San Miguel Power Association, Inc.

Current News

San Miguel Power Announces 2010 Scholarship Opportunities - San Miguel Power Association, Inc. (SMPA) is, once again, offering scholarships to this year’s high school graduating class. Each year the co-op awards nine scholarships, totaling $14,000, to graduating seniors from across the service territory. Applicants must attend school within SMPA’s service territory, be on schedule to graduate in 2010, and plan to attend a secondary education institution. Schools within SMPA’s service territory include Nucla, Norwood, Telluride, Ridgway, Ouray and Silverton High Schools.

SMPA offers three different scholarships. The San Miguel Power Association Scholarship, in the amount of $2,000, is awarded to one graduating senior from each of the six high schools within the service territory. The Tri-State Scholarship, in the amount of $500, is awarded to two graduating seniors from the service territory. The Basin Electric Power Cooperative Scholarship, in the amount of $1,000, is awarded to one graduating senior from the service territory.

Applications are available online. In addition to the application, students must also supply an official transcript of grades, an essay of 250 to 500 words and two letters of recommendation. They must demonstrate community involvement and identify an intended course of study. Applications are due February 18, 2010. Completed applications can be returned to:
            San Miguel Power
            Attn. Carla Spangler
            PO Box 817
            Nucla, CO 81424
Students may also submit applications electronically by emailing the documents to carla@smpa.com. For more information contact Carla at (970) 864-7311.

Reminder to Members: Changes to Green Cents to Affect Member Bills - San Miguel Power Association, Inc. reminds its members that as of February 1, 2010 all members will be automatically enrolled in Green Cents - a round up program that raises money for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects within SMPA's service territory. The newly adopted Green Cents round-up will begin with the bill members will receive the first week of February 2010.

Green Cents allows members to round up their monthly bill to the nearest dollar, with the rounded up portion going into the renewable energy fund. For example, if a member's bill is $43.27 it will be automatically rounded up to $44. The extra 73 cents is then put in the renewable energy fund, which is used to help finance community energy projects within SMPA's service territory.

On average, a member will donate less than $7 per year, but no more than $11.88. SMPA has approximately 10,000 members, and if all members choose to stay in the Green Cents program, the co-op could raise up to $70,000 or more. The money raised will fund community renewable energy, energy efficiency and conservation projects.

"We want to make sure that we're using our Green Cents funds as effectively as possible," said SMPA General Manager, Kevin Ritter. "That means funding energy projects and programs in our communities that make a significant impact and benefit a greater number of our members."

Members will also have the option of increasing their Green Cents donation by an even dollar amount of their choice. Their bill will be automatically rounded up and then the additional dollars will be added. The extra donation can be increased or decreased at the member's request.

Although members will be automatically enrolled in Green Cents, participation is not mandatory. A member may choose to opt out of the program at any time by contacting their local SMPA office: Nucla - (970) 864-7311 or Ridgway - (970) 626-5549. The Green Cents round up will take effect when members receive their bill the first week of February 2010. Members may opt out prior to February 2010 and anytime thereafter.

Historic Demand Causes Power Outage in Telluride and Mountain Village - December 31, 2009 TELLURIDE – Last night’s power outage affecting the towns of Telluride and Mountain Village was the result of a tripped main breaker in San Miguel Power Association, Inc.’s (SMPA) substation. At approximately 6:15 pm power was interrupted in the mountain towns. SMPA crews immediately isolated the main breaker, restoring power within the hour. The co-op determined that a historic 32 MW demand tripped the main breaker.

“We saw a tremendous increase in usage in the Telluride area, which, unfortunately, stressed our system to the point of an outage,” explained SMPA General Manager Kevin Ritter. “There are a lot of people spending the holidays in that area. And for SMPA, more people means a larger load.”

The co-op predicts tonight’s New Year’s festivities will put an even larger demand on their system, and they’re taking steps to prevent another outage. Crew members will be working with a technician from Grand Junction today to adjust the settings on the main breaker so it is able to carry a bigger load. However, SMPA also says members can take their own simple steps to help reduce the co-op’s load.

“Turing off lights in unused rooms is one of the easiest things you can do,” explains Ritter. “Homeowners should also consider unplugging devices they aren’t currently using such as televisions in spare rooms, gaming systems and appliances like coffee makers or toasters. Any load you can remove from the system will help”

In the event of a power outage, contact your local SMPA office: Nucla (970) 864-7311 or Ridgway (970) 626-5549. If an outage occurs after regular business hours, members may contact their local office and reach SMPA’s after hours dispatch. In order to assist SMPA with restoring your power quickly, be prepared to relay the following information:

Name
Service address
Phone number
Time power went off

Changes to San Miguel Power's Green Cents Program Will Affect Member Bills - Effective February 1, 2010 all San Miguel Power Association, Inc. (SMPA)members will be automatically enrolled in Green Cents - a round up program that raises money for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects within SMPA's service territory. With the goal of raising significant funds for efficiency improvements and renewable energy development in local communities, the SMPA Board of Directors moved to change the Green Cents program from and 'opt in' to an 'opt out' at their November 18, 2009 regular meeting.

"Changing our Green Cents program to an 'opt out' is an exciting change for San Miguel Power," explained SMPA General Manager, Kevin Ritter. "If just 70% of our members remain in the program, weâ€™ll raise almost $50,000 for energy projects in our local communities."

Green Cents is a simple program that allows members to round up their monthly bill to the nearest dollar, with the rounded up portion going into the renewable energy fund. For example, if a member's bill is $43.27 it will be automatically rounded up to $44. The extra 73 cents is then put in the renewable energy fund, which is used for energy efficiency and renewable energy programs in SMPA's service territory.

On average, a member will donate less than $7 per year, but no more than $11.88. SMPA has approximately 10,000 members, and if all members choose to stay in the Green Cents program, the co-op could raise up to $70,000 or more. The money raised will be used to fund energy efficiency and renewable energy programs within the co-op's service territory, including:

Efficiency upgrades
Renewable energy generation
Energy efficiency incentives
Weatherization assistance
Rebates

"At less than $1 a month, Green Cents is an easy and affordable way members can fund energy programs in their own communities," said SMPA General Manager, Kevin Ritter. "The financial commitment is small, but the rewards are big."

San Miguel Power Helps Install Energy Savings Technology in the West End

Apprentice Line Technician, Darcy Turner, installs a new 40 watt LED security light at the West End School District's bus parking lot.

NATURITA – On Thursday,December 03, 2009 the West End School District completed a multiple year parking lot project at their administration building in Naturita, CO. With the help of San Miguel Power Association, Inc. (SMPA) the district was able to purchase and install two state of the art LED security lights in their bus parking lot. SMPA also equipped one of the new light poles with a meter and plug-in. In total, SMPA donated $2,400 in labor and materials to the project.

According to Ernie Williams, the district’s Bus Mechanic, the parking lot project started a few years ago when the district began expanding the lot to the east. As monies became available, the district continued to add onto the lot until it could accommodate six large buses and five administration vehicles. However, with the expansion came safety issues. A security light which once sat on the eastern edge of the lot, now sits dead center. Part of SMPA’s contribution was removing the old pole and setting in two new poles on each side of the lot.

“With our buses backing-in around that pole, it was an accident waiting to happen,” explained Williams. “We just laid gravel in our added parking space, and the new lights are the final step to making our bus lot safer.”

Previously lit by one 100 watt high pressure sodium lamp, the bus lot will now boast two new 40 watt LED security lights on the north and south edges. Light emitting diodes (LEDs) are made of a solid, semi-conductive material called a diode that, when energized, gives of light. Although, LED security lights are just now hitting the mainstream market, replacing the sodium high pressure lamps was relatively painless. Little retrofitting was needed to accommodate the LED bulbs. It was as simple as unscrewing the old bulbs and screwing in the new ones.

For West End Schools Superintendent, Stephen Yost, the newly positioned and upgraded security lights are a major boon for the school district. Drivers will no longer need to maneuver their buses around a pole, and they will have the convenience of plugging in their vehicles to the new outlet. The district anticipates these changes will save in more ways than electricity costs.

Together, the two new LED lights will use 20% less electricity than their high pressure sodium predecessor. The new lights are Clearlight 40W LED Luminaires from Evluma of Seattle, WA. Each light contains 16 white diodes in a weather tight compartment. The lights are durable, shatterproof and are estimated to have a life of 70,000 hours.

The newly added plug-in will allow the district to plug-in all their buses during the winter months. Diesel buses are equipped with an internal heater powered by electricity. The heater keeps the vehicle’s oil temperature up, ensuring the engine will start and warm up quickly each morning. That means a shorter idling time and less fuel waste for the district.

“It’s a tough economic time for everyone right now and we couldn’t have asked for more from San Miguel Power,” said Yost. “We are very grateful for their donation."

San Miguel Power Buys Local Hydro Power - On October 1, 2009, San Miguel Power Association, Inc. (SMPA) became the primary power purchaser of the electricity produced by Coal Creek Hydro-Electric LLC. Coal Creek Hydro previously sold electricity to Tri-State Generation and Transmission – SMPA’s wholesale power provider.

The contract between Coal Creek Hydro and Tri-State ended September 30. All parties agreed it just made sense to eliminate the middle man and set up a power purchase agreement directly between SMPA and Coal Creek Hydro.

“Coal Creek Hydro was a fairly small electricity producer for Tri-State when compared to their total load. It was more natural and beneficial to our members for SMPA to step in and set up a purchasing contract with Coal Creek Hydro,” explained SMPA General Manager, Kevin Ritter. “It’s a great example of local renewable power production by our members, for our members.”

Coal Creek Hydro began production in 2000, putting locally generated renewable energy onto the grid for SMPA members for the past nine years. It is a privately owned hydro-electricity plant just north of Ouray, CO. Telluride locals, Shawna and Trevor LaBorde own and operate the plant.

“We are pleased to provide power directly to our local co-op and community members,” said Shawna LaBorde.

Since start up, Coal Creek Hydro has averaged a production of 340,000 kilowatt hours per year, but has peaked at 550,000 kilowatt hours in the past. Factors surrounding the intake valve play a role in production. Recent upgrades to the intake system are expected to boost production. It is estimated that the power received from Coal Creek will make up about 0.169% of SMPA’s yearly load.

The contract between SMPA and Coal Creek Hydro designates SMPA as the primary power purchaser for the next 10 years. Additionally, SMPA has signed a 10 year agreement with Tri-State which allows SMPA to purchase locally generated renewable electricity under their Policy 115. This policy authorizes SMPA to purchase up to 5% of their electricity from local renewable sources.

SMPA will receive possession of all the Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) produced by the Coal Creek facility. SMPA will apply the RECs to their Colorado Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard (RPS) requirements. The RPS for all Colorado cooperatives requires the utilities to provide a specific percentage of renewable energy and/or recycled energy to members according to the following timeline:

1% of its retail electricity sales in Colorado for the years 2009-2011;
3% of its retail electricity sales in Colorado for the years 2012-2015;
6% of its retail electricity sales in Colorado for the years 2016-2020; and
10% of its retail electricity sales in Colorado for the year 2021 and each following year.

San Miguel Power Offers Summer Retreats for Local Teens - San Miguel Power Association, Inc. (SMPA) is searching for local high school juniors to send on all expenses paid trips to Washington D.C. or Glen Eden Resort near Steamboat Springs, CO. All high school juniors between the ages of 16 and 18 that live in a household which receives power from SMPA are eligible for either week long adventure.

Each year SMPA sponsors one high school junior to attend the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) Rural Electric Youth Tour in Washington D.C. The co-op also sends one high school junior to the Colorado Rural Electric Association (CREA) Cooperative Youth Leadership Camp at Glen Eden Resort in Clark, CO.

At the NRECA Rural Electric Youth Tour, over 1,400 students from across the nation spend seven days touring the nation’s capital. The students visit many historic landmarks, including the Lincoln Memorial, Smithsonian Museum and Capitol Building. Students also get to meet their U.S. Senators and Representatives. To complete the trip, the teens dance the night away on a dinner and dance cruise down the Potomac River. The dates for the 2010 tour are June 11 – 17, 2010.

The CREA Cooperative Youth Leadership Camp gives students an opportunity to spend a week in nature’s playground at the Glen Eden Resort near Steamboat Springs, CO. Teens from Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas and Nebraska come together to learn about the cooperative business model. They work together to form their own cooperative, test their skills at being an elected official and tour the Craig Station Power Plant. The camp also offers plenty of downtime for the students to enjoy volleyball, swimming, hot springs, campfires and dances. The dates for the 2010 camp are July 11 – 16, 2010.

Interested students must complete an application form and brief essay to be considered for either program. Applications are available at your local SMPA office or online at www.smpa.com/community/programs.cfm. Students may apply for both trips; however, a different student will be chosen for each program. NRECA Rural Electric Youth Tour applications are due December 15, 2009. CREA Cooperative Youth Leadership Camp applications are due December 21, 2009. For more information contact Becky Mashburn, SMPA Communications Executive at (970) 626-0212 or becky@smpa.com.