Pohl Substation Back On

June 2015

In September of 2014 a squirrel entered the Pohl Substation, located southeast of Mankato and managed to cause 1,600 BENCO Electric members to lose power. Great River Energy (GRE) brought down their mobile substation, which is exactly what it sounds like, a substation on the back of a semi trailer. The mobile substation was used until May 2015 when crews worked to switch over the substation so it would be back-fed by the Decoria and Eagle Lake substations, while crews worked to install the new transformers and test the equipment.

The substation was energized on May 14th while crews tested regulators, breakers and transformers to make sure the equipment was working properly. Once crews knew the equipment was working load was switched back to the substation on May 18th. Many man hours have been involved in this process from the initial power outage to getting it all up and running again, including pouring cement pads, running wires to the new control house and testing of equipment.

Thanks to all our BENCO members that were affected by this outage and all the work that followed, for your patience and understanding.

BENCO Electric Cooperative Link

The Pohl Substation transformer being delivered.

Pohl Sub Completed

Looking for a new, affordable TV option?

Check out all the available CTV channels

on page 5!

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PAIDMankato, MN 56001

Permit No. 47

P.O. Box 8Mankato, MN 56002-0008

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

This newsletter is published monthly by BENCO Electric Cooperative, PO Box 8, Mankato, MN 56002-0008.

Office Hours: Mon -Fri - 8:00 am - 4:30 pm

Phone: 387-7963 or 1-888-792-3626

Outages/After Hours: 387-7964 or 1-888-792-3626

Dave Sunderman - Member Services Manager Kathy Gerber - Editor

Board of Directors:Duane Ehrich - President - District 8Scott Johnson - Vice President - District 9Harvey Hesse - Secretary-District 5Harlan Lanz - Treasurer - District 2, Coop Network DirGarfield Eckberg - District 1Brad Leiding - District 3 - GRE DirectorJohn Wells - District 4Blake Meshke - District 6Gary Stenzel - District 7Wade Hensel - General ManagerJohn C (Chuck) Peterson - Attorney

Board Meetings: The last Thursday of each month - members are welcome to contact directors with items of interest or concerns in advance of the meetings.

June 2015 www.BENCO.coop Page 6 June 2015 www.BENCO.coop Page 5

CTV Adds 9 New Channels! CTV added nine new channels in May. Have you found

them yet? Do a “rescan” of your TV stations that you pick up with a UHF antenna.

Check out these new channels:11.6 Justice Network: crime, investigation & safety16.1 CTV: local access channel and weather updates16.2 Tuff TV: reality TV, sports & hunting shows, movies16.3 Heartland: Formerly the Nashville Network, country

music & lifestyle16.4 AMGTV: Old movies, home life, adventure, travel, 16.5 BizTV: Small business shows & news20.1 Pursuit TV: hunting, fishing & outdoor recreation35.1 Blue Highways: Bluegrass, folk, gospel & blues music

related show40.1 YouToo: Social TV network, video sharing, respond to

show content

“By using digital compression CTV is able to add these nine extra channels, which are standard definition,” stated Dave Sun-derman, CTV general manager. “This is a low-cost way to add channels and not increase the cost to our paying subscribers.”

CTV offers 30 channels on its three towers at Godhal, Jack-son and Frost for $7 a month or $84 for an annual payment. Plus, these nine channels were added for free — topping the channel listing at 39. That’s only 18¢ a day for CTV!

“We are seeing people drop their satellite TV as its costs increase switching to our CTV service,” Sunderman added. “All you need is a UHF antenna. Point it to the closest tower. Then call your local electric cooperative to sign up. It can be added to your monthly electric bill for $7/month or if you are not a cooperative member, you can pay annually $84 a year.”

Godahl & Frost Towers2.1 TPT Twin Cities PBS2.2 TPT MN Minnesota Public TV2.3 TPT Life2.4 TPT WX Weather4.1 WCCO 4 Minneapolis CBS5.1 KSTP Minneapolis ABC5.2 KSTC Independent5.3 MeTV Television Classics5.4 Antenna TV Television Classics5.6 ThisTV MGM Movies5.7 LWN Live Well Network9.1 KMSP Minneapolis FOX9.2 WFTC 29 Minneapolis UPN9.3 Movies TV Classic Movies9.4 Bounce African American (Godahl)9.9 KMSP Minneapolis FOX11.4 KARE Twin Cities NBC11.5 KARE WX 24-hour weather11.6 Justice Crime, investigation & safety12.1 KEYC Mankato CBS12.2 FOX Mankato FOX12.4 KEYC Mankato CBS12.5 FOX Mankato FOX16.1 CTV local access & weather 16.2 Tuff TV sports, hunting, movies16.3 Heartland country music & lifestyle16.4 AMGTV Old movies, home life, travel,16.5 BizTV Small business shows & news20.1 Pursuit TV outdoor recreation23.1 WUCW 23 The CW Twin Cities23.2 getTV Classic Movies23.3 ZUUS Country Network24.1 Rev’n Cars, boats, snowmobiles31.1 Retro Old shows35.1 Blue Highways Bluegrass, folk, gospel 40.1You-Too Social Television 41.1 ION TV TV shows & movies41.2 QUBO Kids’ programming41.3 ION Life Wellness shows41.4 SHOP Products for sale41.5 QVCH Home Shopping 41.6 HSN Home Shopping Network45.1 Trinity Religious45.2 Church Channel45.3 Smile of a Child Religious for kids45.4 Juce TV Religious young adults, music45.5 Enlace Spanish

I want to support CTV; sign me up!______ Bill me $7 monthly on my electric bill. ______ I am not a member, enclosed is my annual payment of $84 for one year of service.Name ________________________________________ Address ______________________________________ City/state/zip __________________________________ Phone ________________________________________

Send sign-up form and payment to your electric cooperative. Thank you for your support of CTV!

repairs. Have a licensed electrician install the equipment necessary to safely connect emergency generators to your home.

§ Always plug appliances directly into generators. Connecting the generator to your home’s circuits or wiring must be done by a qualified, licensed electrician who will install a transfer switch to prevent backfeeding.

§ Use heavy-duty, outdoor-rated extension cords. Make sure extension cords are free of cuts or tears and the plug has three prongs. Overloaded cords can cause fires or equipment damage.

§ Check your generator manual for the proper procedure on whether to ground your generator or not.

§ Never overload a generator. A portable generator should only be used when necessary to power essential equipment or appliances.

§ Turn off all equipment powered by the generator before shutting it down.§ Keep the generator dry. Operate it on a dry surface in a structure with

proper ventilation.§ Always have a fully charged fire extinguisher nearby.§ Never fuel a generator while it is operating.§ Read and adhere to the manufacturer’s instructions for safe operation.

Never cut corners when it comes to safety. We encourage you to protect the well-being and safety of your family during outages, and safeguard those who come to your aid during emergency situations. When we work together for safety, we all benefit.

Use Your Generator Safely Continued from page 4

Benco_JuneNewsletter.indd 1 5/30/15 11:25 AM

From the BoardThursday, April 30, 2015

Duane Ehrich Presided

The board reviewed and approved:• The minutes of the March 26 board meeting.• The minutes of the April 10 special board meeting.• The minutes of the April 11 organizational board

meeting.• Capital Credits to estates totaling $2,466.01.John Harrenstein reviewed the economic

development partnership between the City of North Mankato and BENCO Electric. John reviewed the past, present and future possibilities. John responded to questions from the board.

The board set the next annual meeting for April 2, 2016 at the Verizon Wireless Civic Center, Mankato, Minnesota.

Wade presented a CFC Integrity Fund Request and the board approved a resolution requesting assistance from the CFC Integrity Fund.

Robyn Jensen, RUS Field Representative, joined the meeting to review with the board a RUS loan for the acquisition of Alliant by BENCO Electric.

Robyn and Sandy reviewed the 10 year financial forecast. The board reviewed and approved the Ten year financial forecast.

Robyn and Sandy reviewed the request for financing for the Alliant acquisition. The board reviewed and approved a resolution requesting a guaranteed Federal Financing Bank loan.

Wade reviewed a proposed change to Rate 12 to remove a $25 credit when a member provides a phone line. The board reviewed and approved the change.

The annual meeting was reviewed.Wade updated the board on the Alliant Acquisition

status. The hearing for approval before the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission was being held during this board meeting.

Chuck reviewed recent legal work for the cooperative.Directors’ reports were as follows:Brad reported on the April GRE Board meeting.

Blake also reported as a guest to the board meeting. The governance for Dakota Spirit AgEnergy was reviewed.

CTV directors reported additional channels will be coming soon.

Harlan reported on Cooperative Network.Directors attending reported on the MREA Day at

the Capitol.

June 2015 www.BENCO.coop Page 2 June 2015 www.BENCO.coop Page 3

PCA UpdateActual PCA for May

$0.0203Estimated PCA for June

$0.0292Estimated PCA for July

$0.0311

The Power Cost Adjustment (PCA) is due to changes in the monthly wholesale rate from our power supplier, Great River Energy (GRE).

June 2015 www.BENCO.coop Page 4

Minnesota Public Utilities Commission Approves Alliant AcquisitionSouthern Minnesota Energy Cooperative (SMEC) received state regulatory approval to acquire Alliant Energy’s Minne-sota electric service territory in a verbal decision on Thursday, April 30, 2015, by the Minnesota Public Utility Commission (MPUC). SMEC is the single point of contact for the purchase of the territory in southern Minnesota by 12 electric coopera-tives.

BENCO Electric Cooperative will be welcoming new members in the Alliant Energy transaction. For BENCO the combined territory would serve approximately 18,900 members, a 32 percent increase; The MPUC-approved acquisition will add approximately 43,000 electric accounts to the systems of all of the 12 SMEC member cooperatives combined.

While the MPUC approved the transaction, several steps re-main and it could be months before the acquisition closes and cooperatives welcome new members from Alliant Energy.

About Southern Minnesota Energy Cooperative

Southern Minnesota Energy Cooperative (SMEC) was formed by 12 electric distribution cooperatives as a single point of contact for the proposed purchase of electric service territory in southern Minnesota from Alliant Energy. The 12 SMEC member cooperatives are BENCO Electric Cooperative, Brown County Rural Electrical Association, Federated Rural Electric, Freeborn-Mower Cooperative Services, Minnesota Valley Elec-tric Cooperative, Nobles Cooperative Electric, People’s Energy Cooperative, Redwood Electric Cooperative, Sioux Valley Energy, South Central Electric, Steele-Waseca Cooperative Electric and Tri-County Electric Cooperative.

You never know when a storm may hit, creating potential electrical hazards for your family. The best solution is to be prepared ahead of time. This checklist will help keep your family safe year round.Before the storm: · Assemble a kit of essentials, like battery-operated flashlights and radios. Be prepared for the possibility of a prolonged outage due to power line and electric equipment damage. · Fill spare containers with water for washing, and keep a supply of bottled drinking water on hand. Maintain a supply of non-perishable food items, along with a hand opener for canned food. · During an outage, switch off lights and appliances to prevent overloading circuits and damaging appliances when power is restored. Leave one lamp or switch on as a signal for when your power returns. · Be sure to tune into your local weather station if you suspect severe weather is brewing. The National Weather Service warning classification system states that a tornado or severe storm watch means that conditions are favorable for those weather conditions forming. A warning means that dangerous weather conditions are developing and imminent. · Lightning can travel up to ten miles away from a storm, so seek shelter as soon as you hear thunder.After the storm: · When venturing outside after a severe storm, stay away from downed power lines and be alert to the possibility that tree limbs or debris may hide an electrical hazard. Assume that any dangling wires you encounter are electrical, and treat all downed or hang-ing power lines as if they are energized. Warn others to stay away and contact the electric utility. · If you are driving and come upon a downed power line, stay in your vehicle, warn others to stay away and contact emergency personnel or the electric utility. Also when driving, be careful at intersections where traffic lights may be out. Stop at all railroad crossings, and treat road intersections with traffic signals as a four-way stop before proceeding with caution. · Before re-entering storm-damaged buildings or rooms, be sure all electric and gas services are turned off. Never attempt to turn off power at the breaker box if you must stand in water to do so. If you can’t reach your breaker box safely, call your electric utility to shut off power at the meter. · Never step into a flooded basement or other area if water is covering electrical outlets, appliances or cords. Be alert to any electrical equipment that could be energized and in contact with water. Never touch electrical appliances, cords or wires while you are wet or standing in water. · When using a generator, follow all manufacturers’ recommendations to avoid tragedy. Keep the generator dry and never plug it into a wall outlet or directly into the home’s wiring. This could inadvertently energize the utility lines and injure yourself or oth-ers working to restore power.

Be Prepared for Severe Summer Weather

What to do When the Power Goes Out BENCO Electric Cooperative prides itself on an excellent record of providing power to its members, but when a storm strikes, or an accident damages power lines, outages are inevitable. Here’s what to do when your lights go out:

1. Before you call us, check in different rooms of your house, various areas in your business establishment, or other buildings on your farm. If the problem is on your equipment, it is your responsibility. Because of this, it is helpful to know what is considered “your equipment” and what is ours. BENCO maintains everything up to the meter,

including the lines, the transformer and the meter. The meter loop (i.e. fuses or circuit breakers on the pole) is your responsibility. Call a licensed electrician for service on lines and equipment that are your responsibility. Please

remember, if a crew is sent to your location for trouble with your equipment, there will be a service charge. 2. Are there fuses blown? Are they secure in their holders? Keep new fuses on hand and change them according to

directions. Throw old fuses away.3. If you have a circuit breaker system, are the breakers tripped? If they are, push the handle to the “off ” position

before flipping it to the “Reset” position.4. If your meter is on a pole, check both your service panel and any fuses or breakers which are located on the pole

below the meter. 5. Check with your neighbors to see if their electricity is off, too. It is helpful to our crews if they know how many

people are out of electricity.

How is Power RestoredOutage Update

Message387-8888

Our goal is to restore power as quickly as possible following a storm. This is how it’s done.

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Use Your Generator Safely

Our line crews take necessary precautions before they work on downed power lines. First, they verify a circuit has been de-energized, and that proper switches are opened and tagged to isolate the circuit from the system. We place ground chains on the circuit on both sides of workers to make sure the line cannot be energized while work’s being done. But even after these measures, our workers’ lives remain in your hands. BENCO Electric is proud of our outstanding safety record, but sometimes, no matter how many steps we take to keep everyone safe, the very people we are there to help unknowingly put our lives and their own in danger. Portable generators, widely used when power lines are down, can prove fatal to lineworkers and your neighbors when used improperly. A generator connected to a home’s wiring or plugged into a regular household outlet can cause backfeeding along power lines and electrocute anyone who comes in contact with them even if the line seems dead. The 120 - 240 volts of alternate current will become 7,200 volts of alternate current when it feeds back to the transformer. BENCO Electric employees are not the only ones in danger when a portable generator is used improperly. Generator owners themselves may be at risk of electrocution, fire injury, property damage, or carbon monoxide poisoning if they do not follow the necessary safety rules. Portable generators can be very helpful to consumers during outages. But we urge you to follow these safety guidelines when using one:

§ Never connect a generator directly to your home’s wiring unless your home has been wired for generator use. This can cause backfeeding along power lines and electrocute anyone coming in contact with them, including lineworkers making

Transmission lines (1) bring power to our system from generation plants. BENCO does not maintain transmission lines.Substations (2) interface transmission line to BENCO’s main circuits. Substations must be functioning before any other part of our system can carry power.

Main circuits (3) leave the substation and carry electric power throughout our service territory. Main circuits serve as the backbone of our system. Taps and service wires leave main circuits to carry power to relatively small groups of members. There are very few wires that are considered main circuits. Just because a line runs next to a major highway or subdivision doesn’t mean it is a main circuit.Taps (4) connect to main circuits and carry electricity out to smaller numbers of members. Repairs on taps begin after main circuits are up and functioning.Service wires (5) may attach to main circuits or taps and supply power to only one or two locations. Repairs to service wires come last.

The safety of you, our members, and our employees is a top priority at BENCO Electric, especially during dangerous times. When storms hit our area, we rush to your aid as soon as weather conditions allow our lineworkers to travel and make repairs safely.

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