededforanyoftheiroperationalcoststorunTVA.TVAhasnowbecomeoneofthehighestcostwholesalepowersuppliersintheSoutheastUnitedStates.WecontinuetotrytoengageTVAonthisvitalissueforourmembers.Unfortunately,theyarealreadyplanninganotherrateincreasefornextyear. ThegoodnewsisyourCooperative,aftereighty-threeyearsinoperation,continuestogetbetteraswelookforwardtoanewyear.
Wewillcontinuetoworkonwaystoimproveourserviceandrepresentourmember-consumers,whetherthatisinmeetingswithTVAorourlegislatorsinNashvilleandWashington.
WewishyouandyourfamilyaMerryChristmasandHappyNewYear!
RodyBlevinsPresident/CEOVolunteerEnergyCooperative
2018 Annual Meeting
2018AnnualMeetingwasanunqualifiedsuccess.Morethan900co-opmembersattendedandenjoyedadayofmusic,freefood,giveaways,andexercisingtheirvote.VoicesofLeeperformedafantastictributetothearmedforces,afewoldiesandtookrequestsfromtheaudience.Severalofthesurveycardsturnedinattheendofthemeetingstatedthatthiswasthebestannualmeetingtheyhadattended.Thankyoutoallwhoparticipated.
VEC Statement of Nondiscrimination
2020 Calendar Contest
The2019VECCalendarisavailableatyourlocalVECoffice.Thisyear’sCalendarisdifferentfromthosegivenawayinpreviousyears.Allthephotosusedfor2019weresubmittedbyVECemployees.Eachpictureisofalocationwithinthe17countiesweserve.Photographycreditandlocationarelistedonthesecondtolastpageofthecalendar. Forour2020calendar,weareaskingforphotosubmissionsfromourCo-opmembers. Toqualify:• Thesubjectmattermustbefoundwithinourservicearea.• Thecompositionmustbehorizontal(landscape).• Digitalnotprinted.• [email protected] driveatyourlocaloffice.• Havearesolutionof300dpiorhigher.• Havephotographersnameandcontactinformationalongwiththe locationofthephoto.
Wewillhaveateamreviewthephotossubmittedforthecalendars.Ifyourphotoispickedforoneofthemonths,youwillreceivecreditonthelastpageofthecalendar.Theoverallwinningphotowillbechosenforthecoverofthecalendar.Ifyourphotowinsthecover,youwillalsoreceivea$50billcreditcertificate.
VolunteerEnergyCooperativeistherecipientoffederalfinancialassistancefromtheRuralUtilitiesService,anagencyoftheU.S.DepartmentofAgriculture.InaccordancewithFederalcivilrightslawandU.S.DepartmentofAgriculture(USDA)civilrightsregulationsandpolicies,theUSDA,itsAgencies,offices,andemployees,andinstitutionsparticipatinginoradministeringUSDAprogramsareprohibitedfromdiscriminatingbasedonrace,color,nationalorigin,disability,orage.Remediesandcomplaintfilingdeadlinesvarybyprogramorincident. Personswithdisabilitieswhorequirealternativemeansofcommunicationforprograminformation(e.g.,Braille,largeprint,audiotape,AmericanSignLanguage,etc.)shouldcontacttheresponsibleAgencyorUSDA’sTARGETCenterat(202)720-2600(voiceandTTY)orcontactUSDAthroughtheFederalRelayServiceat(800)877-8339.Additionally,programinformationmaybemadeavailableinlanguagesotherthanEnglish. Tofileaprogramdiscriminationcomplaint,completetheUSDAProgramDiscriminationComplaintForm,AD-3027,foundonlineatwww.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.htmlandatanyUSDAofficeorwritealetteraddressedtoUSDAandprovideintheletteralloftheinformationrequestedintheform.Torequestacopyofthecomplaintform,call(866)632-9992.SubmityourcompletedformorlettertoUSDAby:
(1) mail:U.S.DepartmentofAgriculture OfficeoftheAssistantSecretaryforCivilRights 1400IndependenceAvenue,SW Washington,D.C.20250-9410
(2) Fax:(202)690-7442
(3) Email:[email protected].
VECisanequalopportunityprovider.
TheVECustomersShareprogramfunded$25,100incommunityservicegrantsinOctober.SincetheinceptionoftheprograminOctober2001,morethan$6.4millioningrantshasbeenawarded.Thedeadlineforgrantapplicationsisthelastworkingdayofeachmonth.Foradditionalinformation,contacttheofficeofMarketingandEconomicDevelopment,at423-334-7051.Applicationsarealsoavailableonline,atwww.vec.org.
POWERLINES 2 3 4
Organizations receiving grants in October
Your Change Changes Things
RodyBlevins,VECPresidentandCEO,presentedagrantchecktoPennySmithandAnnWilsonoftheRicevilleFBCWeekendMealProject.Thegrantfundswillprovide24-weekendmealstoneedystudentsatRicevilleElementarySchooltwiceamonth.
A History of Connecting CommunitiesScott Allen Farm, Meigs County, TN
VolunteerEnergyCooperative(VEC)hasdeephistoricalrootsinMeigsCounty,Tennessee.Intheearly1930s,onlyfouroutofeveryonehundredfarmsinTennesseewereservedwithanyformofelectricity.ExceptforafewprivatelyownedDelcobatterypowersystems,thecitizensofMeigsCountylivedandworkedunderprimitiveconditionswhencomparedtotheircounterpartsinthelargertownsandcities.InMay1935theMeigsCountyPowerAssociation,IncorporatedwasformedwhichbecameMeigsCountyElectricMembershipCorporation,andthenin1939VolunteerElectricCooperative(VEC).ThisfoundationinMeigsCountyeventuallyspreadthroughoutsoutheastTennessee,andtodayVECisthesecondlargestCooperativeinthestateofTennessee.
FromthebeginningoftheCooperative’sincorporation,thespiritofserviceembodiedthemembers.Mrs.GrizellaScottofMeigsCountywasoneoftheveryfirstmembers,joiningtheMeigs
CountyElectricMembershipCooperativeAug.22,1936.Joiningacooperativein1936wastypicaloftheScottfamily’scommunity-focusedlifestyle.AmemberoftheScott/AllenFamilywouldresideinthislocationandbeamemberofVECuntilthepresentday. TheScottfamilyhadresidedinMeigsCountysince1844whenthewidowofJosephScottwasforcedtostopinMeigsCountyduringatriptoTexas.TheScottfamilyhasalonghistoryofmilitaryservicebeginningwithColonelJohnScott(b.1749)commissionedbyNorthCarolinaGovernorWilliamBlountandTerritorialGovernorJohnSevier(whowouldbethefirstGovernorofTennessee).ColonelScott’ssonJosephwouldfightunderAndrewJacksonintheBattleofHorseShoe
HospiceofCumberlandCountyInc. $2,360FentressCountyChildren’sCenter $1,500HamiltonCo.STARS $1,000Ms.PaulettaDowdy’s8thGradeELAClub $1,000HelpingHandCommunityFoodPantry $1,000MontereyAnglersBoosterClub $1,000FamilyCenterandCommunityLeadersofAmerica $1,000AmericanLegionAuxilaryUnit257 $1,000PolkCountyYouthCheerleading $1,0004thand5thGradeEnrichmentTrip $1,000MeigsSouthElementaryPTO $900NorthCumberlandElementarySchoolSafetyTeam $700MeigsCountyHistoricalSociety $700CharacterCountsCommunityInitiative $648ValleyChristianAcademy-Parent/TeacherFellowship $552UnityCenter $500CherokeeRemovalPark-BlytheFerry $500PlateauWomen’sChorus $500FraternalOrderofPolice $500YorkElementaryAcceleratedReadingProgram $500
BentonFoodFundBoosterClub $500BentonFallFestivalBoosterClub $500MidwayHighSchoolBaseballBoosters $500MidwayYouthCheerleadingOrganization $500ClarkrangeHighSchool $500MidwaySoccerClub $500NiotaElementaryPTO $500PleasantHillElementarySchoolPTO(Band) $440PantherPageTurners $400CalhounElementaryPTO $300MidwayQuarterbackClub $300ValleyViewElementarySchoolPTO $250BradleyCountyVeteransHonorGuard $250OcoeeMiddleSchoolPTO $250FamilyCornerstonesInc. $250Boys&GirlsClubsoftheOcoeeRegion-JohnsonTeen $250MontereyHometownProject $250ClevelandAquaTigers $250MontereyDinnerTheater $200TheStitchAngels $200MontereyHighClassof2019ProjectGraduation $150
Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)Residential&OutdoorLightingFuelCostAdjustment
EffectiveNovember1,2018
0.000¢For the most current FCA information, visit www.vec.org
VolunteerEnergyCooperativeisanEqualOpportunityproviderandemployer.
DECEMBER 2018
BendduringtheWarof1812.Joseph’ssonJohnwouldserveintheWarwithMexico.Also,Robert(Bob)ScottservedinWorldWarI,hissonErnieScottservedinWorldWarII,andWayneScott,sonofErnie,wouldserveinVietnam.Wayne’swifeCarolynworkedforVECfrom1969until2010intheDecaturServiceCenter. SeveralmembersoftheScottfamilycurrentlyresideontheScottAllenfarmincludingSteveandJulieScott.Thecurrentfarmincludes113oftheoriginal319.25acres.SteveScottmovedintotheoriginalhomeplacein1998andbeganrenovationsin2003.Steveaddedfourroomsandapproximately1,350squarefeetwhichincludedasecondfloor.ThispastJulythefarmwasawardedCenturyFarmStatusbytheCenterforHistoricPreservationatMiddleTennesseeStateUniversity. SteveScott,thegrandsonofErnieScott,isalsotheSuperintendentofRightofWayforVEC.StevegraduatedwithadegreeinForestryfromtheUniversityofTennesseeatKnoxvilleandisacertifiedArborist.Growingupinacommunitywherehecantracehisrootsfromtheearly1800s,Scottfeelstheresponsibilityoftakingcareofthelandwhilebeingcommittedtopreparingforthefuture.Servingnotonlyhiscommunitybutall17countiesintheVECservicearea,Scottcantakethelongview.Planningfortheland,preparingfortheCooperative’sneedforreliability,andmaintainingcommunitysafetyaredailyprioritiesforSteveScott.
