in almost
every industry from energy
to news reporting to health-
care.
A co-ops mission is to
meet its members needs for
goods and services; however,
a co-op is still going to see
its operating costs rise when
the price of doing business
goes up.
Theres no better example
of this than right now when
the cost of fuel to run power
plants is at a record high.
We work everyday to
achieve operating efficien-
cies as we face these cost
increases. We will work with
you to make sure you have
the information and help
you to use energy wisely.
When we find it necessary to
pass along power supply in-
creases, you can trust that
the decision was based on
keeping the business finan-
cially strong on behalf of all
members.
As many of you already
know, Otsego Electric Co-
op has a excellent hydro-
power contract through
2025. The hydropower we
purchase from the New
York Power Authority ac-
counts for approximately
85% of the energy needed
to serve our members. The
remaining 15% is consid-
ered incremental power
and is purchased under our
incremental power contract
with NYPA and is supplied
to us by the New York In-
dependent System Opera-
tor at a significantly higher
cost than hydro power.
We expect our incre-
mental power cost to rise
significantly in the coming
months and years. The co-
op way of doing business is
an important way to keep
costs manageable.
In the coming months
we will be working to-
ward demand side
management using
Cannon Technologies
load control devices.
These load control de-
vises will help us shed
peak load, saving the
co-op on our increas-
ingly rising incremental
power cost.
We have already
found ways to improve
our systems efficiency
with our automated
meters.
It is very important
we get your power to
you safely, reliably and
affordably.
We are not profit-
driven. Rather, we are
service-driven and op-
erate at cost. You
can bank on the
cooperative differ-
ence.
The Co-op Way Keeps Rising Electricity Rates in Check
Office Hours
7:30am 4:30pm
Monday Friday
(607)293-6622
www.otsegoec.coop
Check Last Months Bill
As many of you have noticed, some members March Otsego Electric Coopera-
tive bills were sent out with a printing error. This was a programming error that
affected a large percent of our membership. For those of you who noticed the error,
thank you for notifying us of the discrepancy on your bill. If you have questions
regarding your bill contact the office at 607-293-6622. We try to provide all of our
members with the best possible service, and we appreciate your feedback. The
new bill format we are changing to will help eliminate these programming anoma-
lies.
We appreciate your understanding while we work through this situation.
Otsego Electric Cooperative stopped install-
ing WildBlue systems at the beginning of No-
vember due to a limited capacity on our particu-
lar satellite beam.
We plan on resuming WildBlue installations
sometime in late April to early May. We will be
installing WildBlue for Otsego Electric Coopera-
tive members only. In the past we have offered
it to non-co-op members in surrounding areas.
We can best serve Otsego Electric Coopera-
tive members by only offering WildBlue to our
Co-op members. If you would like to get on our
waiting list call 607-293-6622.
3192 County Hwy 11
PO BOX 128
Hartwick NY 13348
O T S E G O E L E C T R I C C O O P E R A T I V E
It is important to make sure Otsego Electric Cooperative
meters remain accessible at all times. If you plan to add an
addition to your home make certain not to enclose our exist-
ing meter. If you plan to build an addition and you need to
move your meter call Otsego Electric Cooperative for infor-
mation pertaining to requirements for moving your service.
Meters that are not accessible will need to be moved so we
can access them. Expenses incurred to move the meter will
be paid by the member.
Keep Electric Meters Accessible
Phone: 607-293-6622
Fax: 607-293-6624
E-Mail: otsegoec@otsegoec.coop
We are a local Authorized WildBlue dealer.
www.otsegoec.coop
WildBlue Up-date
Otsego Electric Cooperatives 63rd annual meeting will be held at the Cooperstown High School
August 15th. We will be serving Brooks Bar-B-Q chicken from 5:30pm7:30pm, by reservation only.
Our business meeting will start at 8pm. More information will follow in the coming months.
For information about whole house surge
protection call or visit our website at:
http://www.otsegoec.coop/homeguard.htm
THE OEC CURRENT
People You Can Count On
www.otsegoec.coop
April 2007
Otsego Electric Cooperative, Inc.
Electricity is a Good Value
For the consumer, electricity remains a bargain. Below are selected consumer items and their
average annual cost increases (unadjusted for inflation) over the last 20 years. Even as
consumer reliance on electricity increases, the overall cost has increased less than the rate of inflation.
Heating Oil
Gasoline
Medical Care
Bread
INFLATION RATE*
Electricity $/kWh
Bananas
Orange Juice
Chicken
CPI* = overall Consumer Price Index for the U.S., urban areas
Source: NRECA & Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1986-2006
Annual cost increases-20-year annual compound growth rate
NRECA February 2007
0%
1%
2%
3%
4%
5%
6% Fuels used to generate elec-
tricity are getting more expen-
sive. Thats driving prices up.
Your electric cooperative is
working hard to make a differ-
ence. By investing in new tech-
nology to improve efficiency and
reliability, your local co-op is
looking out for you. Our new
AMR meters are already provid-
ing us valuable information on
ways we can improve our effi-
ciency.
In the coming months we
will begin working on our load
management program. By shed-
ding our peak load we will save
on our power cost which will ul-
timately benefit each coop
member.
Now, more than ever, find-
ing ways to keep our power
cost down is becoming more
important.
As part of your electric co-
op, you are also part of the so-
lution. There are many things
the individual can due to help
keep overall power cost down.
Our peak times are usually
between 7-8am and 4-8pm.
During these times our cost of
power is often greater than
during non-peak hours. There-
fore, being energy efficient dur-
ing these times is very helpful to
the co-op.
Contact your local electric co-op
for more information on how you
have the power to make a differ-
ence.
We have the power to make a difference
CFLs Save You Energy
According to the National Energy Star Program, if every American
homeowner replaced just one light bulb with an Energy Star qualified com-
pact fluorescent light bulb (CFL), consumers would save enough electricity
to light more than 2.5 million homes for a year and prevent greenhouse
gases equivalent to the emissions of nearly 800,000 cars.
CFLs are available in many different wattages, sizes and shapes to fit
in almost any indoor or outdoor fixture. A 23 watts CFL bulb will give the
equivalent light of a 100-watt incandescent bulb all while using less en-
ergy and lasting up to 10 times longer.
CFLs Generate 70 percent less heat, so theyre safer to operate and can
cut energy costs associated with home cooling.
Although the initial cost of CFL bulbs are a little higher than conven-
tional light bulbs, the savings over the years will more than make up for
the purchase price. CFL bulbs can be purchased in many supermarkets,
hardware stores and home improvement centers.
To see the maximum benefit of using CFL bulbs, replace your most fre-
quently used lights first.
Note: Not all CFL bulbs work with dimmer switchesread the package to
make sure you choose the correct bulb for the application.
www.energystar.gov
Right-of-way Maintenance = Fewer Outages
Call Otsego Electric
Cooperative @ 607-293-
6622 to find out about
Marathon water heaters
or stop by to see our
display. We have many
sizes and we offer Co-op
member discounts.
One of the more significant costs Otsego Electric Cooperative has each year is keeping our right-of-ways
clear from trees and brush. A leading cause of power outages is trees falling on lines and a major cause of line
blinks are trees rubbing on the lines. Outages not only inconvenience you, the member, they also increase our
cost of doing business. Our cooperative has 753 miles of overhead line we have to keep clear from trees. This
continues to be an ongoing battle from year to year.
We are working towards a seven year cutting cycle. We are also exploring the feasibility of stump treatment,
in some areas, to limit rapid vegetation growth. Otsego Electric Cooperatives goal is find the most feasible
way to provide power to our consumers, while keeping
the impact to the environment to a minimum.
Another goal we are working toward is moving our
lines, when possible, to existing road right-of-ways and
out of heavily wooded areas. This will provide quicker
access to our lines year round for maintenance pur-
posesmeaning in the event of an outage your power
will be restored quicker.
If you see a tree contacting a power line it is impor-
tant to avoid contact with it, do not try to remove it your-
self. Injuries can be serious, even deadly. If you notice
any trees or br