KIUC Linemen All Geared Up - Kauai Island Utility Cooperative

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32 <strong>KIUC</strong> CURRENTS Most of the loan recipients were newly formed rural electric cooperatives. If rural America was to have access to electricity, rural residents discovered they would have to make it happen themselves. Today, nearly a thousand locally owned coops provide power to more than 35 million people— around 11 percent of the nation—in 47 states. Working together for the common good was not a new concept for farmers, who had organized agricultureoriented coops. Now hungry for electricity, rural residents journeyed up and down country roads, seeking support for development of electric cooperatives. By and large, they were successful. In “The Next Greatest Thing: 50 Years of Rural Electrification in America,” the story is recounted of one farmer who—told his farm was too far from REA lines— literally moved his house so he could join the local coop and get electricity. By the end of 1948, more than 40,000 consumers a month were being connected to lines. In 1949, REAfinanced coops energized 184,000 miles of electric line—nearly 700 miles a working day. As the lights came on across rural America, farm life was transformed. Farm chores previously done by hand—with the light of a lantern—became easier with electricity. So did household activities such as washing, ironing, cooking and cleaning. “Brothers and sisters, I want to tell you this,” another farmer told a gathering at his church in the early 1940s, shortly after his property was electrified. “The greatest thing on earth is to have the love of God in your heart, and the next greatest thing is to have electricity in your house.” Today, electricity is available to more than 99 percent of the nation’s rural residents—mostly through electric coops.
To perform their mission, electric cooperatives own and maintain 2.3 million miles—44 percent— of the nation’s electric distribution lines, covering threequarters of the nation’s land mass. Their assets top $70 billion. And they provide electrical service in a way far different than IOUs. Unlike profitmotivated companies, rural electric systems are owned and controlled by the people they serve. That’s important, because stockholders and consumers have vastly different interests. Stockholders want a return on their investment, while consumers want low rates and quality service. Because rates and policies are set by memberelected boards of directors, electric cooperatives have a history of listening to and respecting the wishes of their members. Customer service and billing problems are handled locally by neighbors, and money paid to coops stays in the community. Thanks to the formation of electric cooperatives, access to electricity atcost is now possible in rural America. Pam Blair is assistant editor for Ruralite Services, Inc., based in Forest Grove, Oregon. She has won numerous awards for energyrelated articles produced during 17 years of work for rural electric cooperatives. One out of every four Americans belongs to a coop October is National Coop Month for the nation’s 40,000 plus cooperatives. <strong>KIUC</strong> is part of the network of nearly 1,000 consumerowned electric cooperatives that provides electricity to 37 million people in 47 states. Owned and governed by the members in hundreds of small communities, electric coops have been demonstrating strong commitment to their local communities since they turned on the lights in rural America in the 1930s. Today, they generate jobs and income, support local causes through charitable contributions and volunteerism, improve the environment, support education and invest in new community businesses. Visit us in our Lihue office on Fridays during the month of October as we celebrate National Coop Month. C ENTERPRISES COOPERATIVE OO O PERA AT TIVE BUILD A AB BETTER W WWORLD W ORLD D D W learn how ho hooop w at go.coop go. c OBER2 01 011 CCO-OP O-OP MONTH OCTOBER2011 OCT Cooperation Cooperati on | Participation P articipation | Education Ed ucation | Democracy Democ moc racy | Membership Membe mbe rship | Community Commu n ity | Independence Independen n ce OCTOBER 2011 33
Page 1 and 2: 3-Time Award-Winning KIUC Linemen A
Page 3 and 4: Table of Contents How Come My Compu
Page 5 and 6: For this issue of “A Pictures Wor
Page 7 and 8: Food Mart, Kapa‘a Shell, Lawai Me
Page 9 and 10: APPLIANCE ESTIMATED ENERGY USE ESTI
Page 11 and 12: The data from new digital meters he
Page 13 and 14: Will I lose electrical service duri
Page 15 and 16: 38201829 ||||||||||||| |||||| |||||
Page 17 and 18: Connect With Care. ■ When in doub
Page 19 and 20: Facebook: A network of personal and
Page 21 and 22: Walk on sidewalks, not in the stree
Page 23 and 24: By Anne Barnes KIUC IN THE COMMUNIT
Page 25 and 26: The Qualifying Member Appliance Rep
Page 27 and 28: By Shelley Paik What the Well-Dress
Page 29 and 30: Photo by Maile Moriguchi We all wan
Page 31: Photos courtesy of NRECA and Cooper
Page 35 and 36: Marie Morin embraced her new job as
Page 37 and 38: State law requires KIUC to maintain
Page 39 and 40: Short Ribs 3 pounds short ribs Salt
Page 41 and 42: Recovery Act (ARRA) for smart grid
Page 43 and 44: Directors are the connection betwee
Page 45 and 46: Board Actions for July and August 2
Page 47 and 48: Call it Cost-effective Economical P
Page 49 and 50: showing “ON” and “OFF” posi
Page 51 and 52: On July 29, 2011, David Bissell, pr
Page 53 and 54: Where Your Electric Dollar Goes Mos
Page 55 and 56: Request for Patronage Capital Refun
Page 57 and 58: MILLIKEN, STEPHEN P MINDORO, BEBINC
Page 59 and 60: MONIZ, JOHN MONTEMAYOR, J G MOORE,
Page 61 and 62: LEWIS, SAMANTHA LIN, GUANG LOMONGO,
Page 63 and 64: FULTON JR, RONALD FUNG, DEBRA A GAB
Page 65 and 66: WALCZUK, ANTHONY J WALKER, GEORGE W
Page 67 and 68: KINOSHITA, MICHIE KISHI, TATSU KITC
Page 69 and 70: CALHOUN, SAMUEL CALLAHAN, SABRINA C
Page 71 and 72: Simple Pleasures “Everybody chase

KIUC Linemen All Geared Up - Kauai Island Utility Cooperative

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