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SECO Energy Brings Holiday Joy with Toys for Tots Drive

As challenging as 2020 has been for many folks, it has not prevented SECO Energy employees and its members from spreading holiday joy this year by donating toys to Toys for Tots.

 

The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation depends on local community support to brighten a child’s Christmas with a toy. That is why SECO Energy joined this worthy cause. The toys donated through Toys for Tots remain in the community where they are donated. For many local children, a toy donated through SECO employees’ and members’ generosity will be the only present received for Christmas.

 

CEO Jim Duncan stated,“Even during 2020’s time of uncertainty, SECO employees remain committed to bringing a smile to children this Christmas. The donated toys will bring happiness and a sense of normalcy to children across our service area. That makes me smile. As a Marine myself, I am proud of our commitment to this organization and our employees’ and members’ generosity.”

 

Greg Merimee a Lake & Sumter Toys for Tots volunteer is thankful for SECO employee’s generosity. Merimee stated, “SECO Energy has been one of the best supporters to Toys for Tots every year. We must always bring a large truck just for SECO employees’ donations. They bountifully give so many beautiful bicycles and fantastic toys. On behalf of the Marine Corp League and Toys for Tots, we thank everyone at SECO.”

 

In addition to the hundreds of toys donated by employees, SECO’s Pennies from Heaven program matched toy donations with an additional $5,000 courtesy of the employees and members who participate in the program.

 

Senior Consultant for Civic, Charitable and Government Affairs Kathy Judkins manages the Toys for Tots donation drive for the cooperative. Judkins stated, “The toys collected will give children of many families a glimpse of hope this Christmas. We’re so grateful for the opportunity to continue to spread holiday cheer.”

 

SECO Energy members who want to partner with SECO Energy to improve the quality of life in local communities can enroll in the Pennies from Heaven program that rounds up monthly bills to the nearest dollar. The small change donated through Pennies from Heaven supports financial assistance to local worthy causes in SECO’s service area. Requests for Angel Fund bill payment assistance are administered through several local agencies by calling 211 or visiting 211.org. To find a social service agency, use SECO’s online interactive map. Members can simply input their address and search for an agency in their county of residence.

 

“Like” SECO’s Facebook page and “follow” @SECOEnergy on Twitter for news releases and cooperative updates.

SECO Energy Employees Pledge $61,433 for Local United Ways

SECO Energy employees generously pledged $61,433 to local United Ways through the employee-led 2021 United Way Pledge Drive. United Ways in ten local counties will benefit from the dollars pledged for 2021.

 

SECO’s 400+ employees live in or near the counties the not-for-profit cooperative serves, and employees choose the county where their donated dollars will benefit. The bulk of SECO employees live in Citrus, Lake, Marion and Sumter Counties, and these counties received the highest dollar amounts in donations.

 

The breakdown by county is: Lake and Sumter: $29,508; Marion: $20,885; Citrus: $6,023; and other counties (Gilchrist, Hernando, Levy, Orange, Pasco and Polk): $5,017. The total pledge for 2021 is $61,433.

 

CEO Jim Duncan stated, “SECO employees recognize that local community help is needed year-round and not only during the Christmas season. For this reason, employees take part in an annual employee-funded United Way Pledge Drive. Our employees’ pledge of $61,433 will make a big difference in the lives of local families.”

 

SECO Energy Senior Consultant for Civic, Charitable and Government Relations Kathy Judkins added, “This year has been challenging for some local families who have struggled through the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting shutdown. The need is even greater than before. We appreciate our employees’ personal commitment to participate in our workplace giving campaign and their dedication to making a difference in the communities we serve.”

 

Members with a philanthropic spirit can assist their fellow members by enrolling in SECO Energy’s Pennies from Heaven charitable fund. Pennies from Heaven will round up participating members’ bills to the nearest dollar. The extra pennies are used to fund member bill payment assistance and other local worthy causes. This year, Pennies from Heaven has supported local food banks that have experienced critical shortages and donated $5,000 to local Toys for Tots organizations.

 

To enroll in Pennies from Heaven, visit our Pennies from Heaven page. Members who manage their account through SECO’s online account manager SmartHub can subscribe on the app or desktop version by selecting Billing & Payment and choosing Pennies from Heaven.

 

“Like” SECO on Facebook and “follow” @SECOEnergy on Twitter for news releases and cooperative updates.

SECO Energy Recovers Quickly After Tropical Storm Eta

SECO Energy has completed the restoration effort for all members whose service was interrupted while Tropical Storm Eta trekked through the cooperative’s service area. Several thousand SECO members were left without service overnight.

 

Tropical Storm Eta brought heavy rain and winds to SECO’s area. The storm’s rainbands began to affect the area just after midnight on Thursday. The storm’s high wind gusts of up to 50 mph downed trees that toppled into power lines. This caused power outages, but SECO’s system experienced minimal damage from Tropical Storm Eta.

 

The not-for-profit cooperative was prepared. SECO line crews as well as line and tree contract crews were staged throughout the service area for a quick response to outages caused by Tropical Storm Eta. Crews in the field worked to restore service while behind-the-scenes employees employees answered outage calls, developed work plans for quick restoration and dispatched crews where needed.

 

CEO Jim Duncan stated, “I am grateful for SECO Energy’s world-class employees who pulled together to restore service in less than one day to all members affected by Tropical Storm Eta. All of our employees are commited to working safely and providing excellent customer service every day. Whether in the field, or providing employee and member support from the office, our team’s performance was stellar.”

 

SECO Energy’s online outage reporting and communications platform StormCenter is available 24/7 to report new outages or check the status of an existing outage. Members can use their smartphones or tablets to report outages, enroll in outage notifications and alerts via email, text or voice message, or all three. An alert is sent when the system recognizes that your service has been interrupted. The alert will include crew status, start time and an estimated restoration time.

 

Members can visit StormCenter and bookmark the site on their smartphones or tablets. On StormCenter, members can view the outage map, manage notifications, check the status of an existing outage, report an area light issue and more.

 

Stay up to date on weather affecting SECO Energy’s service area, the latest news releases and cooperative updates by “liking” SECO’s Facebook page and “follow” @SECOEnergy on Twitter.

Tropical Storm Eta Hits Citrus & Sumter in SECO Energy Territory

Overnight, several thousand SECO Energy members largely in Citrus and Sumter Counties were affected by Tropical Storm Eta-related outages. Line and tree crews worked throughout the night to restore service. Currently, the service territory has 88 outage events reported – affecting nearly 1,900 members. The local Central Florida forecast indicates that wind and rainbands will continue to affect the SECO service territory through early afternoon Thursday.

 

When assessing your property, stay away from downed power lines and report them to SECO immediately. Call 911 if there is immediate danger. Always assume a downed line is energized even if power is out at your location. Lake, Marion, Citrus and Sumter County schools are closed today, so ensure that your children understand this dire safety rule about staying away from downed lines.

 

According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), Tropical Storm Eta made its fourth landfall around 4 a.m. Thursday morning near Cedar Key on Florida’s Gulf Coast. The storm hit with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph. Earlier this week, Governor Ron DeSantis expanded the state of emergency to include Citrus, Levy, Marion and Sumter Counties in SECO’s service area.

 

CEO Jim Duncan stated, “We are thankful that Tropical Storm Eta is passing through our system with minimal damage to our infrastructure. Members should continue to be on alert for the final rainbands passing through our service area through early afternoon and should report outages immediately through StormCenter. Crews will continue to work until all members’ services have been restored.”

 

SECO Energy’s online outage reporting and communications platform StormCenter is available 24/7 to report new outages or check the status of an existing outage. Members can use their smartphones or tablets to report outages, enroll in outage notifications and alerts via email, text or voice message, or all three. An alert is sent when the system recognizes that your service has been interrupted. The alert will include crew status, start time and an estimated restoration time.

 

Members can visit StormCenter and bookmark the site on their smartphones or tablets. On StormCenter, members can view the outage map, manage notifications, check the status of an existing outage, report an area light issue and more.

 

Stay up to date on weather affecting SECO Energy’s service area, the latest news releases and cooperative updates by “liking” SECO’s Facebook page and “follow” @SECOEnergy on Twitter.

SECO Energy Braced for Hurricane Eta

The National Hurricane Center upgraded TS Eta to hurricane status Wednesday morning. SECO Energy has been monitoring Eta and its pending effects on the cooperative’s territory. Hurricane Eta’s track and landfall site have continued to change since the storm moved away from Central America last week. Forecasters now predict Hurricane Eta will make an easterly turn into Florida’s Gulf Coast with the potential to travel through SECO’s service area as a tropical storm.

 

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) forecasts shows that Hurricane Eta is about 145 miles south/southwest of Tampa with 75 mph sustained winds. On the forecast track, the center of Eta will move closer to the southwest coast of Florida today, approach the west-central coast of Florida tonight, and move inland over the northern portion of the Florida peninsula on Thursday. Eta is expected to move northeastward into the western Atlantic late Thursday or early Friday.

 

Projected landfall location is between Citrus and Levy Counties. Citrus County has announced school closures for Thursday. Currently, hurricane force winds extend 60 miles from the center. SECO’s forecaster predicts that Eta will bring heavy rains and wind gusts between 40 and 50 mph at peak to parts of the cooperative’s service territory. A storm surge warning has been issued for the Florida west coast from Suwannee River to Bonita Beach, including Tampa Bay and Charlotte Harbor.

 

cone eta hurricane

 

SECO Energy is StormReady and prepared to respond to power outages caused by Hurricane Eta’s rainbands and wind gusts. SECO employee and contractor line crews, as well as tree crews are staged across the system. Above normal rains in October have left some areas saturated. Additional rain from Hurricane Eta could cause outages from trees falling into power lines.

 

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began in mid-March, SECO Energy has taken the necessary precautions to ensure the health and wellbeing of its employees and contractors. SECO’s line crews and contractors are the key to preserving service reliability for the cooperative’s 200,000+ homes and businesses within its service territory. The COVID-19 protections instituted for SECO employees and contractors may slow restoration effort.

 

CEO Jim Duncan stated, “Our SECO storm watchers have been monitoring Hurricane Eta and its wobbling projected track since early last week. We’ve been lucky in Central Florida that the 2020 hurricane season has had minimal effect on our area. Hurricane Eta looks to change that trend. SECO Energy employees and our line and tree contractor partners are prepared to respond to outages from Hurricane Eta’s heavy rains and winds. The track, intensity and forecast of tropical storms and hurricanes often change, and we will keep members updated so they can be prepared.”

 

Duncan also reminded members that SECO Energy’s StormCenter outage reporting and communications platform offers outage alerts. He advises, “StormCenter is available for members to report new outages or check the status of an existing outage using their smartphones or tablets 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Members should also enroll in outage notifications and alerts via email, text or voice message, or all three. An alert is sent when the system recognizes that your service has been interrupted. The alert will include crew status, start time and an estimated restoration time. You’ll also receive a notification when service is restored, and we will include the cause of the outage if it is known at that time.”

 

Members should visit StormCenter and bookmark the site on their smartphones or tablets. On StormCenter, members can view the outage map, manage notifications, check the status of an existing outage, report an area light issue and more. Stay up to date on weather affecting SECO Energy’s service area, the latest news releases and cooperative updates by “liking” SECO’s Facebook page and “follow” @SECOEnergy on Twitter.

 

 

SECO Energy Prepared for Tropical Storm Eta

SECO Energy is prepared for Tropical Storm Eta and its possible effects on its service territory. While Tropical Storm Eta’s ultimate track and intensity remain uncertain, SECO members should expect rain and wind to blanket the area.

 

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) forecasts that rainbands from Tropical Storm Eta will affect the area through Friday or Saturday this week. The tropical storm made landfall late Sunday evening in the Florida Keys. The current NHC track predicts Tropical Storm Eta will move southwest into the Gulf of Mexico and gain strength to become a hurricane; however, the models are quite varied.

 

SECO Energy Prepared for Tropical Storm Eta

 

SECO Energy is StormReady and prepared to respond to power outages caused by Tropical Storm Eta’s rainbands and wind gusts. SECO employee and contractor line crews, as well as tree crews staged across the system. Members should prepare for the possibility of rain and wind gusts from 25 to 40 mph in SECO’s area until Friday or Saturday. Above normal rains in October have left some areas saturated. Additional rain from Tropical Storm Eta could cause outages from trees falling into power lines.

 

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began in mid-March, SECO Energy has taken the necessary precautions to ensure the health and wellbeing of its employees and contractors. SECO’s line crews and contractors are the key to preserving service reliability for the cooperative’s 200,000+ homes and businesses within its service territory. The COVID-19 protections instituted for SECO employees and contractors may slow restoration effort.

 

CEO Jim Duncan stated, “Since the Atlantic hurricane season began in June, SECO Energy has been prepared for tropical storms or hurricanes. We are ready to respond to any power outages caused by Tropical Storm Eta with our full staff of support employees and line technicians as well as line and tree contractor crews staged across the system. We are monitoring Tropical Storm Eta closely. The track, intensity and forecast of tropical storms and hurricanes often changes, and we will keep members updated so they can be prepared.”

 

Duncan also reminded members that SECO Energy’s StormCenter outage reporting and communications platform offers outage alerts. He advises, “StormCenter is available for members to report new outages or check the status of an existing outage using their smartphones or tablets 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Members should also enroll in outage notifications and alerts via email, text or voice message, or all three. An alert is sent when the system recognizes that your service has been interrupted. The alert will include crew status, start time and an estimated restoration time. You’ll also receive a notification when service is restored, and we will include the cause of the outage if it is known at that time.”

 

Members should visit StormCenter and bookmark the site on their smartphones or tablets. On StormCenter, members can view the outage map, enroll or manage notifications, check the status of an existing outage, report an area light issue and more.

 

Stay up to date on weather affecting SECO Energy’s service area, the latest news releases and cooperative updates by “liking” SECO’s Facebook page and “follow” @SECOEnergy on Twitter.

SECO Energy Tracking Tropical Storm Eta

SECO Energy is tracking Tropical Storm Eta and the possibility of a late-season tropical storm event for Central Florida. While Tropical Storm Eta’s eventual track and possible Florida landfall remain uncertain, SECO is prepared for the weather effects this storm could bring to its service area.

 

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) forecasts that Tropical Storm Eta will bring rain and winds to Central Florida next week. Eta weakened while over Central America. Forecasts predict the storm will take a northeastern turn and may gain strength. The probable track shows Tropical Storm Eta traveling across Cuba on its way toward Florida.

 

SECO members should prepare for the possibility of rain and winds early next week. SECO’s service area could begin to feel the effects of Tropical Storm Eta on Monday. Above normal rains in October have left some areas saturated. Additional rain from Tropical Storm Eta could cause outages from trees falling into power lines.

 

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began in mid-March, SECO Energy has taken the necessary precautions to ensure the health and wellbeing of its employees and contractors. SECO’s line crews and contractors are the key to preserving service reliability for the cooperative’s 200,000+ homes and businesses within its service territory. The COVID-19 protections instituted for SECO employees and contractors may slow restoration effort.

 

CEO Jim Duncan stated, “At times, Mother Nature likes to remind us that hurricane season lasts through the end of November. A late-season storm such as Tropical Storm Eta is a good reminder to stay vigilant during the entire hurricane season. Make sure your hurricane supplies are well stocked and up to date. We are watching Tropical Storm Eta closely, and SECO crews and contractors will be prepared to restore outages if needed in our area.”

 

Duncan also reminded members that SECO Energy’s StormCenter outage reporting and communications platform offers outage alerts. He advises, “StormCenter is available for members to report outages using their smartphones or tablets 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Members should also enroll in outage notifications and alerts via email, text or voice message, or all three. An alert is sent when the system recognizes that your service has been interrupted. The alert will include crew status and an estimated restoration time. You’ll also receive a notification when service is restored, and we will include the cause of the outage if it is known at that time.”

 

Members should visit StormCenter and bookmark the site on their smartphones or tablets. On StormCenter, members can view the outage map, enroll or manage notifications, check the status of an existing outage, report an area light issue and more.

 

Stay up to date on weather affecting SECO Energy’s service area, the latest news releases and cooperative updates by “liking” SECO’s Facebook page and “follow” @SECOEnergy on Twitter.

SECO Energy Returns $6.1 Million to Members

SECO Energy has positive financial news for its 210,000+ members. The not-for-profit electric cooperative is retiring a record $6.1 million in Capital Credits to current and former members. During the September Board Meeting, the SECO Board approved the record-high $6.1 million Capital Credit retirement.

 

Current members will see their portion of the retirement on their November billing statement. Look for a line item labeled “Capital Credit Ret.” Active commercial members with retirements over $600 will receive a check. Former members who receive a retirement over $10 will receive a check at their last known mailing address.

 

Capital Credits are unique to not-for-profit, cooperatively structured businesses. SECO members own a portion of the cooperative’s equity. Members’ energy purchases build patronage capital. Ownership is defined through the annual process of allocating each member’s share of the co-op’s margins from the prior year. Individual Capital Credit allocations represent the percentage of the yearly amount of electric service purchased by each member.

 

CEO Jim Duncan stated, “I am especially pleased that SECO can offer members a record-high Capital Credits retirement payout this year. The COVID-19 pandemic and economic uncertainty have been stressful. Capital Credits are a tangible benefit of the not-for-profit cooperative business model. The cooperative has retired over $72.9 million to current and former members since energizing the first few hundred services in 1938.”

 

Capital Credits are the accumulation of all prior years’ revenues after SECO’s operating costs and expenses are paid. These credits are allocated on a pro-rata basis to each SECO member’s account as Capital Credits in accordance with the cooperative’s not-for-profit 501(c)12 status. Annually, SECO examines the cooperative’s financial position and makes a recommendation to the Board of Trustees on the retirement of Capital Credits. The $6.1 million Capital Credits retirement pays out a portion of SECO’s equity to current and former members.

 

Interested in learning more about Capital Credits? Visit our Capital Credis page. Like” SECO on Facebook and “follow” @SECOEnergy on Twitter for news releases and cooperative updates.

SECO Energy Employees Praised for Hurricane Sally Restoration Assistance

In mid-September when Hurricane Sally left thousands of Florida Panhandle residents without power, SECO Energy answered Escambia River Electric Cooperative’s (EREC) call for assistance. On September 17, thirteen SECO employees departed in a caravan of trucks bound for EREC’s service area to aid in power restoration.

 

After five days of repairing damage and restoring members’ service, SECO Energy employees were released and safely returned home. The damage was extensive with 95 percent of EREC members out of service once Hurricane Sally exited the area. Crews from EREC, SECO and nearby cooperatives repaired transmission lines, substations and individual residential and commercial services.

 

EREC’s CEO Ryan Campbell reached out personally to SECO Energy CEO Jim Duncan to express his gratitude for the dedicated, highly trained professionals who volunteered to travel to the Panhandle to assist with hurricane restoration. CEO Campbell states, “Our call for help was answered with manpower that rose to the challenge and succeeded through teamwork and perseverance. There is no better example of cooperation among cooperatives. Again, we send our heartfelt gratitude to you and your outstanding crews for their assistance during this challenging time.”

 

CEO Jim Duncan appreciates the gratitude from EREC and the hard work of the employees who traveled to the Panhandle. Duncan stated, “SECO Energy is proud and honored to answer the call for help from a fellow cooperative. Our employees are the best in the business and we’re thankful for their selfless volunteer spirit and their safe return home.”

 

“Like” SECO on Facebook and “follow” @SECOEnergy on Twitter for news releases and cooperative updates.

SECO Energy Member Service Centers Reopening October 5

SECO Energy is reopening its five Member Service Centers to walk-in traffic on Monday, October 5. To promote the health and wellbeing of SECO members, employees and contractors, SECO encourages visitors who enter a Service Center to wear a face mask.

 

For members who want to continue limiting face-to-face interactions, all SECO Member Service Centers are equipped with an outside automated kiosk that is available for bill payment 24/7. Drive-thru service is available as well. The drive-thrus in Eustis, Inverness, Ocala and Sumterville will operate 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The drive-thru and lobby in Groveland is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Lobby Hours in Eustis, Inverness, Ocala and Sumterville are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

 

The cooperative offers members 12 ways to pay bills, and most avoid face-to-face contact. Members can pay online, by phone, by mail, enroll in bank draft and more. SECO’s online account platform called SmartHub is the place to start for convenient self-serve options. Log in or create an account profile today. View past bills, usage history, request a payment arrangement and more.

 

The cooperative will continue to limit member and employee contact in the field. SECO field personnel are practicing the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommended social distancing standard of maintaining a six-foot barrier with members, contractors and vendors. Employees and members are asked to use email, phone and web conferencing communication in lieu of in-person meetings whenever possible and to practice social distancing when in-person meetings are unavoidable.

 

CEO Jim Duncan stated, “On Friday, September 25, Governor DeSantis announced that Re-opening Florida would enter into Phase 3 of the plan. This Phase allows most businesses to begin operating under pre-COVID-19 parameters with social distancing measures in place. While SECO looks forward to welcoming members back into our Member Service Centers, we will continue our adherence to CDC-recommended social distancing guidelines. We ask members, employees, contractors and vendors to wear a face mask while on SECO property or during face-to-face interactions when social distancing is not possible.”

 

Duncan continued, “While we are happy that Florida is re-opening and we are entering the end of the COVID-19 shutdown, some of our cooperative’s members are still struggling. Members who donate monthly to SECO’s Pennies from Heaven program have helped us provide funding for member bill payment assistance and local food banks during this pandemic. I am grateful for our Pennies from Heaven members’ generosity and support.”

 

SECO’s Pennies from Heaven program contributes funds every quarter to local United Way organizations and social service agencies. Members who have been economically affected by the COVID-19 shutdown and are unable to pay their electric bills are urged to seek bill payment assistance. Call or text 2-1-1 or visit their website at www.211.org. To find a social service agency, use SECO’s online interactive map. Members can simply input their address and search for an agency in their county of residence.

 

SECO members who enroll in the Pennies from Heaven program agree to round up their monthly bills to the next dollar. The extra change funds the Pennies from Heaven program. The donated pennies can be used to fund local, worthy causes and to provide bill payment assistance to fellow members. The funds are used locally within SECO’s service area. SECO employees also support the Pennies from Heaven program through internal fundraising efforts and personal donations.

 

If you’d prefer to write a check, please send it to SECO Energy, P.O. Box 301, Sumterville, FL 33585.

 

“Like” SECO on Facebook and “follow” @SECOEnergy on Twitter for news releases and cooperative updates.