You Have The Power. Vote.
We wish to invite all Clay Electric Cooperative member-owners to attend the 2010 Annual Meeting of Membership on Thursday, September 2, 2010 at Charley Brown Park in Flora, IL. Registration will begin at 5:30 PM and the
meeting will begin at 7:00 PM. The Annual Meeting is one of the many benefits of your cooperative membership. Don't miss this opportunity to participate in the election of directors, meet many of Clay Electric’s employees and learn more about your cooperative.
We hope to see you at the Annual Meeting.
Clay Electric Co-operative 2009 Annual Meeting
 During Clay Electric Cooperative’s 65th annual meeting September 3, members re-elected three board members. From the left are Executive Vice President/General Manager John Meng, Frank Czyzewski of Louisville, Greg Smith of Xenia and Bob Pierson of Flora. |
Members of Clay Electric Co-operative heard updates about electric rates and future power supply during the organization’s 65th Annual Meeting of Members held Thursday, September 3, at Charley Brown Park.
Cooperative General Manager John E. Meng announced that wholesale power rates have increased 52 percent since 2006 and the co-op’s rates to members would have to increase too. But he said the co-op would increase rates gradually. He said wholesale power cost in 2010 is expected to go up $740,000 in 2010, but only $410,000 would be passed on to members in 2010. The balance would be passed on in 2011.
Meng said, “This means that to make this work during 2010 certain expenses have to be eliminated or reduced to be able to pay the increase in the wholesale power bills. We feel that this can be done for one year and one year only. That is the reason there will be the need to increase rates in 2011. The overall increase in rates for 2010 will be a 7 percent adjustment.”
Meng said that for the average member who consumes 800 kWh per month the increase will be $7.76.
Other factors, such as climate change legislation, could also impact electric bills. Meng said, “Although significant increases in electricity costs are already on the way, those could soar to an even higher level under legislation now pending before Congress. That legislation – the American Clean Energy and Security Act, House Bill 2454 – was narrowly approved by the US House of Representatives on June 26th. The bill would, among other things, establish a cap and trade program designed to lower carbon dioxide emissions from factories, power plants, cars, trucks and other sources.”
For co-op members and municipal utility customers throughout much of the Midwest where coal is the dominant fuel source bills could go up $20 to $100 a month because of this legislation, said Meng.
He said electric co-op leaders are asking for legislation that is fair, affordable and achievable. “There needs to be an economic safety valve that would set a maximum price that would eliminate the price volatility that speculation by traders could introduce in a carbon trading system set up by this cap and trade system,” said Meng.
The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association has implemented a program called “Our Energy Our Future” that gives electric co-op members across the country an easy way to contact their legislative representatives by going to www.ourenergy.coop. Clay Electric also mailed post cards to members that were addressed to Senators Burris and Durbin so members could easily participate in the debate. Meng said, “This is an opportunity for you to have input into the climate change legislation. It will take all of us working together to come up with something we can live with.”
During the meeting members re-elected Frank Czyzewski of Louisville, Greg Smith of Xenia and Bob Pierson of Flora to three-year terms on the board of directors.
