Electric Cooperatives: Going Beyond the Wires
By Sarah Bell, Grundy County High School
“What’s an old mutt like you up to this weekend, Ralph?” asked Sparky, a Pomeranian mixture.
“I’m not sure. I thought I’d get to spend time with Julie, but she’s going to be working on some short story and won’t have any time for me. She promised to make it up, though.”
“What’s she writing about?”
“The electric co-op. She says she’ll win a trip if her story’s really good, so I’m trying not to bother her. I don’t really know anything about SVEC, though. This paper she’s writing has made me curious. It has to say something about ‘Going Beyond the Wires’ — whatever that means,” responded Ralph.
“Well, my owner works for Sequachee Valley Electric Cooperative (SVEC), and I overheard him talking to his wife about it, telling her all the good things they’re doing for the community. I guess that could mean ‘Going Beyond the Wires.’ Do you want me to tell you about it?” asked Sparky.
“Sure. Let’s go by and pick up Butch, then you can tell us all about it.”
Soon they’d met up with Butch, a registered English bulldog, and filled him in on what was happening. They decided to wander around the neighborhood and let Sparky explain just what it was SVEC did.
“Well, you see that building over there? A few months ago they put on a program called a ‘Senior Expo.’ Local seniors went there and had procedures done such as free cholesterol, blood sugar and PSA screening. They also had some informational sessions including: ‘Care for the Aging: Your Rights in Tennessee,’ ‘Skin Cancer Education,’ and ‘Arthritis Self-Help.’ My neighbors went, and they really learned a lot.”
“Yeah, Julie’s grandparents went there. They came over and told her family all about it. They complimented the food and showed off the door prize they won.”
“They had food? And door prizes? I should’ve gotten my owner to take me.” commented Butch.
“Let’s stop talking about food now; I’m getting hungry... Do you see that house they’re working on over there? It was partially burned down a few weeks ago. Thanks to a program called SVECares, those people are able to afford restoring their house.” Sparky informed them.
“What is SVECares?” Butch asked.
Sparky answered, “Basically, SVEC rounds your owners’ bills to the nearest dollar. So if your bill is $21.64, they would raise it to $22. The extra $0.36 would be placed in the SVECares fund. Then the extra money’s used for local projects such as equipment for the fire department or ambulance service, youth services and all types of individual needs.”
“That’s pretty awesome,” stated Ralph. “I didn’t know SVEC did anything other than give us electricity.”
“I know. My owner complains about that a lot. No one ever notices all the little things SVEC does. Did you know that in September several SVEC employees spent a week in Florida helping rebuild electrical lines that had been knocked down after all the hurricanes?” Sparky asked them.
Ralph answered, “No, I didn’t know that. You really do eavesdrop on your owners, don’t you?”
“What else is there for me to do?”
“Good point,” Ralph responded. “Can we take a break from all the SVEC talk and get some food?” Butch asked. “You woke me up before I got any breakfast, and I’m tired and hungry.”
“That’s the best idea you’ve had in a long time, Butch,” Ralph commented. “I agree 100 percent. Food and rest are never bad.”
They wandered over to the picnic area of the park and begged for food. After they’d eaten their fill, they decided to relax in the sun for a while. But before long they were interrupted by a group of environmentalists talking about something called a “Green Power Switch.”
“Hey, Sparky, I thought I heard them mention SVEC in their conversation. What’s all this about a ‘Green Power Switch?’ They totally confused me,” Butch remarked.
“Well, ‘Green Power Switch’ is something that TVA and local public power companies, with help from the environmental community, have started. They use resources like wind, solar power and methane gas to produce power, and then those resources will renew themselves, unlike some of the ways we’re getting electricity now. Coal, natural gas, oil and nuclear power can cause serious environmental problems also. Even though no source of energy is impact-free, renewable resources create less waste. If your owner adds an extra $8 onto their electric bill, it buys enough Green Power to equal someone going and planting an entire acre of trees.”
“Hey, wait a second, Sparky. Why do you have to spend eight more dollars every month? Aren’t these renewable resources free? I mean, I don’t have to pay for the wind,” Butch stated.
“Yes, they’re free, but the technology used to capture the energy they produce is still more expensive than the traditional methods. If enough people start using it, though, the prices will lower.”
“Wow,” Ralph said, “I never knew what all SVEC does. I hope Julie can get all this stuff to put in her paper.”
“I’m sure she can,” Sparky replied. “It’s easy to find their Web site.”
“Well, I’m going to go back home and go to bed. You guys woke me up too early.”
“Okay, Butch. Thanks for all your help, Sparky. Now I know what ‘Going Beyond the Wires’ really means.”