Chimney Rock News

Choice is Local Control www.crppd.com August, 2016

12–A

Manager Memos -by Diana Reich

Energy Efficiency Credits

Energy Efficiency Credits are available on electric motors, electric heating, electric hot water heaters, Energy Star appliances and LED lights. Efficiency Credits are available on new installations only.

Certain standards of efficiency must be met to qualify depending on the type of electric equipment installed.

Some of the credits from Tri–State G & T are:*Electric water heaters - $50 - $100/unit*Heat pumps $125 - $150/ton*Electric motors 10-500 hp $8/hp*2 Ton or larger Energy Star air conditioners-$100-$150/unit*Energy Star Appliances (refrig, clothes or dish washer) $30-$40*LED lights - lesser of 1/2 cost of lights or $10 per lamp

Chimney Rock also contributes to some of the credit.

Please contact our office for infor-mation on requirements and credit amounts at 586-1824.

Let us help pay for your new elec-tric appliances and motors. Safe – Efficient – Electric

Dear Consumers,

What do you do when your electricity goes out? Do you wait to see if it comes back on, do you check if your neighbors have elec-tricity, or do you call the power outage in immediately? Why do I ask? I’m thinking about the storm that went through our area the night of Tuesday, June 28th. Not only do I work for Chimney Rock Public Power, but I am also a customer and although my power only blinked briefly, Chimney Rock experienced multiple outages on a broad level intermittently throughout the night. The outages were scattered which makes it difficult for our linemen. The outages ranged from Minatare to Angora and east to Bridgeport and Broadwater. The majority of the outages were caused by fallen trees and branches, broken poles, as well as wind damage. We had to replace about 10 poles due to this storm. Why are scattered outages difficult? Chimney Rock PPD’s service area covers 972 square miles with about 1,009 miles of line. The linemen have to split up into separate crews to cover the different outages. In order to pinpoint the cause of an outage, the linemen must trace all the line within the outage area. That means that they’re out driving in the dark trying to get around fences, ditches, and repairing the line where they could. Although most services were repaired that night, we did have some services off until the following morning. The linemen worked through the night to get power restored with temporary repairs. After about 16 hours of working through the night we sent them home to get some rest in case we had another night of storms. Fortunately, we didn’t but it did take another week to get all the final repairs made. It’s hard to put in to words exactly what the linemen do to restore your power but I want to thank you, our consumer, for your patience while they worked. I also want to thank the linemen for all they do to get the power back on for you. As to when it’s best to report an outage, I would recommend checking with your neighbors first to see if they are also out then call it in.

12–B

Homeowner Tax Credits for Energy Extended

Congress has extended income tax credits for both energy efficiency measures and renew-ables through 2016, and in the case of solar, all the way to 2021. This will likely spur continued homeowner interest in solar and other types of renewable energy.

Efficiency tax credits are retroactive from January 1, 2015 through December 31, 2016. Also regarding maximum amounts, the cumulative credit that can be claimed for the years 2009 & 2010 is $1,500.00. For 2011 through 2016 the maximum cumulative credit over the five years combined is $500.00. Taxpayers who have already claimed a tax credit of $500 for purchases made in these previous years are not eligible for additional credits on new efficiency purchases.

The 30 percent tax credits for solar-electric and solar water heating extend to December 31, 2019. Excess credit may be carried to the next tax year. After 2019, there’s a gradual decrease in credits for solar through 2021. There is no maximum credit total for solar systems that have been in-place beginning 2008.

Beyond solar, the other renewables include small wind, ground-source heat pumps and fuel cells. Although tax credits end for these on December 31, 2016 there is no maximum tax rebate total (except for fuel cells). The renewable system can serve a second home or vacation cabin.

A good source for details on eligible applications is found at : www.energystar.gov/about/federal tax credits

Birds on a Wire: Why Don’t They Get Shocked

While it is safe for a bird to sit on an overhead power line, it is not safe for people to be near them. So how can birds sit on a power line and remain unharmed?

In order for an electrical charge, or electrons, to move from one spot to another, it must be in contact with conductive material that has at least two different points of potential. Electrons will move toward lower potential. That is why it is said that electricity is always looking for a path to ground (lower potential).

A bird remains safe because it is sitting on a single wire and is at one point of contact, and consequently one electrical potential. If the bird sitting on this one potential was to also make contact with another object of different potential that bird would be completing a path to ground, causing severe electric shock or electrocution. For larger birds with wider wingspans, reaching and touching another wire is a real hazard.

12–C

Carrot Dip

4 large carrots2 tbsp olive oil1 tsp ground cumin2 tsp honeyJuice from 1 lemon1/2 tsp harissa pasteFlatbread to serve

Scrub and trim the carrots, then chop into chunks and cook in a saucepan of salted water until tender. Drain, then transfer to a food processor with the oil, cumin, honey, lemon juice and harissa. Pulse until just smooth. Season lightly with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Taste and if necessary, adjust the seasoning by adding more lemon juice, harissa, or salt and pepper. Serve with fl atbread.

Back to School - Bus Safety Tips

School buses are by far, the safest way for students to travel and children need to do their part to stay alert and aware of their surroundings to prevent injury.

Getting on the Bus:* When waiting for the bus, stay away from traffi c and avoid roughhousing and carelessness.* Line up away from the road as the bus approaches.* Wait until the bus has stopped and the door opens before approaching the bus.

Behavior on the Bus:* Stay in your seat.* Keep aisles clear of books and bags.* Don’t put your head, arms or hands out the window.* Wait for the bus to stop completely before getting up from your seat.

Teach your children to follow bus safety rules,

Chimney RockPublic Power District

128 W 8th St.P O Box 608

Bayard, NE 69334

Board of Directors

PresidentGary Kniss

Vice–PresidentKevin Stuart

Secretary/TreasurerRichard Kildow

Larry Fiscus

Travis Petersen

Stan Propp

StaffShauna AbbottChris CoxTina DouglasAlvin HarimonRon HubbardDJ KearnsJustin McAllisterScot OuderkirkDiana ReichBrandon WyckoffKande Zuber

During normal office hours and after hours call:(308) 586–1824 or(877) 773–6300

This institution is an equal oppor-tunity provider and employer.

12–D

Energy Efficiency Tip of the Month

Is your room air conditioner working overtime? Reduce air leaks by installing rigid foam panels (instead of the commonly used accordion panels) in between the window frame and unit, and secure with duct tape. Source: energy.gov

There’s an App for That!

Tracking your steps, tracking your children, monitoring your banking activity or locating your parked car-these days, it seems like there is an app for everything.

Purchasing a smart thermostat for your home is a great way to begin managing your energy use. But, if you are looking for a more granular way to obtain information about your energy use, an app can provide useful insight into how specific actions impact your utility bill.

Touchstone Energy Cooperatives offers the Together We Save app, which enables users to calculate the energy use of many household appliances based on national averages. This free app includes roughly 100 calculators thatdetermine the projected energy use and cost of particular appliances and activities. The app also offers 100 practical en-ergy-saving tips. For Touchstone Energy Cooperative members, the Together We Save app calculates energy costs based on your actual utility rates for even greater accuracy.

Chemicals can be Dangerous to our Linemen

Chimney Rock PPD would like to request your help in keeping our linemen safe. If you are spraying or applying chemicals that are toxic or hazardous to our employees, please notify our office before the application. If we know ahead of time that chemicals are being applied we can make sure that our linemen are not working in that area, preventing them from being put in a dangerous situation.