Power of Community - Pedernales Electric Cooperative

Q: I heard that PEC will stop hanging community banners soon. Is that true?

A: PEC is proud to be an active member of the Hill Country community, partnering with local organizations to give back to our members in a variety of ways. For many years, we have assisted cities and non-profit organizations throughout our service area by hanging event banners; however, there are growing safety concerns associated with that task.

Our service territory is becoming more populated, and traffic has greatly increased on many of the main roads. The process of hanging banners over busy roadways can put drivers, pedestrians and PEC employees at risk. Installed banners can fall or pull down electric poles or equipment, causing a hazardous ...

Q: Is PEC’s Smart Grid pilot program still underway?

A: PEC’s Smart Grid pilot concluded at the end of January after 12 months of data collection, and we’re currently putting together the final report.

During the pilot, we were able to work directly with members to manage the appliances that place the highest demand on the electric grid. One of our goals was to see if the program could help lower members’ electric bills — both directly, by reducing their use, and indirectly, by reducing the Co-op’s overall peak-time use.

We’ll share our findings once the final report is complete. When considering any new program, our priorities are maintaining the reliability and affordability of our electric service and acting in ...

When important Co-op issues arise, our members have a voice. A well-informed, active membership participating in the decisions that shape our Cooperative helps ensure we’re providing the services our members want and need most.

The PEC Board of Directors is asking members to weigh in on two resolutions, one proposing revisions to our energy efficiency goal and the other proposing revisions to the role renewable energy plays in the Cooperative's energy mix. We need your input, so please take a moment to review these issues and let us know what you think. The deadline for comments is May 10, 2012, and only comments submitted by mail (PEC Feedback, P.O. Box 1, Johnson City, TX 78636) or through the Member Feedback ...

Knowledge is power, and informed members make our Cooperative better. That’s why PEC works to keep you in-the-know about your Co-op, your energy use and electric safety.

We understand that you want to learn more about lowering your electric bill, so in 2012 we’re hosting a series of DIY Open Houses throughout our service territory. We’ll present some simple home projects you can tackle yourself to use less energy in every season. Because saving money shouldn’t cost you, we’ll share low- and no-cost conservation tips that can make a difference on your bill without breaking the bank. There will also be useful giveaways and prizes to help you meet your energy goals. Check the schedule for a DIY ...

Many hands make light work. Hill Country residents took that proverb to heart in 1938, coming together to electrify Central Texas by becoming Pedernales Electric Cooperative’s first members.

Since then, there have been a lot of changes. Technologies have come and gone, and our service area has experienced rapid development. But as we’ve grown into the biggest electric distribution cooperative in the nation, we haven’t forgotten our roots — the communities we serve.

That’s why we partner with our membership in every aspect of our business, guided by seven cooperative principles. The United Nations has declared 2012 the International Year of Cooperatives, and to celebrate, during the next 10 months we’ll tell you about each principle, what we're ...

Q: PEC’s line extension policy has changed since I purchased my property several years ago. Can I be grandfathered in under the previous policy?

A: Members who would like to establish service must do so under the current line extension policy. PEC is unable to grandfather any members, even if they purchased their property or received an initial quote under a previous policy.

When PEC’s line extension policy was revised in August 2009, we realized the impact the change could have and publicized a 30-day notice of the policy revision to local news agencies, posted information on our website and held member forums throughout our service area. We also notified members with pending line extension applications on file that ...

Q: What is the LINKS project?

A: LINKS is PEC’s initiative to replace its current financial and account management software. The new software will allow data to flow across all facets of PEC’s business, connecting the customer service, financial and asset management functions. This design will ultimately help employees better serve the PEC membership.

The first phase of the project—replacing the asset management, supply chain, finance, and human resources modules—went live on September 6. With the new system, our financial reporting capability will be greatly enhanced, better financial controls will ease auditing processes and modernized inventory management will make near real-time adjustments as goods are received and issued.

In the second phase, the customer service and billing modules will be ...

Q: Why can’t members in the PEC service area choose their electric provider?

A: When the Texas Legislature passed legislation in 1999 requiring investor-owned utilities to open their service territories to competition, lawmakers left it up to cooperatives and municipal providers to choose whether to opt in.

The strategic issues adopted by our Board of Directors includes the need to explore the implications of opting into retail competition. Even if other electric providers operated competitively within our service area, the Cooperative would retain ownership of our distribution grid and would continue to be responsible for delivering electricity, even if that power was purchased through a different provider.

What kind of experiences have you had with retail electric providers in deregulated ...

Q: What are commercial users doing to help reduce demand on the system during peak-use times?

A: The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) partners with commercial users who agree to help control electric load when demand gets close to critical levels. When these locations are called on to shed electric load, it may prevent rolling blackouts for others on the grid.

Q: Why doesn’t PEC charge less per kilowatt-hour for low amounts of electric use?

A: This question is timely, as we are currently reviewing our rate structure.

Electric utilities can approach rates in a variety of ways, and PEC has used an approach that relies on fixed charges to recover fixed costs and adjustable charges to cover the wholesale price of electricity, which varies. Although small users receive a lower electric bill, they are not proportionally rewarded for their conservation efforts.

On June 8, we held a rates workshop during which PEC members and directors heard from industry experts who presented various ways to structure electric rates. You can view the entire meeting or review a presentation prepared for the ...