As we begin the New Year, I would like to take this time to briefly reflect on the year 2009 and inform you of challenges faced by the energy industry and your Cooperative's plans for the year 2010.

The year 2009 proved to be a very remarkable time in the history of your Cooperative with the 2009 Ice Storm that brought over an inch of ice causing 9,500 outages and the 2009 "Inland Hurricane" that brought estimated wind gusts of up to 121 mph resulting in 12,000 outages.  These  storms caused damages in excess of $6.1 million; however your Cooperative applied for FEMA assistance for each of these storms and received $3.8 million in assistance to help pay for these storms.  After three major storms in the past two years, I am hopeful that our Cooperative will experience a calm year in 2010.

Over the past year I have informed you of the proposed climate change legislation that is currently before the Senate.  Due to the controversial debate over Health Care Reform, climate change legislation has been on hold during the last quarter of 2009.  As Congress reconvenes in January 2010, their efforts will likely focus on the economy as they try to find opportunities to create more jobs and help revitalize our nations' economy.  This means climate change legislation may become a priority in the Senate after these efforts are exhausted.  Some believe that if the Senate does not begin the climate change legislation debate early in 2010, it is possible that the climate change legislation will be on hold for another year due to the fact that some Congressmen that are up for re-election in 2010 will be very reluctant to cast yet another very controversial vote if the timing of that vote is nearing the time of the election.  However, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) is continuing to pressure Congress to pass a bill that preempts stringent regulations currently being developed by the USEPA.  Therefore, the actions taken by the Senate during the first quarter of 2010 will determine whether climate change legislation is considered by the Senate in 2010.

In 2010, your Cooperative is planning to continue making necessary investments in the distribution facilities that serve your energy by rebuilding over 35 miles of aging infrastructure and performing other maintenance activities including pole testing, regulator maintenance, breaker maintenance, sectionalizing, etc. in order to help ensure a reliable electric supply.

In 2010, your Cooperative is planning to continue making significant investments in the vegetation management program to improve the quality and reliability of electric service you receive. Major disturbances in electric service can result from fallen tree limbs and overgrown vegetation coming in contact with transmission and distribution lines. Your Cooperative is working with members and landowners to remove many trees that were previously trimmed repeatedly every three to five years. The goal of this program is to provide safe transmission and distribution services and minimize disruptions caused by trees and other vegetation. A sound vegetation management program is crucial to your Cooperative in order to reduce risks associated with major weather events and to maintain a reliable electric supply for our members.

In 2010, your Cooperative remains committed to finding new and better ways to serve its members. Your Cooperative will continue to work diligently to improve and enhance the level of service and reliability that you receive. 

See you next month and as always, "We'll keep the lights on for you."