Habersham Electric Membership CorporationA Touchstone Energy® Cooperative

The Official Publication for Members of Habersham EMC

LIGHTREADING

April 2017 22A

APRI

L 20

17

EGo Green in Honor of Earth Day!

nergy. Water. Air. Shelter. Food. All forms of life on earth have

basic needs. The challenge is to manage available resources in order to best meet those needs.

Does everyone always agree on the best ways and methods? No.

Do we learn and develop better ways? Hopefully.

Habersham EMC (HEMC) has been a proud member of Green Power EMC, Georgia’s first renew-able energy program, since the program’s inception 15 years ago. During that time, energy has been generated from renewable resources such as low-impact hydroelectric plants, biomass, land-fill gas and solar facilities. In 2016, these projects generated more than 272 megawatts of electricity.

In addition, Green Power EMC has installed solar arrays and moni-toring equipment at 42 middle and high schools across Georgia, includ-ing North Habersham Middle School in Clarkesville. Students gain a better understanding of some of the chal-lenges and opportunities of renewable energy by monitoring solar power strength during various weather and light conditions.

Habersham EMC is committed to the research and use of renew-

able energy sources to help meet the electrical demand in our area. On Earth Day 2016, the HEMC Cooperative Solar program was launched, and in less than two weeks, HEMC’s share of electricity from the Hazlehurst photovol-taic facility was sold out! Another solar installation is under construction and is

expected to come online this year, allowing additional HEMC members the opportunity to participate.

HEMC has several ways you can support these “green” initiatives.

1) Check out the tips on page 22D. Simple changes can make your daily routines more envi-ronmentally friendly.

2) Participate in HEMC’s Green Power pro-gram. For only $4 a month, residential and commercial members can pur-chase a 150-kWh block of electricity gen-erated from a renewable energy source. You may pur-chase multiple blocks if you like.

3) Add your name to the HEMC Cooperative Solar program wait-ing list. Residential members may purchase a 1.25-kW solar energy block for $25. A limit of two blocks per member applies. Members on the waiting list will be contacted when additional blocks become available, based on the order they signed up. For more information about these

programs or to sign up, please visit habershamemc.com or call: (706) 754-2114, (706) 865-4362 or (800) 640-6812.

New Green Power participants

get a reusable shopping bag!

22B GEORGIA MAGAZINEwww.habershamemc.com

White County Backpack Buddies—Meals for children ........................ $ 5,000

White County individual—Home repair ................................................. $ 2,500

Cleveland Fire Department—Air packs for firefighters ....................... $ 2,500

American Legion Post 16—Boy Scouts’ building materials ................ $ 2,000

Rainbow Children’s Home Inc.—Support program .............................. $ 1,000

Operation Round Up grants are made possible by

Habersham EMC members who voluntarily have their

electric bill rounded up to the next dollar. The change

goes to support worthy organizations, individuals and families.

The average annual donation per member is only $6. Members

also have the option of donating a set amount monthly.

These grants were awarded during the January meeting of the HEMC

Foundation Inc. Board of Directors:

Operation Round Up Awards Grants

HABERSHAM

E L E C T R I CMEMBERSHIPCORPORATION

OP E RA T ION

For more information,

contact HEMC at (706) 754-

2114, (706) 865-4362,

(800) 640-6812 or online at

habershamemc.com.

With just a small amount

of change, you can help

change lives!

Habersham EMC will hold the

79th Annual Meeting on

Thursday, July 20, 2017,

at the Habersham County Ninth Grade

Academy, 171 Raider Circle, Mount Airy

Save the Date

P

Thank You!

owerGuard Security has

been voted the Best Security Company for the fifth year by readers of The Northeast Georgian. n Proudly serving more

than 1,700 customers n Monthly monitoring is $15.95 for

HEMC members n Experienced technicians n Free estimates (706) 839-4152 (800) 640-6812 Powerguardsecurity.com

April 2017 22C

LIGHTREADINGOfficial Monthly Publication of Habersham EMCMeter Upgrade Reminder

HEMC has contracted SGS to upgrade meters

throughout the six-county service area. All SGS

vehicles and personnel are clearly identified. For

more information, visit habershamemc.com

or call Member Services: (706) 754-2114,

(706) 865-4362 or (800) 640-6812.

Board of Directors: Chairman, Rick Wood;

Vice Chairman, George Fry; Secretary-

Treasurer, Jeff Ferguson; Billy Cantrell,

Dustin Hulsey, Frank McCrackin, Kenneth

McEntire, Dan Thurmond and David Wall.

Staff: President/CEO: Jonathan Cantrell;

Director, Marketing & Communications,

Nicole Dover, CCC.

EMERGENCY SERVICE: Call (706) 754-2114

or (800) 640-6812.

TELEPHONE: Clarkesville Headquarters,

(706) 754-2114 or (800) 640-6812;

Cleveland Branch Office, (706) 865-4362

or (800) 640-6812.

OFFICE HOURS: Monday through Friday,

8 a.m.-5 p.m.

OFFICE LOCATIONS: Headquarters, 6135

State Hwy. 115 West, Clarkesville; Branch

Office, 897 S. Main St., Suite 9, Cleveland.

SERVICE AREA: Serving members in

Habersham, Hall, Lumpkin, Rabun, Stephens

and White counties.

MAILING AND SHIPPING ADDRESS:

6135 State Hwy. 115 West, Clarkesville,

GA 30523

WEBSITE: www.habershamemc.com

ONLINE CHAT HOURS: Monday through

Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

EMAIL: forinfo@hemc.coop

Habersham Electric Membership Corporation is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Statistical Report to MembersYear to Date—Jan. 31, 2017

Average kWh Per Consumer 1,397 1,382

Consumers Receiving Service 34,255 34,007

Miles Energized 3,760 3,748

Average Bill $ 171 $ 171

Operating Revenue $ 6,119,791 $ 6,058,746

Purchased Power $ 3,740,419 $ 4,032,799

Operating Expenses $ 1,147,174 $ 1,208,693

Non-Operating Expenses $ 643,312 $ 700,022

Total Utility Plant $ 152,605,519 $ 147,752,977

THIS YEAR LAST YEAR TO DATE TO DATE

Habersham EMC offices will

be closed on Good Friday, April

14. Personnel will be available

to respond to outages and

emergencies. To report an outage,

call (706) 754-2114, (706) 865-

4362 or (800) 640-6812, or visit

habershamemc.com.

Holiday Closing

22D GEORGIA MAGAZINEwww.habershamemc.com

The product is sold in blocks of 150 kilowatt-hours (kWh). The product will be made up of the following renewable resources.

PRODUCT CONTENT LABEL

Green-e Energy Certified New3 Renewables in Habersham EMC Green Power Program

20161 20172

Biomass 100% 100% Geothermal 0% 0% Eligible hydroelectric 0% 0% Solar 0% 0% Wind 0% 0% TOTAL 100% 100%

Georgia

GenerationLocation

Green-e Energy certifies that Habersham Electric Membership Corporation Green Power Program meets the environmental and consumer protection standards established by the nonprofit Center for Resource Solutions. For more information on Green-e Energy certification requirements, call 1 (888) 63-GREEN or log on to www.green-e.org.

ere’s a list of some simple tips to make your daily routine more

environmentally friendly. n Replace chemically treated non-

stick pans with cast-iron pans. n Opt for PVC-free plastic, cloth or

bamboo shower curtains. n Use LED lightbulbs to save

energy. n Do laundry in cold water. n Make your own green household

cleaners. n Obey the speed limit. n Use a vacuum with a High-

Efficiency Particulate Arresting (HEPA) filter.

n Replace chemically enhanced beauty products with coconut oil.

n Use reusable shopping bags. n Seal and insulate your home. n Eat locally grown foods. n Check your air filters monthly. n Avoid letting your vehicle idle. n Use travel mugs and refillable

water bottles. n Choose glass food containers. n Use beeswax candles. n Fix leaky toilets and faucets. n Get a ficus or other plant as a nat-

ural air purifier. n Place power strips around your

home or office to prevent chargers and small appliances from using energy, even when off.

n Use ceiling fans. n Make your own compost from

food waste. n Mulch your plants. n Install a programmable thermostat.

—Source: Prevention Magazine

H

Everyday Earth-Friendly Tips

Dishwasher efficiency

tip: Air-dry clean

dishes to save energy.

If your dishwasher

does not have an

automatic air-dry

switch, turn off the

dishwasher after the

final rinse and prop the door open slightly so the

dishes dry faster.

—Source: U.S Department of Energy

1. The 2016 figures reflect the resources that were supplied for the year ending December 31, 2016.2. The 2017 figures are prospective and reflect the power that we have contracted to provide. Actual figures

may vary according to resource availability. We will annually report to you before August 1 of next year in the form of a Historic Product Content Label the actual resource mix of the electricity you purchased.

3. New Renewables come from generation facilities that first began commercial operation within the past 15 years. This product includes generation from a facility that is approved for extended use by Green-e Energy.

For comparison, the current average mix of resources supplying Habersham EMC includes: Coal (9.67%), nuclear (25.98%), oil (0%), natural gas (57.75%), hydroelectric (6.16%) and other (0.43%).

The average home in the United States uses 909 kWh per month. [Source: U.S. EIA, 2013]

For specific information about this electricity product, please contact Habersham Electric Membership corporation, (800)640-6812, forinfo@hemc.coop, habershamemc.com/content/green-power.