Reliable Power for Today––and Tomorrow
Ringing in a new year sparks a sense of renewed hope and optimism about the future. For myself, as the General Manager, it’s a time to reflect on where we are and where we’re going. At the heart of this reflection, I think about ways we can better serve you, the members of the cooperative.
Our team at Union County Electric Cooperative is always looking ahead, exploring ways to innovate and utilize new technologies to improve our services. As our nation increasingly relies on electricity to power the economy, keeping the lights on has never been more important. We’re committed to powering––and empowering––our community at a cost local families and businesses can afford.
So how are we working to ensure reliable and affordable power while adapting to a changing energy landscape and our community’s evolving needs?
One critical component of reliable power is the mix of energy resources used to generate the electricity that keeps the lights on across Union County. You may not realize it, but we do not generate electricity. Instead, we purchase it from our energy provider, Basin Electric Power Cooperative, and from there, we distribute it to homes and businesses throughout our community. Our current energy resource mix is made up of 16% wind, 5.8% natural gas, 18% hydro, 40.7% coal with the remaining 19.5% coming from market purchases. These percentages fluctuate every year, depending on the resources available throughout the year.
We’re increasingly using more electricity generated from renewable energy sources, but we still depend on a diverse energy mix to ensure reliable power that’s available to our members whenever they need it. In 2024, we expect to add solar generation to the portfolio mix.
In addition to managing a reliable energy mix, Union County Electric is using technology to enhance our local grid, limit service disruptions and improve outage response times.
Advanced metering technology, also known as AMI, enables two-way communication between the co-op and consumers. In the event of a power outage, AMI helps pinpoint the exact location of the outage and can even analyze damaged or tampered meters. AMI helps the Cooperative save money with real-time data, and ultimately improves power reliability for our entire community. In late 2023, we implemented new Outage Management Software, which will help in identifying outages more quickly and accurately.
Proactive tree trimming is another way we limit service disruptions. Scheduled trimming keeps power lines clear from overgrown limbs that are likely to fall. Inspections of lines and vegetation have allowed us to reduce labor and equipment costs while bolstering reliability. As technological advancements become more accessible, we anticipate using advanced mapping software to better maintain the environment while providing more reliable service.
One of the best methods for improving our services to you is monitoring trends and working with other electric co-ops in South Dakota and across the country. Learning from other co-ops is one of the many benefits of the cooperative business model because for us, it’s about cooperation, not competition.
As we turn our focus to 2024, Union County Electric Cooperative will continue working to provide high value energy to our members by focusing on delivering safe, reliable, environmentally friendly electricity while promoting energy efficiency through education––for today and tomorrow.
Finally, on behalf of the employees and Board of Directors at Union County Electric Cooperative, I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Until next month, stay safe and God bless.