CURRENT TIMES October 2009

News for members of White River Valley Electric Cooperative

Contact Us

Ava(417) 683-4134

Gainesville(417) 679-4916

Ozark(417) 485-6012

2449 State HWY 76 EPO Box 969

Branson, MO 65615(417) 335-93351-800-879-4056

www.whiteriver.org

Stone County(417) 272-0181

Join usJoin usFor a celebration of the

At White River Valley Electric Cooperative we understand that we get our power from you, our members. Please join us for a

celebration of your membership. In honor of National Cooperative Month, we will be serving lunch at each of White River’s offi ces.

Mark your calendars and stop by for complimentary food and drinks.

Member Appreciation Days are coming to an offi ce near you.

11am-1pmOctober 2nd– Gainesville

October 9th – Ozark

October 16th – Ava

October 23rd – Stone County

October 30th – Branson

Attention Area Educators2010 Power Up Grant Applications due November 1st

W hite River Valley Electric Cooperative (WRVEC) is energizing the classroom with its Power Up

program. Sponsored by Operation Round Up (ORU), the annual grant program provides funding for innovative classroom-based education projects. Applications for 2010 grants will be accepted until November 1, 2009. The grant applications are available at www.whiteriver.org or by calling 417-335-9233. The ORU board will review the applications at their November board meeting. Grant monies will be distributed in December 2009. A school may submit more than one application, but a teacher is limited to one grant per school year. A maximum of $500 will be awarded for each grant. According to WRVEC CEO Chris Hamon, “The Power Up program provides our school districts with additional resources to inspire our school children through creative and innovative tactics. This program illustrates our continued commitment to the community.” Power Up grants are intended to support projects outside normal public school funding parameters and will be awarded annually. The grants are available to all disciplines in grades K-12 in the school districts in Taney, Stone,

Ozark, Christian and Douglas counties. By donating just pennies each month, WRVEC members have provided almost $2.5 million worth of assistance to families, community-service based organizations and schools. Thanks to the continued support of WRVEC members, average monthly collections for Operation Round Up (ORU) total approximately $16,000. WRVEC members who wish to participate in ORU have their electric bills rounded-up to the next dollar each month. Every penny collected is turned over to White River Valley Electric Trust board for disbursement. If you have any questions about the grant program or to request an application please contact Cindy Rains at 417-335-9233 or by e-mail at crains@whiteriver.org. Applications are also available at www.whiteriver.org.

Cooperative Cooperative Difference Difference

Teachers... 2010Power Up Grants

are available

Visit www.whiteriver.org or e-mail

crains@whiteriver.org for more information.

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Commitment to Community Innovation IntegrityAccountability

- Chris Hamon CEO

O ur leaders in Congress are tackling tough energy choices this year, choices we, as a nation, should make together.

Will we choose for electricity to remain affordable, or will we choose for it to be a luxury? Are we ready for brownouts if enough power’s not available, or will we choose a diverse energy mix to provide safe, reliable, and affordable electricity in an environmentally responsible fashion? Will we choose to move forward or will we fi nd ourselves, despite good intentions, moving backwards? The climate change debate in the Senate is coming down to the wire and Missourians stand to take a considerable fi nancial hit if legislation passes as is. If the current bill could be modifi ed in the following six ways, rate impacts on Missouri residents and businesses could be signifi cantly reduced and yet the key environmental policy objectives maintained. • Reduce initial consumer price shock by providing suffi cient allowances to meet allowed carbon emissions, recognizing that allowances can be withdrawn over time. • Signifi cantly extend the current timeline before reducing allocations to give utilities a reasonable time after federal regulators have designed the regulatory plan in order to achieve meaningful reductions in carbon emissions. A more gradual ‘glide slope’ for reductions of allocations is needed to avoid unprecedented and very expensive actions by the utility industry, leading to higher rates for consumers. • A ‘price cap’ should be established to prevent price spikes caused by shortages or speculation that will ultimately shock consumers’ pocketbooks.

• Create an enforcement ‘off ramp’ so that American industries aren’t forced to choose between relocating operations to competitor countries (who require little or no carbon regulation), and going bankrupt in a world market. Without this provision we could see jobs going overseas which, counterproductively, would serve to increase worldwide carbon emissions. • Electric utilities, and the electrifi cation of vehicles, are the most obvious means of reducing U.S. dependence on foreign oil. The current provisions of this legislation penalize electric utilities and their customers for advancing this national interest. Instead utilities should be allocated additional allowances tied to electric vehicle penetrations to speed the transition to electric vehicles. • The proposed legislation contemplates the use of domestic and international ‘offsets’ as a means of addressing carbon emissions. However, it is highly restrictive with no clear timeline or guidelines for issuing a fi nal rulemaking. Restrictions and limitations on the use of offsets should be removed. Moreover legislation must ensure that offset rules are quickly fi nalized to ensure their immediate availability at the start of any carbon reduction program. Now, more than ever, it is crucial to let your elected offi cials know where you stand on this important issue. To make your voice be heard all you have to do is visit www.ourenergy.coop. If you have any questions about proposed climate change legislation, don’t hesitate to contact us at 800-879-4056. Remember, we’re all in this together.

E -bill e-mail notifications became effective on August 18th. Every member who

has provided us with their e-mail address and password will receive e-mail notifications of statements, disconnects and reminders. Those members whom we don’t have e-mail addresses for and who want to be added need to go online to register. Members must also go online to elect to not receive paper billings, although they will still receive paper reminders.

E-Bill

Notifications

Sent to

Members

Log on to www.whiteriver.org to register.

Tough Energy Choices for the NationSix ways to modify the current bill

“Now more than ever, it is crucial to let your elected offi cials know where you stand on this important issue. To make your voice be heard all you have to do is visit www.ourenergy.coop.”

Charitable meat donation program allows hunters to feed the hungryShare the Harvest

C oncerned about the hunger that burdens many Missourians, the Conservation Department has found a way to help

families in need. In 1992, archers in Missouri began a program to share the deer they harvested with those less fortunate. From that beginning, a statewide program ran by the Conservation Department and the Conservation Federation of Missouri called Share the Harvest was created. Share the Harvest is a WIN WIN WIN program. Hunters win by doing their part to help people in need; cooperating processing plants win by getting positive feedback for their involvement and donations of locker space; and participating organizations win by having a ready-made service project for a good cause. Plus, the Department of Conservation has yet another tool to use in management of Missouri’s valuable deer resource. It’s easy to donate. Hunters take their deer to an approved processing plant (see the box on the right or check the “Fall Deer and Turkey Hunting Regulations and Information” booklet for a list of processors in your area.) and tell the processor how much venison they wish to donate. The hunter has the option of donating a few pounds or the whole deer. The processor then packages and stores the meat until it’s transported to a distributing agency by the coordinator. Agencies receiving venison will distribute it to ensure that all venison is used and it goes to where it serves the greatest need.

agency will allocate the venison according to its supply. During the 2008 deer seasons, 4,690 hunters donated 262,798 pounds of venison to the Share The Harvest Program Statewide. This would be more than one million quarter-pound

burgers. This number is down compared to the record, which was set in 2006 with 322,469 pounds of venison being donated to Share the Harvest. Locally, hunters donated approximately 87 deer to the Share The Harvest Program which provided more than 4,500 pounds of venison to residents in need

in Stone, Taney, Christian, Ozark and Douglas counties. Over 1.9 million pounds have been donated statewide since the program’s inception. White River Valley Electric Cooperative’s (WRVEC) Operation Round Up (ORU) program has teamed up with The Conservation Federation of Missouri and its partners to reimburse processors for the full amount of the processing costs. The fi rst 80 deer that are donated in Stone, Taney, Christian, Ozark and Douglas Counties at one of the processors listed to the right will be covered. Hunters who donate an entire deer will complete a voucher provided by their processor. The hunter’s bill is automatically reduced by the set amount. At the end of the season, processors will send the vouchers to the White River Electric Cooperative and The Conservation Federation for reimbursement.

- Quenten Fronterhouse Conservation Department

Local Share the Harvest Processors

Oldfi eld Slaughter Plant417-634-3943

Ozark Mountain Meat417-581-2449

Vaught’s417-679-2376

For more information contact:Share the Harvest

Missouri Department of ConservationP.O. Box 180

Jefferson City, M0 65102-0180(573) 751-4115

Many people in Missouri can benefi t from this program. Families or individuals simply have to contact a participating distributing agency; the

A t the last Southwest Missouri Coucil of Governments (SMCOG) board meeting, Mark Hultgren, Area Director, USDA Rural

Development, announced that USDA has grant money available for purchase of generators for communities. This money is available through the Community Facilities Grants Program. The grant pays between 15% and 75% of the total project costs involved depending on the community fi nancial need. Grants will not be made in a city or town with a median household income of more than 90% of the state non-metropolitan median household income which currently equals $35,138. Priority will be made to communities with median household income below 60% of the state non-metropolitan median household income. Eligible grant purposes include: Health Services; Community, Social or Cultural services and facilities; Purchase of major equipment which will provide an essential service to rural residents. For more information or to check on whether your community qualifi es, go to: http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/RHS/cf/brief_cp_grant.htm, contact our offi ces or contact Leon Melvin at USDA, 417-831-5246 ext 5.

Contact information: Jane Hood Associate Director SMCOG/CRPM 901 S. National Springfi eld, MO 65897 phone: 417-836-6273 janehood@missouristate.edu

Community Facilities Grants ProgramGenerators for Communities

Time for new appliances?Time for new appliances?D o you take your appliances for

granted? Taking a moment to check appliances

can save lives. To make sure appliances are in good condition, look for breaks in power cords, plugs or connectors. An appliance that repeatedly blows a fuse or trips a breaker could indicate a defect that may cause a fi re or electrical shock. If this happens, unplug the appliance immediately and have

it repaired or replaced. Unplug any appliance that has given you an electrical shock, and

do not use it again until the problem has been found and repaired. Remember, electricity and water don’t mix. Often it’s best to replace older appliances before problems start. Keep all electrical cords and products such as radios, TVs, hairdryers and curling irons away from water in a sink or tub.

CURRENT TIMES

October 2009

News for members of White River Valley Electric Cooperative®

C ooperative businesses account for more than $650 billion in revenue and 2 million American jobs, a recent study by the

University of Wisconsin found. “The Research on the Economic Impact of Cooperatives,” led by UW’s Center for Cooperatives, is the result of several years worth of studies and surveys. The results confi rm what cooperative diehards have known all along—their businesses are part of a greater national movement that drives the American economy. There are 29,000 cooperatives in the U.S., in virtually every industry. The data shows their wide-ranging impact, from the burgeoning sector of biofuels cooperative, to mammoth sectors like farmer supply and marketing cooperatives. When communicating the economic cooperative advantage to the public and government, co-ops can now support their

arguments with hard data. But co-ops have another advantage, often not refl ected in revenue or jobs created. That’s their set of shared values that drives their operations and how they operate within their communities. Honesty, openness, caring for others and social responsibility are values all cooperatives demonstrate through their practices and procedures. It is no coincidence that co-ops show a special loyalty to their communities. As member-controlled enterprises, co-ops are run largely by the people who live and work in the communities they serve. "That gives them a different perspective from businesses owned by distant investors," said White River Valley Electric’s CEO Chris Hamon. Each day, cooperatives live out their values and serve hundreds of millions of Americans in every industry from groceries to electricity.

Study fi nds...

Co-ops a Driving Force in American EconomyCo-ops a Driving Force in American Economy