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au Claire Energy Cooperative line workers spent the evening of Wednesday, September 6, installing cable into the service entrance for the new pavilion at Cleghorn Park, south of Eau Claire. Ten line workers volunteered about three hours each to install approximately 200 feet of primary URD (underground) electric cable from the existing padmount transformer to set a new transformer for the concession building, and to install a 320-amp service line. Pictured above (left to right) are ECEC Line Workers Scott Magnuson,

Terry Gilbertson, Brian Yohnk, Josh Vaningan, Fred Hines, Keith Kaufman, Don Draeger, Jeff Anderson, and Beau Blade. (One line worker who worked on the project but is not pictured above is Bob Henrichs.) Eau Claire Energy Cooperative provided the equipment and materials to complete the project. Cleghorn School was torn down on August 25 to make way for a community park. The new concession building will be built by volunteers from the Chippewa Valley Home Builders in early October.

Pictured at right: Scott Magnusson concentrates on working the levers on the trencher, placing the electric cable underground. Center: Josh Vaningan puts the finishing touches on the pad-mount transformer just before the electricity is turned back on. Far right: Beau Blade secures machinery on the flatbed trailer after the job was completed.

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Above left: ECEC Line Workers Josh Vaningan, Keith Kaufman, Jeff Anderson, and Don Draeger connect the underground cable with the service entrance for the new pavilion. Above right: Fred Hines smoothes the ground after the 200 feet of primary underground cable was buried.

Eau Claire Energy Cooperative • 5

Eau Claire Energy Cooperative

$435,000 Paid Out in Capital Credits!

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n September, Eau Claire Energy Cooperative paid out more than $435,000 in capital credits to over 11,700 members. Each check represents this year’s cash value of the member’s capital credits balance. No other type of utility offers this membership benefit. This year your board of directors at ECEC approved a capital credits retirement of 4 percent, and Dairyland Power Cooperative (our electric power provider) has approved a capital credits retirement of 2 percent. Capital credits are created when any excess earnings (income minus expenses) are left over at the end of each year in the form of profits. At the end of the year, the profits are assigned to the members in the form of capital credits and remain at your cooperative until they are eligible to be refunded according to board action. The annual profits are evenly distributed to your Capital Credits Allocation Account according to your annual

patronage, the amount of money you spend on eligible energy services. Capital credits accumulate in your Capital Credits Allocation Account in your name at ECEC and are refunded to you by check upon action by ECEC’s Board of Directors. Not every member received a check this year. Only checks in the amount of $10 or more are being distributed. The goal of your cooperative is to provide energy and related services that are of the highest value to you. It does not exist to generate profit for a group of investors as other types of utilities do. All profits are returned to you, the member, in the form of capital credits. That’s the cooperative way. Still have questions? We will be happy to assist you. Contact us during regular business hours (7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday) at 715-832-1603 or toll FREE 1-888-832-1604.

Eau Claire Energy Cooperative • 16a

Eau Claire Energy Cooperative

Nodolf Hired as Apprentice Line Worker

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elcome to Nathan Nodolf, who was hired as an apprentice line worker beginning September 16 at Eau Claire Energy Cooperative. His responsibilities will be to help construct and maintain electric power lines. Nate has worked as a temporary line worker at ECEC for the past four summers. According to Randy Baier, ECEC’s line superintendent, “Nate has been a diligent worker regardless of the task. He also helped with Hurricane Katrina recovery work in Louisiana. He will be a great addition to our crew. I am excited to have him as a full-time employee.”

Ask a Line Worker

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ave you seen the line crew out on the job and ever wondered what they may have been working on? Ask your question on ECEC’s web site, www.ecec.com. An ECEC line worker will respond to your question and the answer will be posted online. Just click on “Ask A Line Worker” at the top of the web page to see all the questions and their answers. A personal response will also be sent to you provided you include your e-mail address.

copyright 2004 WorkPlace Pro

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The Fall Creek Back-to-School picnic brought out over 30 community businesses and organizations and over 300 children with their parents on the last day of summer vacation for the Fall Creek School District.

Chris Cline, propane manager, handed out prizes at the Eau Claire Energy Cooperative/Energy Connections table at the Fall Creek Elementary School Back to School Picnic/Informational Fair on August 31. Children tossed ping pong balls into the ECEC mugs to win back-to-school school prizes such as pencils and rulers. Chris was assisted by ECEC Youth Ambassador Brandon Withers (not pictured), a student at Fall Creek High School. The event is sponsored by the Fall Creek Community Children’s Council.

Eau Claire Energy Cooperative • 16c

Eau Claire Energy Cooperative

1) Change five lights. Replace your home’s five most frequently used light fixtures, or the bulbs in them, with models that have earned the ENERGY STAR for energy efficiency and save more than $60 a year in energy costs. The five highest-use lights are typically found in the kitchen, living room, bathroom, and outdoor areas (such as a porch or post lamp).

2) Get 1 instead of 10. Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) last 6 to 10 times longer than standard incandescent light bulbs, saving you time buying and replacing bulbs, and about $25 in energy costs over the life of each bulb. For each CFL you buy, you save as many as 10 trips to buy an incandescent bulb! 3) Look to lumens (not watts) for light. When selecting energy-efficient light bulbs, use lumens, or light output, as the guide to getting the right bulb. Energyefficient lighting will provide the same amount of light while using fewer watts.

4) Consider the environmental savings. Your home can cause twice as many greenhouse gas emissions as your car! Most U.S. homes still get their energy from furnaces that burn fossil fuels and release greenhouse gases into our atmosphere. If one room in every U.S. home used only ENERGY STAR qualified lighting, we’d prevent air pollution equal to the emissions from 8 million cars. Some savings are worth more than dollars and cents.

wasted energy. To save energy, use this lamp infrequently, or consider replacing it with a fixture that’s earned the ENERGY STAR and operates at much cooler, safer temperatures. The change could save you about $75 in energy costs over the new lamp’s lifetime.

7) Put your lights on a schedule. Make sure your lights are on only when you need them. Install timers that automatically turn lights off and on according to your needs. Use motion detectors on outdoor fixtures for safety and to prevent lights from being on all night. Use photo cells or photo sensors on outdoor lighting to allow lights to come on only when the sun is down. All ENERGY STAR qualified outdoor fixtures come with photocells or photo sensors.

8) Keep cool with a ceiling fan. Are you using an old ceiling fan to cool and light a room in your home? When you’re ready to replace it, choose an ENERGY STAR qualified ceiling fan/light combination model. It will use half the energy of a traditional ceiling fan with lighting.

9) Start with lighting, but don’t stop there. 5) Flip a switch when leaving a room. Saving energy and money can start by not wasting energy. When you leave a room, turn off the light and see the savings. 6) Safety (and savings) first. The bulb in a halogen torchiere lamp burns at between 700 and 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit—hot enough to fry an egg—signaling a lot of 16d • Wisconsin Energy Cooperative News

Changing to energy-efficient lighting is one of the easiest ways to start saving energy and money at home, and to brighten our world for future generations. There are other steps you can take. Learn more: www.energystar.gov.

10) Spread the word. Be sure to share the ENERGY STAR story with family and friends.

Eau Claire Energy Cooperative

Load Management Helps Reduce Energy Demand

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uring the recent hot spells in July, Eau Claire Energy Cooperative put its load management programs to good use by reducing demand and energy requirements. By doing this, our members and the Dairyland Power family of electric cooperatives saved almost a half-million dollars. In the past 12 months, Dairyland has saved over $1.6 million in energy costs due to the load management program. On those hot days—which have not been seen in our area since 1988—Eau Claire Energy Cooperative and Dairyland cycled air conditioners, interrupted water heaters, shut off irrigation systems, and started up commercial customers’ standby generators to save everyone energy and money. During some hours, Dairyland was able to reduce its demand for electricity by more than 70 megawatts, which is over 8 percent of its systemwide peak

Install a programmable thermostat. These are inexpensive and easy to install. The programmable thermostat automatically turns the heat down during weekdays and at night so you aren’t paying to heat the home when you don’t need it heated.

Change the direction of the ceiling fan. To make ceiling fans useful all year long, change their direction. In

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demand; savings during these hours can exceed $10,000 or more per hour. We especially thank our agricultural and business customers who endured 10 days of load control during the afternoon and evening peak hours, and also those who ran their standby generators up to four hours each day to help us avoid the purchase of very expensive energy on the spot market. Members participating in the load management programs are very important to Eau Claire Energy Cooperative. You help us avoid generation capacity deficits and minimize higher-cost energy purchases. We also recognize that there is a delicate balance of maximizing the value of our load management program while not inconveniencing our members with too much control. So far, we have been very successful. Again, thanks for your help!

winter, the fan should create a gentle updraft that moves warm air from the along the ceiling and distributes it evenly throughout the room.

Turn down the heat. Five degrees equals 5 percent. As a homeowner you can easily save money this winter by turning the thermostat down just a few degrees. Lower the thermostat by just 5 degrees at night and when your home is empty and you can reduce your heating costs by as much as 5 percent.

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lug into Electrical Safety” tips to help prevent injuries or fire. When fall arrives, it’s time to have your heating system checked and serviced by a qualified professional. No matter what kind of heating system you have, a check-up will ensure that it’s operating efficiently and safely before the first cold days arrive.

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Do not cover an electric blanket with quilts, blankets, or pets. Never “tuck in” the sides or ends of an electric blanket. The heating coils may become damaged or bent and may cause a fire. For the sake of safety, use the blanket to warm the bed prior to retiring. Then, turn it off.

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Make sure the cord to a portable electric heater is in good condition and that the switches and controls are all working properly.

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Fuses and circuit breakers are safety devices located in your electric panel. Use the correct size for fuses; replacing a fuse with one of a higher rating can be a fire hazard.

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Space heaters should be placed at least three to four feet from flammable material such as curtains, furniture, or newspapers. Extension cords should not be used with space heaters. Even though electric heaters are equipped with an automatic shut-off device if knocked over, the heaters can still cause fires or serious burns with the residual heat. Make sure the heater has a three-prong grounded plug and is used in a grounded wall outlet.

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Taking these simple steps now can help you stay comfortable—and safe—this winter. Go to www.ecec.com and click on “Electricity” for more safety tips for you and your family. —Source: Illinois Electric Council and National Electric Safety Foundation web site

If you use an electric blanket, make sure it is in good condition. Look for cracks or breaks in the wiring, plugs, or connectors, and look for charred spots on both sides of the blanket. Any of these conditions indicates a potential fire hazard.

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e sure to change your clocks and batteries in October. Fall back one hour on your clock, and change the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors at the same time. This year Daylight Savings Time ends at 2 a.m. on Sunday, October 29.

Eau Claire Energy Cooperative John W. Luehrsen, CEO Mary Kay Brevig, Editor 8214 Hwy 12 PO Box 368 Fall Creek, WI 54742-0368 Office Hours: 7:30 a.m.–4 p.m. Mon–Fri Non-emergencies: 715-832-1603 Toll FREE 888-832-1604 Emergencies & outages: Toll FREE 800-927-5090 24 hours a day, 7 days a week Diggers Hotline: 1-800-242-8511 Call 3 working days before you dig.

Eau Claire Energy Cooperative • 29

School is back in session. Please have patience with the school buses that carry our most precious cargo. ● Always go slowly in school zones and obey speed limits when children are present or in school. ● Never pass a stopped school bus showing flashing lights. Children dart out from nowhere with no warning. Children can be invisible behind buses and cars until they are in the traffic lanes. Please heed these safety tips. Your friends at Eau Claire Energy Cooperative want your children to be safe this school year.