Monroe County holds 2010 annual meeting
Posted on 03-23-2010
NEWS RELEASE FROM:
Alan W. Wattles, President/CEO
Monroe County Electric Co-Operative, Inc.
P.O. Box 128
Waterloo, IL 62298
Telephone 618-939-7171
E-mail: awattles@htc.net
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 23, 2010
HECKER — Members of Monroe County Electric Co-Operative learned of the organization’s financial status, its programs and services and anti-coal legislation that could dramatically affect electric rates during the cooperative’s 72nd Annual Meeting of Members held Monday, March 22, at the Hecker Community Center.
Board Chairman Terry Grommet discussed concerns involving the global warming debate and the ensuing taxes and proposed regulations on fossil fuels, including coal. He stated, “As I have said before, here in the Midwest and especially here in southern Illinois, we are coal. It fuels generators that provide the affordable electricity to run our businesses and homes. It is our most readily available, most abundant, fuel resource we have, and it’s right here.”
Following Grommet’s comments, Duane Noland, president and CEO of the Association of Illinois Electric Cooperatives, asked the co-op’s membership to participate in a card mailing campaign to tell their Congressional leaders that they need to step in and prevent the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from using the Clean Air Act as a tool for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Noland said, “EPA regulation is the wrong approach and this should be decided by our elected members of Congress. We are asking for support of bi-partisan legislation in the U.S. House and Senate to stop EPA regulation of carbon dioxide. This is the biggest and costliest issue to confront the rural electrification program since our inception.”
President/CEO Alan Wattles announced a variety of maintenance programs completed in 2009 that included continued vegetation management and infrastructure updates. He also discussed the TWACS automatic meter reading system that is greatly improving system reliability and customer service.
Wattles said that despite a slight decrease in electric sales due to mild weather, sales are expected to increase in 2010 as weather normalizes. He announced that no rate increases were projected for 2010, but said that could change in the future. “After 2010, SIPC has forecasted that power costs will increase through the next 7 to 10 years due to increased fuel costs for SIPC, Prairie State Generating Facility coming online in 2011 and 2012 and possible new regulatory compliance costs on carbon from the EPA on generation units.” The co-op has a 33-year all needs power agreement with SIPC and an 8 percent stake in the Prairie State Energy Campus, ensuring long term power to fulfill its needs.
The co-op continued its superb safety record with no injuries in the past year. The co-op is pursuing its third consecutive three-year safety accreditation through the National Rural Electric Cooperatives Association. This is not only critical to protecting employees, but it helps to lessen the insurance premium burden for the co-op.
The cooperative is doing its part to assist its members in saving money on their electric bills. Monroe County Electric offers home energy audits and a variety of Energy Star appliance rebates. To help members save money of other goods and services, including prescriptions, the co-op offers the Touchstone Energy® Co-op Connections Card, which is good for discounts on products and services locally, nationally and on prescriptions.
Monroe County Electric is continuing work on the Concordia Water Coop, and construction will hopefully begin in late October 2010.
Secretary/Treasurer Rick Liefer reported that the cooperative finished 2009 with margins of $387,513, which helped to offset a portion of the negative margins incurred in 2008. Total patronage capital and margins for the year were $387,513.
During the meeting Joel H. Harres of Columbia, Gary Gregson of Hecker and Manlee Knobloch of Fults were re-elected to the cooperative’s board of directors.
Monroe County Electric Co-Operative is a member of Touchstone Energy® — an alliance of more than 700 local, consumer-owned electric utilities around the country. Monroe County Electric is committed to providing superior service based on four core principles: integrity, accountability, innovation and commitment to community. The co-op serves more than 7,008 members over 1,198 miles of line in parts of Monroe, Randolph and St. Clair counties. For more information visit www.mcec.org.
