April - Cass County Electric Cooperative

APR I L 2 0 1 6
CCEC’s new head honcho, pg. C2
Take a few moments
to get to know the
new head honcho of
your cooperative a
bit better:
Marshal Albright
named next
CEO of Cass
County Electric
Head honcho, top dog, big cheese, big kahuna, numero uno—
there’s a whole bunch of things you might call him now, but
officially, the next president/CEO of Cass County Electric goes by
the name of Marshal Albright.
Marshal Albright fact report
Birthplace: Fargo
Grew up in: Lynchburg
High school: Chaffee
College: NDSCS Wahpeton
Fun fact: Marshal is as local as
they come; he’s been a member of
Cass County Electric for his entire
life!
Certifications: Certified Energy
Manager — Association of
Energy Engineers; Management
Albright was selected by Cass County Electric’s nine-member
board of directors to succeed Scott Handy, who recently
announced his retirement. Handy served as president/CEO for the
last 14 years.
Internship Program — University
Albright began his career with Cass County Electric in 1986,
serving in various positions before taking the role of vice
president of member and energy services in 2010. In that role,
Albright oversaw CCEC’s member accounts, marketing and
communications, and energy management departments, which
focus on member relations on both residential and commercial
levels.
Andrea have three sons.
As president/CEO, Albright will be responsible for working directly
with the member-elected board of directors to make successful
and effective decisions regarding the cooperative’s operations.
“I am honored to have been hired as Cass County Electric
Cooperative’s next CEO,” says Albright. “In this role, I will focus
on leading a terrific team of employees to continue the tradition
of providing outstanding service to the members/owners of Cass
County Electric Cooperative.”
Albright took the reins of Cass County Electric on April 1 (no
foolin’!) and we look forward to a new era of leadership and
continued success under his guidance.
of Wisconsin
Family: Marshal and his wife
Outside the office: Marshal is an
avid golfer, hunter, and fisherman
who enjoys spending time with
family at the lake.
Unique hobby: Marshal says,
“I have inherited a knack for
construction which has also kept
me busy over the years, having
built a few homes and some
occasional woodworking projects.”
In fact, Marshal actually built four
of his own homes, including the
one he lives in now in Fargo.
April Peterson
Sophomore, Davies High School
Bradley Schiltz
Sophomore, Sheyenne High School
Youth Tour winners selected
Cass County Electric has selected the winners of
the 2016 Youth Tour essay contest. April Peterson, a
sophomore at Davies High School, and Bradley Schiltz, a
sophomore at Sheyenne High School, submitted the two
winning essays.
Council (YLC), which is made up of one student delegate
per state. This high honor comes with additional travel
and learning opportunities, as well as a chance to
take part in the National Rural Electric Cooperative
Association annual meeting.
April and Bradley will join over 1,700 other high school
students from around the country in Washington, D.C.,
on the Youth Tour trip in June. They will spend a week
visiting the area’s museums, memorials, and monuments
and will learn about the government and history of the
United States. Youth Tour students often get a chance
to meet elected officials from their state as well. The
Youth Tour is an annual event sponsored by the country’s
electric cooperatives.
We congratulate April and Bradley on their winning
essays and are proud to have them representing Cass County Electric Cooperative on the 2016 Youth Tour in
our nation’s capital!
Students participating in the Youth Tour also have the
opportunity to become part of the Youth Leadership
electrical safety
SPRING SAFETY
into
Springtime is a great time for yard work, playing outside and many other
outdoor activities. No matter what’s on your agenda, electrical safety
should be an important part of your plans. Cass County Electric Cooperative
offers 10 tips to help you play and work safely around electricity when
you’re outdoors this spring.
1. Always keep power cords and
electrical equipment away from
water or other wet areas. Avoid
damp conditions – including wet
grass – when using electricity.
2. Look up and look out for overhead
power lines.
3. Call before you dig.
4. Keep materials, tools and all parts
of your body at least 15 feet away
from any overhead power lines
at all times, including during the
installation of antennas or satellite
dishes.
5. Never fly kites or model airplanes
near power lines or radio or TV
antennas. If your kite does get
tangled with overhead lines, don’t
try to get it down yourself. Call the
utility for assistance. Never use any
metallic material in your kite.
6. Before every use, inspect power
tools and electric lawn mowers
for frayed power cords, broken
plugs and weathered or damaged
housings. Don’t use damaged
equipment until it has been repaired
properly. Keep tools unplugged and
stored in dry areas when they are
not in use.
7. Before you trim tree limbs and
shrubs, watch out for power lines
that could be hidden by foliage.
Contact your cooperative if there
are concerns about tree limbs
growing into or around overhead
power lines on your property.
8. Keep vegetation and permanent
structures away from the large,
green ground-level boxes
that house components of an
underground electrical system.
Cooperative workers may need to
access the underground lines and
equipment near these boxes during
unplanned outages and routine
maintenance.
9. Always use an insulated extension
cord designed for outdoor use with
the correct power rating for that
equipment.
10. Ladders – even those made of
wood – that come into contact with
a power line can prove fatal. Keep all
ladders at least 15 feet away from
overhead power lines.
energy conservation
Spring into
$SAVING$
W
e recently celebrated
the first day of spring.
With the start of a new
season comes a fresh
opportunity to find
ways to save energy and money.
Here are a few simple tips from Cass
County Electric Cooperative to
improve the energy efficiency and
comfort of your home as warmer
temperatures arrive:
1. Service your air conditioner. Easy
maintenance, such as routinely
replacing or cleaning air filters, can
lower your cooling system’s energy
consumption. Also, the first day of
spring could serve as a reminder
to check your air conditioner’s
evaporator coil, which should be
cleaned annually to ensure the
system is performing at optimal
levels.
2. Open windows. Opening windows
creates a breeze, allowing you to
naturally cool your home without
switching on air conditioners. This
is an ideal tactic in spring when
temperatures are mild.
3. Use ceiling fans. Cooling your home
with ceiling fans will allow you to raise
your thermostat four degrees. This
can help lower your electricity bills
without sacrificing overall comfort.
4. Cook outside. On warmer spring
days, keep the heat out of your home
by using an outdoor grill instead of
indoor ovens.
5. Install window treatments. Energyefficient window treatments or
coverings such as blinds, shades
and films can slash heat gain when
temperatures rise. These devices not
only improve the look of your home
but also reduce energy costs.
6. Caulk air leaks. Using low-cost
caulk to seal cracks and openings in
your home keeps warm air out and
cash in your wallet.
7. Bring in sunlight. During daylight
hours, switch off artificial lights and
use windows and skylights to brighten
your home.
8. Set the thermostat. On warm days,
setting a programmable thermostat
to a higher setting when you are not
at home can help reduce your energy
costs.
9. Seal ducts. Air loss through ducts
can lead to high electricity costs,
accounting for increased cooling
system energy consumption. Sealing
and insulating ducts can go a long
way toward lowering your electricity
bills.
10. Switch on bathroom fans.
Bathroom fans suck out heat and
humidity from your home, improving
comfort.
electrical safety
SAFETY FROM THE INSIDE:
Each year, approximately 24�000 children were treated from shock and burns after sticking items
into the slots of electrical receptacles. To prevent these types of injuries, the National Electrical
Code (NEC®) now requires Tamper- Resistant Receptacles (TRRs) in new and renovated homes.
OUTLET�+
COVERS�
Studies have shown that
children over the age of 2 can
easily remove outlet covers.
TRRs require no additional
parts, there's no need to
remember to put them in.
OUT
Tamper-resistant outlet
covers are no longer
approved by independent
testing laboratories.
Outlet covers carry a higher
risk of overheating and can
be a fire hazard.
are
Certified by Independent
J
Complies with the most
recent version of the
Nationally Recognized
Testing Laboratories.
National Electrical
Safety Code (NEC-).
Built-in shutters prevent
foreign objects from
being inserted into
receptacle.
Pennanentsolutlon
to outlet covers.
Regular receptacles
can easily be replaced
by T RR by a qualified
electrician with no
additional modifications.
receptable.
DOES PLUGGING INTO A
TRR FEEL DIFFERENT?
These common blade issues can
easily be corrected by straightening
out the plug's blades:
The shutters in a TRR will operate like a
traditional outlet to open and accept a
plug when equal pressure is applied on
1
blades
both sides. Make sure the plug s
arestraight and are equal lengths, so
they hit the shutter simultaneously.
TRRs may require more force to insert
a plug during the first use.
ESFl.org
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www.facebook.com/ESFl.org
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SAFETY FROM THE INSIDE:
FEBRUARY 2016 | NETWORK
energy conservation
Saving with a
PROGRAMMABLE THERMOSTAT
You can save as much as 10 percent a year on heating and cooling by simply turning your
thermostat back 7-10 degrees for eight hours a day from its normal setting. You can do this
automatically by using a programmable thermostat and scheduling the times you turn on the
heating or air conditioning. As a result, the equipment doesn’t operate as much when you are
asleep or not at home. Programmable thermostats can store multiple daily settings (six or
more temperature settings a day) that you can manually override without affecting the rest of
the daily or weekly program.
General operation
You can easily save energy in the winter by setting
the thermostat to 68 degrees while you’re awake and
setting it lower while you’re asleep or away from home.
By turning your thermostat back 10-15 degrees for
eight hours, you can save 5 to 15 percent a year on your
heating bill – a savings of as much as 1 percent for each
degree if the setback period is eight hours long.
In the summer, you can follow the same strategy
with central air conditioning by keeping your house
warmer than normal when you are away, and setting the
thermostat to 78 degrees only when you are at home
and need cooling. Although thermostats can be adjusted
manually, programmable thermostats will avoid any
discomfort by returning temperatures to normal before
you wake or return home.
A common misconception associated with thermostats
is that a furnace works harder than normal to warm the
space back to a comfortable temperature after the
thermostat has been set back, resulting in little or no
savings. In fact, as soon as your house drops below its
normal temperature, it will lose energy to the surrounding
environment more slowly. The lower the interior
temperature, the slower the heat loss. So the longer your
house remains at the lower temperature, the more energy
you save, because your house has lost less energy than it
would have at the higher temperature. The same concept
applies to raising your thermostat setting in the summer
– a higher interior temperature will slow the flow of heat
into your house, saving energy on air conditioning.
Limitations
If you have a heat pump, be sure to purchase a specially
designed programmable thermostat for heat pumps,
which makes setting back the thermostat cost-effective.
Choosing a thermostat
Most programmable thermostats are either digital,
electromechanical or some mixture of the two. Digital
thermostats offer the most features in terms of multiple
setback settings, overrides and adjustments for daylight
savings time, but may be difficult for some people to
program. Electromechanical systems often involve pegs
or sliding bars and are relatively simple to program.
When programming your thermostat, consider when you
normally go to sleep and wake up. If you prefer to sleep
at a cooler temperature during the winter, you might
want to start the temperature setback a bit ahead of the
time you actually go to bed. Also consider the schedules
of everyone in the household. If there is a time during
the day when the house is unoccupied for four hours or
more, it makes sense to adjust the temperature during
those periods.
Other considerations
The location of your thermostat can affect its
performance and efficiency. Read the manufacturer’s
installation instructions to prevent “ghost readings”
or unnecessary furnace or air conditioner cycling. To
operate properly, a thermostat must be on an interior wall
away from direct sunlight, drafts, doorways, skylights
and windows. It should be located where natural room
air currents – warm air rising, cool air sinking – occur.
Furniture will block natural air movement, so do not
place pieces in front of or below your thermostat. Also
make sure your thermostat is conveniently located for
programming.
NEWS
COOPERATIVE
Cass County Electric Cooperative’s board
of directors selected Marshal Albright
as the next president and CEO of the
company. Albright succeeds President/
CEO Scott Handy, who recently
announced his retirement after leading
the company for 14 years. Albright has
been with CCEC for 29 years, and his
experience and leadership will serve the
cooperative well in his newest role.
Employees staffed a Cass County Electric
booth at the 2016 Red River Valley
Home & Garden Show. We answered
questions about off-peak heating, new
home construction, energy efficiency
and much more. We were also one of
several exhibitors who participated in
the kids’ treasure hunt event, which
involved youngsters collecting prizes
from each participating booth.
Millie Swesey was hired as CCEC’s
newest member care specialist. Millie
started work at CCEC in January. She
attended Fargo South High School
and North Dakota State University. She
had previously worked at US Bank. We
welcome Millie to the team!
All CCEC employees completed a first
aid/CPR training course provided by FM
Ambulance. The session was a refresher
on a variety of topics and skills that
could mean the difference between life
and death in a real situation.
A company bake sale was held in
February. Over $600 was raised, the
majority of which was donated to the
benefit fund for the family of fallen Fargo
Police officer Jason Moszer. Remaining
funds were donated to the American
Heart Association.
HEADQUARTERS
3312 42nd St. S. Suite 200
Fargo, N.D. 58104
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Wendy Loucks, Chairman
Russell Berg, Vice Chairman
John Froelich, Secretary
Sid Berg, Treasurer
Douglas Anderson
Glenn Mitzel
Marcy Svenningsen
Steve Swiontek
Jeff Triebold
EXECUTIVE STAFF
Marshal Albright, President/CEO
Brad Schmidt, Vice President of
Engineering and Operations
Chad Sapa, Vice President of
Corporate Services/CFO
Paul Matthys, Vice President of Member
and Energy Services
Tim Sanden, Vice President of
Information Technology/CIO
The winners of the 2016 Youth Tour essay
contest were selected. April Peterson,
a sophomore at Davies High School,
and Bradley Schiltz, a sophomore at
Sheyenne High School, submitted
the winning essays this year. April and
Bradley will embark on the Youth Tour
trip to Washington, D.C., in June.
WRITER
Peter Koepp, [email protected]
DESIGNER
Jocelyn Hovland, [email protected]
POWER CONTROL/ SYSTEM
MONITORING HOURS
24 hours a day, 7 days a week,
365 days a year, our power control
center monitors our system and
handles outage situations. If you are
a Cass County Electric member and
encounter an emergency or power
outage, please call (701) 356-4499 or
(888) 277-4424.
WEBSITE
people.
power.
purpose.
CASS COUNTY ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE - 2016 ANNUAL MEETING
VALLEY CITY EAGLES - 345 12 TH AVE NE | APRIL 19, 2016, 5:30 PM
SAVE THE DATE
www.kwh.com
EMAIL
[email protected]
QUESTIONS
(701) 356-4400 or (800) 248-3292
CALL BEFORE YOU DIG
811 or (800) 795-0555