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Author: Amanda Richardson

SECO News, September 2018

DUNCAN’S DIGEST

 

PEAK OF THE SEASON

 

During the Atlantic hurricane season, September is generally the month when hurricane and tropical storm activity peaks. SECO Energy is Storm Ready and prepared for the worst. As of early August, there were only four named storms in the Atlantic. But experience teaches us to remain vigilant.

 

May 2018 SECO News Duncan's Digest

 

SECO’s expertly designed and well-built infrastructure is able to withstand Florida’s daily summer thunderstorms. Our Operations crews are available round-the-clock 365 days of the year to come running when rare outages occur. But when a tropical storm or hurricane heads our way during storm season, we go into ALERT mode – activating our proven emergency response plan. It’s an all hands on deck scenario – our call center, communications team and other essential personnel also shift to a round-the-clock schedule to assist members and support our field employees/contractors.

 

We’re ready. Are you? Take steps to develop your family’s emergency plan well in advance. Supplies sell out quickly when storms are near, so don’t be the people in Walmart fighting over the last case of bottled water. If you need help getting started with your family’s hurricane and emergency preparation, our Storm Preparation checklist is available to view on our website.

 

Where can you find outage information? SECO’s all-new outage reporting and communications platform StormCenter is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

 

You can access StormCenter with your smartphone or tablet. Before an outage occurs, visit our website and enroll in outage notifications. StormCenter allows you to decide how you would like SECO to communicate outage notifications and restoration updates. You can choose to receive voice messages, text messages, emails or all three – and set “do not disturb” times for your selections. If a hurricane event causes widespread outages and restoration will take days, SECO also publishes a map devoted solely to the daily restoration plan. Visit the Daily Restoration Plan on our website.

 

The SECO communications team is active on social media as well. “Like” the SECO Energy Facebook page and “follow” us on Twitter for outage and local weather updates. Find outage information and photos, ask questions, play trivia or enter a drawing for a chance to win bill credits or other prizes.

 

Read on for more preparation ”Storm Ready” instructions about generators, shelters and county emergency operations centers. It could save your life.

 

Sincerely,

 

Jim Duncan

Chief Executive Officer

 

 

 

Medically Necessary Service September 2018 SECO News

MEDICALLY NECESSARY SERVICE

 

SECO Energy strives to provide world-class reliability to the over 200,000 homes and businesses in its service territory. Unexpected outages due to weather, vehicle accidents, equipment upgrades, trees or animal contact with lines, etc. means that SECO cannot guarantee 100 percent uninterrupted power.

 

If you or a loved one who is a resident on your premises needs an uninterrupted supply of electricity, please contact SECO. SECO will code your account as “critical” alerting our line technicians of a medical need in outage situations. Documentation from a physician is required to support the medical need – the required forms are available online.

 

Members who require medically essential equipment should take extra precautions during storm season. Have a plan in place for the possibility of lengthy outages. Consider evacuating to an area outside a storm’s probable track, purchasing and installing a generator or relocating to a designated shelter in your county.

 

A list of our seven counties’ Emergency Operating Centers (EOC) websites are listed below. Visit your county EOC website to sign up for county specific emergency alerts and notifications. The county EOC websites offer shelter information, hurricane preparedness tips and more.

 

 

 

Emergency Operating Center by County September 2018 SECO News

EMERGENCY OPERATING CENTER BY COUNTY

 

Your counties’ Emergency Operating Center is a good source of emergency information before, during and after a major storm event. Visit your county EOC website and sign up for emergency alerts today.

 

Create a plan today to keep you and your family safe in the event of an emergency.

 

Citrus County EOC Phone: (352) 527-2106 and (352) 746-5470

 

Hernando County EOC Phone: (352) 754-4083 and (352) 754-4111

 

Lake County EOC Phone: (352) 343-9420

 

Levy County EOC Phone (352) 486-5213

 

Marion County EOC Phone: (352) 369-8100

 

Pasco County EOC Phone: (727) 847-8137

 

Sumter County EOC Phone: (352) 689-4400

 

Read the full September SECO News online.

SECO Contributes $3,000 to Marion County’s Public Education Foundation

SECO Energy has contributed $3,000 for Marion County school students through the Public Education Foundation of Marion County (PEF Marion). As a local not-for-profit electric cooperative, SECO believes its contribution bolsters the community and provides much needed financial assistance to dedicated educators.

 

PEF Marion is a not-for-profit corporation whose mission is to financially and materially support Marion County Public Schools, its students and teachers. The Foundation is organized to assist students from as young as pre-Kindergarten to vocational and adult education programs.

 

The funds contributed to the Foundation can support programs such as the Golden Apple Teacher Recognition program that honors and rewards excellence in teaching; the Take Stock in Children initiative that provides deserving low-income young people/students the opportunity to escape the cycle of poverty through education; and Grants for Great Ideas that has awarded hundreds of grants to teachers and principals in support of teaching innovation – impacting more than 100,000 students.

 

SECO Energy’s $3,000 contribution can also benefit the Foundation’s Tools 4 Teaching program. Tools 4 Teaching accepts donations of unused office supplies from local businesses and puts them to good use in Marion County schools. Tools 4 Teaching allows teachers to shop for supplies for their classrooms – pencils, paper, art supplies and more – without spending their personal money. Tools 4 Teaching assists Coats 4 Kids during colder months – accepting donations of new or gently used winter coats for local children without a warm jacket.

 

CEO Jim Duncan stated, “As a not-for-profit cooperative, SECO supports its members by participating in community endeavors that support education. We have deep roots in Marion County and serve over 58,000 families and businesses in that county alone. Financially supporting education is an investment in future community leaders, members and possibly future employees. SECO is honored to donate $3,000 to Marion County’s Public Education Foundation to strengthen education in the community.”

 

“Like” SECO’s Facebook page and “follow” @SECOEnergy on Twitter for news releases and cooperative updates. Visit our Community page to learn more about SECO’s corporate citizenship and other community outreach initiatives.

SECO Contributes $3,000 to Sumter County’s Schools Enhancement Foundation

SECO Energy has contributed $3,000 for Sumter County school students through the Sumter County Schools Enhancement Foundation. As a local not-for-profit electric cooperative, SECO believes its contribution bolsters the community and provides much needed financial assistance to dedicated educators.

 

Through its partnership with the Consortium of Florida Education Foundations (CFEF), the Sumter County Schools Enhancement Foundation maximizes the individual and collective strength of Florida local education foundations to support local partners and schools. The CFEF builds partnerships between local education foundations and businesses that impact students in the classroom.

 

Collectively, CFEF member education foundations raise $63 million annually to fund initiatives that increase Florida’s students’ achievements. These investments fund programs not covered by tax dollars. Investments include student scholarships, mentoring and drop-out prevention strategies, teaching innovation and recognition programs, classroom grants, college readiness and access programs, literacy improvement strategies, technical/career education initiatives and targeted support for low-performing students and schools.

 

SECO Energy’s $3,000 contribution can also be used to support back-to-school activities, teachers’ luncheons, training sessions and classroom supplies. The donated funds are provided for the benefit of teachers and students in Sumter County schools.

 

CEO Jim Duncan stated, “As a not-for-profit cooperative, SECO supports its members by participating in community endeavors that support education. We have deep roots in Sumter County – our corporate headquarters is located in Sumterville and we serve over 62,000 families and businesses in this county alone. Financially supporting education is an investment in future community leaders, members and possibly future employees. SECO is honored to donate $3,000 to the Sumter County Schools Enhancement Foundation to strengthen education in the community.”

 

“Like” SECO’s Facebook page and “follow” @SECOEnergy on Twitter for news releases and cooperative updates. Visit our Community page to learn more about SECO’s corporate citizenship and other community outreach initiatives.

SECO Contributes $3,500 to Lake County’s Educational Foundation

SECO Energy has contributed $3,500 for Lake County school students through the Educational Foundation of Lake County. As a local not-for-profit electric cooperative, SECO believes its contribution bolsters the community and provides much needed financial assistance to dedicated educators.

 

The Educational Foundation of Lake County is a not-for-profit corporation whose mission is to serve as the connection between the community and public education, and evaluate resources to enhance the quality of education in Lake County. The Foundation is the direct support organization for Lake County Public Schools and is operated for the benefit of students and teachers.

 

The funds contributed to the Foundation can support programs such as the Lake County Teacher of the Year, Rookie Teacher of the Year and Employee and Volunteer of the Year; the LCS Science Fair; the Take Stock in Children initiative that provides deserving low-income young people/students the opportunity to escape the cycle of poverty through education; and Grants for Great Ideas that has awarded hundreds of grants to teachers and principals in support of teaching innovation – impacting more than 100,000 students.

 

SECO Energy’s $3,500 contribution can also benefit the Foundation’s Apple-Mart, where teachers and social workers shop for free. Each year, new teachers in the district are given a pass to the Apple-Mart where they can shop for school supplies for their classroom once a month. Principals in the district also receive passes to distribute amongst current teachers. The Foundation depends on donations from the community, local businesses and churches to stock school supplies for the Apple-Mart.

 

CEO Jim Duncan stated, “As a not-for-profit cooperative, SECO supports its members by participating in community endeavors that support education. We have deep roots in Lake County and serve over 65,000 families and businesses in that county alone. Financially supporting education is an investment in future community leaders, members and possibly future employees. SECO is honored to donate $3,500 to the Educational Foundation of Lake County to strengthen education in the community.”

 

“Like” SECO’s Facebook page and “follow” @SECOEnergy on Twitter for news releases and cooperative updates. Visit our Community page to learn more about SECO’s corporate citizenship and other community outreach initiatives.

SECO Energy Board Compensation Statement

SECO Energy was founded in 1938 as Sumter Electric Cooperative, Inc., a small not-for-profit rural electric utility serving a few hundred folks in the Webster area. Over the years, sound financial management, appropriate governance policies and economic growth in Central Florida have resulted in the cooperative doing business today as a fiscally sound SECO Energy with a membership of more than 205,000 residents and business owners across seven counties.

 

Cooperatives in Florida are legislated by Florida Statute Chapter 425. Not only is SECO Energy in full compliance with the Florida statute, the cooperative also adheres largely to Florida Public Service Commission guidelines developed for investor-owned utilities (although cooperatives are not technically required by statute to do so). SECO also files its rate tariffs for approval and emergency response plan outline annually with the PSC.

 

SECO Energy’s member-elected Board of Trustees are fairly compensated for their service and the cooperative’s election guidelines make it easy for an interested party’s name to appear on the ballot. A potential candidate simply notifies SECO in writing of intention to run. No signatures or nominations are necessary.

 

The potential Trustee candidate must reside in the District, cannot be closely related to another Trustee or employee and must meet very general eligibility requirements per the SECO Energy Bylaws. In fact, four of the nine current Trustees have been elected to the Board in the last eight years. The cooperative encourages election participation at District Meetings and holds an Annual Meeting as required by Florida Statute. In 2018, SECO Energy’s Annual Meeting drew a crowd of nearly 7,000.

 

Once elected, Trustees are compensated for each monthly Board of Trustee meeting. The amount covers meeting attendance and the study time needed to prepare for Board meetings. The compensation is standard for this region and for a Board responsible for governance and the financial oversight associated with a company of this size with $855 million in utility plant. SECO Energy is the third largest cooperative in Florida and the seventh largest in the nation.

 

SECO Energy Trustees are not provided with company-paid health, dental or vision insurance or pension/retirement benefits. Trustees are encouraged to participate in trainings and conferences to provide the education needed to govern and oversee the utility.

 

For trainings/conferences, transportation type and dates/time is limited to the most economical. Overstaying of training/conference dates at company expense is not permitted. The cooperative’s policies prohibit the coverage or reimbursement of spouse or family member travel or entertainment expenses if they accompany a Trustee to a conference or training.

 

Board meeting dates and times are published two months in advance in our monthly edition of SECO News which is mailed with billing statements and posted on social media and SECOEnergy.com. Members are welcome to attend any meeting in its entirety (with the exception of executive sessions) and can examine the minutes of any past board meeting. Board of Trustee compensation records are released publicly as required in the cooperative’s Form 990. The cooperative publishes an Annual Report as well. SECO Energy is an award-winning utility in customer satisfaction.

 

SECO Energy has retired Capital Credits regularly as a true not-for-profit electric cooperative should. Capital Credits are the accumulation of all prior year’s revenue after the co-op’s operating costs and expenses have been paid. These credits are allocated on a pro-rata basis to each SECO Energy member’s account as “Capital Credits” and represent a portion of the member’s patronage with the cooperative in the prior fiscal year.

 

During its September 2017 meeting, SECO’s Board of Trustees approved a record $5.4 million Capital Credits retirement to be returned (retired) to members. Since SECO Energy’s inception, the co-op has retired more than $57.8 million to current and former members. Capital Credits returns are made possible by the sound financial stewardship of SECO’s Board, leadership team and flock of dedicated, cost-conscious employees. The cooperative anticipates (with Board of Trustee approval, of course) another healthy Capital Credits retirement at year end 2018.

Sunshine State Stats, July 2018

July 2018 was pretty darn hot with nearly daily rain showers. The average high was 90°. The average temperature was 82°, while July of 2017 had an average temperature of 84°. The average low was 75°, compared with an average low of 76° last July. Rainfall for July of 2018 was 7.45 inches compared to last July at 7.91 inches.

 

Sunshine State Stats July 2018 breakdown

 

There were 524 cooling degree days and 0 heating degree days for July 2018, while last year there were 590 cooling degree days with 0 heating degree days. The Degree Days are based on how much warmer or cooler the average temperature at a particular location is than 65°F. In other words, if the average temperature is 60° degrees outside on a particular day, there are 5 Heating Degree Days for that day in that location.

 

August 2018 is forecast to be somewhat the same as last year with average high temperatures in the 90s. Rainfall is forecast to be heavier than normal compared to 2017. The continuation of afternoon showers could give your HVAC units a much-needed break.

 

Hurricane Season Update: Chances that the global climate pattern El Niño will develop this fall were increased in the most recent forecast, boosting confidence in revised predictions for a below-normal hurricane season. The federal Climate Prediction Center’s July El Niño forecast is giving it a 65 percent chance of appearing in the fall, and about a 70 percent chance of a winter formation.

 

For Florida, the periodic warming of the equatorial Pacific Ocean can mean a less active hurricane season with fewer of the powerhouse Cat 5 tropical cyclones known to build during the peak months of August through October.

 

If you want to check historical usage, log into SmartHub to view past bills and charts. If your usage is high, SECO offers several energy-efficiency tools to help you identify energy wasters. Take the Home Energy Assessment to receive a detailed email tailored to your home’s features and lifestyle. The energy-saving advice will provide low-cost ways to decrease your usage – and your electric bill.

 

To easily calculate how much energy your appliances, lighting, electronic devices, and other energy-using items in your home consume, use the Energy Estimator. If you want a member of our Energy Services team to come to your home to perform a free energy audit, contact us today to book an appointment.

Florida Electric Cooperatives Association Honors SECO Trustee Vick

The Florida Electric Cooperatives Association (FECA) honored SECO Energy’s District 5 Trustee Ray Vick for his long-time service to FECA. Mr. Vick has worked closely with Florida’s statewide cooperative association and provided twenty years of guidance by serving on the FECA Board.

 

FECA presented Mr. Vick with a memento clock to show its gratitude for Mr. Vick’s years of service. The engraving reads, “Presented to Ray Vick In Recognition of Your Dedicated Service and Commitment to the FECA Board 1998 – 2018.”

 

Serving as District 5 Trustee since 1980, Mr. Vick resides in Inverness and became a SECO member in 1974. During his tenure, Mr. Vick has been an ardent supporter of the cooperative purpose and business model. Along with his Board peers, Mr. Vick is an integral component of SECO’s continued success.

 

Mr. Vick stated, “I would first like to thank Florida’s statewide association, FECA, for honoring my service. Serving millions of Florida cooperative members through my work over the last 20 years with the FECA Board has been very rewarding. I am particularly proud and humbled to have served my fellow SECO members by serving on SECO’s Board of Trustees for 38 years.”

 

CEO Jim Duncan thanked Mr. Vick for his FECA service, stating, “Trustee Vick has a long track record of working hard for energy consumers in Florida. With Mr. Vick’s FECA Board service and SECO Energy Board service, his commitment to Florida’s electric cooperative members is second to none. I’m grateful to Mr. Vick for his service and commitment to our members.”

 

Visit our Board of Trustees page for photos and brief bios of the Trustees along with an interactive District map. “Like” SECO’s Facebook page and “follow” @SECOEnergy on Twitter for news releases and cooperative updates.

SECO Supports Youth Energy Academy STEM Focus

On June 14 and 15, local energy experts teamed up to provide high school students a real-life glimpse into the many careers in the electric utility industry. SECO Energy, Duke Energy and Ocala Electric Utilities partnered to bring the Fourth Annual Youth Energy Academy to life for more than fifty students in Marion County. The event was held at the College of Central Florida’s Hampton Center.

 

In conjunction with employees from the three electric utility providers, representatives from several other companies (College of Central Florida, Boys & Girls Club, CLM CareerSource, Lockheed Martin and DeConna Ice Cream) volunteered, presented or provided support. With a limited workforce, the business community understands the premise of investing in today’s youth to develop future leaders and foster diversity.

 

Kathy Judkins, SECO Energy’s Deputy Director of Civic, Charitable and Government Affairs stated, “SECO Energy, Duke Energy and Ocala Electric Utilities have formed a strong partnership in the quest to develop a talent pipeline of local students for the energy industry. At this year’s Academy, students had the opportunity to gain essential knowledge related to the array of jobs, careers and occupational requirements in the energy field.”

 

The two-day event was jam-packed with activities that ranged from learning how electricity travels from the generation plant to homes and what it takes to restore power during an outage to a hands-on live demonstration provided by Duke Energy’s Ronnie Bailey and Moise Graham. Students learned the difference between soft and hard skills via a presentation from Heaven Colon, CLM CareerSource. The students then explored high-skill, high-wage careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) by taking a closer look at robotics. They met Forest High School EMIT program students – EMIT stands for Engineering and Manufacturing Institute of Technology.

 

Youth participants also learned about one of the fastest growing jobs in the industry – the Substation/Relay Tech position – from SECO Energy Manager Transmission and Substation Design Kenny Rodrigue and Environmental & Project Supervisor Ron Summers. Participants built solar cars to test in the sun, and found out that solar panels receive enough energy to power the cars to move when the sun is not shining.

 

The activities didn’t end there. On day two, the students toured the City of Ocala water treatment plant with Rachel Slocumb, Division Coordinator. Utilities Director Mike Poucher showed students what can occur while texting and driving through a demonstration of a pole versus car accident scene that included how to safely exit a vehicle. Participants also rode in bucket trucks and learned about Ocala’s fiber-optic internet system. Watch video clips of this year’s Youth Academy highlights at SECO Energy’s YouTube channel.

 

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEjIr13Vjac[/embedyt]

 

SECO Energy CEO Jim Duncan stated, “The Youth Academy aligns with two key cooperative principles – Education, Training and Information and also Concern for Community. The energy field offers a multitude of diverse careers just waiting for talented candidates to apply. Participating in youth education programs gives SECO a hand in crafting its future workforce and offers local, talented youngsters employment opportunities close to home and family.”

 

Six years ago, the Florida Chapter of the American Association of Blacks in Energy (AABE) incorporated a Youth Energy Academy model focused on, but not limited to, minority students in St. Petersburg, Jacksonville, Orlando and Ocala. “AABE’s goal is to spark the interest of the emerging workforce by educating young people about opportunities in the energy arena. With over 240 Marion County students going though this academy so far, we believe we will see a few of them working in the energy industry,” stated AABE Florida Chapter President Mikle Gordon. The AABE Florida Chapter is lead by members from six energy providers, as well as a number of entrepreneurs and business partners.

 

Learn more about SECO Energy and its Concern for Community online. “Like” SECO’s Facebook page and “follow” @SECOEnergy on Twitter for news releases and cooperative updates.

Sunshine State Stats, June 2018

The weather in June 2018 was similar on average to June 2017. The average temperature this June and last June was 81°. Rainfall, however, for June of 2018 was 5.30 inches compared to last June at 14.63 inches.

 

June 2018 Sunshine State Stats breakdown

 

There were 460 cooling degree days and 0 heating degree days for June 2018. Similarly, last year there were 495 cooling degree days with 0 heating degree days. The Degree Days are based on how much warmer or cooler the average temperature at a particular location is than 65°F. In other words, if the average temperature is 60° degrees outside on a particular day, there are 5 Heating Degree Days for that day in that location.

 

July 2018’s temperatures are forecast to be above normal with lows in the 70s and highs in the low 90s. Rainfall is forecast to be heavier than normal compared to 2017. Remember that July is typically one of the hottest months of the year. The excessive heat and humidity will make your HVAC run more frequently, therefore impacting your electric bill. Remember 78 – 80° is the national standard for the HVAC in the summer. Set the thermostat higher to reduce your energy consumption. Just one degree higher can save 6 – 8% on your cooling cost.

 

If you want to check historical usage, log into SmartHub to view past bills and charts. If your usage is high, SECO offers several energy-efficiency tools to help you identify energy wasters. Take the Home Energy Assessment to receive a detailed email tailored to your home’s features and lifestyle. The energy-saving advice will provide low-cost ways to decrease your usage – and your electric bill.

 

To easily calculate how much energy your appliances, lighting, electronic devices, and other energy-using items in your home consume, use the Energy Estimator. If you want a member of our Energy Services team to come to your home to perform a free energy audit, contact us today to book an appointment.