April 2010 - Flint Energies

Energy Lines
April 2010
The of f icial new sletter of
POWER FOR OUR LIVES:
Alternative sources of power
W
ouldn’t it be great if we could
find an unlimited source of
energy that was clean, affordable and
reliable, to power all of our energy
needs? Unfortunately, there is no
perfect source of energy—at least not
yet. In fact, every power generating
technology available to us today has
its advantages and disadvantages.
Even so, inroads are being made in
the development of alternative and
renewable forms of energy. When
taken together with expanding energy
conservation efforts, these renewable
sources can play a role in meeting our
need for electric power.
You might be surprised to learn that
Georgia’s
Electric
Membership
Corporations (EMCs), like Flint
Energies, have been practicing and
promoting energy conservation for
April 2010
125 million kilowatthours of green energy has
been generated providing
the same environmental
benefits as planting
176,000 acres of trees.
more than 25 years. In fact, EMCs
have a long history of encouraging
home energy audits and providing
assistance to make homes, businesses
and even industries more energy
efficient. Programs that promote
insulation, weatherstripping, doublepane windows and doors and energyefficient appliances are common at
EMCs throughout Georgia. These
programs continue each day to help
delay construction of new power
generating facilities that might
otherwise have to be built.
program, called Switch ‘N Save,
saved $695,633 in power costs for all
members in 2010.
In addition, Flint Energies promotes
a load management program that has
resulted in the placement of more than
24,400 switches on air conditioners,
water heaters, pool pumps and other
devices to help reduce electrical load
during peak hours of demand. In 2009,
Flint Energies’ load management
On top of energy efficiency
programs, many EMCs are involved
in the generation of so-called “green
power”—electricity generated using
renewable sources. Green Power
EMC was formed in 2001 as the first
renewable energy program in the state
Every Day in USA is Armed Forces Appreciation Day
Load management switches provided
Flint Energies with the capability of
reducing peak electrical load by about
27 MW, thus eliminating the need
for that same amount of power to be
produced or procured elsewhere. By
shaving off the top of the peak during
times of high-priced electricity, power
costs are lower the following year for
all members.
Continued on page 26B
www.flintenergies.com
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Continued from page 26A
and now has 38 member EMCs
throughout Georgia.
Green Power EMC markets energy
from two facilities that generate power
from landfill gas, along with a lowimpact hydroelectric facility and new
Huntington Middle School in Warner
Robins is supported by Flint Energies
through the Sun Power for Schools
program. Math and science students
utilize data from a solar panel behind
the school to learn about the renewable
form of energy hoping to generate
bright ideas to better the technology.
Flint Energies is part of
Green Power EMC, the first
renewable energy program
in Georgia.
The state’s EMCs are working hard
to develop the potential of renewable
sources, such as biomass that would
utilize byproducts of the state’s vast
forest and pulp industries.
biomass generation from wood waste.
Green Power continues to investigate
opportunities for additional sources of
renewable power, including plans to
purchase 20 megawatts of electricity
from the first poultry litter-to-energy
operation in Georgia.
Biomass energy in North Georgia at
Rabun Gap came on-line Jan. 28, 2010
using woody waste from the forestry
industry as the primary fuel to power
a steam-turbine electricity generator.
Green Power EMC has agreed to
purchase 17 megawatts from the new
plant that utilizes wood pellets.
One of the most visible and
commonly known types of renewable
energy is solar power. Unfortunately,
the potential for affordable solar
power today in Georgia is dim. Flint
Energies wants to encourage future
engineers and scientists to explore
better ways to capture the sun’s power
by investing in programs like Sun
Power for Schools, the largest solar
education program in the state.
When it comes to developing
renewable sources of power and
working to conserve energy, Georgia’s
EMCs have been leaders in the state.
Even with these efforts in place and
expected to expand in the future,
Georgia’s rapid growth means that
conservation and alternative energy
sources alone cannot provide all the
electricity we need.
As we work hard to find and develop
reliable and affordable sources of
renewable power, we must also
continue
planning
conventional
generating facilities to keep up with
Georgia’s fast growth. More base
load generating facilities—nuclear
and coal-fired plants—will be needed
in the years ahead if we are to have a
reliable supply of electric power.
Moreover, because eight to 10 years
are required to site and put these
plants into operation, we must move
quickly. One thing is certain: New
environmental regulations, including
those aimed at curbing greenhouse
gases, will make that task more timeconsuming and more expensive.
Thankfully, new technologies are
making coal plants cleaner than ever.
And having a low cost compared to
other generation fuels makes coal an
excellent option for the future. Nuclear
power may also be a good source for
future generation as it produces no
greenhouse gases or other emissions.
A balanced approach utilizing
improved technology with renewable
technologies as they become practical
will help ensure a bright future for all
of us.
Historic Product Content Label
The product is sold in blocks of 150 kilowatt-hours (kWh). The product will
be made up of the following renewable resources.
Sign up to be green,
saving energy and money:
1 in 4 Flint members have signed
up for Switch ‘N Save. You can,
too. Visit www.flintenergies.com/
switchnsave.aspx
Support the use of Green Power by
voluntarily contributing $4/month.
Call 1.800.342.3616 to sign up.
Green-e Energy Certified New2 Renewables
in Flint Energies Green Power Program
-Biomass
-Geothermal
-Eligible hydroelectric3
-Solar
-Wind
TOTAL
100%
0%
0%
0%
0%
100%
Generation Location
Fayette and Taylor Counties, Georgia
1. These figures reflect the power that we have contracted to provide. Actual figures may vary according to resource availability. We will
annually report to you the actual resource mix of the electricity you purchased during the preceding year.
2. New Renewables come from generation facilities that first began commercial operation on or after January 1, 1997.
3. Eligible hydroelectric facilities are defined in the Green-e Energy National Standard (http://www.green-e.org/getcert_re_stan.shtml)
and include facilities certified by the Low Impact Hydropower Institute (LIHI) (www.lowimpacthydro.org); facilities that are run-of-the-river
hydropower facilities with a total rated nameplate capacity equal to or less than 5 MW; and facilities comprised of a turbine in a pipeline or
a turbine in an irrigation canal.
For comparison, the current average mix of resources supplying Flint Energies includes: Coal (58%), Nuclear (0%), Oil (0%), Natural Gas
(7%), Hydroelectric (4%), and Other (31%).
The average home in the United States uses 900 kWh per month. [Source: U.S. EPA]
For specific information about this electricity product, please contact Flint Energies, (800) 342-3616,
www.flintenergies.com/residentialrateGreenPower.aspx
Green-e Energy certifies that Flint Energies Green Power Program meets the minimum environmental and consumer protection standards
established by the non-profit Center for Resource Solutions. For more information on Green-e Energy certification requirements, call
1-888-63-GREEN or log on to www.green-e.org.
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TOGE T H E RW ES AV E . C O M
GEORGIA MAGAZINE
Think green
Celebrate Earth Day April 22
elebrate Earth Day April 22
by thinking green and taking
control of your energy use. Thinking
green can help reduce the strain on
your wallet as you cut your energy
usage by being energy efficient. Flint
Energies’ members, management
and employees have been thinking
green for years. With our Green
Power EMC partnership, we were the
first utility in the state to offer green
energy at a landfill gas-to-electricity
project located in Taylor County.
Stop by any of our offices on Earth
Day, Thursday, April 22, from 11
a.m. to 2 p.m. for some simple green
solutions and receive a free canvas
shopping bag for pledging to become
more energy conscious (one gift per
member, while supplies last).
C
New bill design
B
e on the lookout for a new design
of your Flint Energies bill to
debut in the near future. The goal is
that it is easy to read and provides
important information about your
account in an organized and helpful
way. Details of the new bill design
will be in an upcoming issue of
Energy Lines.
Y
Be counted
in 2010
ou should have received a
Census form by mail in March.
With only 10 questions, the 2010
Census questionnaire is one of the
shortest in history and takes just 10
minutes to complete. Don’t forget to
mail back your Census form. We’re
counting on you. Learn more at
www.2010census.gov.
Service with a smile...yours
To make your experience with our friendly Member Service Representatives as
pleasant as possible, here is this month’s tip:
To cut down on your wait time when you call or come in,
please have your account number ready. Your account
number is the fastest way we can access your account
in our system. So if you have it ready, we can get your
questions answered faster than if we have to search by
name or service address.
~ Mia O’Malley, Member Center in Warner Robins
Paying a greener way with E-bill
A
ccording
to
the
PayItGreen
Alliance
(www.payitgreen.org),
a
coalition of financial services
companies
promoting
electronic
billing
and
payment, each U.S. household
that switches to electronic
billing and payment, in
one year would have these
environmental impacts:
• Save 6.6 pounds of paper
• Avoid producing 171 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions—the
equivalent of:
o the emissions avoided by not driving 169 miles
o the emissions avoided by not consuming 8.8 gallons of gasoline
o planting two tree seedlings and allowing 10 years’ growth
o preserving 24 square feet of forestland
• Avoid releasing 63 gallons of wastewater into the environment
• Avoid using 4.5 gallons of gasoline to mail paper items
If only 20 percent of American households switched from paper to electronic
bills, statements and payments each year, the collective impact would:
• Save 150,939,615 pounds of paper
• Save 1,811,275 trees
• Avoid producing almost 2 million tons of greenhouse gases
• Avoid more than a billion gallons of wastewater during paper production
• Avoid using more than 100 million gallons of gas to mail payments
Not to mention, paperless billing also saves costs for your cooperative.
While many people have concerns about the safety of online billing, most identity thefts are due to lost checkbooks and stolen
bills and statements.
To sign up for paperless billing, also known as E-bill, with Flint Energies, go to www.flintenergies.com/ebillsignup.aspx. If
you haven’t already signed up for online access, you’ll have to create a password. Once you select E-bill, you will no longer
receive a Flint Energies bill in the mail, but you will receive an e-mail notification that your bill is available online.
April 2010
Every Day in USA is Armed Forces Appreciation Day
www.flintenergies.com
26C
Meet
Jim Wright,
Contract Construction Coordinator
at the Service Center in Warner Robins
Call 811 before you dig
W
hether you are planning to “do-it-yourself” or hire a professional, smart digging means calling
811 before each job. Homeowners often make risky assumptions about whether or not they should
get their utility lines marked, but every digging job requires a call—even small projects like planting trees
and shrubs.
If you hit an underground utility line while digging, you can harm yourself or those around you, disrupt
service to an entire neighborhood and potentially be responsible for fines and repair costs. For more
information, visit the Web site at www.call811.com.
D
April means festival time
o not miss the fun-filled community festivals in your area this month. There is a lot to do in Middle Georgia in the
spring. Check out some events in your area:
Perry Dogwood Festival
Perry, April 10-11
www.perrydogwoodfestival.com
Georgia Strawberry Festival
Reynolds, April 23-24
www.ga-strawberry.org
Coming soon:
Georgia JugFest
Knoxville, May 15
www.gajugfest.com
Mossy Creek Barnyard Festival
Perry, April 17-18
www.mossycreekfestival.com
Mule Day
Reynolds, April 23-24
Steve Montgomery’s Farm
Georgia Peach Festival
Byron and Fort Valley, June 11-19
www.worldslargestpeachcobbler.com
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