September 2011
Managers Report
from Rod Gerdes, General
Manager
Remember the hot days of July and August? Even the last few days of June were warm, but those July days of 100 degree-plus heat were memorable, especially when the nighttime temperature never got below 80 degrees.
All of this led to some very high electric bills for members and some very high power bills from your Cooperative's power supplier. We will be paying on that summer peak demand until June 2012. We all had decisions to make concerning comfort and the amount of dollars we wanted to spend to keep that comfort.
Summer hours for the line crew begin at 6 a.m. to lessen the effect of the heat. Line construction and maintenance is hard work, and sustained periods out in the hot sun can take its toll if you're not careful. Stresses on equipment and line hardware also increase during extremely hot weather, but we haven't experienced any major problems. Planning and maintenance are critical to provide our membership with a reliable source of power all year long, but especially during the hot summer months.
If you have been following the markets, you have seen the effects of the inability of Congress to deal with the debt ceiling. During the debates and the posturing, there have been wild swings in the markets and business has been cautious to expand, hire, and produce when there is no clear direction from the government. A little stability, a little leadership, a little less posturing, and a little more concern for the average person would be a good start. What if members of Congress were required to return to their home areas after each session and build line, mow and stack hay, drive a tractor, work a shift at the plant or store, or any one of a number of things that the rest of us do? Maybe they would appreciate us more and themselves less. A reality check may be just what is needed.
