2024 Year in Review
Time is strange. When you are a kid, it never goes fast enough, and you can't wait to be an adult. But, when you are older, it goes too fast, and you try to figure out how to get it to slow down. As I reflect on this past year, I find myself wondering what happened to the time. The Co-op has had a very busy and productive year, with a few unexpected surprises.
Mild weather all year helped our Linecrew get a good jump on converting several miles of overhead line to underground. This continues to be a focus for the Co-op as we are looking to improve system reliability while replacing aging infrastructure.
As I’ve mentioned in previous articles, we have been exploring grant opportunities over the past few years. We were hoping that it could help offset the cost of system upgrades or provide a better return on investment. Unfortunately, we have been informed that one of our grant applications with the Department of Energy would not be awarded. However, these devices are still needed, and we are making plans to implement these updates gradually over time. We will continue to explore other opportunities to help offset some of the cost. We still have a few other applications for outstanding projects, so hopefully we will receive an award for other future projects.
The surprise for all of us was the record flooding in June on the Big Sioux River. This event impacted the entire eastern side of our service territory, with the greatest impact being in the Jefferson area. We had approximately $218,000 in equipment damage due to the flood. Our staff has been working with FEMA to recover these costs with hopes of making all final repairs in the next 6 months.
Over the last 12 months, I’ve also been working with our engineering team to develop both near-term and long-range system plans. When our plans were presented to the Board earlier this year, we unanimously agreed that it was time to increase the amount of system replacement that we have been doing. This is imperative as our system ages. If we do not increase the amount of system we are replacing annually, we will begin to have large portions of our infrastructure that is older than its useful life.
We took the year in stride through the good and the bad. Our employees are incredible and able to adapt to changing priorities. We found a way to get things done, helping ensure that our members receive the quality and reliable service they expect. The saying "Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That's why we call it present” has been attributed to many different people in history. But regardless of who originally had the quote, the sentiment rings true. No matter how fast time goes or what is happening, each day is a gift that we take one day a time and do the best we can. We are looking forward to the upcoming year and thankful for all that we accomplished in 2024.
Until next month, stay safe and God bless.
Quote of the Month: “If we wait until we're ready, we'll be waiting for the rest of our lives.” -Lemony Snicket, Pen name for Author Daniel Handler