N McLeod Cooperative Power EWSMcLeod Coop Power News P O Box 70, Glencoe, MN 55336-0070 The McLeod Coop Power News is published monthly for $7 per year for members and $10 per year

Official publication of

Inside this issue...

www.mcleodcoop.com

McLeod Cooperative Power

May 2011

Money savingrecycling coupons 8

Reservations are nowbeing accepted forthis popular tour. It is

both an educational and funtrip to Bismarck, NorthDakota. Tour participantswill visit Coal CreekGenerating Station, FalkirkCoal Mine, Garrison Dam,North Dakota Heritage Center andHeadwaters Fort Mandan VisitorsCenter (including Fort Mandan, areconstructed and fully-furnished fortwhere Lewis & Clark spent a winter).Attendees will go on a drive-throughtour of Blue Flint Ethanol which isconstructed adjacent to Coal CreekGenerating Plant, as well as a scenictour of other generating facilities in the area.

Cost for adults is $150 per person.Students 10-18 years of age, who sharea room with their parents orgrandparents, are $100 per person. Thismakes it an affordable mini-vacation.Motor coach transportation,accommodations at the Best Western

Ramkota Hotel and most meals areincluded. The hotel offers an indoorpool, water slide, hot tub and exerciseroom. The hotel is located across thestreet from a shopping mall so there isplenty to do during free time.

The group leaves the Cooperativeabout 8 a.m. on Tuesday, June 7, andreturns to Glencoe about 6 p.m. onThursday, June 9. Members going onthe tour need to be physically able toclimb stairs and do a substantialamount of walking. The tour is notsuitable for children under 10 years of age.

If you have never been on this tour, weencourage you to sign up. If you havebeen on the tour before, we will accept

your reservation; however, people who have never been to Coal Creekwill be given preference. Call theCooperative at 800-494-6272 to makereservations with your VISA orMastercard or return the completedform with your check.

This year’s annual meeting attendance gift was a heavy dutygrocery tote. By making the switch to a reusable tote there is nomore recycling of plastic bags or wasting paper on the brown

bags. It is environmentally friendly and has the Co-op’s logo on thefront. If you were unable to attend the annual meeting in April andwould like one of the reusable grocery tote bags we gave away, youmay pick one up in the Glencoe office. Limit one bag per member.They are available on a first-come basis while the supply lasts.

We also have a limited supply of MCPA 75-year history books stillavailable. If you did not get one, you may pick up a free one or have usmail one out for $5. If you want a second copy for a friend, they arealso available for $5.

Get your shopping bag while supply lasts

Presorted StandardU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDPERM

IT #60

HUTCHINSON, MN

55350

Call by May 12 to sign up for tourNEWSNEWS

Please reserve ________places for the Coal Creek Tour,June 7 - 9, 2011.

Name and Age of Students: ____________

________________________________

Name: __________________________

Address:__________________________

________________________________

Amount Enclosed: $ _________ Return to: McLeod Cooperative Power Assn.1231 Ford Avenue, , P.O. Box 70Glencoe, MN 55336.

Enjoyed byall ages!

Look up for powerlines duringplanting 4

Can you pass thishome safetychecklist? 5

Page 2 • McLeod Cooperative Power Association • www.mcleodcoop.com

USPS Pending ISSN PendingPeriodicals Postage Paid at pending

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to McLeod Coop Power News

P O Box 70, Glencoe, MN 55336-0070

The McLeod Coop Power News is published monthly for $7per year for members and $10 per year for non-members by

McLeod Cooperative Power Association1231 Ford Ave. North, Glencoe, MN 55336-0070

General Manager: Kris IngenthronEditor: Sue Pawelk

The McLeod Coop Power News is the official memberpublication of McLeod Coop Power Association and focuses

on our members, programs and events. All member storyideas and comments are welcome.

Send to Sue Pawelk at the address above.

Office Hours:Monday - Friday

7:45 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Phone: 320-864-31481-800-494-6272

24-hour outage: 1-800-927-5685Fax: 320-864-4850

Web site: www.mcleodcoop.com

Gopher State One Call 1-800-252-1166

BOARD OF DIRECTORS MCLEOD COOPERATIVE POWER ASSOCIATION NEWS

Dis t r i c t 1Oria Brinkmeier, Lester Prairie

D is t r i c t 2Dale Peters, Secretary-TreasurerBrownton

D is t r i c t 3Roger Karstens, Hutchinson

D is t r i c t 4Doug Kirtz, Vice PresidentHector

D is t r i c t 5Allan Duesterhoeft, Hutchinson

D is t r i c t 6Lester RanzauGlencoe

D is t r i c t 7Bill Polchow, Asst. Secretary-TreasurerSilver Lake

D is t r i c t 8Keith Peterson, Hector

D is t r i c t 9Gerald Roepke, PresidentNew Germany

Poletesting inWinthropSubstationarea

Pole Inspection Servicesof Apple Valley, Minnesotabegan testing poles in theWinthrop Substation areain May and will continueworking in this area untilmid-June. Pole Inspection Services has their name on their trucks, as well as a McLeodCooperative Power sign. Feel free to check with the Cooperative at any time if youquestion the authenticity of anyone working on Cooperative facilities.

New officers elected after Annual Meeting

Directors from Districts 1, 2, and 3 were elected at the annual meeting inApril. Oria Brinkmeier, Dale Peters, and Roger Karstens were eachelected to three-year terms.

For the coming year, the board of directors elected some new officers, with Gerald Roepke of New Germany serving as the Cooperative’s president,Doug Kirtz of Hector serving as vice-president, Dale Peters of Brownton serving as secretary-treasurer, and Bill Polchow of Silver Lake serving as assistant secretary-treasurer.

Do you have an emergency kit prepared?

You may need to survive on your own after an emergency. Thismeans having food, water and other supplies in sufficientquantity to last for at least three days. Local officials and

relief workers will be on the scene after a disaster, but they cannotreach everyone immediately. You could get help in hours or it mightbe days. In addition, basic services such as electricity, gas, water andtelephones may be cut off for days, or even a week or longer.

It is recommended that all families have a basicemergency supply kit. It should include:

• Water — one gallon of water per person per day for at least threedays, for drinking and sanitation

• Food — at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food• Battery-powered or hand crank radio and NOAA Weather Radio

with tone alert and extra batteries for both• Flashlight and extra batteries• First Aid kit• Whistle to signal for help• Dust mask, to help filter contaminated air and plastic sheeting

and duct tape to create a dust or water barrier as needed• Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal

sanitation• Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities• Manual can opener for canned food• Local maps• Cell phone with chargers, inverter or solar charger

Additional items to consider adding in anemergency supply kit:

• Prescription medications and glasses• Infant formula and diapers• Pet food and extra water for your pet• Important family documents such as insurance policies,

identification, and bank account records in a waterproof, portablecontainer

• Sleeping bag or blankets• Change of clothing• Fire extinguisher• Matches in a waterproof container and candles• Feminine supplies and personal hygiene items• Mess kits, paper plates, cups and paper towels• Household chlorine bleach and medicine dropper. (In an

emergency you can treat one gallon of water with 16 drops ofregular household liquid bleach. Do not use scented, color safe orbleaches with added cleaners).

The Cooperative office will be closed

Mon., May 30 in observance of Memorial Day.

If you have an electrical emergency or outage you may call 1-800-927-5685. For DIRECTV service call 1-800-927-5414.


On EXTREME PEAK DAYS we will ask you to:

• Do laundry early in the day or after 10 p.m.

• Wait until after 10 p.m. to start the dishwasher.

• Go out for dinner, cook in the microwave or on thegrill, instead of using the stove or oven.

• Turn off or unplug the dehumidifier, computerequipment that is not being used, unnecessarylighting or rechargeable appliances until after 10 p.m.

• Turn your thermostat up a degree or two duringthe peak hours so your air conditioner run time is reduced.

Doing some or all of these conservation practiceswill keep your house cooler on hot summer days.Doing activities that add heat or humidity to yourhome on an extremely hot day requires your airconditioner to run longer and use more energy.

Be ready for aphone call on anEXTREME PEAK DAY

I f hot weather hits or the market price of electricity isvery high, we could experience an EXTREME PEAKDAY. That is a day when the demand for energy is so

high that we will ask our members to conserve energy.Whether you take action to conserve is totally voluntary.On such a day, the Cooperative will use an automatedrecording system to call your home and notify you that itis an EXTREME PEAK DAY. If you are home, pleaselisten to the recorded message. It will provide theannouncement that it is an EXTREME PEAK DAY. It willalso tell you the hours of requested conservation andprovide a list of ways you can conserve. If you are nothome and you have an answering machine, we will leaveyou the same message. If you do not answer, the systemwill try to call you back later in the day.

By conserving energy for a few hours, you can help theCooperative avoid expensive peak day demand and energycharges. This helps manage electric rates for all of ourmembers. Our power supplier, Great River Energy, is ableto supply us with plenty of energy to meet the powerneeds of all of our members, even on an EXTREME

PEAK DAY. However, the price we mayhave to pay to deliver that energy during

peak hours of the hottestsummer days may be veryhigh. It is the goal ofMcLeod CooperativePower to keep rates as low

as possible. We greatlyappreciate any effortour members canmake to conserveon these days.

I t is very important that consumers understandhow the Gopher State One Call systemworks. Whether you plan to dig in post holes

for a deck or flagpole, plant a tree, or trench inelectric lines to a garage or outdoor appliance,you need to call Gopher State One Call 48 hoursbefore you plan to dig (excluding weekends andholidays). The Gopher State One Call system isdesigned to notify utilities which might haveunderground facilities in the area where digging isplanned. The utilities then mark any lines theyhave in the immediate area. If a utility has noburied lines in the area to be excavated, it doesnot need to visit the site.

It is the homeowner’s responsibility to locate orhire someone to locate their own personalunderground facilities such as undergroundelectric wires between the meter and the house,the meter or house and other buildings, buried gaslines for propane tanks, lamps, pool heaters, waterlines, sewer lines, telephone lines, sprinklersystems, invisible fences, etc. The Cooperativedoes not locate buried wires that are thehomeowner’s responsibility. You should hire a licensed electrician or cable locating companyto mark your personal lines. A list of privatelocators is available on thewww.gopherstateonecall.org site.

First, you need to call Gopher State One Call two

business days before you plan to start digging.You call either “811” or 1-800-252-1166.

Be prepared with the following information:

• Your name, home phone number and work/cellphone number;

• When you plan to begin work;

• How many days the digging may take;

• Type of work you will be doing;

• County and city/township where work will bedone;

• Address and nearest cross streets or townshiprange/section where work will be done;

• Where you will be digging on the property;

• Whether any digging will be done in road right-of-way.

Gopher State One Call will call any utilities withfacilities in the area you plan to dig. They will notnotify anyone regarding your personal buriedfacilities. That is the property owner’sresponsibility. Utilities will locate themselves orhire a locating company to find and mark theirfacilities with colored flags. See the color codechart for meaning of flag colors. No one shouldever remove flags before work is completed. Theyare there to mark lines for the safety of all diggingin the area.

Color Code Chart For Marking Underground Utility Lines

WHITE — PROPOSED EXCAVATION

PINK — TEMPORARY SURVEY MARKINGS

RED — ELECTRIC POWER LINES, CABLES, CONDUIT AND LIGHTING CABLES

YELLOW — GAS, OIL, STEAM, PETROLEUM OR GASEOUS MATERIALS

ORANGE — COMMUNICATION,ALARM OR SIGNAL LINES, CABLE OR CONDUIT

BLUE — POTABLE WATER

PURPLE — RECLAIMED WATER, IRRIGATION AND SLURRY LINES

GREEN — SEWER AND DRAIN LINES

What exactly do I need to do before I dig in my yard?

Page 4

The tragic electrocution death oftwo teens, one of them a highschool class president, is

drawing national attention to the needfor safety precautions when workingwith long and tall equipment nearoverhead power lines. The young menwere working on a southern Illinoisfarm attempting to free a raccoon,which had crawled inside an aluminumpipe used for irrigation. As the teenshoisted the 31 foot pipe into the air, itmade contact with the power line. Theybecame the path to ground for theelectricity and both were fatally injuredfrom the deadly voltage.

“The death of these two young men isa tug on everyone,” says Molly Hall,Safe Electricity Executive Director. “Weurge farm operators to store aluminumirrigation pipe away from power linesand make sure everyone knows not toraise them in windy conditions whenworking near lines. “

As many farmers prepare for thespring planting season, Hall remindsthe agricultural community about thetragic death of Illinois farmer Jim Flach,who suffered fatal electric burns whenhis crop sprayer touched an overheadpower line. Flach and his survivingfamily members are the focus of the2011 Safe Electricity “Teach LearnCare TLC” campaign.

Jim’s widow Marilyn and sons aresharing their tragic experience in hopesthat people will learn how to stay safe,and to share that information withthose they care about. This campaignis aimed at raising operator awarenesson avoiding equipment contact withoverhead power lines, and knowing theproper actions to survive if accidentalcontact with lines is made. The video ofthe story can be seen atwww.SafeElectricity.org. Look for “LargeEquipment/Powerline Safety” video.

The increasing size of farm equipmentraises the risk of contact at field entriesand along end rows, where overheadelectric wires may be present. Thetaller equipment may not always allowthe recommended 10- foot separationwhen passing beneath or near thepower lines. In agricultural areas thevertical clearance required is less thanthe clearance over roadways andstreets. Never assume that becausethe machinery passed under the linesin one area means it will adequatelyclear another area.

“We urge farmers and all operators oflarge equipment to use a spotter orsomeone with a broader view whenmoving equipment near power lines,”says Robert Aherin, University of IllinoisFarm Safety Expert. “It can be difficultto accurately gauge distance from thecab of equipment, especially whenmoving on uneven ground.” Jim Flachhad parked his sprayer at the end of afield, and contacted an overhead powerline as the equipment folded upward.

Any part of an implement that cantouch a power line offers a potentialpath to the ground for the electriccurrent. Farm equipment operatorswho are working on the ground withthe equipment can become the path forthe deadly current flow. Suchequipment not only includes largetillage equipment, but antennas, grainaugers, auger wagons, and truck bedswith hydraulic lifts.

“It’s also important for operators offarm equipment or vehicles to knowwhat to do if the vehicle comes incontact with a power line,” Hall says.“It’s almost always best to stay in thecab and call for help. Warn others whomay be nearby to stay away and waituntil the electric utility arrives to cut offthe power.”

“If the power line is energized and you step outside, your body becomesthe path and electrocution is theresult,” Aherin adds. “Even if a powerline has landed on the ground, there is still the potential for the area nearby to be energized. Stay inside thevehicle unless there’s fire or imminentrisk of fire.”

In that case, the proper action is tojump – not step – with both feet hittingthe ground at the same time. Do notallow any part of your body to touchthe equipment and the ground at thesame time. Continue to shuffle or hopto safety, keeping both feet together asyou leave the area. A large differencein voltage between both feet could killyou. Once you get away from theequipment, never attempt to get backon or even touch the equipment. Manyelectrocutions occur when the operatordismounts and, realizing nothing hashappened, tries to get back on theequipment.

Before spring fieldwork begins, inspectentry points at fields. If wires are low,do not attempt to tighten them or

temporarily raise them; instead, contactyour local utility. Electric distributionlines along rural roads can carrythousands of volts and onlyprofessional utility line workers arequalified to make any adjustments.

And any deep tiling operation outsideof normal field boundaries can becomeperilous if a ripping knife hooks onto aburied power line. Before enlarging afield, installing a foundation for a newbuilding, or digging in an area servedby a power line alert your local utility tohave buried cables marked.

The Flach family encourages allfarmers to use caution for a safespring planting season and to avoidequipment contact with power lines.See their story atwww.SafeElectricity.org.

Farmers urged to look up for power lines during planting

One free, easy call gets your utility linesmarked AND helps protect you frominjury and expense.

Safe Digging Is No Accident:Always Call 811 Before You Dig

Know what’s below. Always call 811 before you dig.Visit call811.com for more information.

CALLDIGBEFORE YOU

ALWAYS

INSERT CALL CENTERLOGO HERE

Page 5

INDUSTRYNews

Former EPA officialsays new rules couldbe costly

Renewable energyboom fuels risingfarmland prices

o Are the range, oven, and exhaust hood clean and freeof debris?

o Is the cooking area around the range/oven clear ofcombustibles, such as towels, napkins, and potholders?

o Is there enough room to allow for air circulationbehind the refrigerator?

o Are the refrigerator coils free of dirt buildup thatreduces efficiency and creates a fire hazard?

o Are electrical appliances kept away from the sink?

o Have you tested your ground fault circuit interrupters(GFCIs) this month?

o Do you plug all of your counter top appliances intoGFCI-protected outlets?

o Are all electrical cords in good condition with nosigns of fraying, cracking, or other damage?

o Do you keep appliance cords away from a hotsurface like the toaster, oven or range?

o Do you keep cords from dangling from counters ortables where they could be pulled on or tripped over?

o Do you unplug your toaster, coffee maker, and othercounter top appliances when not in use?

o Is your home equipped with tamper resistantreceptacles (TRRs) to reduce the risk of electricshock injuries to children?

o Are all of your light switch and outlet cover plates ingood condition and not cracked or broken?

o Do you check your light switch plates or outlet coverplates to make sure they are not hot to the touch?

o Is furniture arranged sothat outlets are availablefor all of your lamps, entertainment equipment, andappliances without the use of extension cords?

o Do you refrain from using an extension cord as apermanent power solution?

o Do you check extension cords before each use toensure they are in good working order with no signsof fraying, cracking, or other damage?

o If you use a power strip, do you know the capacityof the circuit that your power strip is connected toand the power requirements of the equipment beingplugged into the strip?

o Is your computer and other electronic equipmentprotected from power surges by a surge protector?

o Does your surge protector have cable and phonejacks to provide protection for your phone, fax,modem, cable receiver, and television?

o Is your surge protector plugged directly into a three-prong grounded outlet?

o Do your entertainment center and computerequipment have plenty of space around them forventilation?

o Are liquids, including drinks, kept away fromelectrical items like televisions and computers?

The Home Electrical Safety Challenge (of which this is apart) was developed to help raise awareness aboutpotential home electrical hazards. This exercise is not asubstitute for an electrical system inspection performedby a licensed, qualified electrician. If you own an olderhome and/or use a lot of electronics, we recommend youhave an inspection done by a professional to avoid injuryor worse.

Visit ESFI’s Virtual Home at http://virtualhome.esfi.orgto learn more about home electrical safety.

Araft of new Environmental ProtectionAgency regulations will leave energycompanies uncertain about how to

run their businesses and could drive upelectricity prices, a former EPA official toldthe Public Service Commission onThursday. The agency has said it hopes tohave tighter restrictions on the emissionsof greenhouse gases, nitrous oxide,mercury and other elements in place bythe end of 2012.

Jeff Holmstead, who directed the EPA's airand radiation office from 2001 to 2005during the Republican President George W.Bush's administration, told the commissionthe new rules will quickly change policiesthat have been stable for 40 years. Hecalled the new regulations an"unprecedented" amount of change forpower companies.

~Associated Press

Can you pass this home “Safety Check-up?”Put a checkmark by each item you currently do—see where to improve

Cooking Up Safety In the Kitchen

Plug into Safety in the Family Room

Midwest farmers – and the land onwhich they rely – have prosperedin recent years, even as the U.S.

endured a financial crisis and economicrecession. And for better or worse,agriculture has built its good health on thefortunes of energy. This newfoundprosperity is closely linked to the UnitedStates government’s backing of corn-based ethanol and farmers’ ability tosqueeze even more from their land bymaking swaths of it available for windturbines, an emerging energy sector.

Farmland prices doubled nationally in the2000s, to more than $2,300 per acre,according to the U.S. Department ofAgriculture, and prices today in soil-richareas of Iowa and Illinois are more thanthree times that level. Non-irrigatedcropland values soared by 10 percent ormore in 2010 alone in states across theMidwest, according to the Federal ReserveBank of Kansas City.

~Midwest Energy News


What to do when the power goes out

1 Find your flashlight.

2 Check to see if your neighbors have power by looking to seeif their yard light is off when it’s dark, or calling them duringthe daytime.

3 If your neighbors have light and you do not, then check thefuses or breakers in your home and any breakers or fusesbelow the meter on the yard pole. If your breaker is nottripped, call to report your outage.

4 Call 1-800-927-5685 to report a power outage 24 hours aday, seven days a week.

5 During your call, be prepared with your name, address,phone # or service location #. This will speed up the reporting process. Report to the dispatcher any helpfulinformation such as trees you can see on wires, loud noiseswhen the lights went out, whether your neighbors havepower, etc.

If your telephone number has changed recently or if you are a newmember who did not have a phone number when you signed upfor service, please notify McLeod Co-op Power of your new orupdated telephone number. To verify that the correct phonenumber for your account is in our data base, check in the ServiceSummary box on the top right hand corner of your electric bill.The third line should list your correct phone number. If it isincorrect, please let the Co-op know immediately. It will speed upyour outage reporting considerably.

I f you have any compact fluorescentbulbs (CFLs) to be recycled, youmay bring them for disposal to your

local county household hazardouswaste facility or bring them to a countywaste collection day site. Recycling ofbulbs for a small fee is also available atarea hardware stores listed on page 8of this newsletter.The 50 cent recyclingcoupons and free CFL coupons can beused to reduce the cost per bulb youneed recycled at these stores.

Renville County - CFLs and fluorescentbulbs are collected free from residents atthe Renville County Household HazardousWaste Facility, located at 32877 Co. Rd. 4,Olivia, MN.Their phone is 320-523-1144.Hours of operation are 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.Monday - Friday and 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.the first and second Saturdays of each month.

McLeod County collects compactfluorescent bulbs (CFLs) at no charge toresidents and other fluorescent bulbs for75 cents each at their HouseholdHazardous Waste Facility located at 10655th Avenue SE in Hutchinson.They areopen Tuesday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.and, from June 1 through September 1, theyare also open Tuesdays until 8 p.m. Call formore info at 1-800-335-0575.

Carver County will be accepting CFLs atits mobile collections Saturday, Sept. 10,from 8 a.m. to noon at Central High Schoolin Norwood Young America. Otherwise,bulbs can be brought to the CarverCounty Environmental Center at 116Peavey Circle in Chaska. Call 952-361-1835for details. Residential bulbs are accepted atno charge. Fees apply for businesses thatare recycling.

More convenient for western CarverCounty residents may be the ATHCrecycling center at 676 Industrial Blvd inWatertown.They accept up to 25 CFLbulbs from Carver County residents forfree.There is a charge for business bulbs.They are open 9 a.m. -7 p.m. Mondays andThursdays, and from 9 a.m. -3 p.m.Tuesdays,Wednesdays and Fridays. Saturdays they areopen from 9 a.m. -1 p.m. Call 952-955-1130or go to www.athc.org for details.

Sibley County residents may take bulbs tothe Blue Earth Regional HouseholdHazardous Waste Facility, 651Summit Avenue in Mankato.Bulbs are collected forresidents only.

CFL bulbs must be recycled


Tune up your cooling unit and receive a $25 credit

Announcing the 2011 airconditioning tune-up program.

J ust schedule a tune-up of your central air conditioneror air source heat pump (unit must be at least 5 yearsold and in working condition to qualify) and when

your licensed professional HVAC contractor performs theservice work, have them complete the rebate couponbelow. Send the completed rebate form to theCooperative with a copy of the contractor’s invoice. Histune up must include the items on the coupon. After theCo-op receives your documentation, we will credit yourelectric bill $25 within 4-6 weeks.

Air Conditioner/Heat Pump Check List

Owner __________________________________

Acct. # __________________________________

Address__________________________________

Location # ______________________________

Phone # _________________________________

Company doing Tune-Up ____________________

Technician’s Name ________________________

Company Phone #__________________________

CHECK LIST

Brand Name ______________________________

Model # ________________________________

Serial # ________________________________

Tons/BTU Rating__________ SEER Rating ______

q Clean Outdoor Unit

q Clean and Inspect “A” Coil

q Check Blower Belt

q Compressor Motor Amp Reading Check

q Compressor Amp Reading Check

q Blower & Oil

q Blower Motor Amp Reading Check

q Check Filter

q Check Refrigerant Level & Pressure

q Blow Out Drain Line

q Visual Inspection of Cooling System

Recommendations __________________________

______________________________________

______________________________________

Technician Signature ________________________

Date __________________________________

An ECM is anelectronicallycommutated motor.

It is a brushless motor withits own speed and torquecontrols built in. They areused as new or replacementfurnace fans. Furnacesequipped with an ECM willhave lower annual operatingcosts and are estimated tosave consumers $40 to $300per year, depending uponhow the furnace fan is used.Homeowners who operate

their furnace fancontinually have

the greatest energyconsumption and the greatestpotential savings.

An ECM allows the motor toadjust its speed to ensureoptimal airflow at all times.ECMs are also quieter andless expensive to operate

than conventional fans. Yousave on both heating andcooling. With theiradjustable speed design,furnaces with an ECMoperate on as little as 80watts of electricity (less thana standard electric lightbulb). The electrical drawcan be up to ten times lessthan standard motors whichrun on high all the time.

McLeod Co-op Power offersa $100 rebate to memberswho replace their furnacefan with an ECM. Both newfurnace installations and fanretrofits qualify, as long asthe new motor is an ECM.Talk to your HVACcontractor about an upgradeto an ECM. Call the Co-opfor details on how to get the rebate.

Rebates for high efficiency heat pumps andair conditioners will continue to requireinstallation by a "registered contractor"

which has been designated as a quality installerand is listed on the hvacreducation.net web site. Alist of all “registered contractors” in Minnesota ison our Cooperative web site atwww.mcleodcoop.com.

There will be no rebates in 2011 fordishwashers, clothes washers, ordehumidifiers. Refrigerator/freezer unitswill require recycling of the old unit toquality for rebates.

2011 RebatesGround Source Heat Pumps (controlled oruncontrolled)

Residential ..................................................$400/tonCommercial ................................................$400/ton

Air Source Heat Pump13 SEER ............................................................$33014 SEER ............................................................$48015 SEER ............................................................$58016 SEER or higher ............................................$630

Ductless Air Source Heat Pump ......................$300

Central Air Conditioner13 SEER ............................................................$ 3014 SEER ............................................................$18015 SEER ............................................................$28016 SEER or higher ............................................$330

Storage Space Heating ................................$ 40/kW

Uncontrolled electric water heatergoing on the Storage Water Heating with high efficiency water heater*..................................$200

Storage Water Heating* (New constr.) ........$100

4 hour peak shave to Storage Water Heating* ....................................$100

Heat pump water heater (New constr.)........$100

Heat pump water heater replacing non-controlled electric ..............................$200

ENERGY STAR Refrigerator with recycling of old unit ............................................$75

ENERGY STAR Freezer with recycling of old unit ..................................$75

*(Marathon or equivalent energy rated heater)

ENERGY STAR rebateprogram for 2011

What is anECM andhow can itsave memoney?


PO Box 70, 1231 Ford Ave.Glencoe, MN 55336

www.mcleodcoop.com320-864-3148, 1-800-494-6272

2011FluorescentBulb RecyclingProgram

McLeod Cooperative Power makesbulb recycling easy and we’ll evenhelp pay the fee.

Here’s how it works:• Free recycling of compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) with

coupon. Simply bring your used CFL and FREE recyclingcoupon to a participating retailer.

• Do It Best Hardware (Glencoe)

• Hite Hardware (Glencoe)

• Hutchinson Ace Hardware (Hutchinson)

• Thomes Bros. (Arlington)

• Beckler’s Hardware Hank (Bird Island)

• Waconia ACE Farm & Home

• 50 cents off of the recycling fee for qualifying non-CFLlamps.* Bring your used lamp and a 50 CENTS offcoupon to a participating retailer.

• You must be an MCPA residential or small businessmember to participate.

• Limit 10 coupons per household.

* Circular fluorescent tubes, U-bend fluorescent tubes,high-intensity discharge lamps, fluorescent tubes upto eight feet in length.

While fluorescent lamps are environmentally preferredover incandescents, they do contain a small amount ofmercury and if improperly disposed of can be harmful tothe environment. It is illegal to place them in the trash.

Name ____________________________________________

Address ____________________________________________

City ______________________________________________

State_______________________________ Zip ____________

Coupon expires 12/31/2011. Limit one coupon per lamp. Coupon valid only whencompleted. Must be MCPA residential or small business member to qualify.

Free CFL Recycling

Name ____________________________________________

Address ____________________________________________

City ______________________________________________

State_______________________________ Zip ____________


50¢ off FluorescentBulb recycling

Name ____________________________________________

Address ____________________________________________

City ______________________________________________

State_______________________________ Zip ____________


Free CFL Recycling

Name ____________________________________________

Address ____________________________________________

City ______________________________________________

State_______________________________ Zip ____________



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Free CFL Recycling

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Name ____________________________________________

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Free CFL Recycling

Name ____________________________________________

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Name ____________________________________________

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Free CFL Recycling

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Documents

N McLeod Cooperative Power EWSMcLeod Coop Power News P O Box 70, Glencoe, MN 55336-0070 The McLeod Coop Power News is published monthly for $7 per year for members and $10 per year