News & Information About Your Consumer-Owned Utility.

July 2002

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Due to our continued commitment to safety in the workplace, Salem Electric was recently recognized as a SHARP (Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program) employer for the 3rd consecutive year. Salem Electric is one of only 74 Oregon employers recognized under the SHARP program.
     The Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division (OR-OSHA) reviews company records, interviews employees, conducts office and job site inspections, assesses employee education and conducts an in-depth evaluation to ensure that the safety and health program is being effectively maintained and continuously improved.
     An employer who has been approved under the SHARP Program for the second and subsequent years is deferred from scheduled OR-OSHA inspections. Inspection deferral is awarded as an acknowledgement by the agency that enforcement resources would be better utilized at work sites where the level of accident prevention may need improvement.

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Rate Adjustments

Salem Electric's wholesale electric rates will change in October 2002. The question is, at what percentage and will they increase or decrease?
     Your board, as reported in the April issue of "The Board Report", adopted a policy to provide more rate stability to our customers than BPA is providing to Salem Electric.
     It is the board's intent to keep rates stable for as long a period as possible. At this point we are uncertain as to whether Salem Electric's rates will have to be changed.
     We will keep you up to date over the next few months as information becomes available.

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If your home was built prior to 1973, you may not have an electrical safety feature called a "Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter" (GFCI). A GFCI protects your family from electrical shock or electrocution by continually monitoring the electricity flowing through a circuit. If a ground fault is detected for any reason (e.g., a portable electric appliance falling into a kitchen sink filled with water) the GFCI shuts off the power within milliseconds! If someone instinctively reaches into the sink to retrieve the appliance, they would not receive an electric shock because the GFCI would have already shut off the power. GFCIs can be installed in the electric panel box serving your home or in individual receptacles. Building supply and hardware stores, as well as electrical supply houses, carry these devices.
     As a guide for upgrading your existing wiring system, the present National Electrical Code for new home construction requires the use of GFCIs in outdoor outlets, basements, garages, bathroom outlets and in kitchen outlets within six feet of the sink.
     Call our Member Services Department and ask for a "Power Guide" for more safety information.

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The Energy Smart Design Program is a great way to learn about conserving electricity at your business. 
     We offer free energy audits, including detailed lighting analyses. The analysis gives you a plan on how to cut your energy use for lighting by more than 30% and still maintain or improve lighting levels.
     What's the catch? Well, you have to let Salem Electric pay half the cost of the project.
     We've found that most customers save enough on their electric bill that the project pays for itself in less than two years.
     Contact our Member Services Department (503 362-3601) for details on our Energy Smart Design Program.

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Salem Electric's board endorsed the mission statement of the newly formed Northwest Power Works coalition at the co-op's June board meeting. Salem Electric's board has been on record as opposed to deregulation or restructuring of the electric utility industry since 1996. They felt the coalition's mission statement matched their own concerns regarding efforts by the federal government, power marketers and others to change the industry to the detriment of electricity users including Salem Electric's members. The coalition includes Washington's Public Utility Districts, Seattle City Light, Tacoma Power, and Springfield Utility Board, as well as other northwest utilities.

Northwest Power Works' mission is:

• To protect Northwest residents and businesses from additional electricity rate increases and other risks that would result from new, misguided federal energy policies.
• To reinforce the public accountability and transparency of our electricity system by ensuring that our congressional representatives and state and local officials, rather than an obscure federal agency (FERC), continue to oversee the system.
• To promote awareness that fundamental restructuring of the Northwest's electricity system would provide no certain benefits and would hurt residents by resulting in unacceptable start-up and operating costs and significant new tax burdens.
• To oppose any new federal policies that would increase electricity rates by making the Northwest vulnerable to abuse, manipulation, and breakdowns resulting from radical changes to its electricity system.
• To continue strengthening the Northwest's low-cost and reliable system and infrastructure to meet the needs of customers both today and tomorrow.

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As an employee, you can help save energy, save money, and improve the condition of our environment by following some simple steps for energy efficiency at work. They cost nothing, but could save a lot.

• Power Management:  Make sure the power management features on your office equipment are enabled. This allows your computer or monitor to power down when it's not in use for extended periods of time, cutting computer energy costs by about 40 percent. Visit www.energystar.gov/powermanagement to enable your monitor's "rest" setting. Also, remember to turn off equipment and lights at the end of the workday.
  
• Double-sided Copying:  If everyone used the double-sided feature of ENERGY STAR labeled copiers, we could save 1 million tons of paper - Enough to circle the world 1,400 times. Using less paper saves energy because it takes 10 times more energy to manufacture a piece of paper than it does to copy an image onto it.
  
• Buy ENERGY STAR: If you are responsible for office equipment or lighting purchases, look for or specify ENERGY STAR when procuring these products. Products with the ENERGY STAR reduce our energy costs without compromising product quality or performance.

To learn more about ENERGY STAR labeled products and practices, at home and at work, visit www.energystar.gov or call 1-888-782-7937.

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