Electric Cooperatives: Powering Everyday Life
By Kaitlyn Springer – Sequatchie County High School
It was a typical day today in my life as an iPhone. I awoke my owner Anne at six o'clock so that she could get ready. Anne is an elementary school teacher. In the morning, I got a glimpse at what her students were doing when Anne used me to take pictures for the yearbook. The electric co-op had come to give a demonstration to the students about being energy efficient and safe. They showed the children how little things like turning off the lights when they leave a room or switching the type of lightbulb they use can save energy.
During her lunch break, Anne asked me to pay her electric bill on the electric cooperative's app for her. The reviews on this app say that it is very convenient for its users because they do not have to pay in person. Also, reviewers say that this app provides them easy access to reports on their energy usage. When I showed Anne her account on my screen, she smiled. Anne's bill was cut in half because she had bought a new, more efficient water heater and received a rebate. Anne sent her co-op an email that said that she was so glad to be a member of a co-op that gives back rather than a corporation that is out for a profit. Then, Anne posted a picture on Twitter of her students watching the co-op's demonstration and tagged the local electric cooperative's account, @KCElectricCooperative.
When Anne's lunch break was over, she set me on the desk as she taught her class for the remainder of the school day. After all this hype about co-ops this morning, I wondered about exactly what an electric cooperative is. Anne had left her Twitter open, so I decided to ask @KCElectricCooperative about them because he seemed like he would be knowledgeable about them.
"Tell me about electric co-ops," I tweeted to KC via direct message.
He replied, "Electric cooperatives are not-for-profit organizations that distribute power to rural and suburban areas. They are owned by their members that receive their service. Elected board members establish the policies of the cooperative."
"Well, they have to have excess money sometimes. What do they do with it?"
"Any extra money that electric co-ops make gets put back into the electric system to pay for things such as new lines and equipment."
"What about..." I started to ask, but before I could finish typing my question, Anne interrupted me by asking me to navigate to the community center.
I gave her directions through my translator Siri. Upon arrival, Anne started to take pictures of the event. Through my camera, I could see that it was a fundraiser called Relay for Life, and there were people wearing shirts that had the co-op's logo. It made me wonder, are electric co-ops involved in everything! My question was soon answered when Anne saw a colleague, Rachael. Anne opened my camera roll to show Racheal photos from other events and fundraisers, and I realized that the electric cooperative was a part of nearly all of them. Anne scrolled through pictures of the fair, the back-to-school rally, the food drive kick-off, the benefit concert. You name it and the co-op was involved.
After the event, Anne drove to the gym to do her nightly treadmill routine. She logged on to the gym's wireless router so that she could stream her music without using data. There was still much that I wanted to know about co-ops, so I asked the wifi, Gymmy, about them.
I asked him, "Gymmy, what can you tell me about electric cooperatives?"
"They create many jobs not only by hiring workers, but also by loaning money for economic development projects. These loans have no interest and are for projects that will bring jobs to rural areas. Also, they pay millions of dollars in taxes which benefits their communities even more."
"Wow! So you mean that co-ops help schools like Anne's?"
"I sure do. And electric cooperatives also go to schools to educate students about energy safety and efficiency."
"I know. They showed a demonstration at Anne's school this morning. Gymmy, are coop's electric bills expensive?"
"No, they are very affordable. Electric cooperatives manage to keep their prices low without compromising safety or reliability."
Anne disconnected me from Gymmy and connected to the cell tower, Stella.
"Stella, do you get your power from the electric co-op?"
"I certainly do, the entire town does, iPhone," she replied, "and I provide cell phone service for almost every person here."
"So that must mean that the co-op makes it possible for all of these people like Anne to be able to call, text, and use the internet. They give people access to communication!"
"Yep. Electric cooperatives power everyday lives in ways that you don't usually think about."
When she got home, Anne put me on airplane mode, ending my conversation with Stella. Then, she plugged me in to recharge. After this long and enlightening day, I have a new sense of how much the co-op does. Now, as I lay here plugged into the outlet the electric cooperative is powering me up for another day in my everyday life as an iPhone.