CURRENT COMMENTS - Southern Rivers Energy

CURRENTCOMMENTS
June 2009
The Official Newsletter of
T
Bright Ideas
Applications
Online
eachers, apply now
for a chance to win
a Bright Ideas grant
this fall. You could
win up to $1,000
for your creative
classroom project
or lesson plan!
Applications are
due by 12 a.m.,
Sept. 11, 2009, and
must be submitted
online at www.southernriversenergy.com.
Special June Bill Insert
Please look for a brochure included
in your June bill that explains our rate
structure in detail and includes a copy of
the new rates for you to keep.
Save the Date!
S
T
outhern Rivers Energy’s annual meeting is getting a
face-lift with a new date, time, place and format. Mark your
calendars for Saturday morning, Sept. 26. The 72nd Annual
Meeting of Members will be held at SRE’s headquarters on Hwy.
341 South in Barnesville. We look forward to seeing you there!
Dates to Remember
June 11-18 ....................2009 Washington Youth Tour
June 14..........................Flag Day
June 21..........................Father’s Day
Note: Southern Rivers Energy will be closed on Friday,
July 3, in observance of Independence Day. To report an
outage, call 770-358-1383 or toll-free, 877-358-1383.
June 2009 www.southernriversenergy.com Your Local Touchstone Energy ® Cooperative
22A

SRE Introduces New Rate Structure
T
he energy industry is facing unprecedented challenges,
and we at Southern Rivers Energy are doing
everything we can to keep you informed of the issues.
We stay in close contact with elected officials in our
service area to make sure they understand the full
impact proposed energy-related legislation will have on
their constituents—our members back home. We are
constantly searching for new ways to help you better
manage your energy use so you can save money on
your bill. We work very hard to keep our operating
costs low to help offset the fixed costs—wholesale
power costs—we have no control over.
Why do we do all this? The reason is simple:
because co-ops look out for their members. Without
you, we wouldn’t exist. We are here to supply you with
the best and most affordable electric service possible
while contributing to the success of the communities we
serve. That’s it. Many of us are members of this co-op or
a neighboring co-op. All of these issues affect us at
home, the same as you.
We have informed you of the unpredictable fuel
prices that affect the cost of purchased power—coal,
natural gas and uranium. Because these prices fluctuate
so much, it is necessary to conduct a cost-of-service
study every few years to determine what our actual
costs are and whether our rates are reflecting those
costs accurately.
Our recent study revealed that our current rate
structure needed to be revised in order to distribute
the cost of power to our members on a more equitable
basis. As an not-for-profit electric cooperative,
everyone using our services must pay their share of
New Rates for Outdoor Lights
Summer Rates Are in Effect
(June-September)
Present Revised
Customer Charge $20.00 $27.50
First 800 kWh $ 0.0800 $ 0.0935
Over 800 kWh $ 0.0975 $ 0.1175
PCA Factor $ 0.0200 –$ 0.005
Sample Bill @ 1,200 kWh (average usage)
Base charge $123.00 $149.30
PCA $ 24.00 –$ 6.00
Total $147.00 $143.30
Difference $ 3.70 or –2.52%
the cost of operating it.
In your June bill, you will receive a special
insert that explains in detail what makes up
Southern Rivers Energy’s rates. Please read through
this important brochure and let us know if you
have any questions. In the new rate structure above,
you will see a separate line item called “PCA.” This
refers to the Power Cost Adjustment, which is a variable
built into the rate structure in order to “adjust” the rates
charged to members when the price of fuels to generate
electricity (primarily coal and natural gas) rise and fall
over time, as well as the cost of materials and other factors
that may affect the price of providing power. Using
the PCA helps avoid large, permanent rate adjustments.
The PCA will now be a separate line item on your bill.
Outdoor lighting prices and our fees have also been revised as a result of the cost of service study:
100-watt
High Pressure
Sodium Yard Light (shown)
175-watt
Mercury Vapor
$10
250-watt
High Pressure
Sodium BIA
$18
400-watt
Metal Halide Flood
$25
250-watt
High Pressure
Sodium Gray Cobra
$18
For a complete list of lights and pricing please visit our Web site, www.southernriversenergy.com.
22B
www.touchstoneenergy.com
Your Local Touchstone Energy ® Cooperative
GEORGIA MAGAZINE

Residential Rate Comparison –
Present vs. Revised Summer Rates
kWh Present Revised Diff. Pct. Diff.
0 $20.00 $27.50 $7.50 37.50%
50 $25.00 $31.93 $6.93 27.70%
100 $30.00 $36.35 $6.35 21.17%
200 $40.00 $45.20 $5.20 13.00%
400 $60.00 $62.90 $2.90 4.83%
600 $80.00 $80.60 $0.60 0.75%
1,000 $123.50 $120.80 ($2.70) -2.19%
1,250 $152.88 $148.93 ($3.95) -2.58%
1,500 $182.25 $177.05 ($5.20) -2.85%
1,750 $211.63 $205.18 ($6.45) -3.05%
2,000 $241.00 $233.30 ($7.70) -3.20%
2,500 $299.75 $289.55 ($10.20) -3.40%
3,000 $358.50 $345.80 ($12.70) -3.54%
Bear in mind that the PCA is not only affected by
generation fuel prices, but several other factors, including
any approaching environmental regulations and/or
carbon legislation. Any cost increases your co-op incurs
from the new energy policy will be passed on to you in
your bill. The PCA allows us to either recover less when
costs are down or more when costs increase significantly.
The new energy policies being proposed have
the potential to drive the cost of electricity up dramatically,
so now is the time to speak up and let
your elected officials know that you expect them to
look out for you on Capitol Hill.
Join the Our Energy, Our Future campaign—a
grassroots effort to send a clear message to
Washington that we expect accountability in ensuring
that electricity remains reliable and affordable for
everyone in this country. Visit www.ourenegy.coop
today, and voice your concerns.
Fee Schedule
Membership Fee $5
Minimum Security Deposits*
Residence $35
Farm Buildings $15
Wells—Farm and Residence $5
Churches and Public Buildings $15
Chicken House
$100 (per house)
Commercial $35
Trouble Call Fee (consumer problem) $50
Temporary Service Fee $50
Meter Test Fee $50
Meter Breakage Fee
$50 (plus material cost)
Reconnection Fee (before 2 p.m.)** $50
Agreement/Service Trip Fee $50
Reconnection Fee at Pole** $75
Connect Fee $15
After Hours Service Fee $75
Dishonored Check Charge
(Same as deposit bank)
Cut Seal Without Prior Approval $50
Meter Tampering Fee (first time) $225 (plus reconnect, usage,
and material cost
Meter Tampering Fee (after first time) $450 (plus reconnect, usage,
and material cost)
Seasonal Account Reconnection Fees $247.50
*Deposits can range from $35 up to $600, depending on the credit
rating obtained from credit check.
* * All reconnections must be requested before 8 p.m. for connect to
take place that evening.
(NOTE: If disconnected and reconnected within a nine-month period, member
will pay a special reconnection fee of nine months’ X customer charge.)
We appreciate the opportunity to serve you and
thank you for your cooperation and understanding. As
always, if you have any questions or concerns, please
contact us at 770-358-1383 or 877-358-1383.
June 2009
www.greenpoweremc.org
Your Local Touchstone Energy ® Cooperative
22C

Official publication of
Southern Rivers Energy
P.O. Box 40
Barnesville, GA 30204
www.southernriversenergy.com
Erin Cook
Editor
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
William Averett, Jr.
Chairman
Sauney Pippin
Vice Chairman
James Smith, Sr.
Secretary
Hugh Cromer
Treasurer
Millie Alexander
Harmon Caldwell, Jr.
J. Cochran Caldwell
Frank Chapman
John W. Dumas
James Holloway
Harry Park
STAFF
Raleigh Henry
President/CEO
Charles Lowery
Vice President of Finance and
Administration
Ernest H. Neubauer, P.E.
Vice President of
Engineering and Operations
Bobby Ferris
Director of Marketing/Energy
Services
Patricia Becker
Customer Service Supervisor
Ed Beckham
Construction & Maintenance
Superintendent
POWER OUTAGES
(770) 358-1383
(877) 358-1383
For quality control purposes
your call may be monitored.
OFFICE HOURS
Monday through Friday
8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Drive-in Window Available
Closed Saturdays,
Sundays & Holidays
Electric Cooperative Members: 42 Million Strong
The Our Energy, Our Future campaign helps unify
electric co-op members across America
when electric cooperatives began to spread across America
75 years ago, President Franklin D. Roosevelt made the
point that electricity in this country was no longer a luxury. It had
become, as it is today, a necessity.
In these difficult economic times, a lot of Americans are struggling
to make ends meet. As not-for-profit, consumer-owned-andcontrolled
electric co-ops, we want to make certain that each and
every citizen in this country can continue to receive affordable
electric power. We want to make certain we don’t step back from
the commitment that FDR made.
Congress is currently working to address issues related to climate
change and debating federal mandates regarding renewable
Raleigh Henry,
President/CEO
Southern Rivers
Energy
energy development and energy efficiency. Even if Congress doesn’t act, the U.S.
Supreme Court has given the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency a green light to
put new rules curbing emissions of carbon dioxide from power plants in place.
As a result of these efforts, there’s little doubt electric bills are going to rise. The
only question is whether higher electric bills will be kept affordable.
Electric co-ops are dealing with a very different situation than we have in the
past. Electric bills will go up because of the climate change and energy policy decisions
of U.S. senators and representatives on Capitol Hill—or worse, unelected federal
bureaucrats. Higher electric bills will become the norm as we are all forced to comply
with these government mandates.
At Southern Rivers Energy, we’re talking to our members of Congress, trying to
convince them to work with us to make sure that we not only deal with climate
change, but do so in a way that keeps electric bills affordable. To accomplish this
goal, we need your help.
Nationwide, 42 million consumers are served by electric cooperatives. If every
co-op consumer contacted their senators and representatives, we could make a real
impact on the final shape of any energy or climate change legislation.
Over the last year, electric co-op consumers have made their voices heard on
keeping electric bills affordable through the Our Energy, Our
Future grassroots awareness campaign. More than 1.6 million
messages have been sent to Congress so far—you can add
to that list by visiting www.ourenergy.coop.
Make certain that those who lead us in Washington,
D.C., hear from you today.
Your Senators:
Your Representatives:
Saxby Chambliss
Lynn Westmoreland
100 Galleria, Suite 1340 1601-B East Highway 34
Atlanta, GA 30339 Newnan, GA 30265
Phone: (770) 763-9090 Phone: (770) 683-2033
Fax: (770) 226-8633 Fax: (770) 683-2042
Johnny Isaakson
Jim Marshall
3625 Cumberland Boulevard, Suite 970 682 Cherry Street, Suite 300
Atlanta, GA 30339 Macon, GA 31201
Phone: (770) 661-0999 Phone: (478) 464-0255
Fax: (770) 661-0768 Fax: (478) 464-0277
22D
www.southernriversenergy.com
Your Local Touchstone Energy ® Cooperative
GEORGIA MAGAZINE