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GUNNISON COUNTY ELECTRIC ASSOCIATION

[GCEA News]
[whats inside]
Co-op Employee Promotions
n My Co-op Calendar
n GCEAs New Website
n Staying Connected Just Got Easier
n Energy Class at WSCU
n

Scholarship Reminder
n Ice Bucket Challenge
n Commercial Lighting
n

MAILING ADDRESS
P.O. Box 180
Gunnison, CO 81230-0180
STREET ADDRESS
37250 West Highway 50
Gunnison, CO 81230
970-641-3520 [Gunnison]
970-349-5385 [Crested Butte]
gcea@gcea.coop [email]
www.gcea.coop [web]
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
John Vader, president
District 6 [Gunnison East/Sargents]
Greg Wiggins, vice president
District 1 [Crested Butte]
Paul Hudgeons, secretary/treasurer
District 5 [Lake City]
Bart Laemmel, assistant secretary/treasurer
District 3 [Ohio Creek/Almont]
Chuck Cliggett, director
District 7 [at large]
Chris Morgan, director
District 2 [Mt. Crested Butte]
Steve Schechter, director
District 4 [Gunnison West/Powderhorn]

NEWSLETTER EDITOR
Logann Peterson

coloradocountrylife.coop

Pay-as-You-Go Electricity

BY MIKE MCBRIDE || CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

What if every electric device in


in place to evaluate each energy
your home worked like a car
decision at that level, we are
wash? What if you needed to
gaining tools that provide us
drop a quarter, dime or nickel
with more timely information to
in the slot each time you wanted
help in our energy use decisions.
to use electricity? As it is now,
These tools can help us manwe dont give much thought to
age our total energy usage and
those decisions. We simply flip
bring down our monthly bill.
Mike McBride
the switch and we settle up at
SmartHub allows you to access
the end of the month, essentially paying
your daily usage information through the
for a thousand little decisions after the
Internet or a mobile device. There is no
fact, all at once.
need to wait for your monthly bill.
If you are reading this article when it is
While not quite the same as paying
dark outside, Id like to invite you to enwith each flip of the switch, next year ingage in a little experiment with me. Turn
terested members can pay as they go with
off the light and ask yourself if you would
an option Gunnison Country Electric
be willing to pay 25 cents for an hour of
Association plans to implement. With
light so that you can finish reading the
a prepaid meter, members will have the
magazine. I think I would be willing to
ability to monitor their usage in real time
pay that small sum rather than sit in the
and deposit money as needed.
dark. If you are reading by a 60 watt bulb,
In myriad ways, electricity provides
the actual cost is less than a penny.
great value day in and day out, and tools
At the moment of decision, would you
like SmartHub and prepaid metering can
drop a quarter in the slot in order to have
provide even greater value by helping you
300 watts of light by which to prepare
take control of your usage and your bill.
dinner? Thankfully, the actual cost of
Please contact one of GCEAs member
that light is less than 4 cents. If youre
support specialists for more information.
planning a big project in the shop or the
garage, would you be willing to deposit
a quarter for 1,000 watts of light? Your
actual cost is only about 12 cents. Of
course with LED lights or with compact
fluorescent or halogen lights, the cost is
even less.
How about a hot shower? I think I can
safely say that when I want one, I would
be willing to pay 50 cents for it. The acSmartHub allows you to access your daily
tual cost is less than a penny a minute,
usage information through the Internet or a
or less than 10 cents for a 10-minute
mobile device. There is no need to wait for
shower.
your monthly bill.
While we dont have the mechanisms
DECEMBER 2014

[GCEA News]
Employee Promotions
Congratulations to Todd Fuller

Join us in congratulating Todd Fuller on


his recent promotion as GCEAs Gunnison
working foreman. Todd has been a valuable
asset to GCEA since 2005 as an apprentice
and journeyman lineman. As the Gunnison
working foreman, Todd will be responsible
for supervising crews in the Gunnison area.
He has worked at GCEA for almost 10 years,
and we appreciate all his hard work. Please congratulate Todd on
his accomplishment and thank him for keeping the lights on.

Staying Connected Just Got Easier


Want an easy and quick way to stay in touch on
happenings around GCEA? Connect with GCEA
on social media channels to get quick energy efficiency tips and updates on GCEA events, learn
about new products and services and see plenty of
photos of community happenings. Leave comments or questions
and GCEA will get back to you in a timely manner. Check us out on
Facebook or Twitter to catch up with GCEA.

My Co-op Calendar
GCEAS NEW WEBSITE
GCEA recently updated its website to be more userfriendly and easier to read. The new website is easier to
navigate and youll be able to find everything you need.
If you have any questions or concerns, or if you have
something you would like to see added or removed, let
us know and we will see what we can do. Check it out at
www.gcea.coop.

December 5....... Night of Lights Downtown Gunnison


December 21...................................................First Day of Winter
December 24.............................................................Christmas Eve
December 25........................Christmas Office Closed
December 31........................................................... New Years Eve
January 1..................... New Years Day Office Closed

[employee anniversary]
Mike Young...................................................................... GIS Technician 35 years
Congratulations! We value our employees!

Happy Holidays
From GCEA!
May Your Holidays
Be Merry & Bright!
8

DECEMBER 2014

coloradocountrylife.coop

[GCEA News]

GCEA Presents Energy Class at WSCU

On October 20, CEO Mike McBride, Staff Engineer Rocky


Ferran, COO Roger Grogg and Energy Use Specialist Alantha
Garrison visited Western State Colorado University to inform
undergraduate students about electricity and how GCEA provides power to its members. The energy class Fundamentals
of Professional Land and Resource Management is part of the
WSCU land management program, and its goal is to expose
students to the ins and outs of all of the sources of energy that
society uses on a regular basis.
McBride gave a detailed history of GCEA and why electricity
came to the Gunnison Valley. He explained how cooperatives
differ from public power companies and investor-owned utilities
in financial aspects and miles of line. He also discussed how
important electricity is and how it improves life spans around
the world.
Following McBride, Ferran gave a presentation on the basics
of electricity and how power flows on the grid, the components
of the power grid and generation technologies. He explained the

technical terms that are used in the electrical industry and how
distribution lines are planned. This presentation provoked many
questions and provided students with a wealth of information
about electricity.
Grogg discussed line work, the equipment and personal protective equipment the line crew works with, safety working on
the lines, and GCEAs net metering program and solar garden.
He showed the students the equipment the line crew works with
daily such as gloves and hot sticks, and images of the crew working.
Finally, Garrison discussed energy efficiency and how behavior changes can affect energy use. She also explained building
science and how air flows through buildings, what to look for in
an energy-efficient home and how infrared imagery is used with
a blower door test during an energy audit to identify air infiltration and building and insulation anomalies.
If you have an event and would like to invite GCEAs experts to
teach your group about electricity, call 970-641-3520.

Scholarship
Reminder

G
GCEA Participates in Ice Bucket Challenge
On October 23, GCEA accepted Holy Cross Energys nomination for
the Ice Bucket Challenge. COO Roger Grogg and the linemen had
buckets of chilly ice water dumped on them to raise awareness for
ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) and nominated Sangre de Cristo
Electric Association and San Luis Valley Rural Electric Association to
participate in the Ice Bucket Challenge. GCEA will make a donation
to this cause in the hope of finding a cure. To watch the video of
the Ice Bucket Challenge, please visit the GCEA Facebook page at
Gunnison County Electric Association.

coloradocountrylife.coop

GCEA has provided


student scholarships
for decades thanks
to the generosity
of the board of directors, Tri-State
Generation and
Transmission and
Basin Electric Power
Cooperative.
GCEA offers a variety of scholarships
to students residing in our service area.
First-time applicants must fill out an
application form, which is available on
our website or at our GCEA headquarters
and provide the following information:
n List of high school and community
activities
n Statement of extracurricular activities
n Two letters of recommendation
n High school or college transcripts
n First page of the members federal income tax return Form 1040 or 1040A
n A 200-word essay relating to cooperative business
For information please contact Dan
McDonough at 970-641-3520 or visit
www.gcea.coop.
The 2015 scholarship deadline is
Tuesday, February 3, 2015.
DECEMBER 2014

[GCEA News]

COMMERCIAL LIGHTING UPGRADES

Attention business owners: You have an


opportunity to upgrade older, inefficient
lighting in your business and receive a
rebate to help offset the cost. Replacing
older light fixtures in your business can
reduce your energy costs and your carbon
footprint. Start saving energy and money
today.
Commercial lighting rebates up to
$250 per kilowatt saved or 50 percent of
the invoiced fixture and lamp material
cost (whichever is lower) are available to
all GCEA business members thanks to a
partnership with GCEAs power provider,
Tri-State Generation and Transmission.
This can be a significant amount for some
businesses, and the savings continue
beyond the rebate by your reduced energy
use with newer and more efficient fixtures. Rebates are capped at $20,000 per
project per member account per year.
Prior to the start of your project,
contact Energy Use Specialist Alantha
Garrison at 970-641-3520 to schedule an

inspection. The light fixtures


and specific details about their
energy use will be documented.
Once your lighting upgrade
project is completed, the energy
use specialist must revisit your
business and record the specific details of the new installed
lighting to calculate the energy
savings, which determines the
rebate amount. Your business
must submit cut sheets for the
new lighting fixtures and bulbs
installed and an invoice that shows the
cost of the materials. The information is
sent to Tri-State for review, and the rebate
amount is determined and approved by
Tri-State.
Incentives are not provided for lamp
only changes using a reduced wattage bulb
such as halogens and fluorescent tubes,
incandescent bulb replacements using
screw-in compact fluorescent lightbulbs
or LEDs or de-lamping unaccompanied

by significant other fixture modifications,


such as new ballasts or lamp types.
Some fixtures arent manufactured anymore, such as T12 fluorescent fixtures, so
why not be proactive and upgrade now
before something breaks and its difficult
to find a replacement?
You can start saving money and energy
once your project is complete. Contact
us for more information and to schedule
your appointment today.

Safe Lighting Tips for the Holidays

The holidays are here and before you


get out the ladder to string up the
holiday lights, GCEA wants to remind members to stay safe while you
brighten up your home. Although
decorating with electrical lighting
helps you create a cheerful atmosphere, it also brings an increased
risk of unwanted accidents. Holiday
lights are wonderful, but they can
run up your electric bill. Here are
some important safety tips to help
you avoid holiday hazards both outside and inside your home.
n Shocker Getting holiday
decorations out of storage? Check
for damaged prongs, frayed wires,
and other electrical problems before
you decorate.
n Your tree gets thirsty too
Keep your live Christmas tree wellwatered and fresh. Test the needles
to make sure they are elastic and
not dried out and brittle.

10

DECEMBER 2014

n Brighter and better than ever


Save energy by using LED lights
rather than incandescent lights.
LED lights use less energy, produce
less heat and more light and help
lower your electricity bill.
n Save energy and time Use
a timer system so that lights turn
on and off, or be certain to shut off
lights when you are asleep or not at
home. Limit continuous usage of
lights to avoid overheating.
n Twos company, threes a crowd
Do not overload wall sockets. Be
aware of power drains from extra
appliances on common circuits. Use
different sockets around the house
to plug in multiple lights to balance
the load. Also, do not connect more
than three light strings unless the
manufacturer states otherwise
n General rule Use outdoor
lights outside and indoor lights
inside.

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