BY DAN HILDEBRAN
Clay Electric members held their 86th annual meeting in the Keystone Heights High School auditorium on Saturday, March 23.
Public and Member Relations Director Derick Thomas said the move from the school’s football stadium, where the event had been held in previous years, was in response to members’ recommendations.
Trustee Karen Hastings introduced herself and the other trustees, stating that trustees John Henry Whitehead of Lake Butler and Kelly Smith of Palatka could not attend.
Hastings highlighted a new benefit for members, explaining the co-op’s new usage alerts through its smartphone app, My Clay Electric.
“Members like you can now stay empowered and in control of your energy usage,” she said. “You’ll receive a notification when your consumption hits your set threshold, allowing you to manage and monitor your power more efficiently and save money on your monthly bill.”
Hastings also reminded members of the co-op’s capital credits refund.
“Your board of trustees approved a $12 million capital credits refund this year,” she said. “This refund is available to members because Clay Electric is a not-for-profit cooperative.”
Thomas asked the audience if any elected officials were present, and when no one responded, he introduced officials from the co-op’s wholesale power supplier, Seminole Electric.
Co-op CFO Mark Maxwell delivered General Manager Ricky Davis’s management report. Maxwell said Davis had attended 44 consecutive annual meetings before the March 23 gathering, which broke his streak.
Maxwell, reading from Davis’s letter, emphasized the benefits of being a member of a nonprofit cooperative instead of purchasing electricity from an investor-owned or government-owned utility.
He said members’ ability to elect their trustees, receive capital credit refunds, and benefit from the cooperative’s concern for the community add to the advantage of receiving reliable, affordable energy.
“As Mrs. Hastings noted,” Maxwell said, “our board of trustees voted this year to return $12 million in capital credits, and cumulatively over the last 50 years, that’s $226 million that we’ve returned to our members.”
Maxwell added that over the past year, Clay Electric employees improved infrastructure in the Salt Springs District, upgrading some lines from 7,200 volts to 14,000 volts.
“This changeover increased the lines’ efficiency, reducing line loss and providing a reduction in costs over time,” he said.
Maxwell said the co-op’s advanced metering infrastructure helps identify voltage issues, improve links, automatically report meter readings, and allow connects and disconnects remotely, saving time and resources.
The CFO also followed Hastings’s endorsement of the My Clay Electric smartphone app.
“This app is easy to use and a great tool for managing your account,” he said. “You can download the app to your computer, tablet, or smartphone, and you can view your account billing history, make payments, and view your daily usage. Another popular feature is the ability to know when your power is out and when it’s restored.”
Maxwell said the co-op spent $13 million keeping lines free from vegetation and falling trees and limbs.
“Most of the outages you’ve experienced are from tree limbs or trees falling on the power lines,” he said. “Of course, there are many other causes of outages, but vegetation is by far the largest.”
He added that the co-op uses technology to keep lines clear of vegetation and predict future problem areas.
Maxwell said the co-op lowered its power cost adjustment several times last year. He added that the cost of materials continues to skyrocket, and wholesale power costs are slightly up this year.
The CFO reminded attendees of the co-op’s connections discount card and its scholarships for traditional and older students.
. “Receiving electricity from Clay Electric is more than a business relationship,” he said. “It is a partnership founded on cooperative principles. We’re honored that you are a member and a partner of Clay Electric.”
