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Schedule for
2010 Irrigation Meetings

     March 23 - 10:00 a.m. (MST) - Grant
             Midwest Electric Community Room

     March 25 - 10:00 a.m. (MST) - Paxton
            Paxton Community Center

     March 30 - 10:00 a.m. (CST) - Wallace
            Wallace Community Hall

     April 1 - 10:00 a.m. (MST) - Ogallala
            Valentino’s


                                    Mark Your Calendar

                                                for


Midwest’s 63rd Annual Meeting
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Perkins County High School
Registration & Meal 5:30 - 6:30 p.m.
Business Meeting 6:30 p.m.

  • Director Elections
  • Door Prizes
  • $2,000 Cash Drawing for Members
  • 2- $100 Cash Drawings


Motor Rebate Program Still in Effect


NEMA and Special Purpose Premium Efficiency Motor
   - $12 / hp + $2 / hp Member System payment for motors up through 200 hp.
   - $ 8 / hp + $2 / hp Member System payment for motors from 201 to 500 hp.

Wiring Assistance
   - $1.50/hp if the motor replaces a fossil-fueled engine, or is a new installation.


PUBLIC NOTICE OF MEETING

     The Nominating Committee of the Midwest Electric Cooperative Corporation will meet at the office of the Cooperative in Grant, Nebraska at 10:00 A.M. (MST) on Thursday, January 14, 2010, for the purpose of appointing nominees for three directorships on the Cooperative Board of Directors.  The election of directors will be at the Annual Meeting of the Cooperative to be held at the Perkins County High School in Grant, Nebraska on March 18, 2010.  In accordance with the Corporation by-laws any fifteen (15) or more members acting together may make other nominations by petition not less than fifteen (15) days prior to the annual meeting and the Secretary shall post such nominations at the same place where the list of nominations made by the committee is posted.

     Nominees will be selected for District #1 – Ron Ivers, Incumbent; District # 5 – Ron Hagan, Incumbent; District #9 – Rod Clough, Incumbent.

                Members of the Nominating Committee are:

District 1
Lane Anderson, 126 South Hillcrest, Ogallala, NE  69153
Jackson Baars, 111 Makochmni, Ogallala, NE  69153
Alt: Kim Fraser, PO Box 21, Brule, NE  69127

District 2
William Jehorek, 1350 E 6th St., Ogallala, NE  69153
Alt: Martin Meyer, 202 N Oak St., Paxton, NE 69155

District 3
Herschel Beveridge, 219 South Maloney Dr., North Platte, NE  69101
Alt: Gene Krab, 615 E 3rd St., Paxton, NE  69155

District 4
Bill Robertson, PO Box 71, Elsie, NE  69134
Alt: Tony Barner, 19627 S Parker Rd, Wallace, NE 69169

District 5
Allan Haenfler, 76515 Rd 337, Madrid, NE  69150
David Cornelius, 75625 Rd 339, Madrid, NE 69150
Alt: Dana Cornelius, 33450 Rd 776, Madrid, NE 69150

District 6
Mike Svoboda, 2212 Westridge Dr, Ogallala, NE  69153
Alt: Matt Schwartzkopf, 250 Rd West 40, Ogallala, NE  69153

District 7
Jim Cooper, 32465 Rd 755, Grant, NE  69140
Alt: Rex Burge, 32555 Rd 758, Grant, NE  69140

District 8
Mike Hagan, 33255 Rd 766, Grant, NE  69140
Alt: Russell Lee, PO Box 144, Madrid, NE  69150

District 9
Brad Doell, 75475 Rd 345, Elsie, NE  69134
Monte Sheffield, 44219 S Highway 25, Wallace, NE  69169
Alt: Josh Friesen, PO Box 57, Wallace, NE  69169


Energy Efficiency Tip




Use your microwave for cooking whenever possible. Microwaves use 50 to 65 percent less energy than conventional ovens and do not heat up your house in the summer. However, you may need to use your conventional oven for larger size items when cooking time is increased.


    NOTICE TO OUR CONSUMERS:

The Board of Directors of The Midwest Electric Cooperative Corporation has approved the retirement of current layer capital credits for 2007 patronage allocations. A line item credit was issued on one of your accounts to reflect the present value of the first $200 of the 2007 allocations. Any allocations exceeding this $200 limit will be held over and paid out in the general retirement cycle. The current retirement cycle is at a 25 year rotation. Midwest returned $90,757.19 to consumers for the 2007current layering retirement.

Capital credits may be paid to members as the Board of Directors deems appropriate and as the financial condition of the cooperative permits. Currently the Board of Directors retires capital credits on a first in/first out basis and at a current layer retirement.



Fraudsters pose as co-op
Employees to obtain ID,
account information

     Utilities across the nation, including electric cooperatives, report an upswing in telephone scams aimed at obtaining personal financial information and credit card account numbers from consumers.

     The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association reports several coops have been contacted by members who tell of receiving calls from fraudsters posing as employees. Members are asked to provide credit card and personally identifiable information.  In some cases, they are threatened with service disconnection unless payment is made by credit or debit card over the phone.  Another angle used by the scammers is to lure senior citizens into volunteering personal financial information by offering federal economic stimulus funds to help pay their utility bills.

     DO NOT provide your credit card numbers, personal financial information, or  account numbers over the phone unless you have initiated the call and know that the company you are dealing with is reputable.

     We urge you to be alert about these scams and protect yourselves from identity theft.  Notify Midwest Electric right away if phone scammers posing as coop representatives contact you.
 

      Please notify Midwest Electric if phone scammers posing as coop representatives contact you.


REMINDER:

Midwest’s policy prohibits any attachments to poles.  Do not hang signs, attach electric fences or place any other attachments to Midwest’s poles.  

 

FENCE THEM OUT...

 Fence out around pad mount transformers so livestock can not get to   them and cause an outage or damage.  

 





Electricity Supply

Will we have the power we need in the future?

The problem:
How will we supply the power we need to grow the economy while at the same time curbing emissions of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, blamed for contributing to climate change?
In the 1960s and 1970s, the electric industry went through a period of expansion. For many years, the nation had excess base-load generation capacity. But with the economic and demographic growth of the intervening years, that excess capacity is gone. Demand for electricity is expected to increase 26 percent by 2030. At the same time, the cost of building new generation has skyrocketed while the funding to make capital investments has shrunk. These costs will be passed on to the consumer, making electric power less affordable for many Americans. The North American Electric Reliability Corporation, the organization charged with protecting reliability of the bulk power system, has warned that between now and 2015, some regions of the country may experience rolling black outs unless we build new generation capacity.

Facts on electricity supply:
The Energy Information Administration (EIA) projects electricity needs will grow nationally 1.0 percent a year from 2006 through 2020, for a 12 percent increase requiring 112,000 megawatts (MW) of new generating capacity.
· EIA estimates demand will grow 26 percent by 2030, requiring a total of 258,000 new megawatts unless extraordinary efficiency measures are adopted. This magnitude of increase is roughly analogous to adding four more Californias.
· According to the LTRA, nearly 25,000 MW of coal generation is still slated for construction in the next ten years; however, the recent trend of cancellation and deferral of coal-fired plants casts doubt on many of these projects.

Want more information?  Check out  www.ourenergy.coop

 


Watts Cooking


   Oriental Chicken Casserole

2 cups cooked, boned chicken
2 cans cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup
1 1/3 cups hot chicken broth
1 1/3 cups minute rice (do not cook first)
1 1/8 teaspoons salt

 

Cook slightly less than package directions:
   10 oz package chopped broccoli
   1 6-8 oz package chopped carrots

2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 to 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup milk
dash of pepper
sliced almonds

 

Grease casserole dish - put rice salt & broth in dish.  On top, put cooked drained broccoli & carrots.  Dot with butter, sprinkle 1 teaspoon lemon juice.  Combine soup, milk and chicken and pepper.  Stir up and pour over vegetables.  Top with cheddar cheese.  Sprinkle with sliced almonds.  Can garnish with pimentos and
parsley.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Midwest Electric Cooperative Corporation

Notice to Customers
Regarding the Rate Dispute
Between Midwest and Tri-State

            As you may know, Midwest has joined with four other nebraska power systems to form the Nebraska Power Supply Issues Group (NPSIG).  As part of this effort, Midwest has been engaged in numerous discussions with Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, Inc. (Tri-State) regarding a dispute over the rates that Tri-State charges to its Nebraska-based members.

By way of background, Tri-State is the contract power supplier to Midwest and 43 other systems in Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming and New Mexico.  For its Nebraska systems, Tri-State obtains power from two sources, Basin Electric Cooperative and the Western Area Power Administration.   Today, Midwest and other Nebraska members are required to pay wholesale rates to Tri-State that are nearly twice Tri-State’s actual cost to acquire power from these two sources.   Midwest therefore believes that Tri-State’s rate structure:

  • Impedes economic development and job growth in Western Nebraska;
  • Is not cost-based and is discriminatory; and
  • Benefits Tri-State’s members in other states, at the expense of the Nebraska systems, including Midwest.

 

On behalf of their customers, Midwest and the other NPSIG members continue to work toward finding a fair and equitable solution to this problem.  Midwest and the other NPSIG members have requested that Tri-State either (1) develop a cost-based wholesale power rate for the Nebraska systems, including Midwest, or (2) permit Midwest and the other NPSIG members to withdraw from Tri-State in order to find another wholesale service provider.

If you have any questions regarding the contents of this Notice, please contact us.


2009 NOTICE OF CAPITAL CREDITS DUE


MIDWEST ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE CORPORATION
PO BOX 970, GRANT, NE 69140       
(308) 352-4356 or 800-451-3691

This is a notice of unclaimed capital credits due members of Midwest Electric Cooperative Corporation.   The following patrons have credits due them, their personal representatives, or their heirs:

ADAMS DUANE GRIESER KEVIN PARSONS EUGENE
AGEE MICHAEL J SR & CYNTHIA GRIFFITHS CYRIL PAULMAN LAURENCE
ALLEN THOMAS L GRUBB NEAL A PEETZ KEITH
ANDERSEN ELDON GULJAS LORETTA PENNER CHARLES
ANDERSON DEAN H & M RENO FARMS PETERSEN BERT
ANDERSON JACK HABER GLENN PETERSEN ELAINE
ANTHONY CRAIG HACKBART WAYNE PETERSON BESSIE I
ARCHER BRUCE HALL ROBERT PETERSON DONALD
ARMSTRONG BUD HANNAH ROSANNE PETERSON FLOYD GAYLORD
ARMSTRONG'S GAME FARM HARBERT WENDALL & MILDRED PINE TRUST CO
ASPENLEITER JACK HARDER CHARLES POUNDS WALTER
B & B SUPPLY HARTMAN KLAUSE POWELL CAROL
B & M FARMS HAYES DALE PTACEK 6625
BACKEN ROGER HAYS MRS VERNON RASDAL INC
BAILEY ALICE & BILL HEIDEMAN JAMES P RAVENSCROFT CAMEON
BARRACLOUGH JACK WARREN HEIL LEONARD REED RALPH
BARRETT L W HEIN MARVIN REITZ MARIE
BARRY WILL HENDERSON JOE RICHARDS GORDON E & ALICE
BAUER MICHAEL HENLEY RICHARD Q RIGHTMEIER GILBERT
BAXTER TOM HEWITT LARRY ROBB ROBERT
BAY JAMES HI PLAINS EMS RODGERS IRENE
BAY LAWRENCE HICKEY ELLEN JEAN RODOCKER CLEO
BAY RON HILL CHARLES ROSENTRATER RICHARD
BECK KEITH HOFFENREFFER NONA ROWE GEORGE
BECKER WALTER HOLLNER WILLIAM ROWE GEORGE II
BEFORT RON HOLM CORY RUSSELL MARVIN D
BEITMAN TRUST C K HOLZ KATHRYN C SALAZAR ISRAEL
BENTZ BASIL HORN DONALD SASSER ROBERT L
BISHOP MICHAEL W & MELODI N HOUSE LAWRENCE SCHERBARTH CRAIG
BOGGS GARY HOWELL DOYLE SCHLEPPHORST ROBERT
BOSHART MIKE HOWELL TRAVIS SCHMIDT STEPHEN
BOWMAN JIM HOWICK INC SCHMITZ ALBERT
BRADLEY RICHARD HULBERT ANNE SCHOOL DISTRICT 51
BRAUER CHARLES HUNT JOHN M SCOTT DENNIS
BRIGGS CHARLES HUNT RON SEAL GALEN E
BRIGHT KIMBERLY HY PO FUELS SHADLE DENNIS
BRISTOL ELVIN HYLAND DR LESTER SHELBOURN STEVE
BROWN CLIFFORD INOUYE MITS SHERICH ROBERT L
BROWN MARK J D MEYER & ASSOCIATES SHIELDS MILDRED
BRUNTON JACK JAMES VIRGINIA SHODDY ACRES INC
BURNETT LANI JANSEN AND SONS SICKELS JANICE
CANDEA BARBARA JENKINS DALE SINNER LESLIE
CAREY RANDY JOCHUM JIM SKI PATROL
CARLSON GEORGE JOHNER PETER SMERSH HOWARD
CARLSON J D & NADYNE JOHNSON ALLEN SMITH DENNIS
CASE PEARY JOHNSON MICHAEL & DEBORAH SMITH ROBERT W & VELMA
CASSELL CHERYL JOHNSON SCOTT L & DEBORAH L SPARKS DEAN
CEDAR TRUST JOHNSTON IRENE SPENCER MRS BERL
CENTRAL TWR LEASING JONES DOUG SPERRY LEONARD
CESCO JONES WILLIAM G STALLINGS BRIAN
CHAMBERLAIN WALT JORGENSEN JOEL STANSBURY KARYN
CHANDLER MIKE JUAREZ SERGIO STEINWART DENNIS
CHRISTENSEN LEONARD KEIM KIRBY STERLING CABIN RENTAL
CLEMENT LINDA KELLER MYRTLE STEWART ESTATE RONALD
COFFIN STEVE KENNEDY ARNOLD STRUNK ALAN
CONN ROBERT D KENS ARTHUR BAY STORE STUCKEYS SHOPPE #302
CONSOLIDATED CABLE KICKEN MARGARET SUNA FARMS
CONWAY DOROTHY KIMBALL FOOD & LODGE SUNSHINE ST FARM INC
CORLETT ETHEL KLEMME KYLE SWAIM SANDRA K
COX DARREL L KOERTING CLIFFORD SWANSON RON B
CRAW ROBERT T KOHMAN LESTER J SWIFT ROBERT J
CRAWFORD CLAYTON & LAURA KOUBEK JOHN S T T & L PARTNERSHIP
CRIST ERNIE KROMER NORMAN & NANCY THAYER BERNICE
CUSTOM CABLE PAXTON KUBIAK ROBERTA THOMAS RAYMOND
D & L FARMS KULOW HERB THOMPSON MELVIN
DARLING RICK KURKOWSKI JACK THOMPSON RICHARD & MARGARET
DE YOUNG ARIC KUROKI GEORGE THOMPSON RON
DEAVER MIKE LACLAIR DON TIEDEMANN BRUCE & TIFFANY
DEK ENTERPRISES LAND BOB TIEDJE VERLIN
DENNING KENNETH & PAMELA J LANGE BEN & FREIDA TILLMAN DOROTHY A
DIERKS HAROLD LAUGHLIN ALLAN TINKCOM MARGARET
DILTZ F ISABEL LAVERTY ODETTA & PAUL R TINLEY ENTERPRISES
DINGMAN KEN LAW THEO TITMAN CAROL
DOC'S AUTO CLINIC LEACH MARNI TJADEN ED
DOTSON DORIS LEPORE BRIAN TRENARY IRENE C
DRIES ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI GARY TUCKER GRETCHEN
DUDREY DAVID L LITTLE JOE TWOMEY DAVE
DUGGAN BROTHERS LOCK SHIRLEY TYSDAL RALPH & GAYE
DUREE L L LUCAS RICHARD E U S MARSHAL SERVICE
DURNELL TIVIS & JUNE E MACY SETH UNITED ADVERTISING
DYBDAHL BILL MADSON DALE L & JANET G VASSOS GEORGE & ALMA
EASTERDAY DAVID MAKEN PARTNERS VECERA WILLIAM J
EASTMAN DAN MANN RUSS WAGEMAN LEE
ECKER ROGER J & JANICE M MARISKA EDWARD WAGNER DALE
ECKHARDT CHARLES W & MARGO MARTINEZ JOHN WAGNER GALE
ECKHARDT NANCY MC GINLEY DONALD F WALDEN LEE
ECKHARDT ROBERT MCCORMICK GRACE* WALKER IKE
EDINGTON MATT MCFADDEN JIM WALLACE BEAUTY SALON
EDSILL JACK & SALLY MCFARLAND JOE WALLACE CAFE
ELLIS WESTON MCFARLAND OWEN WALLACE LOUNGE
ELSON DEBRA MCGAHAN BERNARD WALTERS EUGENE ESTATE
EMBRY A L MCKAY TOM WARD JERRY
ENSZ & SON MCNEFF GEORGE WAREHAM CHAD
ENSZ GLADWIN MCSHANNON MARK WATSON THOMAS C
ENSZ WILBERT MELTON MIKE WEAVER IVAL & NANCY
ERBE RICHARD MERRITT BRUCE A & CYNTHIA A WELKE LYNNETTE
ESLICK JOHN MERRITT KEITH WENDELLS FERTILIZER
F T P MILLER DR GERALD WERNER DAVID
FAIRBANKS GOERGE MILLER GORDON WESTERBUHR DALE
FARMERS NATIONAL MILLER KENNETH L WESTERN OUTDOOR ADV
FERGUSON BILL MOORE GALE WESTERN TELECOMMUNICATIONS
FISHER STEVE MORAN DOUG & PHYLLIS JEAN WESTERN WIRELESS CORP
FISHERMAN'S HIDEAWAY MOTORALA CRC WHEELER LISA
FLORES MICHELLE MUNGER RANDY WHITMAN CLYDE
FORTUNE GENE MURPHY DONALD D & INEZ E WHITSON DON
FRANK ESTATE FLOYD* MW1 CABLESYSTEMS INC WILD ROSE CATTLE CO
FREUDE COLETTA MAYFIELD MYSLINSKI FRANK WILDER HAROLD
FRICKE JANELL NAGY JOSEPH WILDS ERVIN
GAGE SHIRLEY NATIONAL ADV CO WILES QUENTIN T
GANT JOHN NEAL CRAIG WILKINSON TERRY
GARRISON LEN NEBRASKA CELLULAR WILLIAMS FRED C
GASS HACKBART MARSHA NEBRASKA DEPT OF HEALTH WILLSON LLOYD & LAVEDA J
GEIHSLER MARK NELSON CHARLES & CINDY WILSON JON
GIBSON LLOYD NIGHTINGALE ESTATE GLENN WIMBERLY LOIS
GIEDD JERRY NOWAK BROTHERS WONDERCHECK JR JOHN
GIES BRYAN OHLSON DONALD WOODARD PHIL
GIES TED MRS OHLSON RANDY WOODS JAMES
GILBERT CORP ONEAIL DENNIS YAKE BARBARA
GILLILAND JEAN OWEN DAVID & KRIS YOUNG JIM
GIMPLE DEVELOPMENT OWL CANYON LTD ZIEGLER CLARENCE
GOOD MARION PAFFORD THERESA ZLOMKE DICK
GRAEFE HENRY C & JANICE PALU BOB ZONA CHARLIE
GRAFF GELBRIEH PARKISON RICHARD ZONA HERMAN
GREENE DENNIS PARSLEY THOMAS & RICKEY ZWICKLE LONNY

 


Look Up for Power Lines and Stay Safe

Recent studies have found that people’s brains likely ignore power lines because they have seen them so often  they don’t even notice them any more.  Nonetheless these natural inclinations can lead to tragic results. 

  • Look up and around you. Always be aware of the location of power lines, particularly when using long metal tools like ladders, pool skimmers and pruning poles. Lower your long equipment when you are moving it. Carry ladders and other long items horizontally whenever possible.

  • Be careful when working on or around your roof, installing rooftop antennas and satellite dishes, doing roof repair work or cleaning gutters. Never go up on the roof in bad weather. 

  • Be especially careful when working near power lines attached to your house. Keep equipment and yourself at least 10 feet from lines.

  • Never trim trees near power lines – leave that to the professionals. Never use water or blower extensions to clean gutters near electric lines. Contact a professional maintenance contractor.

  • Estimating Appliance & Home
    Electronic Energy Use

    If you are trying to decide whether to invest in more energy-efficient appliance or you would like to determine your electricity loads, you may want to estimate appliance energy consumption. You can use this formula to estimate an appliance's energy use:

    Wattage x Hours used per day x Days used per year divided by 1000 = Kilowatt-hour (kWh) consumption per year

    For example:
    Personal computer (120 Watts) and monitor (150 Watts): (120 Watts + 150 Watts) x 4 hours per day x 365 days per year divided by 1000 = 394 kWh/year

    Then, calculate the annual cost to run an appliance by multiplying the kWh per year by Midwest's rate per kWh consumed.

    You can usually find the wattage of most appliances stamped on the bottom or back of the appliance, or on its nameplate. The wattage listed is the maximum power drawn by the appliance. Since many appliances have a range of setting (hair dryers), the actual amount of power consumed depends on the setting used at any one time.

    Examples of the range of nameplate wattages for various household appliances:

    Clothes washer = 350-500 Watts
    Clothes dryer = 1800-5000 Watts
    Dishwasher = 1200-2400 Watts
    (heat drying further increases energy use)
    Water heater (40 gallon) = 4500-5500 Watts

    Source: U.S. Department of Energy -                      
    Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy


    REBATES AVAILIABLE

    Midwest is still offering Energy Efficiency Credits for the installation of new Heat Pumps, Water Heaters and Electrical Motors.  New Energy Star air conditioner 3 ton and greater.  Energy Star refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers and clothes washers.  Call Midwest Electric for more information at 308-352-4356 or 1-800-451-3691.


    Big or Small, Every Digging Job Requires a Call

    A new, federally-mandated national “Call Before You Dig” number, 811 was created to help protect you from unintentionally hitting underground utility lines while you are doing any kind of digging projects, from planting a tree to installing a fence. If you hit an underground utility line while digging, you can harm yourself or those around you, disrupt service to an entire neighborhood and you could be responsible for fines and repair costs. It’s a free service that could save your life and those around you. Always call before you dig.



     
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    Copyright © Midwest Electric Cooperative Corporation, Grant, NE
    All rights reserved.
    Midwest Electric is a member of Basin Electric Power Cooperative
    and Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, Inc.