2020 marks the 75th anniversary of what is now South Central Public Power District. South Central was organized in 1945 and was initially organized as a cooperative. The first meeting to discuss the possi-bility of organizing a rural electric cooperative for Webster and Nuckolls counties of Nebraska was held in Red Cloud at the county extension agents office on January 10, 1945. A total of 28 persons attended. A six man committee was named at that meeting to pursue the issue further. Nebraska is somewhat unique in that its law allows rural utilities to be organized as political subdivisions of the state. Virtually all of the other rural utilities (a little over a thousand in number) in the United States are organized as cooperatives. Only five applications for electric service were re-ceived by the February 23rd meeting of the organizing committee. Nevertheless, organizing was proceeding at a rapid pace. The first meeting of incorporators and directors was held in the basement of the McFarland Hotel in Red Cloud on August 3, 1945. John L. Scroggin of Oak was elected President. Other officers included; Ray L. Hunter, Ray J. Lowery, and Elmer Gage. Roy Brookheart and Walter Rasser were elected to the position of Director. The South Central Membership Organization was formally in the business of bringing electricity to the area. With the inclusion of Clay County in the service area for the new utility, it was decided that the office for South Central should be established in Nelson to make it more centrally located.

By December 31, 1946, over 2,100 potential consumers had requested service. An original loan of $420,000 approved by the REA, was amended upwards to $760,000 in February of 1947. The contract for the first 200 miles of construction was let on June 12, 1947. On April 28, 1949, the South Central membership Associations first distribution line was energized! By the end of 1949, over 1,500 consumers were taking service. Many changes have taken place over the last 75 years. Look for more information in the coming months as we announce plans for our 75th Anniversary celebration.

March, 2020 www.southcentralppd.com Page 1

Energizing

South Central Nebraska

SOUTH CENTRAL PUBLIC POWER DISTRICT, NELSON, NEBRASKA

OBJECTIVE: To make electricity available at the lowest cost consistent with sound economy and good management.

Current Comments

South Central Public Power District

Will Celebrate 75th Anniversary This Year

One of the original South Central Membership Organization Certificates

South Central PPD has purchased 3 Cardiac Science Powerheart G5 AED (Automated External Defibrilla-tor) units. The AEDs will be kept in trucks to be made available in case of an emergency on job sites or at our offices. Each unit is fully automated and walks the user through all the steps to properly connect and operate the AED. South Central PPD employees all have taken the Heartsaver CPR AED class and are trained in the administering of CPR or connecting and using an AED. On Thursday, January 23rd, CCC instructor Sandra Schendt, gave a short refresher course and reviewed the procedure of operating an AED. Employees got a first-hand look at the AEDs and had an opportunity to

ask questions pertaining to connecting the pads and operating the unit. AEDs automatically diagnose life-threatening cardiac arrythmias of ventricular fibrillation and pulseless ven-tricular tachycardia, and are able to treat them through defibrillation, the application of electricity which stops the arrhythmia, allowing the heart to re-establish an effective rhythm. In ventricular fibrillation, the electrical activity of the heart becomes chaotic, preventing the ventricle from effectively pumping blood. Having these units available to linemen in the field could be a lifesaver in the event of heart conditions or an electrical contact event. South Central PPD linemen attend safety meetings throughout the year to stay educated on many differ-ent topics that are pertinent to our industry.

March, 2020 www.southcentralppd.com Page 2

Watch for details in next month’s magazine!

Held at the State 4-H Camp Near Halsey, NE

Come join the excitement at the NREA Youth Energy Leadership Camp

July 20—24, 2020

You Could Win A Free Trip To

Washington, D.C.

South Central Public Power District Purchases 3 Portable AED Units

TOP: Sandra Schendt, CCC Instructor, teaches South Central PPD employees how to use the new, automated, AED units purchased by the District. RIGHT: One of the Cardiac Science POWERHEART G5 AED devices.

have a boat and love to spend time on the water. It sounds like pulling kids on an inner tube is a very popular summer activity. Alan commented that Harlan County Reservoir is a favorite place to take the boat. Spending time with family is a high priority for Alan. When asked about the difference in working for South Central as compared to the City of Sutton, Alan re-sponded that many of the duties were the same but he is still getting used to covering a much larger area. South Central PPD has 14 linemen split between our Nelson and Clay Center offices. They are responsible for the maintenance and much of the construction of our system which covers more than three counties. They are currently involved in upgrading our entire system to automated metering (AMI). We are pleased to have Alan Brown as an addition to the South Central family.

March, 2020 www.southcentralppd.com Page 3

South Central PPD patrons in Clay County have the benefit of many years of experience in the linemen that serve their area. One of our newest linemen, Alan Brown, adds several years experience to the roster. Alan

comes to South Central from the city of Sutton where he was their electrical department lineman for over 27 years. Alan began working for South Central PPD in September of 2019. Alan, a 1981 graduate of Scribner High School in Scribner, NE, lives in Sutton with his wife, Cheryl. He has two daughters; Jennifer and her husband, Nathan Werner, have two children, Tatum and Paxton, and live in Omaha, NE. Their daughter, Ashley, lives in Alvo, NE. Alan also has two stepsons. Andrew lives in Columbus, NE and Tristan lives in Lincoln, NE. Both stepsons are getting married this summer. In his spare time, Alan enjoys playing golf. Both Alan and wife, Cheryl, play as often as they can. They also

The People of South Central Public Power District

Profile of Employee — Alan Brown

SmartHub provides convenient account access to make payments and check usage history. Call us to help set up a SmartHub profile.

March, 2020 www.southcentralppd.com Page 4

CURRENT COMMENTS Newsletter of the

SOUTH CENTRAL PUBLIC POWER DISTRICT

Nelson, Nebraska

NOTICE The regular meeting of the board of directors of South Central Public Power

District is held the third Tuesday of each month at 9 a.m. at the district’s office in Nelson, Nebraska.

Current Comments Editor: Royce Schott

Board of Directors

John Greer—————————-President David Woods—-—————Vice President David Hamburger———--———Secretary James Hoffman——————-—Treasurer Neal Carpenter—-———————Director Philip Wehrman-————————Director Dean Zalman————————-—Director John Hodge——————————Attorney Craig Cox——-———-—General Manager

Nelson Office Hours (8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday)

402-225-2351 or 1-800-557-5254 For Billing Questions, please call:

(M-F, 8am-5pm) 402-225-2351 or 1-800-557-5254 For Power Outages, please call: (Any time of the day or night)

402-225-2351 or 1-800-557-5254

CURRENT COMMENTS Newsletter of the

SOUTH CENTRAL PUBLIC POWER DISTRICT

Nelson, Nebraska

NOTICE The regular meeting of the board of directors of South Central Public Power

District is held the third Tuesday of each month at 9 a.m. at the district’s office in Nelson, Nebraska.

Current Comments Editor: Royce Schott

Board of Directors

David Woods————————-President Neal Carpenter-—————Vice President David Hamburger———--———Secretary Philip Wehrman——————-—Treasurer John Greer———-———————Director James Hoffman-————————Director Dean Zalman————————-—Director John Hodge——————————Attorney Craig Cox——-———-—General Manager

Nelson Office Hours (8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday)

402-225-2351 or 1-800-557-5254 For Billing Questions, please call:

(M-F, 8am-5pm) 402-225-2351 or 1-800-557-5254 For Power Outages, please call: (Any time of the day or night)

402-225-2351 or 1-800-557-5254

There are numerous “beliefs” floating around on ways to conserve energy. Most are well-meaning but not all of these ideas hold true upon investigation. Here are a few “Energy Myths” explained: Turning the thermostat down/up beyond your intended final setting cools/warms your home faster. Heating and cooling (HVAC) systems operate with a maximum capacity. When the thermostat is cranked up or down, they operate at that capacity until the thermostat’s set-point is reached. If the thermostat is turned beyond the reasonable or comfortable temperature, energy waste will likely occur. In fact, many heat pump systems will revert to their more expensive auxiliary heat if the warmer set-point temperature is not achieved in a given amount of time. Turning lights “off” when you leave a room and back “on” when returning takes more energy than just leaving them on. This depends on the type of lighting you are using and the amount of time you are leaving the light on un-attended. Incandescent lights should be turned off whenever they are not needed, because they are the least efficient type of lighting. For CFL and other fluorescent lighting, the answer depends on the frequency and length of time you turn your lights on and off. The operating life of CFL and fluorescent bulbs are affected by the number of times they are switched on and off. You generally extend the life of these bulbs by switching them on and off less frequently, although you will use more energy by leaving them on. LED lights have become the best option for lights that are switched on and off a lot because the operating life of the bulb is not affected by turning it on or off. LED bulbs are also the most efficient form of lighting but, it’s always best to turn LEDs off when they are not needed. Doubling insulation will cut heating or cooling costs in half. Though adding insulation to your home is often the most economical improvement you could make, there is a point beyond which you can spend more on materials than you will recover in lower energy bills. According to the Department of Energy, Nebraska homes should have enough insulation to equate to at least an R49 value in attics. This value is equal to about 15 inches of fiberglass batt material assuming an average of R3.25 per inch of thickness. Note that if you have loose-fill insulation in your attic, the R-value does not change proportionately with thickness. Rather, manufacturers provide coverage charts that specify the amount needed to achieve a particular R-value. A few air leaks and drafts do not cost much in energy dollars. Air infiltration can account for 30 percent or more of a home’s heating and cooling costs. Seal around windows, doors, skylights, electrical outlets, walls, floors, and the roof. In fact, caulking around leaky windows is often the quickest, easiest, and least effective way to achieve energy savings in your home. Ensure kitchen and clothes dryer exhaust ports on the outside of your home have flaps that seal when not in use. If you have a fireplace, seal around the chimney with fire resistant materials such as sheet metal, sheetrock and furnace cement caulk. Keep the fireplace damper tightly closed when not in use.

Let’s Talk About… Energy Myths

By Royce Schott