May-June - Norris Public Power District
Transcription
May-June - Norris Public Power District
COMMUNITY EVENTS CALENDAR Community events are provided as a courtesy, based on information submitted by the public. Norris Public Power District is not responsible for errors. Events are subject to change, please check with sponsoring organization for updated information. To have a community event published on this page, please submit the event information to [email protected] or by calling Vicky at 1-800-858-4707. Norris Public Power District reserves the right to accept or decline event submissions and to edit material submitted due to space availability limits. With a bi-monthly publication, calendar items must be submitted on a timely basis to ensure that the event will be published. If the deadline is missed for publication, the event will be in the current list of community events on our website at www.norrisppd.com. Look for the Community Events Calendar on the right hand side of your screen. Saturday, May 16th James Arthur Vineyards Renaissance Festival 2001 West Raymond Road - Raymond Noon to 8:00 p.m. Admission is $2.00 and 100% of proceeds benefits Heartland Big Brothers/Big Sisters Program Schedule of events will be on www.jamesarthurvineyards.com and Facebook Saturday, May 16th Camp Creek Antique Machinery & Threshing Swap Meet and Flea Market 17200 Bluff Road, Waverly Gates open at dawn - free admission and parking All you can eat pancake breakfast starts at sunrise For more information visit www.ccthreshers.org Saturday, May 23th Odell’s 10th Annual Run For Fun 1 mile, 5K and 10K Registration begins at 7:00 a.m. Monday, May 25th DeWitt Annual Memorial Day Observation 10:00 a.m. ceremony at Oak Grove Cemetery Following ceremony, there will be a public dinner at the DeWitt Community Center Saturday, May 30th Blue Valley Community Action 3rd Annual Duck N Run Crystal Springs Park in Fairbury 9:15 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. For more information and to register visit www.bvca.net Friday, June 5th – Saturday, June 6th 23rd Annual Nebraska State Fly-In and Air Show Hebron Municipal Airport Friday: Dinner and USO Show – open to the public Saturday: Honor Guard and Air Show will be at 1:00 p.m. For more information visit www.hebronairport.com Friday, June 5th – Saturday, June 6th Hallam Area Garage Sales – 20 Plus Participants Friday: 3:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Saturday: 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Hallam Steakhouse will serve lunch specials on Saturday Contact Sheila Taylor at 402-450-2154 for more information Saturday, June 6th – Sunday, June 7th Abate #7 Steele City Ride-In Bike Show Ride the scenic byways, compete for prizes and camp for the weekend Food and entertainment all weekend Free admission to the bike show Saturday, June 6th – Sunday, June 7th Rock Creek Station Historical Park Trail Days 57426 710th Road, Fairbury Featuring stagecoach rides, living history demonstrations, music, Saturday night enjoy a buffalo stew cookout and reenactments Park Entry Permit is required Monday, June 22nd – Friday, June 26th Hickman Presbyterian Church Vacation Bible School 300 E. Third Street - Hickman Sunday, June 7th The Allen Family Singers – as seen in Branson, Missouri Living Life Reformed Church – 603 Russell Street, Firth 7:00 p.m. Freewill offering, fellowship and refreshments Saturday, June 27th Cortland Fest – Carnival Tractor and car shows, carnival games, pony rides, petting zoo, Little Tuggers Pull and craft show 4:00 p.m. parade and fireworks at dusk at the park Saturday, June 6th – Sunday, June 7th Rock Island Rail Days Rock Island Railroad Museum Musical entertainment, miniature train rides, all new model railroad display For more information contact the Jefferson County Historical Society at 402-729-5131 Friday, June 12th – Sunday, June 14th Sam Wymore Days in Wymore Friday, June 12th – Sunday, June 14th Pickrell Picnic – Park It In Pickrell! Friday: NK Pullers – truck and tractor pull with BBQ Saturday: One Hill of a Run – 1 mile, 5K and 10K Walk/Run Races, sand volleyball, tractor show, fire truck rides, Little and Big Tuggers Pull, BBQ Rib Dinner, lawn mower races and 5-Mile Bridge - street dance Sunday: Community church service, car show, Windsor loin dinner, park ribbon cutting ceremony, Chelewski Brothers – Polka Band and horseshoe tournament For complete schedule of events, visit www.pickrellpicnic.com Saturday, June 13th Crete Youth Governance Team 5K/1 Mile Fun Run Or Walk Tuxedo Park, Crete Run along the river and experience the beauty of nature Funds raised will go towards enhancement of the trails Registration is due by Friday, May 29th http://specialprojects.unl.edu/crete/news_and_activities to learn more or to get registration form or contact 402-821-2151 Sunday, June 14th – Sunday, June 21st Homestead Days in Beatrice Sunday, June 21st “Welcome Summer” Brunch Western Fire Hall, Western 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Freewill donation Sponsored by Struckman-Baatz Public Library Norris May/June 2015 Vol. 60 No. 3 Dinner at 5:30 p.m. and Bible School 6:00 p.m. – 8:15 p.m. Sign up at www.hickmanpresbyterian.org/VBS or call 402-792-2800 Thursday, June 25th – Saturday, June 27th Diller Picnic – Bright Lights, Little City Thursday: Nebraska Bush Pullers tractor pull and fireworks Saturday: Mud drags, pasture golf and parade Carnival will be going all three nights For complete schedule of events, visit www.dillerpicnic.com Electric News Magazine Friday, July 3rd – Saturday, July 4th 45th Annual Shriner’s Flea Market Fairbury City Park Hundreds of vendors, and an antique paradise Shriner’s Parade at 10:00 a.m. and fireworks at dusk sponsored by Fairbury VFW Post #3113 For more information contact Wayne Buehler at 402-729-3221 Thursday, July 16th – Sunday, July 19th Jefferson County Fair “Country Pride Jefferson County Wide” Jayhusker Races, horse related activities, carnival, grandstand shows and much more Saturday, July 18th – Sunday, July 19th Camp Creek Antique Machinery and Threshing Annual Show Featuring Ford tractors and oddball gas engines For more information visit www.ccthreshers.org Wednesday, July 22nd – Sunday, July 26th Gage County Fair “Sweet Things Happen at the Gage County Fair” Grandstand Entertainment: July 22nd – Kyle Park July 23rd – The Swon Brothers July 24th – Stock Car Races July 25th – Eve of Destruction July 26th – Nebraska Sprint Car and Sport Mod Special For complete schedule of events visit www.gagecountyfair.com District Customers “Dedicated To Serving You” ELECTRIC NEWS “Dedicated to Serving You” (USPS-391-880) Published Bi-Monthly by NORRIS PUBLIC POWER DISTRICT 606 Irving Street, P.O. Box 399 Beatrice, NE 68310-0399 Phone: 402-223-4038 www.norrisppd.com email: [email protected] Subscription Rates: Fifty cents per issue Postmasters: Send notices and returns to: Norris Public Power District P.O. Box 399 Beatrice, NE 68310-0399 Periodicals Postage Paid at Lincoln, Nebraska and additional offices Board Meeting Information Unless otherwise provided by resolution of the Board of Directors, regular meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held monthly on the first Wednesday of each month. The Directors shall hold their meetings at the principal office of the District, or at such other place or places as the Board may from time to time determine. Notice of regular meeting shall be given as provided by law. Officers and Directors Rodney Heinrichs, President, Carleton Stewart Huneke, Vice-President, Wilber John Novotny, Secretary, Odell Randy Steinhausen, Treasurer, Lincoln Dennis Buel, Hickman Mark Knobel, Fairbury Gary Kroese, Adams Kenneth Myers, Holmesville Roger Rada, Tobias Bruce Tegtmeier, Jansen Berneal Warner, Waverly On the Cover: Where There’s Smoke, There’s Volunteer Firemen Volunteer firemen battle a grass fire alongside Highway 8 in Gage County. (See story on page 9) TABLE OF CONTENTS 3 2014 Statistics Schools That Participated: Jefferson Intermediate School – Fairbury Meridian Public Schools – Daykin St. Joseph Catholic School – Beatrice St. Paul’s Lutheran School – Plymouth Tri-County Public Schools – DeWitt Wilber-Clatonia Public Schools Beatrice Public Schools Lincoln Elementary Stoddard Elementary Cedar Elementary Paddock Lane Elementary Diller-Odell Public Schools Freeman Public Schools – Adams 4-5 District News Norris Public Power District Quick Facts Energy Innovation Message from Bruce Vitosh, General Manager/CEO 6 Dedicated Years of Service Milestone Service Anniversaries Achieved Jerry Enns, Deb Winkle and Brock McDougall 7 EnergyWise SM 8 Operation Roundup Residential Incentive Programs Aquifer Defining and Protecting Our Underground Water 9 Dedicated To Serving You Second Quarter Awards 10 Embracing Technology YOUTH EDUCATION NORRIS What If No One Answers The Call? 11 Farm Safety Day Kiosk Offers New Payment Option River Runs Dry Keeping the River In Its’ Banks 12 Outage Information Farm Safety Is How He Rolls 13 Seasonal Safety Alert There Is No Doubt When The Lights Go Out 14-15 Youth Education Rooted In Safety Landscaping the Campus 16 Community Events Calendar Future Stewards Of The Earth NORRIS PUBLIC POWER DISTRICT CONTACT NUMBERS Main Office – Area III Beatrice: 402-223-4038 Bruce Vitosh Toll Free: 1-800-858-4707 Hours: M-F 7:30 AM–4:30 PM [email protected] Area I Hebron: 402-768-6515 Toll Free: 1-800-827-8099 Hours: M-F 8:00 AM–4:30 PM Closed each day from 12:00 PM–12:30 PM Jerry Enns Fairbury: 402-729-3835 Manager of Operations and Safety [email protected] Area II Roca: 402-423-3855 Toll Free: 1-800-743-3899 Hours: M-F 8:00 AM–4:30 PM Crete: 402-826-2517 General Manager/CEO Manager of Engineering [email protected] Randal Evans Follow us on Twitter Vicky Jurgens Norris Electric News Magazine Editor [email protected] Storm Water Sleuth Slow Storm Water and Keep Runoff Clean Emily Shockley Administrative Coordinator [email protected] Michelle Junker Manager of Corporate Services [email protected] Connect on Linkedin Like us on Facebook We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children. Native American Proverb May/June 2015 15 YOUTH EDUCATION Rivers and Creeks Galore Six Inches of Topsoil, Nebraska’s Most Precious Resource A celebration for fifth grade students was held on April 21st and 22nd at Camp Jefferson near Fairbury. For 25 years, Camp Jefferson has held Earth Festival to educate fifth grade students about ways to utilize the land and water of the earth. The event was sponsored by Nebraska Extension in Gage, Jefferson and Saline Counties. Partnering with UNL on the event was the Lower Big Blue Natural Resources District, Little Blue Natural Resources District and Natural Resources Conservation Service. This year a grant was given to Gage County 4-H Council’s Earth Festival Fund from Norris Public Power District’s Operation Round Up program. The grant money was used to purchase trees to be planted by the students at Camp Jefferson during Earth Festival. A total of 28 trees were planted by the students with assistance from Natural Resources District employees. Tree types included Colorado Blue Spruce, Red Bud, Noreaster Cottonwood, Red Maple, Shumard Oak, Autumn Flame Maple, Cleveland Select Pear, Swamp White Oak, Bond Chestnut and Pin Oak. Students are encouraged to return to Camp Jefferson to watch the growth rate of their trees they planted. Norris Public Power District Quick Facts x x x x x x x x x Weird and Wacky World Of Pests A Matter of Balance x x Rain Dance and Mud Pies Protecting Our Soil Resource 14 norrisppd.com 2014 STATISTICS Future Stewards Of The Earth Founded in 1933 Political Subdivision of the State of Nebraska Governed by an elected Board of Directors Headquarters in Beatrice, Nebraska Ranks as the 2nd largest rural public power district in Nebraska Five county, 3,200 square mile service area Serves 39 towns at retail and four at wholesale Provides subtransmission services to 14 towns, cities and a neighboring public power district Operating and maintenance crews located in three areas throughout the District 98% of power is purchased from Nebraska Public Power District and 2% is purchased from Lincoln Electric System More than 40% of power ƐƵƉƉůŝĞƌ͛ƐŐĞŶĞƌĂƚŝŽŶŝƐ carbon free 2014 Statistics System Peak Load .......................................165,914 kW Kilowatt-hours Sold .................................... 837,799,601 Annual Actual Load Factor ................................. 58.76% Operating Revenue .................................... $69,466,172 Total Utility Plant ...................................... $153,302,747 Miles of Electric Line ............................................. 5,061 Capital Expenditures .................................... $8,398,134 Number of Employees ............................................... 74 Number of Customers......................................... 18,656 Revenue Bonds Payable ............................. $14,406,212 Debt Service Coverage Ratio .................................... 6.67 ^ƚĂŶĚĂƌĚΘWŽŽƌ͛ƐŽŶĚZĂƚŝŶŐ ................................ AAUnrestricted Cash and Investments ........... $29,527,572 Providing Low Rates to Customers Norris Public Power District is committed to providing reliable, low-cost energy to customers. Norris had no rate increase in 2014. The average rate paid by customer class is: i 9.30 cents per kilowatt-hour for residential customers. i 6.43 cents per kilowatt-hour for large industrial customers. i 8.16 cents per kilowatt-hour average for all customers. Our Mission To provide electricity and related services to customers at competitive prices, in the safest, most reliable, efficient and environmentally responsible manner. May/June 2015 3 DISTRICT NEWS Bruce Vitosh General Manager/CEO In April 2015, a significant announcement was made regarding an innovative energy opportunity that will have a positive impact on the economy in southeastern Nebraska and result in lower carbon emissions from Nebraska Public Power District’s (NPPD) Sheldon Station located near Hallam. Monolith Materials plans to begin construction of a carbon black manufacturing facility adjacent to Sheldon Station in 2016 with an expected completion date of 2019. Monolith will use a safe, efficient and environmentally friendly process to manufacture carbon black, which is incorporated into many products commonly used by consumers. Carbon black is included in tires, rubber and plastics, printing inks and batteries. Monolith’s patented process is environmentally friendly as it uses natural gas as a feedstock, instead of fuel oil or coal-tar, which is the established process. Monolith will consume a significant amount of electricity to power an electric arc reactor that disassociates the natural gas into its basic elements of carbon and hydrogen. The carbon that is extracted from this process is made into carbon black. “Americans care about the quality of their air and water, and the sustainability of their everyday household products and energy use. Together, Monolith and NPPD are helping reduce pollution, while still adding jobs and maintaining energy production. Additionally, Monolith plans to bring a cleaner process to a carbon black plant for the first time in the United States, which will help our country grow this important industry and expand America’s manufacturing economy.” Robert Hanson Monolith Co-Founder and Chief Commercial Officer Tires and Industrial Rubber Products 4 Plastics High Performance Coatings As farmers make plans to return to their fields for spring planting, Norris Public Power District urges all farm workers to be particularly alert to the dangers of working near overhead power lines. • Always be aware of the location of power lines, and designate preplanned routes that avoid hazard areas. The hydrogen co-product and Monolith develops waste heat created in innovative, cost manufacturing carbon black effective and will be used as a clean fuel environmentally source in a boiler that replaces sustainable one of the two existing coal-fired boilers at Sheldon technologies that Station. The use of hydrogen, convert natural to generate 125 megawatts of gas into chemicals electricity, will enable NPPD to and materials for reduce its carbon emissions customers around from all of its generation the world. resources by 10 percent. NPPD’s generation resources are projected to be 46 percent carbon emission free when combined with generation that utilizes nuclear, wind and water resources. Norris’ chartered service territory includes the area surrounding Sheldon Station and the area where Monolith plans to construct its manufacturing facility. Therefore, Norris has the obligation and is responsible for providing electric service to Monolith. Monolith’s power requirements are extremely large and will be • Be aware of increased height when loading and transporting tractors and equipment on trailer beds. Many tractors are equipped with radios and communications systems that have very tall antennas extending from the cab that could make contact with power lines. Avoid raising the arms of planters or cultivators or raising truck beds near power lines, and never attempt to raise or move a power line to clear a path. • Avoid coming into close proximity to a power line while working, and remember that non-metallic materials such as lumber, tree limbs, tires, ropes and hay will conduct electricity depending on dampness, dust and dirt contamination. • When guy wires (a grounded wire used to stabilize utility poles) are broken, these normally neutral wires can be anything but harmless. If you hit a guy wire and break it, please call Norris Public Power District to fix it. Do not do it yourself. When dealing with electrical poles and wires, always call Norris Public Power District. • If your equipment does come into contact with power lines, stay in the cab and call for help. Warn others who may be nearby to stay away and wait until linemen from Norris Public Power District arrive. • If leaving the cab is necessary, as in the case of fire, the proper action is to jump—not step—with both feet hitting the ground at the same time. Hop to safety, keeping both feet together as you leave the area. Once you get away from the equipment, never attempt to get back on or even touch the equipment before the power has been shut off. Farm owners and managers should make sure that all fulltime and seasonal workers are educated on these safety precautions, and danger areas need to be thoroughly identified and labeled. Complimentary stickers, like the one pictured above, are available for you to place on your equipment or in areas that are potentially hazardous around your farmstead. You may pick up caution stickers at any office of the District for your use. Norris Public Power District wants you, your family members and your employees to always be aware of their surroundings and of electrical facilities and equipment in the areas that you live and work. Norris Public Power District wishes all farmers a successful and SAFE planting season this spring. We want all of you to return home safely each day after planting the crops that feed, clothe and fuel the world. Toners and Printing Ink Carbon Black is a valuable commodity material used in reinforcing tires and other industrial rubber products. It can be customized to act as a pigment in inks, paints and toner, and as a uv absorber in pipes and other agricultural products. Highly specialized grades can be used in electrical cables, batteries, and many parts of high volume consumer electronics. norrisppd.com Rooted In Safety SEASONAL SAFETY ALERT Energy Innovation Nebraska Public Power District’s Sheldon Station - located near Hallam in Lancaster County, Nebraska For more electrical safety information, visit www.SafeElectricity.org. May/June 2015 13 OUTAGE INFORMATION Norris Public Power District is proud to announce that it has launched an online outage map for customer use to monitor outages currently taking place in the District’s fivecounty service territory. This new feature has been active since April and can be found on the District’s website, www.norrisppd.com and also on your SmartHub app. The map is populated using information from customers who call in to report their outage. The map displays an estimate of the total number of customers without electricity based on the location of incoming reports, meaning that the map becomes more accurate the more customers report their outages. The map will provide outage information by either township or zip code. The map “The addition of this new online map is another tool that the Norris will be updated every five minutes. If the map Public Power District is utilizing to enhance communications with is blank, there are no current outages. our customers and one they can use to stay up-to-date on what is occurring throughout the District at any given time.” “We are embarking on a new chapter in the history of Sheldon Station and electric generation in Nebraska with the decision by Monolith Materials to locate in Nebraska. Sheldon Station has always been a place of firsts – the first nuclear plant in Nebraska and now the first utility scale hydrogen powered generator. We are very proud of this facility and the people who work here.” NPPD President and CEO Pat Pope Although the impact on existing customers’ rates will be very minimal, the addition of Monolith will contribute to Norris’ financial strength. The direct financial benefit for existing Norris customers is that certain overhead costs will now be spread over more energy sales. The greater financial benefits for existing Norris customers are the jobs that will be created and the capital investment that will be made in southeastern Nebraska. Norris customers will also benefit from the positive environmental impact of this innovative energy opportunity. Randy Evans, Norris Public Power District’s Manager of Operations and Safety The outage map is best viewed using either Firefox or Google Chrome web browsers. The Honorable Governor of the State of Nebraska, Pete Ricketts, welcoming Monolith to the State of Nebraska and announcing their new innovation in clean energy to public officials and members of the press during a press conference held April 17, 2015 at Nebraska Public Power District’s Sheldon Station located near Hallam. Norris Public Power District also communicates information regarding outages utilizing social media. Find us. Like us. Follow Norris Public Power District on Twitter! @NorrisPPD 12 Norris is pleased that NPPD’s generation resources will become more environmentally friendly with the conversion of a boiler at Sheldon Station to a cleaner fuel source. Norris is extremely excited about the opportunity that has developed among Monolith, NPPD and Norris. I am proud of the fact that low electricity rates in the state of Nebraska was one of the driving factors that attracted the interest of Monolith to the state of Nebraska. I have been very fortunate to meet and get to know the Monolith founders, some of their employees and investors. These individuals are very family-oriented, intelligent and genuine. I am confident that Monolith will fit in very well in Nebraska knowing the people and the values that they will bring to our great state. I look forward to cultivating our relationship and wish for tremendous success to Monolith and NPPD. DISTRICT NEWS There Is No Doubt When The Lights Go Out a significant addition to the existing load of Norris. “This is an example of the next-generation of American innovation and energy production that will also have a positive economic impact in Nebraska, and deliver clean and affordable energy to the state. This private businessled solution has the potential to support 600 new jobs and hundreds of millions of new capital investment in the state of Nebraska.” Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts When outages occur our crews work to restore service as quickly as possible. If your township or zip code appear on the outage map, and you are currently without power, it is still crucial for you to call in to report your outage.. norrisppd.com May/June 2015 5 DEDICATED YEARS OF SERVICE Jerry Enns started working at the Norris Public Power District on May 16, 1990 as an Engineer. Jerry attended the University of Nebraska - Kearney for two years and graduated from the University of Nebraska - Lincoln with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering and is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). Jerry Enns 25 Years of Service Manager of Engineering Beatrice Deb Winkle 20 Years of Service Engineering Records Coordinator Beatrice In 2005, Jerry was promoted to Manager of Engineering. The Engineering Department is responsible for the design of the District’s subtransmission system, substations and distribution facilities. Acquisition of property easements, for electric line and substation construction, are negotiated by the Department. Contracts including industrial, commercial and agricultural electric services, are also executed and processed. Engineering Department personnel also provide Information Technology (IT), Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) and load management services to District employees and customers. Jerry also makes sure that the District adheres with all regulatory agencies having jurisdiction over the construction of electrical facilities in the State of Nebraska. Jerry and his wife Dawn, have two boys, Andrew who is nine years old and Isaac who is six years old. Jerry is the Cub Master for Cub Scout Troop 223 of Beatrice in which Andrew and Isaac are actively involved. Jerry also raises llamas on his farm in Gage County. Jerry enjoys hunting and shooting sports, involvement in family activities and the constant challenge of learning. Deb began working for Norris Public Power District on May 22, 1995, as the Engineering Secretary, taking care of all correspondence out of the Engineering Department and managing the District’s outage reporting system. It wasn’t long after she settled into her new job when she was given the challenge of learning AutoCAD to be able to help with the District’s computerized maps. Now as an Engineering Records Coordinator, Deb still takes care of contracts, permits, easements, and other correspondence for the department along with managing the District’s mapping/staking system and outage management system. Over her twenty years at Norris, Deb has seen many changes in the technology the District utilizes not only in her own position, but District wide. The maps that used to be just colored lines on paper for personnel to use in the field are now being replaced by mobile maps on an iPad. The outage reporting system has transformed from a fairly simple system to a real-time system that is available to all employees, both in the office and in the field, and now even to our customers via the internet. All of the changes are exciting and help keep her job from becoming dull or routine. Every day there are new challenges or technologies to work through. Deb lives on an acreage near Filley with her husband, Jeff, their two daughters, Peyton and Lexi, and their dog, Chesley. Jeff is employed by the Gage County Highway Department, and the girls attend Freeman Public School in Adams where Peyton is in the 7th grade and Lexi is in the 4th grade. Outside of work, Deb enjoys reading, attending their girls’ sporting events and helps coach Lexi’s volleyball and softball teams. As a family, they enjoy camping with family and friends and doing other family activities together. On June 1, 2010, Brock began working at Norris Public Power District as a Maintenance Technician. Brock works in the Energy Delivery Services (EDS) Department of the District. Brock is responsible for the installation, troubleshooting and maintenance of all District oil and gas filled equipment, which includes transformers, voltage regulators, oil circuit reclosers and other associated equipment. Brock and other employees in the EDS Department also install and maintain the District’s Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition system (SCADA), which is a system used to acquire information about the status of remote equipment within the District’s five-county service territory. Brock is also responsible for testing, maintenance and troubleshooting metering installations, the maintenance of substation equipment and operation of the District’s load control system. Brock McDougall 6 5 Years of Service Maintenance Technician Beatrice norrisppd.com Brock enjoys having the opportunity to work with the customers as well as the employees in all five counties within the District’s chartered service territory. Outside of work, Brock enjoys racing, golfing and spending time with family and friends. Brock is currently engaged to Emily Schoneweis. Brock and Emily have one daughter, Piper, who will be one year old in July, and they are expecting their second child in August. The McDougall family has two dogs, Yeley and Deacon. “It has been an enjoyable experience to get to know and work with so many people within Norris Public Power District. I am looking forward to seeing what the District’s future holds, with the always developing technology within the industry.” Brock Farm Safety...Is How He Rolls FARM SAFETY DAY Milestone Service Anniversaries Achieved Article Written By: Clayton Hergott Being born and raised in agriculture, I feel very strongly about the benefits it provides youth. My name is Clayton Hergott, a Norris Public Power District customer, and I was raised on a farm in Thayer County. Because I was raised in agriculture, and because I have a driving passion to help youth, I was inspired to start my Farm Safety Program for youth. This is the second year that I have invited all of the third grade students in Thayer County down to my sale barn in Hebron. There, my group of volunteers and I teach multiple safety topics, as well as briefly teach the students the basics where their food comes from. Because I am disabled, I also do an important part of farm safety, but also an ima station on Nebraska AgrAbilportant part of everyday life whether you live on ity, an organization which has a farm or not. As the kids were leaving Norris’ helped me stay active on my facility and walking back to the sale barn, they Registered Simmental operawere talking about the linemen frying a hot dog. tion. Nebraska AgrAbility asIn the linemen’s demonstration, a hot dog is used sists farmers and ranchers with to simulate what happens to the human body disabilities, helping them return when it comes into contact with electricity. The to their work in agriculture. water content of a hot dog is comparable to that Sherry Nielsen educates students to wear The project is a USDA funded of a human body. proper protective gear while riding an ATV. program that partners UniverAll presenters at Farm Safety Day are volunteers sity of Nebraska — Lincoln and this event could not take place without the Extension (UNL) and Easter Seals Nebraska (ESN) to provide help of all of them including our local UNL Extension Office. education, assistance and advocacy. Since 1995, Nebraska Other volunteers are friends and family of mine that are conAgrAbility has helped over 430 farm and ranch clients. I feel it cerned with the well-being of youth as well. is important to teach the students that though we do this program so they don't have a safety accident, if they do end up with a Safety Topics Include: permanent disability they can still be successful. Being dis• Electrical Safety “If I can positively affect one person and keep them from • Livestock Handling & Safety getting injured or even worse, it has been more than worth • All-Terrain (ATV) Safety the cumulative efforts of all of us involved!” • Grain Safety Clayton Hergott •Chemical Safety abled, I am well aware of the extra struggles in life of having a disability. Although my disability did not come from an accident, I feel I can use my situation to drive the point home to impressionable youth better than most able-bodied folks. The highlight of the day with many kids is the high voltage demonstration put on by Norris Public Power District’s linemen at their operations facility in Hebron. Electrical safety is not only Clayton is a Cost Accountant at Reinke Manufacturing in Deshler and is also a part-time auctioneer at Belleville 81 Livestock in Belleville, Kansas. Norris Public Power District is thankful for and proud to have customers like Clayton who is also “Dedicated To Serving You.” May/June 2015 11 EMBRACING TECHNOLOGY Norris Public Power District wants to help make paying your utility bill as convenient and easy as possible for you. For customer convenience, a payment kiosk has been installed at the District’s main office located at 606 Irving Street in Beatrice. The kiosk and payment drop box are located in the new drive-thru lane on the east side of the building. The kiosk allows customers to securely and conveniently access their account balance and also to make payments with cash, e-check, credit card or debit card 24 hours a day, seven days a week. All payments through the kiosk system will be immediately posted and account information will be updated. By utilizing the kiosk as a payment method, there will be no stress about wondering if your payment will make it to a Norris office in time via mail delivery to avoid the addition of late fees to your account balance or a possible disconnection for non-payment. After each transaction, customers can choose to receive a printed receipt. Please note that the kiosk will not make change. Your cash payment credited to your account will be equal to the exact amount of dollars you insert into the kiosk. For example, if the bill is $54.05, the system will accept $55.00 and you will receive a .95 cent credit on the account for the difference between the billed amount and the $55.00 paid. If you want to pay the exact amount of your bill, you will either need to make your payment using a credit card, debit card or e- Account Nbr: 999999999 Cycle: 2 Rate: 02 FARM RURAL RES A-E CUSTOMER NAME ADDRESS CITY STATE ZIP CODE Use of the kiosk is free! A convenience fee will not be assessed to your account. The kiosk will accept paper currency ranging from $1.00 to $100.00. Account Number Date of Bill: 04/13/2015 Total Amount Due By 04/30/2015 10 norrisppd.com High Efficiency Heat Pump Program Cooling System Tune-Up Program Select a qualified heat pump (minimum 14 SEER and minimum 8.2 HSPF) Air Source Heat Pump With AHRI Certificate An AHRI Certificate is required for all 14+ SEER equipment meeting the requirements above. If an AHRI Certificate is not attached to the Verification Form, the maximum incentive will be $100.00. Ground Source Heat Pump Any EER = $1,200.00 In addition to the kiosk payment option, Norris will continue to offer 24 hour payment access through its secure IVR system phone line at 1-866-999-4503, through SmartHub via our website, or through your mobile device with the SmartHub app. Norris continues to offer customers traditional payment methods including mail, in person and automatic recurring payments authorized to be deducted from a checking account, or savings account charged to a credit or debit card on a monthly basis. $999.99 NORRIS PUBLIC POWER DISTRICT 2 PO BOX 399 BEATRICE NE 68310-0399 290770999999999000099999000000000041420154 î¥Ú éÊï Increase Efficiency and Save Air Source Heat Pump Without AHRI Certificate Map Location: 99999999 Barcode Install Comfort and Save Money 14 SEER, 8.2 HSPF = $200.00 Incentive 15 SEER, 12.5 EER, 8.5 HSPF = $400.00 Incentive 16+ SEER, 12.5 EER, 8.5 HSPF = $600.00 Incentive To make a payment, customers will need to have their account number available, or a payment stub that contains a printed barcode and also the first four characters of their last name or organization. If you have a payment stub, you may simply scan the barcode on your payment stub which will bring up your account number immediately. The barcode reader is located in the upper right corner of the kiosk. Please detach and return this portion with your payment check at the kiosk, pay on SmartHub, the Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system or you may pay in the lobby during normal operating hours. Residential Incentive Programs If you have any questions regarding how to use the kiosk or any other payment method, please contact us and we will be happy to assist you. The Payment Kiosk Will Not: Accept paper checks as a payment method or allow you to enter a meter reading. Variable Capacity Ground Source Heat Pump • Have your cooling system inspected and tuned-up by an HVAC contractor • Qualifying systems include residential central air conditioners, air source and water source heat pumps • $30.00 incentive (one incentive every three years) ENERGYWISESM Kiosk Offers New 24-Hour Payment Option Step Into The Light. Make the Switch To Light-Emitting Diode (LED) Lamps • Lamps must be purchased after January 1, 2015 • Lamps must be 9 watts or greater • $5.00 incentive per bulb (limit 15 incentives per account annually) • Must apply for an incentive within 90 days of the purchase date shown on the sales receipt 35 EER, 5.0 COP = $1,700.00 It Pays To Have The Right Amount Attic Insulation Incentive Program • Must have less than 6” existing insulation and add at least 6” of R-19 insulation to the attic • Must have a heat pump, electric furnace or electric heat (baseboard, radiant, etc.) • Sq. Ft. x $0.15 = Rebate amount, limit $300.00 per dwelling A copy of the receipt verifying proof of purchase or completion of an inspection and tune-up of your cooling system must accompany each application in order to receive an incentive. Incentive is given in the form of an account credit. May/June 2015 7 OPERATION ROUND UP %-+"!.&7(8#/-#&8,8#.% 89"(!/ "#08!$:8/$"!;80-!+< '(#'"%- &''''''''!"#$$%$$ ''''''''''!"#$$%$$ ''''''''''!"#$$%$$ ''''''''''!"#$$%$$ ''''''''''!"#$$%$$ ()*+,-./'0*1,2/'3245'6787'9':,;;*+ ?*/5*+@,;;*'?*)*5*+A'(442-,.5,2/ :.AC,/'<2;E/5**+'F,+*':*G.+5)*/5 F+,*/K'B2245*+'?;EJ >*+-A'>*.;4'9'B;E*'M,@*+4'(+*.' ''''''''''!"#$$%$$ P*J+.4C.'?2))E/,5A'F2E/K.5,2/QF+,*/K'(+*.'FE/K'9'3.+C'R)G+2@*)*/5'(--2E/5 ''''''''''!"#$$%$$ S2J,.4'<2;E/5**+'F,+*':*G.+5)*/5 ''''''''''!"#$$%$$ <,;;.1*'2T'B*//*5QB*//*5'(+*.'?2))E/,5A'F2E/K.5,2/'FE/K ''''''''''!"#$$%$$ <,;;.1*'2T'F,+5I '''''''''''''UV$%#W B*.5+,-*'X>?('YA)/.45,-'3+21+.) 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The first warm days of spring are most always spent by doing much needed yard work after a long winter, attending or playing early season baseball or softball games and most importantly preparing the grill for the first true “evening out” supper on the deck. Many people were doing just these things, until at approximately 5:00 p.m., a call went out and pagers notified volunteers of a grass fire that was raging across multiple sections of ground along Highway 8 in southern Gage County. The grass fire quickly started to spread out of control due to extremely dry conditions and high wind speeds. Volunteer firemen from Blue Springs, Odell and Wymore were no longer concerned about enjoying the first warm day of spring, or their plans they had on that Saturday night to spend with family and friends. The volunteers concerns, without a thought, turned immediately to where the location of residences, families and livestock were that were directly in the line of fire and how they were going to protect those people, their homes and their livelihoods. The volunteer firemen were willing to stay on site for as long as needed even if that meant being out all night. You may ask or wonder why these volunteers so graciously give of their time? The answer is pride and their dedication and commitment that each of them have to their neighbors and communities that they live in. So, the next time you see a volunteer fireman or an emergency medical technician, please take time to thank them. These men and women volunteer to protect our lives and communities all year long and deserve our heartfelt thanks. You never know when it will be you making that call for help, and what if no one answers? DEDICATED TO SERVING YOU What If No One Answers The Call? NORRIS PUBLIC POWER DISTRICT GOODWILL FUND - 2015 !"##$%&'()*$+&'",-#&.$%/#$+/ SECOND QUARTER AWARDS 0"".,$**&1(!.&2&3456 Thank you to the following District employees and Directors, their family members and customers of the District who graciously give of their time and talents to help others in a time of need. Adams Volunteer Rescue Squad Gary Kroese - (Director) Carleton Rural Fire Department Rodney Heinrichs - (Director) Chester Fire Department Terry Tuma - (Lineman – Hebron) Crete Volunteer Fire Department & Rescue Squad Bob Boyle - (Lineman – Crete) (Retired after 25 years of volunteering with the Crete Department) 8 Filley Rural Fire Department used grant money that they were awarded by Operation Round Up to purchase 22 pairs of rescue gloves, 22 rescue wrenches, two axes and one jet siphon. norrisppd.com Students from St. Paul’s Lutheran School in Plymouth planted trees that were purchased by the Gage County 4-H Council with grant money they received from Operation Round Up at Camp Jefferson. Assisting the students to install a tree protector is Tyler Weishahn, Resources Specialist, from Lower Big Blue Natural Resources District. DeWitt Volunteer Fire Department Tim and Hunter Garrison (Husband and Son of Pam Garrison Customer Service Representative in Beatrice) Jansen Rural Fire Department Bruce Tegtmeier - (Director) Odell Rural Fire Department Bruce Vitosh - (General Manager/CEO) John Novotny - (Director) Brock and Blake Vitosh (Sons of Bruce Vitosh - General Manager/CEO) We volunteer because your life is worth our time. May/June 2015 9 OPERATION ROUND UP %-+"!.&7(8#/-#&8,8#.% 89"(!/ "#08!$:8/$"!;80-!+< '(#'"%- &''''''''!"#$$%$$ ''''''''''!"#$$%$$ ''''''''''!"#$$%$$ ''''''''''!"#$$%$$ ''''''''''!"#$$%$$ ()*+,-./'0*1,2/'3245'6787'9':,;;*+ ?*/5*+@,;;*'?*)*5*+A'(442-,.5,2/ :.AC,/'<2;E/5**+'F,+*':*G.+5)*/5 F+,*/K'B2245*+'?;EJ >*+-A'>*.;4'9'B;E*'M,@*+4'(+*.' 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The first warm days of spring are most always spent by doing much needed yard work after a long winter, attending or playing early season baseball or softball games and most importantly preparing the grill for the first true “evening out” supper on the deck. Many people were doing just these things, until at approximately 5:00 p.m., a call went out and pagers notified volunteers of a grass fire that was raging across multiple sections of ground along Highway 8 in southern Gage County. The grass fire quickly started to spread out of control due to extremely dry conditions and high wind speeds. Volunteer firemen from Blue Springs, Odell and Wymore were no longer concerned about enjoying the first warm day of spring, or their plans they had on that Saturday night to spend with family and friends. The volunteers concerns, without a thought, turned immediately to where the location of residences, families and livestock were that were directly in the line of fire and how they were going to protect those people, their homes and their livelihoods. The volunteer firemen were willing to stay on site for as long as needed even if that meant being out all night. You may ask or wonder why these volunteers so graciously give of their time? The answer is pride and their dedication and commitment that each of them have to their neighbors and communities that they live in. So, the next time you see a volunteer fireman or an emergency medical technician, please take time to thank them. These men and women volunteer to protect our lives and communities all year long and deserve our heartfelt thanks. You never know when it will be you making that call for help, and what if no one answers? DEDICATED TO SERVING YOU What If No One Answers The Call? NORRIS PUBLIC POWER DISTRICT GOODWILL FUND - 2015 !"##$%&'()*$+&'",-#&.$%/#$+/ SECOND QUARTER AWARDS 0"".,$**&1(!.&2&3456 Thank you to the following District employees and Directors, their family members and customers of the District who graciously give of their time and talents to help others in a time of need. Adams Volunteer Rescue Squad Gary Kroese - (Director) Carleton Rural Fire Department Rodney Heinrichs - (Director) Chester Fire Department Terry Tuma - (Lineman – Hebron) Crete Volunteer Fire Department & Rescue Squad Bob Boyle - (Lineman – Crete) (Retired after 25 years of volunteering with the Crete Department) 8 Filley Rural Fire Department used grant money that they were awarded by Operation Round Up to purchase 22 pairs of rescue gloves, 22 rescue wrenches, two axes and one jet siphon. norrisppd.com Students from St. Paul’s Lutheran School in Plymouth planted trees that were purchased by the Gage County 4-H Council with grant money they received from Operation Round Up at Camp Jefferson. Assisting the students to install a tree protector is Tyler Weishahn, Resources Specialist, from Lower Big Blue Natural Resources District. DeWitt Volunteer Fire Department Tim and Hunter Garrison (Husband and Son of Pam Garrison Customer Service Representative in Beatrice) Jansen Rural Fire Department Bruce Tegtmeier - (Director) Odell Rural Fire Department Bruce Vitosh - (General Manager/CEO) John Novotny - (Director) Brock and Blake Vitosh (Sons of Bruce Vitosh - General Manager/CEO) We volunteer because your life is worth our time. May/June 2015 9 EMBRACING TECHNOLOGY Norris Public Power District wants to help make paying your utility bill as convenient and easy as possible for you. For customer convenience, a payment kiosk has been installed at the District’s main office located at 606 Irving Street in Beatrice. The kiosk and payment drop box are located in the new drive-thru lane on the east side of the building. The kiosk allows customers to securely and conveniently access their account balance and also to make payments with cash, e-check, credit card or debit card 24 hours a day, seven days a week. All payments through the kiosk system will be immediately posted and account information will be updated. By utilizing the kiosk as a payment method, there will be no stress about wondering if your payment will make it to a Norris office in time via mail delivery to avoid the addition of late fees to your account balance or a possible disconnection for non-payment. After each transaction, customers can choose to receive a printed receipt. Please note that the kiosk will not make change. Your cash payment credited to your account will be equal to the exact amount of dollars you insert into the kiosk. For example, if the bill is $54.05, the system will accept $55.00 and you will receive a .95 cent credit on the account for the difference between the billed amount and the $55.00 paid. If you want to pay the exact amount of your bill, you will either need to make your payment using a credit card, debit card or e- Account Nbr: 999999999 Cycle: 2 Rate: 02 FARM RURAL RES A-E CUSTOMER NAME ADDRESS CITY STATE ZIP CODE Use of the kiosk is free! A convenience fee will not be assessed to your account. The kiosk will accept paper currency ranging from $1.00 to $100.00. Account Number Date of Bill: 04/13/2015 Total Amount Due By 04/30/2015 10 norrisppd.com High Efficiency Heat Pump Program Cooling System Tune-Up Program Select a qualified heat pump (minimum 14 SEER and minimum 8.2 HSPF) Air Source Heat Pump With AHRI Certificate An AHRI Certificate is required for all 14+ SEER equipment meeting the requirements above. If an AHRI Certificate is not attached to the Verification Form, the maximum incentive will be $100.00. Ground Source Heat Pump Any EER = $1,200.00 In addition to the kiosk payment option, Norris will continue to offer 24 hour payment access through its secure IVR system phone line at 1-866-999-4503, through SmartHub via our website, or through your mobile device with the SmartHub app. Norris continues to offer customers traditional payment methods including mail, in person and automatic recurring payments authorized to be deducted from a checking account, or savings account charged to a credit or debit card on a monthly basis. $999.99 NORRIS PUBLIC POWER DISTRICT 2 PO BOX 399 BEATRICE NE 68310-0399 290770999999999000099999000000000041420154 î¥Ú éÊï Increase Efficiency and Save Air Source Heat Pump Without AHRI Certificate Map Location: 99999999 Barcode Install Comfort and Save Money 14 SEER, 8.2 HSPF = $200.00 Incentive 15 SEER, 12.5 EER, 8.5 HSPF = $400.00 Incentive 16+ SEER, 12.5 EER, 8.5 HSPF = $600.00 Incentive To make a payment, customers will need to have their account number available, or a payment stub that contains a printed barcode and also the first four characters of their last name or organization. If you have a payment stub, you may simply scan the barcode on your payment stub which will bring up your account number immediately. The barcode reader is located in the upper right corner of the kiosk. Please detach and return this portion with your payment check at the kiosk, pay on SmartHub, the Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system or you may pay in the lobby during normal operating hours. Residential Incentive Programs If you have any questions regarding how to use the kiosk or any other payment method, please contact us and we will be happy to assist you. The Payment Kiosk Will Not: Accept paper checks as a payment method or allow you to enter a meter reading. Variable Capacity Ground Source Heat Pump • Have your cooling system inspected and tuned-up by an HVAC contractor • Qualifying systems include residential central air conditioners, air source and water source heat pumps • $30.00 incentive (one incentive every three years) ENERGYWISESM Kiosk Offers New 24-Hour Payment Option Step Into The Light. Make the Switch To Light-Emitting Diode (LED) Lamps • Lamps must be purchased after January 1, 2015 • Lamps must be 9 watts or greater • $5.00 incentive per bulb (limit 15 incentives per account annually) • Must apply for an incentive within 90 days of the purchase date shown on the sales receipt 35 EER, 5.0 COP = $1,700.00 It Pays To Have The Right Amount Attic Insulation Incentive Program • Must have less than 6” existing insulation and add at least 6” of R-19 insulation to the attic • Must have a heat pump, electric furnace or electric heat (baseboard, radiant, etc.) • Sq. Ft. x $0.15 = Rebate amount, limit $300.00 per dwelling A copy of the receipt verifying proof of purchase or completion of an inspection and tune-up of your cooling system must accompany each application in order to receive an incentive. Incentive is given in the form of an account credit. May/June 2015 7 DEDICATED YEARS OF SERVICE Jerry Enns started working at the Norris Public Power District on May 16, 1990 as an Engineer. Jerry attended the University of Nebraska - Kearney for two years and graduated from the University of Nebraska - Lincoln with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering and is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). Jerry Enns 25 Years of Service Manager of Engineering Beatrice Deb Winkle 20 Years of Service Engineering Records Coordinator Beatrice In 2005, Jerry was promoted to Manager of Engineering. The Engineering Department is responsible for the design of the District’s subtransmission system, substations and distribution facilities. Acquisition of property easements, for electric line and substation construction, are negotiated by the Department. Contracts including industrial, commercial and agricultural electric services, are also executed and processed. Engineering Department personnel also provide Information Technology (IT), Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) and load management services to District employees and customers. Jerry also makes sure that the District adheres with all regulatory agencies having jurisdiction over the construction of electrical facilities in the State of Nebraska. Jerry and his wife Dawn, have two boys, Andrew who is nine years old and Isaac who is six years old. Jerry is the Cub Master for Cub Scout Troop 223 of Beatrice in which Andrew and Isaac are actively involved. Jerry also raises llamas on his farm in Gage County. Jerry enjoys hunting and shooting sports, involvement in family activities and the constant challenge of learning. Deb began working for Norris Public Power District on May 22, 1995, as the Engineering Secretary, taking care of all correspondence out of the Engineering Department and managing the District’s outage reporting system. It wasn’t long after she settled into her new job when she was given the challenge of learning AutoCAD to be able to help with the District’s computerized maps. Now as an Engineering Records Coordinator, Deb still takes care of contracts, permits, easements, and other correspondence for the department along with managing the District’s mapping/staking system and outage management system. Over her twenty years at Norris, Deb has seen many changes in the technology the District utilizes not only in her own position, but District wide. The maps that used to be just colored lines on paper for personnel to use in the field are now being replaced by mobile maps on an iPad. The outage reporting system has transformed from a fairly simple system to a real-time system that is available to all employees, both in the office and in the field, and now even to our customers via the internet. All of the changes are exciting and help keep her job from becoming dull or routine. Every day there are new challenges or technologies to work through. Deb lives on an acreage near Filley with her husband, Jeff, their two daughters, Peyton and Lexi, and their dog, Chesley. Jeff is employed by the Gage County Highway Department, and the girls attend Freeman Public School in Adams where Peyton is in the 7th grade and Lexi is in the 4th grade. Outside of work, Deb enjoys reading, attending their girls’ sporting events and helps coach Lexi’s volleyball and softball teams. As a family, they enjoy camping with family and friends and doing other family activities together. On June 1, 2010, Brock began working at Norris Public Power District as a Maintenance Technician. Brock works in the Energy Delivery Services (EDS) Department of the District. Brock is responsible for the installation, troubleshooting and maintenance of all District oil and gas filled equipment, which includes transformers, voltage regulators, oil circuit reclosers and other associated equipment. Brock and other employees in the EDS Department also install and maintain the District’s Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition system (SCADA), which is a system used to acquire information about the status of remote equipment within the District’s five-county service territory. Brock is also responsible for testing, maintenance and troubleshooting metering installations, the maintenance of substation equipment and operation of the District’s load control system. Brock McDougall 6 5 Years of Service Maintenance Technician Beatrice norrisppd.com Brock enjoys having the opportunity to work with the customers as well as the employees in all five counties within the District’s chartered service territory. Outside of work, Brock enjoys racing, golfing and spending time with family and friends. Brock is currently engaged to Emily Schoneweis. Brock and Emily have one daughter, Piper, who will be one year old in July, and they are expecting their second child in August. The McDougall family has two dogs, Yeley and Deacon. “It has been an enjoyable experience to get to know and work with so many people within Norris Public Power District. I am looking forward to seeing what the District’s future holds, with the always developing technology within the industry.” Brock Farm Safety...Is How He Rolls FARM SAFETY DAY Milestone Service Anniversaries Achieved Article Written By: Clayton Hergott Being born and raised in agriculture, I feel very strongly about the benefits it provides youth. My name is Clayton Hergott, a Norris Public Power District customer, and I was raised on a farm in Thayer County. Because I was raised in agriculture, and because I have a driving passion to help youth, I was inspired to start my Farm Safety Program for youth. This is the second year that I have invited all of the third grade students in Thayer County down to my sale barn in Hebron. There, my group of volunteers and I teach multiple safety topics, as well as briefly teach the students the basics where their food comes from. Because I am disabled, I also do an important part of farm safety, but also an ima station on Nebraska AgrAbilportant part of everyday life whether you live on ity, an organization which has a farm or not. As the kids were leaving Norris’ helped me stay active on my facility and walking back to the sale barn, they Registered Simmental operawere talking about the linemen frying a hot dog. tion. Nebraska AgrAbility asIn the linemen’s demonstration, a hot dog is used sists farmers and ranchers with to simulate what happens to the human body disabilities, helping them return when it comes into contact with electricity. The to their work in agriculture. water content of a hot dog is comparable to that Sherry Nielsen educates students to wear The project is a USDA funded of a human body. proper protective gear while riding an ATV. program that partners UniverAll presenters at Farm Safety Day are volunteers sity of Nebraska — Lincoln and this event could not take place without the Extension (UNL) and Easter Seals Nebraska (ESN) to provide help of all of them including our local UNL Extension Office. education, assistance and advocacy. Since 1995, Nebraska Other volunteers are friends and family of mine that are conAgrAbility has helped over 430 farm and ranch clients. I feel it cerned with the well-being of youth as well. is important to teach the students that though we do this program so they don't have a safety accident, if they do end up with a Safety Topics Include: permanent disability they can still be successful. Being dis• Electrical Safety “If I can positively affect one person and keep them from • Livestock Handling & Safety getting injured or even worse, it has been more than worth • All-Terrain (ATV) Safety the cumulative efforts of all of us involved!” • Grain Safety Clayton Hergott •Chemical Safety abled, I am well aware of the extra struggles in life of having a disability. Although my disability did not come from an accident, I feel I can use my situation to drive the point home to impressionable youth better than most able-bodied folks. The highlight of the day with many kids is the high voltage demonstration put on by Norris Public Power District’s linemen at their operations facility in Hebron. Electrical safety is not only Clayton is a Cost Accountant at Reinke Manufacturing in Deshler and is also a part-time auctioneer at Belleville 81 Livestock in Belleville, Kansas. Norris Public Power District is thankful for and proud to have customers like Clayton who is also “Dedicated To Serving You.” May/June 2015 11 OUTAGE INFORMATION Norris Public Power District is proud to announce that it has launched an online outage map for customer use to monitor outages currently taking place in the District’s fivecounty service territory. This new feature has been active since April and can be found on the District’s website, www.norrisppd.com and also on your SmartHub app. The map is populated using information from customers who call in to report their outage. The map displays an estimate of the total number of customers without electricity based on the location of incoming reports, meaning that the map becomes more accurate the more customers report their outages. The map will provide outage information by either township or zip code. The map “The addition of this new online map is another tool that the Norris will be updated every five minutes. If the map Public Power District is utilizing to enhance communications with is blank, there are no current outages. our customers and one they can use to stay up-to-date on what is occurring throughout the District at any given time.” “We are embarking on a new chapter in the history of Sheldon Station and electric generation in Nebraska with the decision by Monolith Materials to locate in Nebraska. Sheldon Station has always been a place of firsts – the first nuclear plant in Nebraska and now the first utility scale hydrogen powered generator. We are very proud of this facility and the people who work here.” NPPD President and CEO Pat Pope Although the impact on existing customers’ rates will be very minimal, the addition of Monolith will contribute to Norris’ financial strength. The direct financial benefit for existing Norris customers is that certain overhead costs will now be spread over more energy sales. The greater financial benefits for existing Norris customers are the jobs that will be created and the capital investment that will be made in southeastern Nebraska. Norris customers will also benefit from the positive environmental impact of this innovative energy opportunity. Randy Evans, Norris Public Power District’s Manager of Operations and Safety The outage map is best viewed using either Firefox or Google Chrome web browsers. The Honorable Governor of the State of Nebraska, Pete Ricketts, welcoming Monolith to the State of Nebraska and announcing their new innovation in clean energy to public officials and members of the press during a press conference held April 17, 2015 at Nebraska Public Power District’s Sheldon Station located near Hallam. Norris Public Power District also communicates information regarding outages utilizing social media. Find us. Like us. Follow Norris Public Power District on Twitter! @NorrisPPD 12 Norris is pleased that NPPD’s generation resources will become more environmentally friendly with the conversion of a boiler at Sheldon Station to a cleaner fuel source. Norris is extremely excited about the opportunity that has developed among Monolith, NPPD and Norris. I am proud of the fact that low electricity rates in the state of Nebraska was one of the driving factors that attracted the interest of Monolith to the state of Nebraska. I have been very fortunate to meet and get to know the Monolith founders, some of their employees and investors. These individuals are very family-oriented, intelligent and genuine. I am confident that Monolith will fit in very well in Nebraska knowing the people and the values that they will bring to our great state. I look forward to cultivating our relationship and wish for tremendous success to Monolith and NPPD. DISTRICT NEWS There Is No Doubt When The Lights Go Out a significant addition to the existing load of Norris. “This is an example of the next-generation of American innovation and energy production that will also have a positive economic impact in Nebraska, and deliver clean and affordable energy to the state. This private businessled solution has the potential to support 600 new jobs and hundreds of millions of new capital investment in the state of Nebraska.” Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts When outages occur our crews work to restore service as quickly as possible. If your township or zip code appear on the outage map, and you are currently without power, it is still crucial for you to call in to report your outage.. norrisppd.com May/June 2015 5 DISTRICT NEWS Bruce Vitosh General Manager/CEO In April 2015, a significant announcement was made regarding an innovative energy opportunity that will have a positive impact on the economy in southeastern Nebraska and result in lower carbon emissions from Nebraska Public Power District’s (NPPD) Sheldon Station located near Hallam. Monolith Materials plans to begin construction of a carbon black manufacturing facility adjacent to Sheldon Station in 2016 with an expected completion date of 2019. Monolith will use a safe, efficient and environmentally friendly process to manufacture carbon black, which is incorporated into many products commonly used by consumers. Carbon black is included in tires, rubber and plastics, printing inks and batteries. Monolith’s patented process is environmentally friendly as it uses natural gas as a feedstock, instead of fuel oil or coal-tar, which is the established process. Monolith will consume a significant amount of electricity to power an electric arc reactor that disassociates the natural gas into its basic elements of carbon and hydrogen. The carbon that is extracted from this process is made into carbon black. “Americans care about the quality of their air and water, and the sustainability of their everyday household products and energy use. Together, Monolith and NPPD are helping reduce pollution, while still adding jobs and maintaining energy production. Additionally, Monolith plans to bring a cleaner process to a carbon black plant for the first time in the United States, which will help our country grow this important industry and expand America’s manufacturing economy.” Robert Hanson Monolith Co-Founder and Chief Commercial Officer Tires and Industrial Rubber Products 4 Plastics High Performance Coatings As farmers make plans to return to their fields for spring planting, Norris Public Power District urges all farm workers to be particularly alert to the dangers of working near overhead power lines. • Always be aware of the location of power lines, and designate preplanned routes that avoid hazard areas. The hydrogen co-product and Monolith develops waste heat created in innovative, cost manufacturing carbon black effective and will be used as a clean fuel environmentally source in a boiler that replaces sustainable one of the two existing coal-fired boilers at Sheldon technologies that Station. The use of hydrogen, convert natural to generate 125 megawatts of gas into chemicals electricity, will enable NPPD to and materials for reduce its carbon emissions customers around from all of its generation the world. resources by 10 percent. NPPD’s generation resources are projected to be 46 percent carbon emission free when combined with generation that utilizes nuclear, wind and water resources. Norris’ chartered service territory includes the area surrounding Sheldon Station and the area where Monolith plans to construct its manufacturing facility. Therefore, Norris has the obligation and is responsible for providing electric service to Monolith. Monolith’s power requirements are extremely large and will be • Be aware of increased height when loading and transporting tractors and equipment on trailer beds. Many tractors are equipped with radios and communications systems that have very tall antennas extending from the cab that could make contact with power lines. Avoid raising the arms of planters or cultivators or raising truck beds near power lines, and never attempt to raise or move a power line to clear a path. • Avoid coming into close proximity to a power line while working, and remember that non-metallic materials such as lumber, tree limbs, tires, ropes and hay will conduct electricity depending on dampness, dust and dirt contamination. • When guy wires (a grounded wire used to stabilize utility poles) are broken, these normally neutral wires can be anything but harmless. If you hit a guy wire and break it, please call Norris Public Power District to fix it. Do not do it yourself. When dealing with electrical poles and wires, always call Norris Public Power District. • If your equipment does come into contact with power lines, stay in the cab and call for help. Warn others who may be nearby to stay away and wait until linemen from Norris Public Power District arrive. • If leaving the cab is necessary, as in the case of fire, the proper action is to jump—not step—with both feet hitting the ground at the same time. Hop to safety, keeping both feet together as you leave the area. Once you get away from the equipment, never attempt to get back on or even touch the equipment before the power has been shut off. Farm owners and managers should make sure that all fulltime and seasonal workers are educated on these safety precautions, and danger areas need to be thoroughly identified and labeled. Complimentary stickers, like the one pictured above, are available for you to place on your equipment or in areas that are potentially hazardous around your farmstead. You may pick up caution stickers at any office of the District for your use. Norris Public Power District wants you, your family members and your employees to always be aware of their surroundings and of electrical facilities and equipment in the areas that you live and work. Norris Public Power District wishes all farmers a successful and SAFE planting season this spring. We want all of you to return home safely each day after planting the crops that feed, clothe and fuel the world. Toners and Printing Ink Carbon Black is a valuable commodity material used in reinforcing tires and other industrial rubber products. It can be customized to act as a pigment in inks, paints and toner, and as a uv absorber in pipes and other agricultural products. Highly specialized grades can be used in electrical cables, batteries, and many parts of high volume consumer electronics. norrisppd.com Rooted In Safety SEASONAL SAFETY ALERT Energy Innovation Nebraska Public Power District’s Sheldon Station - located near Hallam in Lancaster County, Nebraska For more electrical safety information, visit www.SafeElectricity.org. May/June 2015 13 YOUTH EDUCATION Rivers and Creeks Galore Six Inches of Topsoil, Nebraska’s Most Precious Resource A celebration for fifth grade students was held on April 21st and 22nd at Camp Jefferson near Fairbury. For 25 years, Camp Jefferson has held Earth Festival to educate fifth grade students about ways to utilize the land and water of the earth. The event was sponsored by Nebraska Extension in Gage, Jefferson and Saline Counties. Partnering with UNL on the event was the Lower Big Blue Natural Resources District, Little Blue Natural Resources District and Natural Resources Conservation Service. This year a grant was given to Gage County 4-H Council’s Earth Festival Fund from Norris Public Power District’s Operation Round Up program. The grant money was used to purchase trees to be planted by the students at Camp Jefferson during Earth Festival. A total of 28 trees were planted by the students with assistance from Natural Resources District employees. Tree types included Colorado Blue Spruce, Red Bud, Noreaster Cottonwood, Red Maple, Shumard Oak, Autumn Flame Maple, Cleveland Select Pear, Swamp White Oak, Bond Chestnut and Pin Oak. Students are encouraged to return to Camp Jefferson to watch the growth rate of their trees they planted. Norris Public Power District Quick Facts x x x x x x x x x Weird and Wacky World Of Pests A Matter of Balance x x Rain Dance and Mud Pies Protecting Our Soil Resource 14 norrisppd.com 2014 STATISTICS Future Stewards Of The Earth Founded in 1933 Political Subdivision of the State of Nebraska Governed by an elected Board of Directors Headquarters in Beatrice, Nebraska Ranks as the 2nd largest rural public power district in Nebraska Five county, 3,200 square mile service area Serves 39 towns at retail and four at wholesale Provides subtransmission services to 14 towns, cities and a neighboring public power district Operating and maintenance crews located in three areas throughout the District 98% of power is purchased from Nebraska Public Power District and 2% is purchased from Lincoln Electric System More than 40% of power ƐƵƉƉůŝĞƌ͛ƐŐĞŶĞƌĂƚŝŽŶŝƐ carbon free 2014 Statistics System Peak Load .......................................165,914 kW Kilowatt-hours Sold .................................... 837,799,601 Annual Actual Load Factor ................................. 58.76% Operating Revenue .................................... $69,466,172 Total Utility Plant ...................................... $153,302,747 Miles of Electric Line ............................................. 5,061 Capital Expenditures .................................... $8,398,134 Number of Employees ............................................... 74 Number of Customers......................................... 18,656 Revenue Bonds Payable ............................. $14,406,212 Debt Service Coverage Ratio .................................... 6.67 ^ƚĂŶĚĂƌĚΘWŽŽƌ͛ƐŽŶĚZĂƚŝŶŐ ................................ AAUnrestricted Cash and Investments ........... $29,527,572 Providing Low Rates to Customers Norris Public Power District is committed to providing reliable, low-cost energy to customers. Norris had no rate increase in 2014. The average rate paid by customer class is: i 9.30 cents per kilowatt-hour for residential customers. i 6.43 cents per kilowatt-hour for large industrial customers. i 8.16 cents per kilowatt-hour average for all customers. Our Mission To provide electricity and related services to customers at competitive prices, in the safest, most reliable, efficient and environmentally responsible manner. May/June 2015 3 ELECTRIC NEWS “Dedicated to Serving You” (USPS-391-880) Published Bi-Monthly by NORRIS PUBLIC POWER DISTRICT 606 Irving Street, P.O. Box 399 Beatrice, NE 68310-0399 Phone: 402-223-4038 www.norrisppd.com email: [email protected] Subscription Rates: Fifty cents per issue Postmasters: Send notices and returns to: Norris Public Power District P.O. Box 399 Beatrice, NE 68310-0399 Periodicals Postage Paid at Lincoln, Nebraska and additional offices Board Meeting Information Unless otherwise provided by resolution of the Board of Directors, regular meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held monthly on the first Wednesday of each month. The Directors shall hold their meetings at the principal office of the District, or at such other place or places as the Board may from time to time determine. Notice of regular meeting shall be given as provided by law. Officers and Directors Rodney Heinrichs, President, Carleton Stewart Huneke, Vice-President, Wilber John Novotny, Secretary, Odell Randy Steinhausen, Treasurer, Lincoln Dennis Buel, Hickman Mark Knobel, Fairbury Gary Kroese, Adams Kenneth Myers, Holmesville Roger Rada, Tobias Bruce Tegtmeier, Jansen Berneal Warner, Waverly On the Cover: Where There’s Smoke, There’s Volunteer Firemen Volunteer firemen battle a grass fire alongside Highway 8 in Gage County. (See story on page 9) TABLE OF CONTENTS 3 2014 Statistics Schools That Participated: Jefferson Intermediate School – Fairbury Meridian Public Schools – Daykin St. Joseph Catholic School – Beatrice St. Paul’s Lutheran School – Plymouth Tri-County Public Schools – DeWitt Wilber-Clatonia Public Schools Beatrice Public Schools Lincoln Elementary Stoddard Elementary Cedar Elementary Paddock Lane Elementary Diller-Odell Public Schools Freeman Public Schools – Adams 4-5 District News Norris Public Power District Quick Facts Energy Innovation Message from Bruce Vitosh, General Manager/CEO 6 Dedicated Years of Service Milestone Service Anniversaries Achieved Jerry Enns, Deb Winkle and Brock McDougall 7 EnergyWise SM 8 Operation Roundup Residential Incentive Programs Aquifer Defining and Protecting Our Underground Water 9 Dedicated To Serving You Second Quarter Awards 10 Embracing Technology YOUTH EDUCATION NORRIS What If No One Answers The Call? 11 Farm Safety Day Kiosk Offers New Payment Option River Runs Dry Keeping the River In Its’ Banks 12 Outage Information Farm Safety Is How He Rolls 13 Seasonal Safety Alert There Is No Doubt When The Lights Go Out 14-15 Youth Education Rooted In Safety Landscaping the Campus 16 Community Events Calendar Future Stewards Of The Earth NORRIS PUBLIC POWER DISTRICT CONTACT NUMBERS Main Office – Area III Beatrice: 402-223-4038 Bruce Vitosh Toll Free: 1-800-858-4707 Hours: M-F 7:30 AM–4:30 PM [email protected] Area I Hebron: 402-768-6515 Toll Free: 1-800-827-8099 Hours: M-F 8:00 AM–4:30 PM Closed each day from 12:00 PM–12:30 PM Jerry Enns Fairbury: 402-729-3835 Manager of Operations and Safety [email protected] Area II Roca: 402-423-3855 Toll Free: 1-800-743-3899 Hours: M-F 8:00 AM–4:30 PM Crete: 402-826-2517 General Manager/CEO Manager of Engineering [email protected] Randal Evans Follow us on Twitter Vicky Jurgens Norris Electric News Magazine Editor [email protected] Storm Water Sleuth Slow Storm Water and Keep Runoff Clean Emily Shockley Administrative Coordinator [email protected] Michelle Junker Manager of Corporate Services [email protected] Connect on Linkedin Like us on Facebook We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children. Native American Proverb May/June 2015 15 COMMUNITY EVENTS CALENDAR Community events are provided as a courtesy, based on information submitted by the public. Norris Public Power District is not responsible for errors. Events are subject to change, please check with sponsoring organization for updated information. To have a community event published on this page, please submit the event information to [email protected] or by calling Vicky at 1-800-858-4707. Norris Public Power District reserves the right to accept or decline event submissions and to edit material submitted due to space availability limits. With a bi-monthly publication, calendar items must be submitted on a timely basis to ensure that the event will be published. If the deadline is missed for publication, the event will be in the current list of community events on our website at www.norrisppd.com. Look for the Community Events Calendar on the right hand side of your screen. Saturday, May 16th James Arthur Vineyards Renaissance Festival 2001 West Raymond Road - Raymond Noon to 8:00 p.m. Admission is $2.00 and 100% of proceeds benefits Heartland Big Brothers/Big Sisters Program Schedule of events will be on www.jamesarthurvineyards.com and Facebook Saturday, May 16th Camp Creek Antique Machinery & Threshing Swap Meet and Flea Market 17200 Bluff Road, Waverly Gates open at dawn - free admission and parking All you can eat pancake breakfast starts at sunrise For more information visit www.ccthreshers.org Saturday, May 23th Odell’s 10th Annual Run For Fun 1 mile, 5K and 10K Registration begins at 7:00 a.m. Monday, May 25th DeWitt Annual Memorial Day Observation 10:00 a.m. ceremony at Oak Grove Cemetery Following ceremony, there will be a public dinner at the DeWitt Community Center Saturday, May 30th Blue Valley Community Action 3rd Annual Duck N Run Crystal Springs Park in Fairbury 9:15 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. For more information and to register visit www.bvca.net Friday, June 5th – Saturday, June 6th 23rd Annual Nebraska State Fly-In and Air Show Hebron Municipal Airport Friday: Dinner and USO Show – open to the public Saturday: Honor Guard and Air Show will be at 1:00 p.m. For more information visit www.hebronairport.com Friday, June 5th – Saturday, June 6th Hallam Area Garage Sales – 20 Plus Participants Friday: 3:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Saturday: 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Hallam Steakhouse will serve lunch specials on Saturday Contact Sheila Taylor at 402-450-2154 for more information Saturday, June 6th – Sunday, June 7th Abate #7 Steele City Ride-In Bike Show Ride the scenic byways, compete for prizes and camp for the weekend Food and entertainment all weekend Free admission to the bike show Saturday, June 6th – Sunday, June 7th Rock Creek Station Historical Park Trail Days 57426 710th Road, Fairbury Featuring stagecoach rides, living history demonstrations, music, Saturday night enjoy a buffalo stew cookout and reenactments Park Entry Permit is required Monday, June 22nd – Friday, June 26th Hickman Presbyterian Church Vacation Bible School 300 E. Third Street - Hickman Sunday, June 7th The Allen Family Singers – as seen in Branson, Missouri Living Life Reformed Church – 603 Russell Street, Firth 7:00 p.m. Freewill offering, fellowship and refreshments Saturday, June 27th Cortland Fest – Carnival Tractor and car shows, carnival games, pony rides, petting zoo, Little Tuggers Pull and craft show 4:00 p.m. parade and fireworks at dusk at the park Saturday, June 6th – Sunday, June 7th Rock Island Rail Days Rock Island Railroad Museum Musical entertainment, miniature train rides, all new model railroad display For more information contact the Jefferson County Historical Society at 402-729-5131 Friday, June 12th – Sunday, June 14th Sam Wymore Days in Wymore Friday, June 12th – Sunday, June 14th Pickrell Picnic – Park It In Pickrell! Friday: NK Pullers – truck and tractor pull with BBQ Saturday: One Hill of a Run – 1 mile, 5K and 10K Walk/Run Races, sand volleyball, tractor show, fire truck rides, Little and Big Tuggers Pull, BBQ Rib Dinner, lawn mower races and 5-Mile Bridge - street dance Sunday: Community church service, car show, Windsor loin dinner, park ribbon cutting ceremony, Chelewski Brothers – Polka Band and horseshoe tournament For complete schedule of events, visit www.pickrellpicnic.com Saturday, June 13th Crete Youth Governance Team 5K/1 Mile Fun Run Or Walk Tuxedo Park, Crete Run along the river and experience the beauty of nature Funds raised will go towards enhancement of the trails Registration is due by Friday, May 29th http://specialprojects.unl.edu/crete/news_and_activities to learn more or to get registration form or contact 402-821-2151 Sunday, June 14th – Sunday, June 21st Homestead Days in Beatrice Sunday, June 21st “Welcome Summer” Brunch Western Fire Hall, Western 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Freewill donation Sponsored by Struckman-Baatz Public Library Norris May/June 2015 Vol. 60 No. 3 Dinner at 5:30 p.m. and Bible School 6:00 p.m. – 8:15 p.m. Sign up at www.hickmanpresbyterian.org/VBS or call 402-792-2800 Thursday, June 25th – Saturday, June 27th Diller Picnic – Bright Lights, Little City Thursday: Nebraska Bush Pullers tractor pull and fireworks Saturday: Mud drags, pasture golf and parade Carnival will be going all three nights For complete schedule of events, visit www.dillerpicnic.com Electric News Magazine Friday, July 3rd – Saturday, July 4th 45th Annual Shriner’s Flea Market Fairbury City Park Hundreds of vendors, and an antique paradise Shriner’s Parade at 10:00 a.m. and fireworks at dusk sponsored by Fairbury VFW Post #3113 For more information contact Wayne Buehler at 402-729-3221 Thursday, July 16th – Sunday, July 19th Jefferson County Fair “Country Pride Jefferson County Wide” Jayhusker Races, horse related activities, carnival, grandstand shows and much more Saturday, July 18th – Sunday, July 19th Camp Creek Antique Machinery and Threshing Annual Show Featuring Ford tractors and oddball gas engines For more information visit www.ccthreshers.org Wednesday, July 22nd – Sunday, July 26th Gage County Fair “Sweet Things Happen at the Gage County Fair” Grandstand Entertainment: July 22nd – Kyle Park July 23rd – The Swon Brothers July 24th – Stock Car Races July 25th – Eve of Destruction July 26th – Nebraska Sprint Car and Sport Mod Special For complete schedule of events visit www.gagecountyfair.com District Customers “Dedicated To Serving You”