Are you a believer in The Old Farmer’s Almanac predictions?

Its 2015 forecast started out strong with an average temperature prediction of four degrees below normal. That prediction certainly came true, and it will be interesting to see how the remainder of our winter plays out.

Even with the help of The Almanac and forecasting of organizations like NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), it’s tough to predict if we’re in for another cold snap like the one that arrived on January 7th and spanned several days. On January 8th, the low in Central Florida was 14 degrees below normal. Jack Frost appeared in the northern portion of our service area, and high winds blew across the entire territory with gusts exceeding 30 mph. SECO’s infrastructure withstood these adverse conditions to the credit of an extremely well designed, soundly built and proactively maintained electric system.

During the time frame from January 7th through the 9th, SECO’s system availability was 99.998 percent with zero cold weather related outages occurring. For the small handful of members whose power was affected during that time by non-weather related outages, service was restored in an average of only 82 minutes.

SECO’s type of reliability is a great perk for SECO membership.

Our linemen react quickly – especially in adverse weather conditions. The reliability of your power is our highest priority and we can prove it. Our system and consumer average interruption frequency and duration numbers are among the lowest in the state and across the nation. Over the remainder of this winter, you can count on SECO employees to be there when you need us, whether you call, email, or report an outage through Storm Center online.

This system’s reliability will also serve SECO members well in the upcoming storm season. The Old Farmer’s Almanac advises to watch for an early tropical storm in mid-May, one in mid-July and possibly a hurricane in September. The chart below outlines average temperature and precipitation predictions for 2015:

The Almanac also warns that summer will be hotter than normal, and above-normal temps will continue through October this year. With this in mind, be sure you’ve prepared for the heat by understanding easy and inexpensive home energy-efficiency measures that save both energy and money. Visit secoenergy.com, click “Energy” and select “Energy Saving Tips.” Take it a step further and request a free home audit with one of our energy services professionals. Email customerservice@secoenergy.com today to schedule a visit.

Cold Temps + High Winds = SECO Readiness

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©The Old Farmer’s Almanac

MARFEBJAN APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC

+4ºnormal

-4º

+3"normal-3"

Temperature and Precipitation January 2015 to December 2015

Service Technician Rick Reynolds is one of many

skilled field employees who brave the elements to restore power

when adverse weather conditions affect your service.

February 2015

We don’t want to brag, but had to “plug” SECO’S 2014 ACSI SCORE:

89! Thank you, SECO Energy members, for awarding

our cooperative such high marks! We are humbled and honored to be your electric provider.

ACSI (American Customer Satisfaction Index)

Don’t forget:Annual MeetingSaturday,

March 28thWin a Truck or Cash Prizes!

Express YourselfSECO/Seminole

● SOLAR SURVEY ●Seminole Electric Cooperative, SECO Energy’s wholesale power provider, is considering the possibility of a new solar project. If the project is implemented, in 2016 SECO Energy members could have the opportunity to purchase blocks of power generated by this renewable source. Seminole has asked SECO and its other distribution co-ops across the state to survey our members’ participation interest in this solar project with the understanding that the costs of solar generation remain higher than those of traditional power generation sources.

We welcome your feedback and will enter your name in a drawing for one of ten $50 gift cards if you take the survey at secoenergy.com and provide your last name and last six digits of your customer number. Just click on the “Solar Survey” link!

tips & quips about our environment and its inhabitants

NATURE’S reflectionsFlorida’s Gopher TortoiseIts most serious threat – urban developmentGopher tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus) often just called “gophers” live in dry habitats and dig burrows into the earth, building homes for themselves and havens for many other animals. They like well-drained, sandy soils for their burrows, suffi cient low plant growth for food, and open, sunny areas for nesting. These herbivores forage exclusively on low growing vegetation. They rarely drink water since they get water from the plants they eat. Gopher tortoises belong in the reptile family and are native to the southeastern United States, although the greatest number are found in Florida and southern Georgia.

A few weeks following the spring mating season, females lay 3-to-15 round eggs in the warm sand mound in front of their burrows or in a sunny place nearby. The young tortoises hatch in 70-to-90 days and live in their mother’s burrow or dig a small tunnel near her burrow. The maturing process is slow for tortoises. It takes 10-to-15 years to reach adulthood. At that time, the shell is about nine inches long. Gopher tortoises seem to live 40 years.

More than 80 percent of gopher tortoise nests are lost to predators, such as armadillos, raccoons, foxes, skunks, alligators, and fi re ants. However, man is still their worst enemy.

Because Gopher tortoise burrows provide shelter for more than 350 species of animals, including indigo snakes, gopher frogs, Florida mice, skunks, opossums, rabbits, quail, armadillos, lizards, burrowing owls, frogs, toads and many invertebrates, it is regarded as a keystone species. It is listed as a threatened species in Florida. Both the tortoise and its burrow are protected under state law.

While urban development is the most serious threat, tortoises are considered a delicacy by a small number of people, including some who mistakenly believe tortoise fl esh to be an aid in relieving high blood pressure and impotence.

Now protected throughout their range, both Florida and Georgia classify the Gopher tortoise as a non-game species, requiring a permit for possession. Gopher tortoises must be relocated before any land clearing or development takes place. Property owners must obtain permits to relocate or to take since Florida outlawed their harvest in 1988. �− photos and column by Sandi Staton – sandi.staton@gmail.com

SECO TRUSTEES

Ray F. Vick President • District 5

Jerry D. Hatfi eld Vice President • District 9

James D. Holtz Secretary-Treasurer • District 4

Scott D. Boyatt District 1

Dillard B. Boyatt District 2

Richard J. Belles District 3

Earl Muffett District 6

Rob Henion District 7

Bill James District 8

Jim Duncan CEO & General Manager

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SECO’s Board of Trustees will meet on Monday, February 16th at 2:30 p.m. in the

Corporate Offices located at 330 South US Highway 301 in Sumterville.

A Trustees’ meeting will also be held on March 30, 2015.

SECO Outage Hotline (800) 732-6141