Keeping Current - Cooperative.com

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Virginia Legislators Hear Good NOVEC News Before Heading to Richmond
By Priscilla Knight
OVEC President and CEO Stan Feuerberg told Virginia legislators on Dec. 9, 2014, that the Co-op has delivered exceptional
service for its customer-owners in recent years, in terms of
price, reliability, environmental stewardship, and community
service. Feuerberg provided the information at an end-of-year meeting in
Prince William County with state senators, delegates, legislative aides,
NOVEC board members, and employee-officers.
Feuerberg reported that the Co-op kept the lights on for its 157,000
metered customers 99.99 percent of the time in 2014. This score put
NOVEC on track for being the most reliable electric utility among the
region’s seven electric utilities for the 16th consecutive year.
Regarding power prices, Feuerberg said customer-owners are paying
less for electricity than they were in 2009 when the Co-op assumed
power-supply responsibility, even though two polar vortices in 2014
caused power costs to soar.
To help the environment, Feuerberg explained how NOVEC’s biomass
power plant in Halifax County, Va., and electricity from the Prince William
County Landfill’s trash-to-fuel station are providing clean, renewable
energy to Co-op customers.
The president and CEO noted how NOVEC is committed to corporate citizenship. He cited Operation Round Up®, the college scholarship
program, Youth Tour, and NOVEC HELPS as examples.
On the technology front, Feuerberg explained how the Co-op’s
smart-grid investments are making power service more reliable while
saving energy and costs. He noted how NOVEC’s fiber-optic network
connecting substations and the System Operations Center is making
communications faster, easier, and less costly. He stated, “We are the only
co-op in Virginia that owns a fiber-optic network. The ADSS fiber we use
to build our network is the best technology available.”
Feuerberg said customers apparently approve of what NOVEC is doing
because the J.D. Power and Associates’ 2014 Electric Utility Residential
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Wade House, NOVEC board chairman
(left), and Manley Garber, board director
(right), discuss legislative issues with
Sen. Charles Colgan (center).
,
Jim Moxley, NOVEC senior vice president
(left), and Bob Bisson, vice president,
discuss pole attachments with Del. David
Ramadan (center).
Customer Satisfaction StudySM ranked NOVEC fifth in customer
satisfaction among midsize electric utilities in the South region and sixth
overall among the 138 largest U.S. electric utilities surveyed, including
investor-owned and municipal utilities. He said NOVEC’s scores reflected
the Co-op’s commitment to reliability, price, energy conservation,
renewable energy, and community service.
NOVEC thanks the following legislators and legislative aides who
attended the meeting — despite sleet and ice in some portions of
NOVEC’s service area.
Legislators
Senator George Barker
Senator Charles Colgan
Senator Dave Marsden
Delegate David Bulova
Delegate Charniele Herring
Delegate Dave LaRock
Delegate Scott Lingamfelter
Delegate Jackson Miller
Delegate David Ramadan
Legislative Aides
Brooke Embree, LA to Delegate Jackson Miller
Dale Hendon, LA to Senator Richard Stuart
Vickie Hull, LA to Delegate Tim Hugo
Gerald Parshall, LA to Senator Jennifer Wexton
Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative
Photos by Ginnefine Jalloh and Matthew Robertson
KEEPINGCURRENT
NOVEC customers benefit
from Virginia SCC ruling
on pole attachments
By Howard Spinner, NOVEC manager, regulatory affairs
Co-op members will not have to
compensate for a significant
pole-attachment rate change.
A
fter a highly contested proceeding in Richmond in November 2013,
the Virginia State Corporation Commission set in November 2014
a rate that Comcast Corporation must pay NOVEC for attaching
approximately 15,000 communications devices to NOVEC’s utility poles.
Acting pursuant to a new state law, the SCC turned back Comcast’s
request to sharply reduce the amount it pays for attachments to the
Co-op’s poles. NOVEC argued that, had the SCC granted Comcast a lower
pole-attachment rate, NOVEC’s members would have been forced to
subsidize Comcast’s communications business. NOVEC requested a rate
of $26.43 per attachment — an amount the Co-op said would allow it to
provide pole-attachment services to Comcast without subsidy. Comcast
urged the SCC to approve a rate of less than $8 per attachment.
This equipment was
improperly attached to a
NOVEC utility pole by
a telecommunications
company.
In its Oct. 24, 2014, Final Order, the SCC adopted a rate of $20.60,
which it said would fully compensate NOVEC for fiber-optic and coaxial
cable attachments by the cable television giant. Importantly, Comcast did
not seek reconsideration from the SCC, nor did Comcast appeal the SCC’s
decision to the Supreme Court of Virginia.
In reaction, NOVEC President and CEO Stan Feuerberg said, “We invested a tremendous amount of internal resources into this proceeding and
the commission’s Final Order was proof positive that our efforts paid off. We
asked to be fully compensated for providing space on our pole infrastructure
to Comcast, and the rate determined by the hearing examiner, and affirmed
by the commissioners, achieved most of what we were seeking.”
The commission said the Co-op met the burden of proof in demonstrating that its pole-attachment rates were just and reasonable. It upheld a
hearing examiner’s June 2014 finding in the case and rejected Comcast’s
argument that the rates would impair its ability to deliver high-speed
Internet to rural areas.
“We accept the hearing examiner’s finding that the rate approved herein
is just and reasonable and will have little impact on Comcast’s ability or
incentive to extend broadband service to areas currently without such
service, and that customer density appears to be the overriding factor in
broadband expansion,” the SCC said in its Oct. 24 order.
Comcast initially maintained the pole-attachment rate should be $6.35
per attachment, which it later revised to $7.16. While NOVEC asked for
an all-inclusive rate of $26.43 per attachment, the hearing examiner and
the SCC set the rate at $20.60, but will allow NOVEC to bill Comcast for
certain items in addition to the determined rate.
Comcast sought to apply the pole-attachment rate for investor-owned
utilities, set by the Federal Communications Commission, to NOVEC.
Congress has exempted electric cooperatives from pole-attachment rate
regulation since 1978, though some states have passed laws or implemented regulations that enable them to regulate pole attachments.
The SCC said a modified version of the FCC formula developed by
commission staff that used data specific to NOVEC should be the basis
for determining pole-attachment rates in the dispute. NOVEC has about
52,000 poles.
The SCC directed NOVEC and Comcast to resume negotiations on
a comprehensive pole-attachment agreement in accordance with its
findings. It also set a penalty for future unauthorized attachments at
the equivalent of five years of the annual pole-attachment rate.
The SCC emphasized that the case and its findings applied only to
NOVEC and Comcast. The Virginia, Maryland & Delaware Association of
Electric Cooperatives, which participated in the case as an intervener,
supported that position.
February 2015
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Help Families
Stay Warm
This Winter
Join Operation Round Up®
By Donna Snellings
OVEC customers can help less fortunate families heat
their homes this winter by joining Operation Round Up.
When customers join ORU, they authorize the Cooperative to round up their monthly electric bills to the next dollar. For
instance, if a customer’s bill is $69.74, NOVEC will “round up” the
amount to $70 and the extra 26 cents will go into the ORU fund.
Customers who participate donate an average of $6 a year.
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involves the helping of one’s neighbors.” Lindquist adds, “NOVEC’s ORU
allows our community to do just that. While assisting our neighbors with
needs when times are tough, we are, in turn, helping ourselves and improving our community. On behalf of the nearly 1,000 clients served through the
Emergency Assistance Program each month, ACTS is grateful to NOVEC for
this funding made available during the winter months, and thanks to the
participants of ORU in helping our neighbors heat their homes.”
NOVEC allocates the ORU donations among six local social-service
organizations. These organizations distribute the funds to people who
qualify for heating-bill assistance.
To join ORU visit www.novec.com/oru, call 703-335-0500, or
1-888-335-0500, or email [email protected].
During the winter of 2013-2014, ORU provided a record
$56,000 to more than 400 needy families. NOVEC customers have
contributed more than $739,000 since the program’s inception in
1997. Because NOVEC absorbs all administration costs, 100 percent
of all donations go into the fund.
Currently, fewer than 5 percent of NOVEC’s customers
participate in ORU. The Co-op and the ORU Board encourage more
customers to help local families heat their homes this winter by
participating.
“Small acts of kindness will make ORU robust once again,” says
ORU volunteer board member and NOVEC customer Jane Beyer.
“Please consider signing up for ORU.”
Kelly Lindquist, interim deputy director for ACTS, one of the six
social-service organizations that receive funds, thanks Co-op
customers who have contributed to ORU. She quotes Samuel Smiles,
who wrote: “The duty of helping one’s self in the highest sense
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Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative
Paper Bills
Get Smart
By John Roy
H
ave you ever received a bill that surprised you? Maybe it was
higher than you expected it to be? Electricity bills are tied very
closely to the weather. Following months of extreme cold or
extreme heat, customers often see their bills go up.
In order to help customers better understand the impact that weather
has on their bills, NOVEC partnered with Apogee Interactive in 2009
to provide the HomeEnergySuite of online tools. The energy-saving
calculators included in the online suite are used by hundreds of
customers every month and help show them exactly where their energy
dollars are going.
Customers who pay their bills online through NOVEC.com have easy,
one-click access to this analysis. Customers who receive a paper bill in
the mail each month will now have the same access thanks to a collaboration with Apogee and Datamatx, which prints customers’ bills. “We
wanted to be able to provide the same experience our online customers
were receiving to all of our customers,” says Vice President of Public
Relations Mike Curtis.
Starting this year, residential customers who have received service
from NOVEC for at least a year will see a quick response (QR) code on
their printed bills. When scanned with a smartphone, the QR code will
quickly take customers to a detailed analysis of their bill, as well as
recommendations for saving energy and money.
“This is the first time we’ve been able to offer our online products to
customers without needing to use a computer,” says Jon Scott, business
development manager, at Apogee. “We’re really excited to work with
NOVEC and its bill printer, Datamatx, to make this happen.”
customers with additional information to help them understand the
numbers on their bill each month. They will be able to see how the
weather conditions affected their bill and how simple actions, such as
changing thermostat settings, can make a big difference.”
Customers can also improve the accuracy of the printed analysis by
entering details about their home through the online BillingInsights
calculator. Simply visit www.novec.com/billinginsights, enter your
account number, select a question, and complete the home profile.
Scan the QR code with your
smartphone to reveal an energy
analysis to help you save energy.
“We’ve always believed that rendering accurate bills and delivering
them to customers on time is one of the most fundamental components
of our business,” says Curtis. “The QR code will enable us to provide
NOVEC’s new EZ-Pay option makes bill paying easy!
By John Roy
As your customer-owned cooperative, NOVEC works to make bill
paying as quick and easy as possible. With that in mind, we’ve replaced
the Speedpay payment option with a new system called EZ-Pay. Like
Speedpay, the new system allows customers to make one-time payments
using a credit card, debit card, checking, or savings account. EZ-Pay is
fast and easy to use, and there is no need to register an account.
Online or on your mobile device
•
Select the EZ-Pay option and enter your account information.
•
Enter the amount and your payment information.
That’s it! You will receive an email confirmation of your payment.
By Phone
•
Call NOVEC at 703-335-0500 or 1-888-335-0500.
February 2015
•
•
•
Select option 2 to pay your bill and then press 2 for EZ-Pay.
Follow the prompts to enter your account number and zip code.
Follow the prompts to enter the amount and payment information.
EZ-Pay is available in both English and Spanish and will accept either
ATM/Debit (STAR, NYCE, PULSE, ACCEL, MasterCard or Visa) or credit
cards (Mastercard, Visa, Discover, or Diners Club). Payments received
before 2 p.m. will be credited the next business day.
As with Speedpay, a fee of $2.45 per transaction will be charged by
KUBRA — NOVEC’s bill-paying processer — for use of this service.
There is a $2,000 maximum per transaction. Payments in amounts
greater than $2,000 will require multiple transactions, and the $2.45 fee
will apply to each transaction.
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Energy Groups, Companies, and Regulators
React to EPA’s Clean Power Plan
By Priscilla Knight
T
he U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed a Clean
Power Plan in June 2014 that called for states to reduce carbon
dioxide emissions 30 percent below 2005 levels by 2030, with
2020 as the initial compliance deadline. EPA said more CO² in the
atmosphere has caused climate change, ice-melting, warmer oceans, and
costly health problems.
To meet EPA’s target, power companies would be forced to shut down
many coal-burning power plants — which provide less expensive,
reliable power, but emit lots of CO² — and replace them with new,
renewable-energy and natural gas plants, which emit no or much less
CO². Consumers would have to continue paying for stranded coal plants
for decades while also paying for their replacements.
EPA allowed Americans to submit comments on the proposal until
Dec. 1, 2014. Millions did. Environmental groups approved the plan
overall. Many electric utilities, regulatory organizations, and states did
not. Their concerns included: anticipated higher power costs for consumers, unreliability of service, and a short timetable for implementing
the proposed changes.
Speaking for electric cooperatives on Dec. 1, 2014, National Rural
Electric Cooperative Association CEO Jo Ann Emerson said the plan
“reflects a significant misunderstanding of the electric utility industry.”
She said the increased costs of shutting down coal power plants and
building new generating facilities would hurt the poorest Americans. She
noted “serious reliability issues” that will occur if wind and solar energy
cannot supply enough electricity.
Oglethorpe Power Corporation, which supplies power to more than 4
million co-op members in Georgia, said, “This proposed plan is a
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complex disaster that will place a high cost burden on millions of
Georgia residents for years to come while producing minimal positive
impact on the environment.” Furthermore, Oglethorpe said the amount
of renewable energy and increased energy efficiency required to meet the
plan’s goals are “unrealistic and unachievable.”
Montana Electric Cooperatives Association said “The EPA’s
proposal ... ignores affordability, ignores power reliability and would
establish an entirely new national energy policy without fully understanding the ramifications.”
A manager at Arizona’s Salt River Project, one of the nation’s largest
public power utilities, noted that EPA’s plan divides the states, without
understanding that many utilities rely on power from multiple states.
Regarding the short timeline for switching from coal to natural gas,
the manager said, “You can’t simply flip a switch in 2020 and make that
happen.”
Power companies in states that have already reduced carbon
emissions substantially said EPA is “unfairly targeting” them with
mandates to further reduce emissions. Virginia Attorney General Mark
Herring, while calling for CO² reductions, said: “Virginia should receive
more credit for recent investments that ratepayers have made in zerocarbon nuclear generation. The significant disparity between the credit
given to nuclear and the credit given to solar and wind generation, both
zero-carbon generation, should be addressed.”
Oglethorpe agreed because of nuclear power units under construction in Georgia, but not yet in service: “Despite the billions of dollars
invested ... the EPA plan effectively gives zero credit for these units
toward meeting the future compliance requirements under the proposed
Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative
regulation. This is inequitable and seriously misguided.”
Regarding EPA’s legal authority, Herring said the agency should
ensure that “the final Rule is well within the powers afforded by the
Clean Air Act,” and make sure it has “solid legal authority to implement
regulations on existing facilities that are more stringent than regulations
on new sources.”
States without sufficient natural-gas pipelines would need a new,
costly natural-gas infrastructure. Seminole Electric Cooperative said
Florida would have to shut down 90 percent of its coal plants, build new
gas pipelines and plants, and become a “captive of the natural gas
market,” which has historically had the most price volatility of any
power-generation fuel. Gas plants would be necessary for providing
reliable backup electricity for unreliable wind and solar energy. New
transmission lines would also be necessary for delivering electricity from
new plants to consumers. Since building new gas pipelines and
transmission lines are almost always controversial, the utilities said the
“dash to gas” would cause opposition and price increases.
Halifax County Biomass Plant South Boston, Va.
Virginia State Corporation Commission Comments
Virginia’s State Corporation Commission told EPA the new rule “is
likely to raise substantially both the electric rates and bills Virginians
pay” mainly because Virginia must retire many coal plants to reduce CO²
emissions by 37 percent to meet EPA’s goal.
“These retirements are of grave concern,” the SCC said, “because the
power plants involved are used today to ensure reliable service to
Virginia customers, have years of useful life remaining, and cannot be
replaced overnight or without regard for impacts on the electric system.”
The SCC said the plan “places at risk several billions of dollars of recent
investments in existing coal-fired facilities. … Much of this investment
has been constructed to comply with EPA consent degrees on which the
ink is hardly dry. The federal government has, in essence, required
Virginia residents and businesses to build a house, take out an expensive
mortgage on it, and then directed that the house be torn down. The
expensive mortgage must still be paid off.” The Commission went on
to say the plan raises “alarming regional reliability concerns.”
Halifax County Biomass Plant
Control Room - South Boston, Va.
NERC Concerns
The North American Electric Reliability Corporation, overseen by the
U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and Canadian government
authorities, said EPA’s proposed timeline “does not provide enough time
to develop sufficient resources to ensure continued reliable operation
of the grid by 2020.” NERC warned that the attempt to do so would
increase the potential for “wide-scale, uncontrolled outages.” The
organization explained that power companies would have to build the
necessary infrastructure within two years even though it takes three to
five years to plan and complete gas pipelines, and sometimes a decade
to complete major transmission projects.
NERC noted the severe strain on electric power and natural-gas
supplies during the January 2014 polar vortex. The PJM grid, which
supplies power to NOVEC customers, had to call for immediate energyuse reductions to avoid rolling blackouts.
NERC said the plan’s projections of new wind and solar generation
exceed the U.S. Energy Information Administration's forecast substantially, and EPA “appears to overestimate” how much energy efficiency
will contribute to climate goals.
an “all of the above” strategy. McAuliffe said this approach would include renewable and traditional energy sources, and efforts to use energy
more efficiently.
To help the environment, NOVEC is distributing to Co-op customers
renewable energy produced by: its biomass plant in South Boston, Va.,
trash-to-fuel generators at the Prince William County Landfill,
solar-energy panels at the Fauquier County Livestock Exchange, and
hydropower stations operated by the Southeastern Power Administration.
Learn more in NOVEC’s 2014 annual report at
www.novec.com/about_novec and at www.novec.com/save.
References:
“Potential Reliability impacts of EPA’s Proposed Clean power Plan,” NERC,
November 2014
Randazzo, Ryan, SRP: Impossible to meet EPA coal edict on time The Republic,
Oct. 17, 2014
After reviewing submitted comments, EPA intends to finalize its plan
by June 1, 2015.
What NOVEC Is Doing
NOVEC concurs with Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, who said in his
October 2014 energy blueprint that the Commonwealth should follow
February 2015
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NOVEC HELPS is all about
Community Service
By Priscilla Knight
Photo by Matthew Robertson
Mark your calendars now for the HELPS
golf tournament
NOVEC HELPS, Hands Engaged in Local Public Service, thanks
Cooperative members for hundreds of toys they donated to the Toys
for Tots Cruise-In Drive last November and December. Jim Chesley,
vice chairman of the Co-op’s board of directors, organized the drive
with local car clubs, HELPS, and the United States Marine Corps.
Chesley said, “The Marines were very grateful for all of the toys,
and I’m sure children in our area were too!”
HELPS will hold its third annual golf tournament fundraiser at
Stonewall Golf Club at Lake Manassas in Gainesville on Thursday,
May 14, 2015. Mark your calendars now for a fun day on the links!
Contact Ginger Hamlin, [email protected], or call 703-335-0500
or toll-free 1-888-335-0500 if you would like to co-sponsor the
tournament or would like more information.
2014 at a Glance
In 2014, HELPS raised money from two major fundraisers and donated
almost $20,000 to 56 non-profit 501(c )(3) organizations. Eighty employees, family members and friends gave 635 personal volunteer hours.
About HELPS
NOVEC HELPS, Hands Engaged in Local Public Service, is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization of NOVEC employees who volunteer their
time to do community service. The HELPS board of directors votes on
projects and events to support, whether with financial donations or with
feet on the ground.
Learn more at www.novechelps.org.
Follow HELPS on www.facebook.com.
Remove Fireplace Ashes Safely
I
By Priscilla Knight
n October 2014, a waste-disposal truck in Manassas caught on fire
after its driver collected trash from a commercial dumpster. With
roaring sirens, fire fighters soon surrounded the blazing heap of trash
dumped by the truck driver onto the parking lot. They put out the fire, but
the event reminded everyone in three commercial buildings not to put
anything flammable in the trash — including ashes.
NOVEC reminds homeowners who enjoy a cozy fire in wood-burning
fireplaces to dispose of ashes safely.
Safe Fireplace Ash Removal
•
•
•
•
Make sure ashes and embers are completely cold before removing
them. The “Local Living” section of The Washington Post recommends dumping wet coffee grounds on ashes to moisten them and keep them
from flying away while being scooped into a metal, fireproof container, preferably with a metal lid.
Wet the ashes in the container and let them sit for at least seven days on a non-flammable surface, such as concrete or bricks, away from the
house or anything flammable. After seven days, spread ashes in the garden and wet them again.
NEVER put hot or even cool ashes in with regular trash. Fire and rescue says fires starting from ashes combusting in trash trucks happen
too often.
For a thorough fireplace cleaning, hire a professional chimney sweep.
For more safety tips, visit www.novec.com/safety or check with your local fire department.
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Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative
Your PCA Credit Means Savings
For 2015, customers will receive a PCA credit of ($0.00107) per kilowatt-hour. As a memberowned cooperative, NOVEC is committed to controlling costs and purchasing electricity at the
lowest prices available. And, as a regulated cooperative, NOVEC is not allowed to make a profit
on the wholesale power the Cooperative purchases or generates for its customers. Therefore,
when NOVEC makes a profit, it returns it to customers as a power-cost-adjustment (PCA) credit
on their monthly bills. Because of the outstanding job done by NOVEC’s power-supply team and
the Co-op’s commitment to cost control, the PCA has been a credit for the past three years.
NOVEC reduced rates for residential customer-owners by 4.5 percent in its last rate case. The
reduction became effective in October 2010. That rate is still sufficient to meet the Cooperative’s
revenue requirements.
Bottom line: you are paying less for electricity than you were in 2009 when NOVEC took control of its power supply.
Holiday Office Closure
Presidents Day — Monday, Feb. 16
The operations center is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, even on holidays.
To report outages or an emergency, call 703-335-0500 or toll-free 1-888-335-0500.
NOVEC Board of Directors
Chairman:
Wade C. House
District 5
Prince William County,
south of Rt. 29 to Rt. 234
Vice Chairman:
James Chesley
District 3
Fairfax County,
Centreville/Clifton
Secretary:
Michael Ragan
District 6
southern Prince William County,
City of Manassas Park
Treasurer:
Ann Wheeler
District 4
northwestern Prince William
County, Sudley/Bull Run Mt.
At-Large Director:
William Zilliott
J. Manley Garber
District 7
Prince William County,
Dale City, northern Montclair
Cynthia Gilbride
District 1
Fairfax County, north of
Centreville and Loudoun County,
South Riding
Skip Albrite
District 8
Fauquier and Stafford counties,
southern Montclair
Harry Harris
District 2
Loudoun County,
except South Riding
Stan C. Feuerberg
President and CEO
Keeping Current Local Pages
Graphic Designer — Ginnefine Jalloh
Editor — Priscilla Knight
P.O. Box 2710
Manassas, VA 20108-0875
703-335-0500 or 1-888-335-0500
www.novec.com
February 2015
NOVEC is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
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KEEPINGCURRENT
Mark Your Calendar Now for
NOVEC’s 2015 Annual Meeting
Scheduled for Sept. 16
By Donna Snellings
T
he official member invitation and ballot packet will arrive in the
mail by early September, but mark your calendars now to attend
NOVEC’s 2015 annual meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 16, at
Battlefield High School in Haymarket. Registration will begin at 6 p.m.
— in time for a complimentary dinner and the opportunity to visit
various NOVEC displays. The meeting will begin promptly at 7:30 p.m.
Board of Directors Election
Co-op membership affords many privileges, including the
opportunity to vote for candidates offering to serve on the NOVEC
Board of Directors. At the 2015 annual meeting, members will elect
directors for the District 2 (Loudoun County, except South Riding) and
At-Large positions. Harry Harris, who currently represents District 2,
and William Zilliot, the At-Large incumbent, are up for re-election.
Other Co-op members seeking to serve as directors must submit their
nominations to NOVEC no later than Wednesday, July 8.
Making a Nomination
As detailed in the NOVEC Bylaws, “Nominations for directors shall
be made by any 15 or more members in writing over their signatures,
said written nomination petitions to be delivered to the office of the
president/CEO not less than 70 days prior to the next annual meeting.
No additional nominations shall be made from the floor at the meeting
of members.”
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Online Proxy-Assignment Option
Members who cannot attend the annual meeting may assign a proxy
vote either by mailing in a signed proxy card or by making an
assignment online. Save a stamp by visiting www.novec.com, clicking on
the E-Proxy option, and following instructions. You will need the
information on your annual meeting registration card, which will be
mailed to each customer in late August or early September.
Displays, Updates and Door Prizes
In addition to electing directors, the annual meeting will give
members the opportunity to visit displays that explain how the
Cooperative functions — from understanding how a meter works to
understanding right-of-way guidelines. Members will learn about the
billing process and other happenings at the Cooperative.
President/CEO Stan Feuerberg will give an update on the state of the
business, and Co-op members will have an opportunity to go home with
valuable door prizes.
Date: Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2015
Time: 6 p.m. for dinner, 7:30 p.m. for business meeting
Location: Battlefield High School, 15000 Graduation Drive,
Haymarket, VA 20169
Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative
On the Road to
American Energy Independence
By Priscilla Knight
O
n a hot July day in Philadelphia, the Second Continental
Congress boldly declared that America’s 13 English
colonies would break away from Great Britain. Virginia’s
Thomas Jefferson wrote the document for King George III to read,
with input from fellow Virginian Richard Henry Lee, Massachusetts’
John Adams, and Pennsylvania’s Benjamin Franklin. The new
nation’s 56 founding fathers signed the Declaration of Independence
on July 4, 1776, and the Liberty Bell tolled.
In his exuberance, John Adams wrote these words about
Independence Day to his wife, Abigail:
I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding
Generations as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be
commemorated as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of
Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with
Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells,
Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent
to the other from this Time forward forever more.
Adams correctly foretold July 4th celebrations for generations
— with “shows” instead of “shews.” And through remarkable
cooperation between the colonies, along with tragic loss and
sacrifice, the nascent nation essentially became independent
when British Gen. Charles Cornwallis surrendered to Gen.
George Washington at Yorktown, Virginia, in 1781.
production soars. We’re using more energy from renewable
sources, and we’re using energy more efficiently.
Individual Americans and co-ops are helping too. Like the
minutemen during the Revolutionary War, Americans are
mobilizing as they hear the cry for energy independence. Instead
of Paul Revere riding his horse through the night yelling, “The
Regulars [British] are coming!” NOVEC “yells” to Co-op
members, “Very hot weather is coming; conserve energy!” Instead
of muskets, Americans are grabbing caulking guns, insulation
spray-foam cans, and programmable thermostats. Instead of
riding horseback, today’s Sons of Liberty are driving hybrid and
electric cars. Instead of fortifying their homes for battle with the
redcoats, they are fortifying their homes with reddish batts of
insulation. And, instead of crossing the Delaware’s cold water
with Gen. Washington, they are washing their clothes in water
that’s cold.
With all Americans responding to the energy Liberty
Bell, we can all have a modern Yorktown moment and
declare energy independence. NOVEC is guiding
members by providing energy-saving tips and tools at
www.novec.com/save.
This July 4th, enjoy the “Pomp and Parade, with Shews,
Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations!”
Independence through Cooperation
Like their founding fathers, farmers with an independent
streak banded together in the late 1930s and early 1940s to form
electric cooperatives. They wanted the better life that electricity
provided. Aside from some low-interest loans and engineering
expertise from President Franklin Roosevelt’s federal government,
these hardy Americans built their own power systems by working
cooperatively. They no longer had to wait for investor-owned
utilities to decide whether or not they would provide service to
rural regions.
Declaring Energy Independence
Although most Americans had electric service by the 1970s,
the United States had become highly dependent on foreign oil.
The cry for energy independence sounded loudly when Middle
East oil producers cut off exports in 1973 and caused gas-station
and economic havoc. Since then, every U.S. president has called
for energy independence.
Today, we are much closer to that goal. According to the U.S.
Energy Information Administration, we are exporting much more
natural gas and importing much less foreign oil as domestic
July 2015
19
NOVEC Members
Try to Break 52-Year-Old
Swim Record on July 11 and 15
F
ast! That’s Northern Virginia. Fast also describes the nation’s
“granddaddy” of all swim leagues — Northern Virginia
Swimming League. As one of the oldest and largest swim
leagues in the country, the 59-year-old NVSL gives more than 17,000
youngsters and teens from 102 community swim teams the chance to
win individual, relay, and team competitions every summer.
Eleven teams founded the league in 1956 “to develop in the
children participating in our program a love for the sport, advanced
aquatic skills, teamwork, and the principles of good sportsmanship.”
“The NVSL has achieved its mission in so many ways for the
multitude of children who have participated in the last six decades,”
said Dawn O’Brien, referee/officials coordinator for Centreville’s Sully
Station II Piranhas and NOVEC member. “Kids have learned the
rewards of hard work, team spirit, and sportsmanship. The NVSL
gives our youth such a love for the sport that many compete in
college. One swimmer from our team even made it to the 2012
Olympic Trials!”
At least seven NVSL swimmers have gone to the Olympics,
including Melissa Belote, who won three gold medals in 1972, Ed
Moses, who won gold and silver medals in the 2000 games, and Kate
Ziegler, who swam in the 2012 Olympics.
The unbeatable Four Amigos hold
NVSL’s oldest record
In 1963, before Belote, Moses, and Ziegler made a big splash,
competitive swimming in Virginia was mostly seasonal. That
summer, with John F. Kennedy living in the White House, The Beach
Boys’ singing “Surfin’ U.S.A.,” and women wearing snap-on bathing
caps over bouffant hair, four 11- and 12-year-old boys set a record in
the 100-yard medley relay. Roger Russell, Roger Williams, Jimmy
Dickson, and Steve Mason, the so-called Four Amigos on the Vienna
Woods Swim Team, swam the race in just 58.4 seconds. Little did
they know their record would still stand in 2015 — long enough to
show their grandchildren.
“Swimmers set new swim records every summer in the NVSL,”
said Bill Cooke, NVSL president. “To hold onto a record for five
decades when many of our swimmers today train year-round and
compete in slick racing suits is just amazing! Those boys set a
remarkably high standard.”
The NVSL set high standards for the boys, too. According to
Russell, an engineer and NOVEC member, “The NVSL gave me a
structure and a work ethic. We had to be at practice on time, at 7
a.m. I’ve been a morning person ever since.” Russell credits their
coaches for inspiring them and making team members toe the line.
Williams, a California businessman, said, “The NVSL taught me
discipline, tenacity, and teamwork.”
20
Swimmers (from left) Roger Russell, Roger Williams,
Jimmy Dickson, and Steve Mason set a NVSL relay
record in 1963. The record still stands.
Dickson, a lawyer in Bridgewater, Virginia, said swimming in the
NVSL, with three tough practices a day, changed his life. “If I hadn’t
swum I might have become a juvenile delinquent. I was off the charts
hyper, way before they even knew about those things. Swimming
wore me out and calmed me down — still does.”
Relay Redo
At the 50th reunion of the Vienna Woods team in 2012, Dickson,
Williams, and Mason rekindled memories. They made a pact to find
Russell and race again in 2014 — enough time for them to get in
shape. They found Russell in Centreville. He said, “I was shocked to
learn that our record still stood!”
Last September the Four Amigos met again for the first time since
1967 at Fairfax County’s Oak Marr Recreation Center. When Steve
Mason with snow-white hair and beard pulled off his shirt and
revealed a red wrestling singlet, the children squealed with joy at
seeing Santa Claus. The NOVEC member from Haymarket does
seasonal work as St. Nick and shares Christmas cookies at the
Co-op’s annual meetings. With his Santa appearance, race watchers
may have wondered if Rudolph and eight tiny reindeer would pull
the freestyler through the water.
Instead of Rudolph, Roger appeared. “When Roger Williams, 63,
strolled onto the pool deck … it was clear they had a shot,” wrote
Washington Post writer Petula Dvorak, who watched the race. She
said of the blond, 6-foot-4 California transplant, who played water
polo in college, trained with 7-gold-medal Olympic swimmer Mark
Spitz, and still wins master’s swim events: “He looks like a boomer
Ken doll.”
After a warm up, the sexagenarians followed tradition by pouring
water from their Vienna Woods pool into Oak Marr’s pool to “give us
an edge.” They formed a circle and yelled their 1960s good-luck
cheer. But, unlike 1960s swimmers who swam like fish, they donned
modern goggles.
Russell jumped into the pool. With friends and family cheering,
Russell curled his body and at “Go!” he torpedoed off the wall into
the backstroke. Next, Williams dove into the water and came up
Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative
Photo courtesy of Roger Russell
By Priscilla Knight
swimming the breaststroke. Just after he thrust his hands into the
wall, Dickson swam the butterfly leg without taking a single breath.
Then, in his red suit emblazoned with the team’s 1963 race stats on
his thighs and “HO-HO-HO” on his rear, Santa Mason flew off the
deck with a racing dive that amazed his teenage grandchildren. The
crowd roared as he slammed into the wall.
Watch Fairfax County’s September 2014
race video ...
called “The Reunion: 51 Years in the Making,” at
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9N9HTYns2WY.
Williams’ older brother, Richard, who timed, said, “One 10.” All
timers agreed the time was one minute and 10 seconds.
The Amigos missed their record by 12 seconds, but when Mason
was asked if he was upset about not breaking the old record, he
cheerfully exclaimed, “I challenge any team from 50 years ago to get
all their original swimmers together and re-create their race and beat
our time. We set a new record for 63- and 64-year-old men!”
Williams said about the race, “If nothing else, it shows our
grandkids the importance of having fun and keeping in shape.”
The grandswimmers will race again on July 11, 2015, just after the
9 a.m. regular NVSL swim meet at Vienna Woods. They will take on
the current 11-12 boys to see if 52 years and a few pounds have made
a difference. They will also swim at 4 p.m. at the start of the NVSL
Relay Carnival on Wednesday, July 15, at the Hunt Valley Swim Club,
7100 Sydenstricker Rd., Springfield, Virginia.
The Four Amigos re-enact their 1963 good-luck cheer.
Photo courtesy of Don Sweeney, Parktakes magazine
“Did we do it?” the Amigos asked.
Russell, Williams, Dickson, and Mason display in 2014 the
first-place ribbons they won for their medley relay in 1963.
July 2015
Photo courtesy of Don Sweeney, Parktakes magazine
NOVEC salutes the Four Amigos for their long-lasting NVSL
record and their determination to stay in shape. Like NOVEC, they’re
all about energy.
21
NOVEC HELPS ‘Sinks the Putt’ for Community
Groups at Third Annual Golf Tournament
By Priscilla Knight
Ninety golfers and dozens of sponsors helped to raise more than
$22,000 net for charitable and community groups at NOVEC HELPS’
third annual golf tournament at Stonewall Golf Club in Gainesville,
Virginia, on May 14, 2015. HELPS will donate the money to the
501(c)(3) health, charitable, youth, and community organizations it
supports.
“The sunny, 70-degree day was absolutely perfect for golf,” said HELPS
Executive Director Donna Snellings. “I want to thank all of our players
and sponsors for making it such a success. And I want to give special
thanks to Ginger Hamlin for chairing the tournament committee,
NOVEC senior engineer Hank Zarandi for encouraging golfers to play,
and all of our many volunteers who made the event possible.”
Snellings also thanked the Stonewall Golf Club for its support and
assistance.
Winners
First-Place Team: Don Goddard, David Bianco, John D’Alexander, and
Scott Darnell
Second-Place Team: Ken Greenfield, Steve Elkins, Lee Shifflett, and
Eric Paris
Third-Place Team: Kevin Kelly, Chuck Rector, Neil McMichael, and
William White
Men’s Closest to the Pin: Bob Tate
Women’s Closest to the Pin: Laurie Quinn
Men’s Longest Drive: Lee Shifflett
Women’s Longest Drive: Laurie Quinn
Putting Contest: Dale Ring
Sponsors
Banquet Sponsors
NOVEC and Hendrix
Beverage Sponsor
ABB, Dewberry, and EDF Trading North
America
Hole Sponsors
Bennett, Atkinson & Associates, P.C.,
Bradley Electro Sales Corp., Ensales, Inc.,
Ermco Transformers, Graybar, Lekson
Associates Inc., Leo Construction
Company, Prysmian Group, Stone Center,
and Yorkshire Restaurant
Goodie Bag Sponsor
Milestone Communications
Gold Sponsors
Apple Federal Credit Union, Cintas,
Deporter, Dominick & Associates,
Dominion Products and Services, Inc.,
Eaton’s Cooper Power Systems & HD
Supply, Morgan Stanley, National Rural
Telecommunications Cooperative, Power
Services, Inc., The Okonite Company,
and Uticom Systems Inc.-Utility Sales
Associates
East to West Embroidery and Design,
Gainesville Garage, and Shanahan &
Associates
Prize Sponsors
Stonewall Golf Club, WMAL radio, 1757
Golf Club, Generals Ridge Golf Course,
Billy Casper Golf, Prince William Golf
Course, Gauntlet Golf Course, Northern
Virginia Regional Park Authority,
Golfsmith, and Chick-Fil-A
Photos courtesy of NOVEC Public Relations
Double Gold Sponsors
Silver Sponsors
Chapman Company, Lee Electrical
Construction, Inc., National Rural
Utilities Cooperative Finance Corp.,
National Transformer Sales & General
Cable, NOVEC Energy Solutions, and
Rappahannock Electric Cooperative
Bronze Sponsors
Burndy LLC.
22
Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative
Recent Events
March for Babies, Manassas
Photo courtesy of HELPS
The 1st-place team
NOVEC HELPS’ March for Babies team raised more than $29,000 for its
walk through Old Town Manassas on April 26. The March of Dimes will use
the money to help prevent premature births and birth defects. HELPS
extends special thanks to NOVEC Board Director Manley Garber and to Pat
and Bob Holland for raising much of the team’s money.
2015 VEX Robotics World Tournament
The 2nd-place team
HELPS helped the Triangle Elementary Robotics Team compete against 90
other teams from all over the world in the 2015 VEX Robotics World
Tournament in Louisville, Kentucky, in April. The team won the Amaze
Award — runner-up to the overall World Champion Award in the
elementary division. The award is given to a team with a well-built robot, a
thought-out strategy, interview quality, and overall high performance.
Congratulations!
Project Mend-a-House Spring Spruce Up
On Saturday, April 11, HELPS member John Nguyen joined other
volunteers to spruce up the yards and homes of the elderly and people with
handicaps.
About HELPS
The 3rd-place team
July 2015
NOVEC HELPS, Hands Engaged in Local Public Service, is a
non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization of NOVEC employees who volunteer
their time to do community service. The HELPS board of directors votes
on projects and events to support, whether with financial donations or
with feet on the ground.
Learn more at www.novechelps.org.
Follow HELPS on www.facebook.com.
23
Vacation Checklist:
Keeping Your Home Secure and Energy-Efficient
By Priscilla Knight
Before going on vacation, whether for a long weekend or several months, prepare your home beforehand to keep it secure
and energy-efficient.
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24
Turn off lamps and lights, but for security, set a few to come on at
night with timers. Halogen, compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) or
light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs save more energy than
incandescent bulbs and they last much longer. A lamppost sensor
will turn bulbs on at dusk and shut them off at dawn.
Easy-to-install solar-powered garden lights will do the same. For
extra protection, install motion-detector floodlights to startle a
would-be burglar.
Reset the air conditioner to a temperature just sufficient to control
humidity and protect pets and plants. For each degree set higher,
you’ll save 2-3 percent on home cooling. If you turn off your A/C,
keep in mind that the hotter your house becomes, the more energy
your refrigerator and freezer will use to keep food cold.
Adjust the refrigerator temperature from 40 degrees to 42. Food
will stay cold when no one is opening the door.
Adjust the water heater. Turn a gas water heater dial to “vacation.”
Turn an electric water heater way down. Leave yourself a note to
turn the unit back to a normal setting when you return home.
Unplug sensitive appliances and devices. Powerful summer
thunderstorms can damage them. Unplug the microwave oven,
computers, printers, televisions, DVD players, and other electronic
devices. Make it easy by plugging nearby devices into a power strip
and turning off one switch.

Close window treatments to block hot solar rays. If you don’t have
treatments, cover windows with white sheets and thumbtacks.
White shades and blinds, and white-lined curtains reflect the most
rays.
Extra Home Security Measures
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Plug a radio into a timer to play on and off throughout the day.
Suspend newspaper deliveries and ask the post office to hold your
mail. Or ask a neighbor to collect delivered items for you.
Hire someone to mow your lawn.
Give a trusted neighbor your contact information and a house key
in case there is a home emergency.
Ask the police to check on your home.
Do not let burglars know you’re not at home by posting vacation
photos and updates on social media.
NOVEC wishes you and your home an energy-smart, secure vacation.
For more energy-saving ideas, visit
www.novec.com/save.
Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative
NOVEC Helps Fourth-Graders Appreciate
the Environment on Arbor Day
In recognition of Arbor Day, NOVEC purchased 250 tree saplings for the
fourth-grade students at Manassas Park Elementary School.
Donna Snellings, NOVEC public and government relations liaison, stated, “In
keeping with NOVEC’s commitment to the environment and education of
students, we are pleased to participate in this Arbor Day program every year.”
Karen Hunter, a fourth-grade teacher at Manassas Park Elementary School,
commented, “The students are always excited when they receive the trees to
plant as part of Arbor Day. We appreciate the commitment from NOVEC.”
NOVEC Board of Directors
Chairman:
Wade C. House
District 5
Prince William County,
south of Rt. 29 to Rt. 234
Vice Chairman:
James Chesley
District 3
Fairfax County,
Centreville/Clifton
Secretary:
Michael Ragan
District 6
southern Prince William County,
City of Manassas Park
Holiday Office Closure
Independence Day — Friday, July 3
The operations center is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, even on holidays.
To report outages or an emergency, call 703-335-0500 or toll-free 1-888-335-0500.
Treasurer:
Ann Wheeler
District 4
northwestern Prince William
County, Sudley/Bull Run Mt.
At-Large Director:
William Zilliott
Cynthia Gilbride
District 1
Fairfax County, north of
Centreville and Loudoun County,
South Riding
Harry Harris
District 2
Loudoun County,
except South Riding
J. Manley Garber
District 7
Prince William County,
Dale City, northern Montclair
Skip Albrite
District 8
Fauquier and Stafford counties,
southern Montclair
Stan C. Feuerberg
President and CEO
Keeping Current Local Pages
Graphic Designer — Ginnefine Jalloh
Editor — Priscilla Knight
P.O. Box 2710
Manassas, VA 20108-0875
703-335-0500 or 1-888-335-0500
www.novec.com
July 2015
NOVEC is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
25
KEEPINGCURRENT
Energy Vampires
Still ‘Haunt’ Homes,
but Their Bites Don’t
Hurt as Much
By Priscilla Knight
O
n a dark and stormy Halloween night,
trick-or-treaters hid their candy and crawled
into bed as their parents turned off
jack-o’-lantern lights, televisions, and computers. Soon,
without a sound or a creaking stair, energy vampires went
to work sapping electricity from the family’s appliances
and devices, even though they were turned off. Tiny red
lights glowing in the dark provided the only clues that
the house was “electronically haunted.”
Modern electronics consume electricity when turned
off because consumers in the 1950s and ’60s didn’t want
to wait for big TV tubes to warm up before Red Skelton,
The Beverly Hillbillies, and Walter Cronkite filled their
screens. Manufacturers figured out how to produce TVs,
and then other home appliances, that could “standby”
ready to snap on at the flip of a switch. Today, little lights
on radios, coffee makers, microwave ovens, toasters, DVD
players, digital video recorders, set-top boxes, computers
and printers let consumers know they are paying for
electricity that isn’t being used. Because modern
electronics sap electricity — especially at night when
many are off — they became known as “energy vampires”
or “energy phantoms.”
Home appliances, both working and on standby,
accounted for about 20 percent of residential energy
consumption prior to 2010. But with a little engineering
eye of newt, toe of frog, scale of dragon, and federal
government requirements, manufacturers have made
appliances much more energy efficient. Today, according
to a May 7, 2015, news release from the Consumer
Electronics Association, home appliances account for just
12 percent of residential electricity use. CEA® says the
annual amount of electricity consumed by televisions in
the U.S. has dropped 23 percent from 2010. Electricity for
a single TV on average costs roughly $20 for an entire
year and a set-top box costs less than $16.
“The small amount of electricity used by some
always-on, inactive devices in order to stay connected
18
actually helps save larger amounts of energy
consumption,” says Douglas Johnson, a CEA vice
president. “This technology enables current and future
demand response, home energy-management systems,
and benefits such as instant notification and constant
monitoring.
“We’ve collaborated with the ENERGY STAR program
for more than two decades, and our recent and broader
efforts to improve the energy efficiency of set-top boxes
saved consumers $168 million in just the first year of a
novel voluntary agreement. CE devices are becoming
more efficient all the time — evolving at the
lightning-fast speed of innovation.”
Bob James, a NOVEC energy specialist, agrees that
today’s consumers do not have to be as concerned about
vanquishing vampires and foiling phantoms in electronics
because they use less electricity and provide many
benefits.
“Think how much time and effort it would take to run
a household without a refrigerator, vacuum cleaner,
dishwasher, clothes washer, and microwave oven,” James
says. “Our great-grandparents had to wind clocks every
week. All we have to do is look at our coffee makers to
get the time. And let’s not forget the health and safety
benefits provided by baby monitors, smoke and
carbon-monoxide detectors, security systems, and
medical devices. All in all, with energy-efficiency
improvements made by manufacturers, it’s not so bad
having electronics ready to go when we need them.
However, for consumers who want to reduce their electric
bills, we recommend plugging multiple devices into
power strips and turning off the strips when
electronics are not in use.”
To learn more about ways to
save energy and energy dollars, go
to www.novec.com/save.
Illustration by Priscilla Knight
Dryers Earn ENERGY STAR Certification
Photo courtesy of Maytag®
By Blair Cirulli
For more than 20 years, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY
STAR program has helped businesses and individuals save on their energy
bills while also becoming more environmentally friendly. The little blue label
is one of the world’s most recognized symbols and has become synonymous
with energy efficiency. To date, ENERGY STAR has helped people around the
world save more than $300 billion on utility bills.
However, the program had yet to certify clothes dryers, one of the
most popular household appliances in the United States. That situation
changed when 45 models of clothes dryers received the EPA’s ENERGY
STAR certification and became available for purchase earlier this year.
Heat-pump dryers recapture the air used by the dryer, and then pump
the air back into the drum. The technology allows the dryer to re-use
most of the heat and results in dryers that are 40 percent more efficient
than conventional dryers.
According to the news release from the EPA announcing the
certifications, each of the ENERGY STAR dryers is at least 20 percent
more efficient than standard dryers and can save Americans billions of
dollars on energy bills.
The price tag on these new dryers could cause some initial sticker
shock; however, the long-term savings will lessen the blow to your
wallet.
The EPA estimates Americans could save $1.5 billion a year on utility
bills if all residential clothes dryers sold in the U.S. were ENERGY STAR
certified.
“Dryers are one of the most common household appliances and the
biggest energy users,” says U.S. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy.
“EPA’s ENERGY STAR-certified clothes dryers offer Americans an
opportunity to save energy and do their part to combat climate change.”
In addition to the money savings, the switch to energy-efficient dryers
could prevent greenhouse gas emissions equal to the annual electricity
use of more than 1.3 million homes in America.
Currently, clothes dryers are in 80 percent of American homes and
consume more energy while running than almost all other household
appliances. Unlike dryers, clothes washers started earning the seal of
approval in 1997 and have continued to improve their energy efficiency,
which has resulted in a 70 percent drop in energy use since the early
1990s.
To earn the ENERGY STAR label, the dryers were rigorously tested
and certified by an EPA-recognized third party.
To learn more about ENERGY STAR-certified dryers and
other products, visit energystar.gov.
Finally, certain energy-efficient dryers have broken through and
earned the right to be called ENERGY STAR certified. These dryers are
available from multiple manufacturers, in varying load capacities, and in
gas- or electric-powered models. Clothes dryers featuring a new advanced
heat-pump technology also earned the certification from ENERGY STAR.
To learn more about saving energy and energy dollars,
go to www.novec.com/save.
U.S. Rep. Barbara Comstock, 10th
District, is shown the Northern
Photo by Blair Cirulli
Virginia Electric Cooperative
October 2015
operations center by Larry Shaffer,
vice president of electric system
operations, Aug. 19 in Manassas.
19
In 2015, a Manassas Park Middle School club of students who volunteer
in the local community took on a new project. The Joe 15 Team Club adopted
the Wildlife Rescue League to learn about wildlife in our area. Students ran a
drive at the school to collect materials for animal rehabilitators, and raised
$215 through candy sales and a “quarters for critters” initiative.
Ben Kelly, a 9th-grader and Joe 15 Team Club member, wrote the
following article to help raise awareness about the Wildlife Rescue League
and the services it provides.
For information about the Joe 15 Team Club, go to www.thejoe15team.org.
Is That an Injured Bird in the Yard?
By Ben Kelly
I
t’s a familiar story. The kids come running in the house, “Mommy,
Mommy! There’s a hurt bird in the yard! Come save it!” You run
outside to see it. But you have no idea what to do. Should you help
it? Leave it alone?
Fortunately, there is a resource you can turn to for advice: the Wildlife
Rescue League. In this situation, its counselors would advise you to look
for injury. If the bird appears energetic and hops away when you are
close, leave it alone. If it fell out of its nest, gently pick it up and put it
back in the nest if you can. It is a myth that the mother will abandon it if
you handle it — birds cannot smell you. If there are obvious signs of
injury, contact the Wildlife Rescue League Hotline at 703-440-0800. The
counselors will give you instruction on what to do and will help find a
local rehabilitator.
The Wildlife Rescue League is a non-profit, volunteer organization in
Northern Virginia focusing on rehabilitating injured animals and sending
them back out into the wild. It has a network of rehabilitators located
throughout the Northern Virginia area prepared to take and care for
injured wildlife until they can be released back into their habitat. It
works with animal shelters, humane societies, wildlife groups, nature
centers, and veterinary hospitals to provide the care necessary to animals
that are in need. All you have to do is call the hotline at 703-440-0800 if
you need help.
There are plenty of resources on its website, www.wildliferescue
league.org, to help if you come across injured wildlife. On the home
page, there is a link to resources listing rehabilitators and other
animal-help-focused organizations in the area, as well as around the
country.
The Animal Help Tips link has tips and interesting facts about
animals that are commonly found in the wild in our area. For example, it
tells you how to know if a rabbit can be on its own, and what rabbit
nests look like. If you find a turtle on the road, and you want to move it
to safety, be sure to move it in the direction it was headed. Turtles have
an amazing sense of direction and will just try to keep going the way
they were headed. The Wildlife Rescue League is always looking for extra
help and volunteers to transport injured wildlife, cover the hotline, and
write or draw for its newsletter. It is also looking for rehabilitators or
caregivers. There is more information on these positions and an
application on the volunteer tab of the website. Don’t forget, if you come
across injured wildlife and aren’t sure what to do, call the Wildlife Rescue
League at 703-440-0800!
The Joe 15 Team Club of
Manassas Park Middle
School presents:
Jane Copeland, Wildlife Rescue
League board member, with a
check for $215 and a variety of
materials to help animal
rehabilitators. From left to right:
Karen Kelly (club sponsor),
Mattiah Pamie-George, Yolanda
Shupan, Karson Webb, Josseline
Calderon, Cynthia Gomez,
Carmen Alvarado, Jane Copeland,
Jenifer Alvarado, Ben Kelly, Kristy
Luk, Ryan Wence, Logan Kurtz,
Marissa Stone, Helen Lin, Susan
Webb (club sponsor).
20
Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative
Help Families Stay Warm This Winter
Join Operation Round Up®
By Donna Snellings
N
OVEC customers can help less fortunate families heat
their homes this winter by joining Operation Round
Up®. When customers join ORU, they authorize the
Cooperative to round up their monthly electric bills to the next
dollar. If a customer’s bill is $69.74, NOVEC will “round up” the
amount to $70 and the extra 26 cents will go into the ORU fund.
Customers who participate donate an average of $6 each year.
NOVEC sends the ORU donations to six local social-service
organizations, and these organizations distribute the funds to
help customers pay their heating bills.
In the winter of 2014/2015, the Northern Virginia region
experienced some of the coldest weather that has ever hit the
area and ORU provided $48,000 to more than 400 needy
families. NOVEC customers have contributed more than
$783,000 since the program’s inception in 1997.
Because NOVEC absorbs all administration costs, 100 percent
of all donations goes into the fund.
“Small acts of kindness will make ORU robust once again,”
says ORU volunteer council member and NOVEC customer Jane
Beyer. “Please consider signing up. While assisting our neighbors
with needs when times are tough, we are in turn helping
ourselves and improving our community.”
ACTS is one of the agencies receiving the funds from ORU.
Julie Moessner, ACTS client support service director, says, “We
are grateful to NOVEC for the funding made available during the
winter months, and we thank the participants of ORU for
helping our neighbors heat their homes.”
To join ORU visit www.novec.com/oru1, call
703-335-0500, or 1-888-335-0500, or email
[email protected].
October 2015
21
Sunset Hills
Vineyard
Truly Turning Sunshine into Wine
By Blair Cirulli
S
requirements they need to meet so that we can interconnect them to the
grid.”
As soon as you enter this barn, you are transported back in time
reminiscent of a trip through Northern Virginia and American history.
Aromas of cherry, chestnut, maple, and hickory wood immediately hit
the nose.
“On sunny days, we are pushing power back to NOVEC and this
effectively becomes ‘green power,’ ” Canney says. “Over the course of
months, typically November to April, we have a net-credit and we are
producing more than we use. However, as soon as warmer weather
arrives, or once we begin making our wine and use our large machines,
we do not produce enough power and we have to receive power from
NOVEC.”
ituated among the rolling hills on the outskirts of
Purcellville, Virginia, is an old working farm with views of
the Blue Ridge and Short Hill Mountain ranges. The
centerpiece of this historic location is a large barn that dates back to the
1870s, which was renovated by Amish craftsmen and is now the main
tasting room for Sunset Hills Vineyard.
“That’s all original wood,” says Mike Canney, Sunset Hills Vineyard
owner. “It was all hand-restored by six Amish brothers from Lancaster,
Pennsylvania, who worked with my wife and me for a year, helping us
to reuse what was already here.”
This theme of restoring, recycling, and renewing is evident
throughout the entire vineyard. It all starts with what Canney calls their
“smart barn.”
“This barn has been here through so much in the last 150 years,” he
says. “So we wanted to keep the original historic look while updating
certain aspects. We want to connect the old with the new.”
Radiant-floor heating allows the barn to have heat in the winter
without unsightly heating units taking away from the original look and
unique ambiance. Air-conditioning ducts and vents are strategically
placed out of sight and covered by wood from the original barn to
ensure guests remain cool during the hot and humid summers.
While visitors appreciate these upgrades to the barn, it’s what is on
the barn’s roof that keeps the vineyard’s whole operation running.
“We have 84 solar panels on the main barn and an additional 161 on
the south-facing roofs of four other buildings,” Canney says.
In total, Sunset Hills has 245 solar panels, which have made the
vineyard the largest producer of solar energy in Loudoun County to
date. Some days, its solar system produces more power than is needed.
So, Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative installed a net meter that
allows Sunset Hills to push power back to the grid.
Once customers are connected through net metering, they receive
credit for any power sent back to the grid.
Canney says he often watches the net meter as weather conditions or
their electricity use change.
“The net meter has indicators that show when we are pushing power
out and when we are receiving power,” he says. “If cloud-cover rolls in,
you will see the indicators immediately move to show we are receiving
power from NOVEC. Then if those clouds go away or the air
conditioner kicks off, then the indicators will move again to show we
are pushing power back. It’s a seamless process of showing what is
happening with our power.”
Sunset Hills Vineyard’s installation of solar panels is a sign that the
winery is here to stay.
“Solar is not for everyone, but it works for us,” Canney says. “It’s our
way of doing our small part to help the environment.”
However, he also says the vineyard still needs NOVEC.
“In a way, NOVEC is an infinite battery for us because we produce
too much power during certain times of the year and not enough during
other times,” he says. “NOVEC is always there, always on. Solar energy
works great when the sun is shining, but not at night or when it’s
cloudy.”
The combination of NOVEC’s net-metering equipment and the
vineyard’s commitment to use all the solar energy its system creates,
allows Sunset Hills Vineyard to stand behind its slogan and truly turn
sunshine into wine.
Clare Bargerstock, manager of system metering at NOVEC, says once
a customer-owner gets “their system installed, we deal with the
Background Photo by Mike Canney
Photos by Blair Cirulli
With nearly 250 solar panels covering five south-facing roofs, Sunset Hills
Vineyard produces more than enough energy to run the multi-acre winery on
many days. But when air-conditioning season arrives, and when wine-making
begins, it needs power from NOVEC.
Thirteen different varieties of grapes planted across 220 acres throughout Northern Virginia
make up the Sunset Hills Vineyard wine selection. They include Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc,
Viognier, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Petit Verdot.
23
Please Use Your ‘Hands to Help’
Join NOVEC HELPS in a Texas Hold’em Fundraiser
WHEN:
Saturday, Nov. 7; at 7 p.m.
Registration begins at 6 p.m.
WHERE:
PWC Police Association Hall
14288 Independent Hill Dr.
Manassas, VA 20112
CONTACT: Bernie Cleveland at [email protected]
703-577-2171
or
Christine Kelly at [email protected]
703-754-6716
BUY IN:
$50 – Prizes for Top 10
Door Prizes/50-50 Raffle
Register by Oct. 26 — Maximum 100 Entrants
24
Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative
NOVEC Board of Directors
Chairman:
Wade C. House
District 5
Prince William County,
south of Rt. 29 to Rt. 234
Vice Chairman:
James Chesley
District 3
Fairfax County,
Centreville/Clifton
Secretary:
Michael Ragan
Holiday Office Closure
Veterans Day — Wednesday, Nov. 11
The operations center is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, even on holidays.
To report outages or an emergency, call 703-335-0500 or toll-free 1-888-335-0500.
District 6
southern Prince William County,
City of Manassas Park
Treasurer:
Ann Wheeler
District 4
northwestern Prince William
County, Sudley/Bull Run Mt.
At-Large Director:
William Zilliott
Cynthia Gilbride
District 1
Fairfax County, north of
Centreville and Loudoun County,
South Riding
Harry Harris
District 2
Loudoun County,
except South Riding
J. Manley Garber
District 7
Prince William County,
Dale City, northern Montclair
Skip Albrite
District 8
Fauquier and Stafford counties,
southern Montclair
Stan C. Feuerberg
President and CEO
Keeping Current Local Pages
Graphic Designer — Ginnefine Jalloh
Editor — Priscilla Knight
P.O. Box 2710
Manassas, VA 20108-0875
703-335-0500 or 1-888-335-0500
www.novec.com
October 2015
NOVEC is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
25
Spotlight on Excellence Entry Form
NRECA Voting Member Classification *
Distribution Cooperative: more than 90,001 meters
Category *
4. Best External News Publication
Entry Title *
Keeping Current
I wish to receive Judges' comments on
this entry
No
Contact's Name *
Priscilla Knight
Cooperative *
Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative
Mailing Address
PO Box 2710
Manassas, VA 20108
United States
Contact's Email *
[email protected]
Contact's Phone Number *
(703) 392-1580
Name of entrant as it should appear on
the award (if given)
Priscilla Knight
#22
Is this the first time you've entered the
Spotlight competition?
No
Entrant's Email
[email protected]
Names of others (freelancers or
organizations) involved in the project, if
applicable
Ginnefine Jalloh
Describe your/the co-op's role in the
project *
As the editor of the "Keeping Current" section of Cooperative Living
magazine, I select topics, write articles, and edit articles written by coworkers. I sometimes edit and customize Straight Talk articles. For my
October story on energy vampires, I illustrated the article.
Describe others’ role in the project
(Reference outside sources of material,
including templates; pre-existing Web
tools and apps; information from outside
groups, such as Straight Talk or
Touchstone Energy; stock photos and
music, etc.) *
Ginnefine Jalloh, our graphic designer, does the layout. She uses
photos our P.R. team members take as well as stock photos and some
that are submitted.
Circulation or Number of People Reached * 160,000 as of August 2015
Number of Attendees *
Project’s Budget *
$662,500 for publication and mailing
Target Audience(s) *
Co-op members, elected officials
Project's Objective *
We work to inform our members about: NOVEC in general (annual
meetings and elections for the board of directors); electrical safety;
energy conservation; legislative issues; doing business with NOVEC;
community service and involvement; and members and events of
interest.
Restrictions/Limitations *
We have only eight pages in each issue of Cooperative Living
magazine.
Describe why you chose this type of social
media and how you used it *
Provide a brief summary that states the
purpose of the event, how the program
was implemented, and results and how
they were measured *
Provide a brief summary that states the
purpose, how the program was
implemented, and results and how they
were measured using the RACE
framework. Each component has its own
word limit noted below.
Research *
Action *