cooperative REVIEW SMECO Solar helps customers save

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1 volume 64 issue 4 april 2014 cooperative REVIEW for members of Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Nominating Committee to meet in May 3 It s not too late! 3 SMECO sponsors 25th annual High School Computer Bowl 4 Set it and forget it 6 Around Town 6 Stay safe this spring 8 The 25th Annual High School Computer Bowl was held March 1, See the top three teams on page 5. SMECO Solar helps customers save SMECO s solar project has produced more than 10 million kwh of energy since November 2012 and continues to help customers save. During the past couple of months, even with snow on the ground, the sun was shining and the SMECO Solar photovoltaic farm was producing enough energy to power more than 300 homes.* What makes solar power so important to SMECO s energy portfolio? The State of Maryland requires all electric utilities to use a certain amount of renewable energy, and the SMECO Solar farm helps us to fulfill that requirement. During times when energy prices go up such as January the cost of energy produced by the solar farm has stayed the same. The cost to construct the solar project has no impact on the distribution portion of customer bills. continued inside...

2 We used land that we already owned when we built the solar farm, so we didn t need to purchase property. We received a grant of $6 million, so SMECO didn t have to bear the full cost of construction. In fact, the solar farm helps SMECO save on energy costs. Energy was a valuable commodity in January as demand skyrocketed because of the extreme, prolonged cold weather. But, when prices on the open energy market were highest, SMECO Solar s farm was producing electricity and our customer-members were benefitting from the stable, unchanging rate of the solar power being delivered by that system. More to come? As long as SMECO is able to procure renewable energy at reasonable costs, we will actively work to obtain wind and solar power that will benefit all of our customer-members. * SMECO Solar produced 407,424 kwh in January, and nearly 472,000 kwh in February; an average SMECO household uses 1,300 kwh a month. Solar energy seminars For customers who are interested in learning more about installing solar panels at home, SMECO is hosting educational seminars from 6:30 until 8 p.m. on the following dates at our co-op offices. May 20 Prince Frederick, 901 Dares Beach Road May 21 Leonardtown, Hollywood Road May 22 Hughesville, Burnt Store Road Register online: or call

3 Nominating Committee to meet in May The 2014 Nominating Committee appointed at the March meeting of SMECO s Board of Directors will meet on Saturday, May 17, 2014, at 9 a.m. to select candidates for SMECO s Board. The meeting will be held in the Board Room at Burnt Store Road in Hughesville, Maryland. Customer-members interested in being nominated by the committee should submit their application by Friday, May 9, 2014, to SMECO, Attention: Joe Densford, Board Attorney; Burnt Store Road, P.O. Box 1937, Hughesville, MD Alternatively, a member may submit a petition, signed by any group of 15 or more SMECO members, no later than Friday, July 11, All candidates, including those running by petition, must complete a Board of Directors Candidate Application. To obtain an application, contact Lisa Oliver at or lisa.oliver@smeco.coop. The following Board seats will be open: one in Calvert, one in Charles, one in Prince George s, and two in St. Mary s. Board members will be elected at SMECO s Annual Meeting on Wednesday, September 10, Selection of Nominating Committee members complies with SMECO s bylaws. For more information regarding the committee, nominations, and director qualifications, refer to Article IV, Sections 4.02 and A copy of the bylaws may be obtained online at or from any SMECO office. It s not too late! Don t forget to register for the third annual SMECO 75 bike ride by May 5, 2014, to save $10 and ensure you receive a commemorative shirt. The ride is scheduled for June 7, Visit for more information and to register! 3

4 SMECO sponsors 25th annual High School Computer Bowl Almost 60 young computer experts competed in a test of their coding skills and technical knowledge on March 1 at North Point High School in Waldorf. Sponsors for the annual competition are SMECO, the College of Southern Maryland, Booz Allen Hamilton, and the public school systems of Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary s counties. With information technology firmly embedded in daily life, electric utilities like SMECO depend heavily on computer equipment to help keep the lights on for their customers. Utilities also depend on technology experts who know how to create and maintain software programs that ensure that all computerized systems run efficiently. Encouraging the programmers of tomorrow is the goal of the Southern Maryland High School Computer Bowl, which marked its 25th anniversary this year. Fifteen teams from seven high schools in Southern Maryland faced the challenging literacy and programming tests in the Computer Bowl. In the first round of the competition, students took a written test of their knowledge of computer history, hardware, and software. In the second round, teams of three to four students created computer programs to solve specific problems, using programming languages such as Java and Visual Basic. Charles County Public Schools equipped each team with two laptops for the programming portion of the competition. Winners received plaques and trophies. SMECO awarded gift cards to the top four teams. Booz Allen Hamilton awarded Samsung Galaxy tablets to the first-place team. The College of Southern Maryland also provided the first-place winners with performance awards. 4

5 First-place team, Huntingtown High School From left are Joey Watts, Vince Kubala, coach Tom Currier, Jason Merewitz, with Gunnar Arnesen. Second-place team, Great Mills High School From left are team members Andrew Herbig, Nicholas Oliver, Matthew Mussomele, and Bradley Post, with coach Nora Blasko. Third-place team, Patuxent High School From left are team members Cameron Gorsack, Gabe Smith, and Hart Herichsen, with coach Donna Herron. 5

6 Set it and forget it Paying bills is as easy as A,B,C. Month after month, it s the same thing. Stacks of bills jammed into your mail box, hours spent paying bills; or worse, you get caught up in the busy day to day, forget to pay a bill and then end up with late notices and extra fees. Set it and forget it with SMECO, and let bill payments manage themselves. Sign up for AutoPay Avoid late fees and the hassle of writing your check by signing up for AutoPay. Once you have signed up for AutoPay, your SMECO bills are paid automatically. Budget your electric bill Wish you knew how much your electric bill would be each month? Sign up for the Even Monthly Payment Plan (EMPP) and you will! The EMPP averages out the fluctuations in monthly bills by evening out the payments. (Residential customers only.) Cut the Clutter Go paperless! Join in on online billing and stop receiving monthly paper bills. Your current bill will be ed to you and your old bills are available online all at the tip of your fingers. Call the Contact Center at and tell them you want to set it and forget it! 6 May 1 4 Holy Face Church Spring Festival Sponsor: Holy Face Church St. Mary s County Fairgrounds, Leonardtown. Carnival rides, games, hay rides, food, vendors, silent auction. $ Admission holyfacechurch.org May 3 May Day Sponsor: Historic St. Mary s City 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Historic St. Mary s City Visitor Center, Hogaboom Lane, St. Mary s City. Rally round the Maypole, play games, make a craft to take home, and more. $ Admission hsmcdigshistory.org May 7 Foodways Community Networking Event Sponsor: Southern Maryland Agricultural Development Commission and SMECO 6:30 to 9 p.m. Greater Waldorf Jaycees Center, 3090 Crain Highway, Waldorf. Open networking session: 6:30 to 7 p.m. Event introduction: 7 p.m. Roundtable networking/ discussions: 7 to 9 p.m. Free. Register online , ext. 1 crophop.wufoo.com May 10 12th Annual Plant Sale Sponsor: Summerseat Farm, Inc. 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Summerseat Farm, Three Notch Road, Mechanicsville. Annuals, perennials, herbs, vegetable plants, shrubs, trees, hanging baskets, and Mother s Day gifts for sale; food; kids activities; house and farm tours; gardening information. Free admission & parking summerseat.org

7 7th Annual Calvert Arts Festival Sponsor: All Saints Episcopal Church 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. 100 Lower Marlboro Rd, Sunderland. Sample Patuxent Wine Trail wines ($) with souvenir tasting glass. No admission fee to shop. Food, live entertainment, children s crafts, and raffles. Tour the 1692 church and labyrinth. Rain or shine. Reserve your wine glass. Age verified for wine tasting by picture ID at festival. Proceeds benefit parish and community projects. Formerly the Calvert Wine and Arts Fest allsaints1692.org May 16 Southern Maryland Veterans Initiative Sponsor: Three Oaks Center 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Southern Maryland Higher Education Center, California. A one-day event providing support and services, including medical/ dental, employment, housing, legal advice, and VA counseling to Southern Maryland veterans threeoakscenter.org May 17 6th Annual Touch a Truck Festival Sponsor: Center for Children 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Regency Furniture Stadium, Waldorf. A family-oriented event featuring cars, trucks and other vehicles that children are allowed to touch, climb-on, take pictures alongside, and explore. The experience will include Big Rig Trucks, John Deer Gator, emergency vehicles, helicopter, and a crane. Food, games, rides, and vendors. $ Admission , ext. 129 center-for-children.org aroundtown May 22 Eat Wings. Raise Funds Sponsor: Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Chesapeake, Inc. 5 to 11:30 p.m. Buffalo Wild Wings, Lexington Village Way, Lexington Park. Ten percent of all food purchases will be donated to Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Chesapeake biglittle.org Lecture: Exploring the Archaeology of Providence Sponsor: Historic St. Mary s City 7 to 9 p.m. Visitor Center auditorium, Historic St. Mary s City. Anne Arundel County archaeologist Al Luckenbach will offer an illustrated lecture about the archaeology of Providence, Maryland s 1650s Protestant settlement in Anne Arundel County. Free hsmcdigshistory.org May Potomac River Waterfowl Show Sponsor: Community Foundation of Southern Maryland St. Mary s County Fairgrounds, Leonardtown. May 23, 6 to 9 p.m. Cattails and Cocktails reception and dinner, $ Admission. May 24, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. waterfowl show, $ Admission. Free for children age 12 and younger. Purchase contemporary and antique decoys and related collectibles. Displayed antique decoys and sporting artifacts, retriever dog demonstrations, and duck and goose calling contests and clinic. Food available on site. IWCA decoy carving contest. Live auction of decoys and related items at 8 a.m. Saturday cfsomd.org/waterfowlshow.html 7

8 Stay safe this spring A lot of Southern Marylanders will be outside working on spring projects now that the long, cold winter is behind us. Depending on your outdoor project, there are some tips to keep in mind that will keep you safe while you do work around your yard. Trees are a major cause of power outages. When planning where to plant your new trees, avoid planting them near overhead power lines. Trees that will grow 20 to 50 feet tall should be planted at least 30 feet from overhead lines. For additional guidelines on safe planting distances, check out our Right Tree, Right Place brochure at RightTreeRightPlace.pdf. If you are planting near the electric transformer, please keep plants at least 10 feet away. It is advisable that you avoid using ivy or other climbing plants that can overtake the equipment. It is also important that you do not adjust the grade around the transformer. Call before you dig Call Miss Utility by dialing 811 before you plant a tree or shrub, start a garden, or install a fence. SMECO will mark the location of underground power lines on your property. Maryland state law requires that persons contact Miss Utility at least two full business days before digging. One call will save you a lot of time, trouble, and money. It could also save your life!