New 345 kV line to incorporate Corn Belt Power 161 kV line

T o serve growth in renewable energy generation, MidAmerican Energy Company and ITC Holdings

Corporation will build 241 miles of new 345 kilovolt transmission line in Iowa. The two projects will incorporate nearly 140 miles of Corn Belt Power Cooperative’s existing 161 kilovolt transmission line. The projects will improve system reliability, relieve existing congestion, improve utilization of existing generation, optimize wind generation placement and allow for delivery of renewable generation. The investor-owned utilities are constructing four “multi-value projects” — also called MVPs — two of which are located in Iowa and involve Corn Belt Power lines. MVP 3 extends 145 miles from O’Brien County to Kossuth County and then south to Webster County. MVP 3’s path will incorporate 102 miles of Corn Belt Power’s 161 kV line starting at Wisdom Station and continuing on to these switching stations: Osgood, Burt, Hope and Webster. MidAmerican and ITC will remove Corn Belt Power’s existing H-structures that are configured with two wooden poles and replace them with single-pole steel structures. The double-circuit line will carry the investor-owned utilities’ three 345 kV phases on one side and Corn Belt Power’s three 161 kV phases on the other side. The wooden H-structures in Corn Belt Power’s existing line, placed approximately 600 feet apart, average 70 feet tall and include 800 poles. The 644 new steel

monopoles that will replace the H-structures will be 120 feet tall and 1,000 feet apart. (See photo of steel pole design at top of page.) Each steel pole will require a concrete pad foundation, roughly six feet in diameter. No guy wires or anchors will be installed. MVP 4 will include 190 miles of 345 kV line and will incorporate 37 miles of Corn Belt Power’s 161 kV line in the eastern part of the cooperative’s service territory. Corn Belt Power’s line from Emery Substation to the Hampton Tap to the Franklin Substation will be removed and replaced with the same steel monopole line design. Combined, MVP 3 and MVP 4 will rebuild approximately half of the 161 kV line Corn Belt Power owns and maintains. Kevin Bornhoft, vice president, engineering and system operations, Corn Belt Power, explains the advantages of the project: “Our conductors on some of our

lines are approaching 50 years old. They will be replaced entirely at MidAmerican’s and ITC’s cost. The new conductor is much larger and will almost double our capacity.” MidAmerican and ITC will solicit additional easements since Corn Belt Power’s existing right-of-way is voltage specific to 161 kV. Corn Belt Power will maintain ownership of the 161 kV conductor and insulators on the new line. Line maintenance and vegetation management will be handled jointly among the utilities. Construction is scheduled to begin in November 2014 with completion slated for December 2016. Before construction begins, Corn Belt Power will upgrade its Osgood Substation and Switching Station to allow for a second circuit to serve the Wisdom, Osgood and Burt facilities while the 161 kV line is torn out and replaced.

A

WattsWattWattsWattCorn Belt Power Cooperative

F e b r u a r y 2 0 1 3 | V o l u m e 6 2 | N u m b e r 2w w w . c b p o w e r . c o o p

Line upgrade will increase capacity and strengthen reliability.

■

Fort Dodge

Humboldt

Algona

Hampton

Mason City

Iowa Falls

BurtSpencer

Storm Lake

Cherokee

Emmetsburg59

3 3

169

18

18

Corn Belt Power 161 kV line to be upgraded

MVP 3

MV

P 3

MV

P 4

Above | This map shows the Corn Belt Power 161 kV transmission line path that will be rebuilt as part of a 345 kV line. Approximately 140 miles of Corn Belt Power line will be included in the MidAmerican Energy/ITC projects. The photo at the top of the page shows what the 345 kV steel monopole line will look like.

When the phone rings, answer it and take care of the customer. That’s been the philosophy

of Steve Long, general manager, Humboldt County REC, since he started at the co-op 38 years ago. And it’s the same advice he leaves for employees who succeed him upon his retirement. “You need to treat people as you would want to be treated. If you don’t take care of the customer, somebody else will,” Long comments. Hired as an REC electrician in 1974, Long helped members wire their homes. By the mid-80s, he got involved with the “We Put

You First” electric heat campaign and helped members install plenum heaters in their fuel oil furnaces. Long became the member services director in 1991 and continued on his mission of promoting electric heat. He also helped lead Corn Belt Power’s marketing programs as longtime chairman of the Marketing Advisory Committee. Long believed in his product and sincerely felt it was the best option for his members. “I promoted electric heat because it was

better for our members. I was not going to sell them a bill of goods that was not good for them,” he recalls. It was during Long’s time as member service director that the co-op diversified its service and added DirecTV. “We used the staff on hand and provided a service that generated income and helped strengthen our bottom line. When it was time, we took the buyout for the program and had abundant cash that helped keep us from having to increase our rates.” Long’s passion for excellent member service continued during his tenure as general manager, a role he began in 2000. He lists selling wholesale power to the city of Livermore, building a new truck garage and economic development projects as highlights during his time as the co-op’s executive. Preparing for the merger between Humboldt County REC and Midland Power Cooperative was Long’s final project. “We are financially sound now, so it was best to look at merging when we had a voice in the merger process. We also have a very strong distribution system with good reliability.

From day one, the Midland Power directors and our directors clicked. They wanted to work together,” Long says. And, perhaps more importantly for Long as

he enters into retirement, he feels the newly merged Midland Power will continue with his philosophy. “They have the same mind set — doing what’s best for members. It’s really all about the member.”

Above | Steve Long, general manager, Humboldt County REC, retired at the end of 2012. He completed a 38-year career as an electrician, member service director and chief executive for the cooperative.

Long leaves legacy of excellent member service

■

The Iowa Area Development Group honored nine Iowa companies with the 2012 Iowa Venture Award. Four of those recipients are served by Corn Belt Power member cooperatives:

• Murphy-Brown LLC, served by Humboldt County REC, recently completed a $1.5 million investment in its Algona Feed Mill.

• DuPont Pioneer recently opened a 200,000-square-foot regional distribution center in Spencer that is served by Iowa Lakes Electric Cooperative.

• Advanced Drainage System, Inc. recently invested $10 million in a 45,000-square-foot Hampton facility, served by Franklin REC.

• Dow AgroSciences opened a new 29,500-square-foot, $10 million facility and relocated the company’s central Iowa field research site to a location near Ames, which is served by Midland Power Cooperative.

Murphy-BrownAbove | Murphy-Brown LLC, Algona, received the 2012 Venture Award recognizing the company for its expansion and contribution to Iowa’s economy. From left: Steve Long, Humboldt County REC; Jan Capesius, Vicki Egland, and Craig Christensen, all of Murphy-Brown; Mike Ralston, Iowa ABI; Kevin Rasmussen, Humboldt County REC; and Rand Fisher, IADG.

Iowa Venture Awards honor businesses

It’s doing what’s best for members. It’s really all about the member.

NewsEmployee training

Corn Belt Power Cooperative employees learned how to “Stop Stressing and Start Living” during an

I Act University training held Jan. 10 and 15 in Humboldt and Spencer. Kathy Peterson, facilitator with PeopleWorks, discussed how to find a person’s “stress balance” and determine if a person is overreacting to the stress in life. First, a person should rate his or her stress level on a scale of zero (I don’t feel any stress) to 10 (I feel extremely stressed). Next a person rates the relative importance of the stress, from zero (not important at all) to 10 (major importance). If the stress level far outweighs the importance, there is more reaction than what the importance merits. The training encouraged participants to use problem-focused responses to stress, including: • Active coping and planning — taking action to deal with circumstances • Positive reframing— thinking about the stressful situation differently • Acceptance — learning to live with the reality • Social support — getting advice or comfort from others This type of response works better than an emotion-focused response that might involve denial, disengagement, negative self-distraction, self-blame or complaining.

Above | Kathy Peterson, facilitator with PeopleWorks, instructs Corn Belt Power employees how to effectively deal with stress during an I Act University workshop held Jan. 10 and 15.

Service to Corn Belt Power recognizedThree men were honored for their years of service to Corn Belt Power Cooperative at a dinner Jan. 3. From left, Larry Tilton, Corn Belt Power director representing Humboldt County REC; Michael Joynt, Corn Belt Power attorney since 1970; and Bill Courter, Corn Belt Power director representing Calhoun County REC, each receive a clock in appreciation of their leadership.

In Brief

■

■

Lea

ders

hon

ored

NRECA names Congresswoman Jo Ann Emerson new CEOThe National Rural Electric Cooperative Association announced that Congresswoman Jo Ann Emerson will assume the role of chief executive officer, effective March 1, 2013. Emerson will take over for long-time CEO Glenn English, who announced his retirement earlier this year. Emerson was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1996 from Missouri’s 8th Congressional District. In addition to a leadership role on agriculture, health care and government reform issues in the House, Emerson has won recognition for her work on energy issues, including the NRECA Distinguished Service Award.

SchoolNet sponsorship comes to a closeTouchstone Energy Cooperatives of Iowa concluded their longtime sponsorship of KCCI-TV’s SchoolNet program at the end of 2012. Changes in the sponsorship package along with the need to retire aging equipment brought the electric co-ops’ involvement to a close. “This program was an excellent way for Touchstone Energy Cooperatives to support their local towns and make local weather information available to co-op members and the public in general. We appreciate the assistance we received from the many schools that hosted the SchoolNet equipment and the teachers who used the data to teach their students,” says Kathy Taylor, vice president, corporate relations, Corn Belt Power Cooperative. Corn Belt Power and its members sponsored 20 SchoolNet sites and seven web cameras located in numerous communities throughout northern Iowa. KCCI-TV featured the SchoolNet data and webcam shots on daily newscasts and included special coverage when areas experienced severe weather. The weather data and webcam photos were also accessed through KCCI’s web site, www.kcci.com.

Co-op Connections website  redesignedThe Connections.coop website has been redesigned. The updated website provides co-op members with a wide range of opportunities to save. Connections.coop boasts a cleaner look and feel, reduced clutter, improved search and filtering and the ability to bookmark favorite offers. In addition, visitors can create a profile based on their preferences to enhance the experience on the site. The Co-op Connections Card can be used online and at more than 24,000 businesses nationwide. To search for discounts and to find local participating businesses, visit www.connections.coop. For deals and program updates, like the Co-op Connection Card on Facebook (www.Facebook.com/CoopConnectionsCard) or follow on Twitter (www.Twitter.com/ConnectionsCard).

facebook.com/cornbeltpower @ CornBeltPower youtube.com/cornbeltpower

I Act University tackles stress management

Jo Ann Emerson

honor businesses

Published monthly for the employees and associates of Corn Belt Power Cooperative.

Watts Watt, the official publication of Corn Belt Power Cooperative, is published monthlyby Corn Belt Power Cooperative, 1300 13th St. North, Humboldt, Iowa 50548-0508.

Copyright 2013Kenneth H. Kuyper, Executive Vice President and General ManagerKathy D. Taylor, Editor; Vice President, Corporate Relations; CCCMarena Fritzler, Graphic Designer

facebook.com/cornbeltpower @ CornBeltPower

The power of human connections

Dave Heyden, electrical maintenance foreman, Corn Belt Power Cooperative, demonstrates the Touchstone Energy value of commitment to community by serving as committee co-chair for the Beeds Lake Restoration Run. The 5K, 10K

and half marathon races raise money to restore Beeds Lake State Park, a public recreation spot in Franklin County that offers a lake, beach, trails, campground and picnic facilities. He says, “I volunteer because I have some environmental concerns. I like to see public places preserved and maintained. The Beeds Lake Restoration Run is a fun way to get the community involved in raising the funds needed to maintain and make improvements to our local recreation area.”

Touchstone Energy Co-op Values | Integrity | Accountability | Innovation | Commitment to Community

WattsWattWattsWattCorn Belt Power Cooperative

youtube.com/cornbeltpower www.cbpower.coop

Dav

e H

eyde

n

Humboldt County REC merged with Midland Power Cooperative effective Jan. 1, 2013. The sign on the front lawn in Humboldt proudly announces the new co-op name to travelers along U.S. Highway 169.

It’s official!

PRSRT STDU.S. Postage

PAIDHumboldt, IowaPermit No. 32

Joe Hanrahan, right, chief system operator, explains control center operations to attendees of Corn Belt Power Orientation Days Jan. 8. The program, repeated Jan. 16, gave an overview of Corn Belt Power operations and activities. New employees and directors of Corn Belt Power and its member systems attended.

Corn BeltPower CooperativeA1300 13th Street North • PO Box 508Humboldt, IA 50548