July 2012 | Volume Vol. 25 - No. 7 | powersouth.com/powerlines | info@powersouth.com
Fuel, purchase power costs dominate financial forecast
Fuel and purchase power costs make up an average of 56 percent per year of PowerSouth’s cost of service over the 20-year period 2012-2031. READ MORE
New headquarters lobby near completion
Construction of the new headquarters lobby is near completion. READ MORE
PowerSouth, member systems host RWD program
PowerSouth serves as a funding partner of RiverWorks Discovery, a national education effort to educate children and their families about the great rivers of America and their watersheds. READ MORE
Chicken Little, Ph. D.
Folk stories are the foundation of all cultures, not just ours. What does Chicken Little have to do with our industry? READ MORE
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: Red Star Yeast Company
Red Star Yeast Company manufactures yeast with a long name — Saccharomyces Cerevisiae — that causes bread dough to rise. READ MORE
EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT: New Employee Profile: Brent Watson
“I knew that once I got a job here I would never look anywhere else,” said new Lines Technician Brent Watson. READ MORE
Fuel, purchase power costs dominate financial forecast
Fuel and purchase power costs make up an average of 56 percent per year of PowerSouth’s cost of service over the 20-year period
2012-2031. Fuel costs will continue to be the main driver of PowerSouth’s cost of service over the next five years, according to the 20-year financial forecast approved at the April board meeting.
Globally speaking, coal prices are increasing. PowerSouth’s lowest-cost coal contract ends in 2012, and the 20-year financial forecast projects a price increase of 22 percent from 2012 to 2016. As a result of lower natural gas prices, the latest financial forecast predicts PowerSouth will burn more natural gas and less coal over the next five-year period. Over the previous five years, PowerSouth burned an average of 1.5 million tons of coal per year; however, in the latest financial forecast PowerSouth is scheduled to burn an average of 1 million tons per year.
Natural gas prices are projected to range from $2.95 to $4.56 per mmbtu over the next five years. As a result of low natural gas market prices, PowerSouth is scheduled to burn an annual average of 39 million mmbtu for the years 2012-2016 compared to the annual average of 16.7 million mmbtu burned over the last 5 years.
“Our mission is to give the members the lowest rate possible under the circumstances,” said Ferrell Walton, PowerSouth Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.
Average annual growth of energy sales through 2016 is projected to be 1.12 percent. This growth will lead to the need for additional baseload generation. Baseload requirements will be met through a 125-megawatt nuclear purchase beginning in 2016. Beyond 2016, PowerSouth is considering a potential conversion of McIntosh Units 4 and 5 to combined cycle natural gas units in 2020, but many factors will influence the final decision.
A combined cycle gas turbine power plant is essentially an electrical power plant in which a gas turbine and a steam turbine are used in combination to achieve greater efficiency than would be possible independently.
“We will evaluate load growth, purchase power markets and environmental regulations to determine our optimal additions,” said Damon Morgan, PowerSouth Vice President of Power Supply.
In today’s strained financial markets, financing capital investments is a challenge. The Rural Utilities Service has announced they will no longer loan funds for fossil generation. PowerSouth and other G&Ts will rely on financial markets for funding, competing for investment dollars on the open market.
“To have the ability to access the financial markets, we must exhibit financial stability and maintain a good credit rating to receive capital funding,” Walton said.
PowerSouth remains financially sound and is currently the seventh largest privately owned business in Alabama, with $1.84 billion in assets at the end of 2011. PowerSouth has also maintained an A- credit rating, putting the company in a good position for funding.
New headquarters lobby near completion
Construction of the new headquarters lobby (artist’s rendition at right) is near completion. While many interior pieces are being fine-tuned, the in-service date for the lobby opening is tentatively July 22. Look for additional information in the August Powerlines about features of the new lobby and continuing construction of the new two-story, 19,000 square foot complex in building four’s original location.
PowerSouth, member systems host RWD program
PowerSouth recently agreed to serve as a co-sponsor and annual supporter of RiverWorks Discovery (RWD).
Developed by AEP River Operations, RWD has been supported by over 70 funding partners in the river industry, including PowerSouth. It is a national outreach education effort of the National River Center and Hall of Fame at the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium.
“The program is designed to recognize the role our rivers have played and will continue to play in our nation’s future,” says Mark Ingram, PowerSouth Communication Manager. “The mission of RWD is to educate children and their families about the commerce, culture and conservation of the great rivers of America and their watersheds.”
Thus far, PowerSouth has piloted two RWD programs – one in partnership with Wiregrass EC at the Houston County Groundwater Festival in Dothan and another in partnership with Central Alabama EC at Redland Elementary in Wetumpka.
“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to work in conjunction with our partners to educate students on the importance of our nation’s waterways,” said Errin Howard, RiverWorks Discovery Program Coordinator. “PowerSouth has been a generous supporter of our programming, and we are happy to have a such a partner to educate our youth.”
To find out more about RWD, visit its website at www.riverworksdiscovery.org, or contact Ingram via email at mark.ingram@powersouth.com.
Chicken Little, Ph. D.
Folk stories are the foundation of all cultures, not just ours. They may be the earliest method of passing knowledge from generation to generation. And, folk stories are always based upon life’s lessons (they are not just entertainment).
We all remember the story of Chicken Little who was walking in the woods when an acorn hit him on the head. Convinced the sky was falling, he ran to tell the king of the impending danger. On his way, he ran into a number of acquaintances (mostly fowl with rhyming names). Through his passion, he convinced them the sky was falling and that they should accompany him to tell the king. However, they met up with Foxy Loxy, who, under the pretense of showing them the way to the king, led them into his lair where he ate them for dinner.
As culture and technology have changed, so has Chicken Little. He is no longer a baby chick walking the woods. Today’s Chicken Little is often a highly degreed, well-dressed, articulate individual with a briefcase and PowerPoint presentations. However, Chicken Little still wants to visit the king and tell him the sky is falling. He likes to talk on television, in newspapers and in magazines. And Chicken Little really likes million-dollar government grants to define how badly and quickly the sky is falling.
There are many Chicken Littles among us. Remember Y2K? Many highly educated computer experts warned that the modern world would go dark at midnight on Dec. 31, 1999, and billions of dollars would be required to restore the failed networks unless we took immediate and drastic action to correct computer defects and avoid certain disaster. We and many other companies spent thousands, if not millions, of dollars and man-hours to correct systems and prevent impending disaster. Others did nothing. Of course, Jan. 1, 2000, came and went without any destruction. The sky did not fall. Chicken Little was disappointed that his time before the king ended without a great disaster, but he moved on.
Of course, I couldn’t write an article without mentioning global warming or climate change. Al Gore, Jim Hansen and a number of other scientists have created a robust industry predicting the damage from droughts, floods, rising sea levels, increasing storms and general climate chaos caused by unmitigated man-made climate change.
Al Gore says, “Humanity is sitting on a time bomb. If the vast majority of the world’s scientists are right, we have just 10 years to avert a major catastrophe that could send our entire planet’s climate system into a tailspin of epic destruction.” Mr. Gore wants to visit the king to tell him that all is lost unless we plant trees, properly inflate our tires and use low-energy light bulbs.
Jim Hansen, a NASA employee and a full-time climate alarmist, states, “The latest climate models show the planet is on the brink of an emergency.” He has called for the prosecution of electric utility officials (people like me) for high crimes against humanity and nature. Mr. Hansen continues with the same “the sky is falling” mantra he has repeated since 1988, although the actual global temperatures stubbornly refuse to match his models’ predictions. It should be noted that when Hansen took his message to the king, he personally received $1.6 million in research fees over and above his NASA salary.
So what is the psychology of Chicken Little? He loves the talk shows and the adulation. He likes sitting with the king. He enjoys calling down destruction on those that do not heed his warnings. He is not a great and kind soul who warns of danger but a small mind that wishes us to suffer should we refuse his advice. Catastrophe is not his fear but his hope. If you don’t think so, listen to Mr. Gore, Mr. Hansen and other Chicken Littles. Finally, Chicken Little really wants to be Foxy Loxy, lure us into his lair and have us (and our money) for dinner.
Thank you for reading. Keep your eye on the sky, and I hope you have a good month.
ALEC study profiles EPA impacts state-by-state
The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) recently published a report entitled Economy Derailed: State-by-State Impacts of the EPA Regulatory Train Wreck that profiles specific regulations including Utility MACT, Boiler MACT and the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule, as well as regulations of coal combustion residuals, cooling water intake, ozone and greenhouse gas emissions.
The report sheds light on a few of the more onerous regulations that will hit all Americans in the next few years, and on some of the impacts that the nation is already experiencing.
“The EPA has begun a war on the American standard of living,” the report states. “During the past couple of years, the Agency has undertaken the most expansive regulatory assault in history on the production and distribution of affordable and reliable energy.”
“Numerous regulations, all proposed within a short time frame, have created regulatory chaos and uncertainty, stagnating investment as the economy attempts to recover from recession. These regulations are causing the shutdown of power plants across the nation, forcing electricity generation off of coal, destroying jobs, raising energy costs, and decreasing reliability.”
According to ALEC’s findings, environmental quality in the U.S. continues to improve, despite the doomsday rhetoric coming from the EPA and environmental groups. Mercury, carbon monoxide, ozone, lead, nitrogen oxide, particulates, fine particulates, and sulfur dioxide have all decreased in both ambient concentrations in the atmosphere and in total emissions.
“As always, PowerSouth is very concerned about the effect rising energy costs will have on the average person,” said Horace Horn, PowerSouth Vice President of External Affairs. “PowerSouth supports public policy that improves our nation’s ability to deliver clean, affordable, reliable electricity. We also encourage wise investments that diversify our nation’s energy portfolio and make our country more energy efficient and independent.”
The report includes a profile of 42 states and the impact the regulatory measures currently being enforced have had on the states. Alabama ranks fourth worst hit by the EPA, with Illinois ranking worst hit. Alabama and Florida’s data is available by clicking the links below.
Move Over Law includes utility workers
Motorists will have to move over one lane for stopped utility vehicles under a bill passed by the Alabama Senate. The measure requires Alabama drivers to move one lane to the left if a utility vehicle is stopped while making repairs or doing official business.
State law already requires motorists to move over if law enforcement or emergency vehicles are stopped on the side of the road.
“We want the safest working conditions possible for our employees, regardless of the work area,” says Buddy Manring, PowerSouth Safety Manager. “When our linemen are repairing power lines, it makes sense that drivers should move over to give them space.”
According to the law, if a driver fails to move over, he or she would be fined $25 for the first violation, $50 for the second and $100 for the third.
Process enforces power production safety teamwork
In an effort to reinforce our core value of safety at all power plants, Director of Power Production David Powell and Safety Manager Buddy Manring are promoting new on-the-job safety enhancements.
The two-tier plan requires power plant personnel to conduct a job safety briefing prior to all jobs and the introduction of a new program “Safety Stand Down”.
“We want our employees to stop and contemplate every job they are about to perform and ensure they are doing the job in a safe manner, utilizing the safety training they’ve been given,” said Powell. “By taking time to make sure every safety practice is in order before tackling a job, we can ensure we avoid injury.”
In addition, Power Production has started the “Safety Stand Down” program. Any time a recordable safety incident occurs, employees communicate on the incident, investigation into how the incident occurred and lessons learned. Then, the report will be distributed to all plant locations so other teams can review their work areas and apply lessons learned.
“We need to go a step further and share this information with other plant personnel at each of our power plants,” Powell said. “When we operate in a safe manner with valuable information being shared, we are protecting each other from potential injury as well.”
The on-the-job safety enhancements went into effect in March. Although some aspects are evolving, Powell has already received positive feedback from plant employees.
ACRE kicks off annual drive
As the saying goes, “It’s better to be at the table than on the menu.”
In a climate of increasing pressure on utilities from the regulatory and legislative fronts, being a part of the decision-making process is more important than ever.
Participation in ACRE (the Action Committee for Rural Electrification) is one way employees of electric cooperatives can make their voices heard in political arenas.
As PowerSouth’s ACRE committee kicks off this year’s membership drive, employees are asked to be proactive in their support of our industry through participation in ACRE.
Over the next couple of months, the ACRE committee will host kickoff events at headquarters, Central Generation and the Lowman Plant. During these updates, you’ll hear about the key issues that affect us as employees of PowerSouth and consumers of electricity.
Employees will be notified of meeting times and locations through signs and messages — and the ACRE committee strongly encourages all employees to attend a kickoff event.
For more information or to join ACRE, contact Christi Scruggs at ext. 3734 or christi.scruggs@powersouth.com.
The trickle-up effect
Several environmental issues stirring national debate that have an impact on electric cooperatives — renewable portfolio standards (RPS) for electric utilities, hydraulic fracturing of shale gas reserves, haze regulations, and more — once had taken on state-level or regional importance before they reached Congress.
For example, legislative and regulatory oversight of hydraulic fracturing (also called fracking) for natural gas found in shale deposits has been primarily a state concern — whether to approve drilling permits and how to alleviate local road and infrastructure damage. Then claims surfaced connecting fracking to groundwater contamination and increased methane emissions. While bills have been introduced in the 112th Congress to promote shale gas extraction, there’s now also a push for federal oversight of these operations.
Before (so far unsuccessful) congressional proposals to impose a federal RPS reached a floor debate in Congress a few years ago, 29 states and the District of Columbia had already adopted their own RPS laws that require utilities to add increasing amounts of “clean and green” electricity to their retail power supply mix (ranging from 10 percent to 40 percent) by a certain date (mostly between 2015 and 2030); eight other states have adopted renewable energy goals.
Since the economic downturn, congressional debate shifted from an RPS to a broader clean energy standard (CES) that includes renewables (such as wind, solar, and hydro) along with high-efficiency natural gas turbines (when replacing coal-burning power plants), coal-fired stations equipped with carbon capture and storage capabilities, and nuclear power. CES proponents plan to renew their push to get Congress to pass legislation this year.
Of course, state legislation sometimes mimics federal trends. In the wake of congressional debate on the role of clean coal technology, several states enacted bills that provide incentives for clean coal generation. Some states have also required utilities to prepare for the addition of carbon capture and sequestration equipment to coal plants.
In other situations, states may develop more affordable solutions than federal alternatives.
No matter where environmental legislation gets its start, it can lead to higher electric bills. Learn about regulatory issues affecting you by visiting PowerSouth’s Energy Awareness webpage at www.powersouth.com/energy_awareness.
U.S. Appeals Court upholds EPA GHG regs
A U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia upheld the first-ever U.S. proposed rules governing greenhouse gases June 26, clearing a path for sweeping regulations affecting vehicles, coal-burning power plants and other industrial facilities.
The ruling, which addresses four separate lawsuits, upholds the underpinnings of the Obama administration’s push to regulate carbon dioxide emissions, and is a rebuke to a major push by heavy industries including electric utilities, coal miners and states to block the EPA’s path.
In the 82-page ruling, the three-judge panel also found that the EPA’s interpretation of the Clean Air Act to regulate carbon dioxide regulations is “unambiguously correct.”
The court said it lacked jurisdiction to review the timing and scope of greenhouse gas rules that affect stationary sources like new coal-burning power plants and other large industrial sources.
“EPA’s massive and complicated regulatory barrage will continue to punish job creators and further undermine our economy,” countered Sen. James Inhofe of Oklahoma, a Republican and long-time critic of the EPA’s climate change regulations.
Though states like Texas said the EPA’s rules were a “subjective conviction” because they did not set hard and fast thresholds for unsafe climate change, “EPA is not required to re-prove the existence of the atom every time it approaches a scientific question,” the court wrote.
The ruling clears the way for the EPA to proceed with first-ever rules limiting carbon dioxide emissions from newly built power plants, and to move forward with new vehicle emission standards this summer.
The court in February heard arguments brought by state and industry challenging the EPA’s authority to set carbon dioxide limits.
Industry groups said the EPA’s regulations will impose burdensome regulations that will spur job cuts.
“The EPA’s decision to move forward with these regulations is one of the most costly, complex and burdensome regulations facing manufacturers,” said Jay Timmons, President of the National Association of Manufacturers. “These regulations will harm their ability to hire, invest and grow.”
The EPA’s rules could affect 6 million stationary sources including 200,000 manufacturing facilities and 37,000 farms, Timmons said in a statement.
The Supreme Court unleashed a fury of regulation and litigation when it ruled in Massachusetts vs. EPA in 2007 that greenhouse gases are an air pollutant that can be regulated under the Clean Air Act.
The agency is also preparing to issue first-ever standards for carbon dioxide emissions from new power plants, which are likely to spur utilities to opt for cleaner natural-gas burning plants instead.
Sources: Ayesha Rascoe, Reuters
Red Star Yeast Company
For thousands of years yeast, has been used in baking and the production of alcoholic beverages. No more than a single-celled fungi, yeast cells are egg-shaped and can only be seen with a microscope. It takes 20 billion yeast cells to weigh one gram, or 1/28 of an ounce, of cake yeast.
Red Star Yeast Company in Headland, Ala., manufactures yeast with a long name — Saccharomyces Cerevisiae — that is very strong and capable of fermentation, the process that causes bread dough to rise.
“We make fresh yeast that is very similar to the dried yeast bought at a local grocery store,” says Dennis Barry, Plant Manager. “However, our yeast is made in industrial quantities in a liquid form that can be transferred via tanker truck.”
One of as few as four yeast manufacturers in the U.S. (and the only in Alabama), Red Star’s parent company is Lesaffre Yeast Corporation based in Milwaukee.
“Here at our plant we work to grow the yeast and continually maintain its purity,” Barry says. “We are continually testing our product for consistency.”
While much of the propagation process used by Red Star is proprietary, the company uses a carbohydrate – in their case, molasses – to provide the yeast food to use as energy for growth.
The dough fermentation process produces carbon dioxide gas and ethyl alcohol. The gas that is released helps dough rise, while the alcohol produces the typical flavor and aroma of yeast-leavened products.
Red Star, like all yeast manufacturers, is heavily regulated. In business at its Headland location more than 20 years, the plant is inspected by many third-party auditors or government agencies. The American Institute of Baking recently gave the plant its superior ranking.
“A site like ours is very electric-intensive, meaning we have a lot of electric inputs, and we rely on a continuous electric service,” Barry says. “As our electric provider, Pea River Electric Cooperative (PREC) has been a real partner with us, ensuring we have reliable electric service and assisting with the growth and expansion of the plant.”
As Pea River EC’s largest key account, Red Star’s average electric usage in a month exceeds 500,000 kilowatt hours. Eugene Jackson, PREC’s Manager of Engineering, regularly works with Barry and other Red Star staff to ensure co-op service is meeting expectations.
“When a tornado hit the plant in 2006, we were only without power for a couple of hours, and we had staff on site almost immediately working to restore power,” Barry says. “Everything I’ve needed from Pea River EC has been there when I needed it.”
Employee Buzz:
Service Anniversaries
Buddy Reynolds
Lowman Plant
35 years, Jul 5
Chuck Reeves
Lowman Plant
35 years, Jul 5
Kent Ikner
McIntosh Plant
34 years, Jul 12
Ronnie Moore
Lowman Plant
34 years, Jul 13
Doug Campbell
Lowman Plant
34 years, Jul 14
Steve Grissett
Energy Management Systems
31 years, Jul 27
Elvis Hennis
Lowman Plant
30 years, Jul 6
Floyd Wood
Central Generation
26 years, Jul 21
Jud Patterson
East Central Transmission Line O&M
26 years, Jul 21
Bev Kervin
Transmission Planning & Engineering
26 years, Jul 28
Michael Hudson
Substation O&M
26 years, Jul 28
Lamar Williamson
Central Generation
23 years, Jul 17
Gary Smith
Executive Division
23 years, Jul 31
Rita Kelley
Accounting
22 years, Jul 16
Cam Smith
Corporate Real Estate
22 years, Jul 30
Larry Spann
Environmental Services
16 years, Jul 22
Delores Bush
Business & Financial Applications
14 years, Jul 13
Greg Robbins
Building Maintenance
12 years, Jul 10
Robert McLaurin
Energy Control Center
12 years, Jul 10
Buddy Manring
Safety
12 years, Jul 17
Neal Floyd
Lowman Plant
12 years, Jul 17
Joe Armstrong
Transmission Engineering & Construction
12 years, Jul 19
Dewayne Jackson
Lowman Plant
12 years, Jul 24
Jeff Danford
Central Generation
12 years, Jul 31
Michael Glenn
Lowman Plant
12 years, Jul 31
David Donaldson
Energy Control Center
11 years, Jul 23
Jerome Guy
McIntosh Plant
11 years, Jul 23
Mark Phillips
Network & Personal Computers
11 years, Jul 23
Jeremy Hardy
Information Systems
10 years, Jul 22
Jeff Gorum
Energy Control Center
7 years, Jul 11
Sherry Jackson
Lowman Plant
5 years, Jul 9
Clifton Brown
Western District
5 years, Jul 30
Derick Dearmon
Lowman Plant
5 years, Jul 30
Gabe Cartee
Lowman Plant
5 years, Jul 30
Jason Hawkins
Energy Control Center
3 years, Jul 13
Craig Anderson
Lowman Plant
2 years, Jul 26
Greg Bush
T&D Operation & Maintenance
1 years, Jul 5
Birthdays
- July 1
- Billy Rogers
- Ashley Sasser
- Fred Smith
- Kent Younge
- July 2
- Mike Barton
- July 3
- Robin Beverly
- July 4
- Ronnie Dunn
- Mickey Snell
- July 5
- Edward James
- July 6
- Fred Pringle
- Chuck Reeves
- July 8
- Morgan Rogers
- July 9
- Ricky Coxwell
- James Sutton
- July 10
- Jim Helms
- Pete Stone
- July 11
- Rick Neal
- Tracy Simpler
- July 12
- Barbara Whitehead
- July 13
- Dan Gantt
- Randy Reid
- Aubrey Serpas
- Todd Watson
- July 17
- Mike Blocker
- David Grimes
- Michael Stewart
- Russ Vickery
- Rob White
- July 18
- Mitch Beasley
- Chris Smith
- Kim Springer
- July 19
- Jimmy Beech
- July 20
- Wesley Arnold
- Jeff Kidd
- Dale Martin
- July 21
- Earl Strong
- July 22
- Mike Murphy, Sr.
- July 23
- Lynda Carnley
- Ferrell Walton
- July 24
- Ralph Gunter
- Sherry Watson
- July 25
- Laura Huckabee
- Brenda Russell
- July 26
- Jason Busby
- Chris Flood
- July 27
- Scottie Henderson
- July 28
- Michael Byrd
- Ricky Cochran
- David McDuffie
- Kenny Weaver
- July 29
- Mike Pollock
- July 30
- Matthew Bush
- Ronnie Chapman
- July 31
- Dawn Carnley
- Angela Crittenden
- Doyle Wayne Mills
New employee profile: Brent Watson
Andalusia native Brent Watson serves as the new Lines Technician in the T&D O&M Department. He applied at PowerSouth wanting to further his career.
“I knew that once I got a job here I would never look anywhere else,” he said. “PowerSouth has a positive reputation in the area as a good employer.”
A graduate of Straughn High School, Brent previously worked for Tony Nall Construction.
“One thing that is obvious about PowerSouth is the emphasis by everyone on safety,” he says. “Safety is the main thing to keep in mind during a day’s work.”
In his spare time, Brent enjoys hunting, fishing and mechanic work.
Positive Energy
As an employee of PowerSouth, you regularly hear about energy efficiency tips, campaigns, initiatives, products, services — you name it — that we offer our members.
But do we practice what we preach?
How many of us use compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs)? Do we even know what a CFL is? Do you employ power strips to reduce “phantom load” (that pesky phenomenon in which electronics draw energy even when they’re turned off)? Are we using the most efficient settings our appliances offer?
If we practice what we preach, we have a much better message to send when we advise our members how to save energy and money. We will have proof that energy efficiency works.
Members might ask you, “Why on earth is my electric co-op telling me not to use their product?” For a not-for-profit electric cooperative like PowerSouth, that’s an easy answer.
One, we’re not in the business of generating excess revenue. Yes, we need enough money to operate, but we don’t go above that to create profits for far-away shareholders. We have members, not customers, and their cooperative is locally owned — so any money left over comes back to them in the form of capital credits.
Two, when our members reduce energy use, it lowers the overall demand on our system. In turn, that cuts our wholesale power costs, which keeps consumer electric bills affordable. In the end, everybody saves.
The third and final reason? It’s just the right thing to do.
So hop aboard the energy efficiency bandwagon. You’ll not only serve as an example for our distribution members, but you might just keep a little extra money in your wallet.
For more energy efficiency tips, visit www.togetherwesave.org.
Develop a can-do personality
Some people handle tough jobs without breaking a sweat. Others seem to give up before they even get going. But, what’s the difference between a can-do and a won’t-try person?
“It’s usually a matter of bravery,” says Paul Hauck, Ph.D., a psychologist in Rock Island, Ill. “Can-do people aren’t any smarter than anyone else. They have learned not to let fear carry them away from success.”
The most common roadblock is fear of failure, which is closely tied to two other big fears: losing respect and approval and losing self-esteem.
Fear of failure takes away one of your most valuable learning tools — mistakes. “The only way you ever become good at something is by learning where the pitfalls are and how to avoid them,” says Dr. Hauck. “If you never try, you’ll still be bumbling around long after you should have moved on to other things. Choose to become fearless.”
Recognize fear
Becoming fearless isn’t easy. But you can start by recognizing how fear is holding you back from what you want to do by asking these questions:
• Could I accomplish more than I’m doing?
• Have I ever passed up an opportunity because I thought I couldn’t handle it?
• Do I look for the safest way to do things instead of taking risks?
• Do I wish I had another chance to do things better?
If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, fear could be keeping you from reaching your goals and living a happier life.
Take control
Ironically, the best way to take control of fear is to let go of it. Here are some strategies for loosening fear’s grip on you and your performance:
• Focus on the task, not yourself. It’s easy to become so emotionally invested in something that you start to judge yourself by its success or failure. That’s distracting and could keep you from trying at all.
• Forget what other people think. Instead of worrying about what might win approval, consider what it will take to make the task or project a success. Then, when you do a great job, everyone will recognize it, including you.
• Sharpen your skills. Nothing builds confidence and eliminates fear like capability. Get ahead by learning the skills you expect to need for future projects. When a task is assigned, take stock of what you know already, what you still need to know and where you can go for backup.
• Do it. “It’s far easier to face a difficult task than to avoid it,” says Dr. Hauck. Keep your expectations realistic; don’t try to achieve perfection on your first try.
• Enjoy the ride. Maybe you won’t succeed in everything you do, but that shouldn’t keep you from trying.
Source: American Behavioral’s Krames Staywell
System Summary and Quick Facts
June 2012
System peak (unadjusted): 1,851 megawatts — June 30
Minimum temperature: 63 degrees
Maximum temperature: 99 degrees
Average temperature: 82 degrees
Gantt rainfall: 6.54 inches for the month
May 2012
Average Cost of Service — 69.61 M/KWh
Average Cost of Service YTD — 73.31 M/KWh
CP Demand Billed — 1,623,308
CP Demand Billed YTD — 8,306,479
MWh Sold — 697,895
MWh Sold YTD — 3,034,579
Comings and Goings
Welcome
Gregory Bennett, Clay Carter and Curnice Howell, all Plant Technicians at Central Generation, effective May 15.
William Blount, Engineering Intern, Lowman Plant, and Spencer Green, Economic Development Intern in the Business Development Division, both effective May 21.
Matthew Fowler, Plant Results Specialist at Central Generation, and Thomas Smith, Plant Technician at Central Generation, both effective May 29.
Welcome Summer Helpers
Chelsea Moseley, Business Development, effective May 7.
Tyler Brown, Lowman Plant; Nicholas C. Grana, Lowman Plant; and Tyler Warr, Lowman Plant, all effective May 14.
MaryBeth Arrington, Fuels; Jennifer Ballard, T&D O&M Department; Bailey Croft, T&D O&M Department; Chandlar Dauphin, Central Generation; Mark Anthony Elmore II, Central Generation; Sydney Jones, Bulk Power Services; Jena Majors, Human Resources; Jordan Matheson, Lowman Plant; Phillip Ramey, Lowman Plant; Amy Riley, T&D O&M; Wyatt Sexton, Central Generation; Hannah Twitty, T&D O&M Department; Kristin Weaver, Lowman Plant; Brittany Wilson, McIntosh Plant; Ashley Wright, Communications; and Whitney Wright, Environmental, all effective May 21.
Kali Henderson, Telecommunication Services; Ashten Shiver, Central Generation; and Stinson Thompson, Telecommunication Services, all effective May 22.
Kimberly Rudd, Central Generation, and Danielle Wilkerson, Central Generation, both effective May 25.
Alesha Bradley, T&D O&M Department; Shelby Calhoun, Communications; Jahkelus Mathews, T&D O&M; Quadree Robertson, Procurement Services; and Robyn Wiggins, Human Resources, all effective May 29.
Zachary Turvin, Central Generation, and Kathryn Williams, Safety, both effective June 1.
Magen Foley, Procurement Services Department, and Megan Rogers, Information Systems, both effective June 4.
Dylan Cook, T&D Engineering & Construction, effective June 5.
Jeffry Shane Etheridge, Environmental, effective June 6.
John Hogg, T&D O&M, and Taylor Tew, Safety, both effective June 11.
Goodbye and good luck
Charlie Garner, Co-op Engineer at the Lowman Plant, effective May 18. XX
Promotions
Congratulations to Anthony Whitman on his promotion to Substation Crew Leader in the T&D O&M Department, effective May 27. He was previously Substation Technician.
Congratulations to Michelle Stokes on her promotion to Administrative Clerk in the Human Resources Department, effective June 11. She was previously a General Clerk in the Finance and Accounting Department.
Congratulations to Matthew Clay on his promotion to Engineer II in the T&D Engineering & Construction Department, effective May 13. He was previously Engineer III.
Co-op Kids
Congratulations to Joshua Hudson (left), son of Michael Hudson (Substation Crewleader). Joshua won first Place Individual Achievement winner at the 2012 Covington County Schools Math Tournament. He is a student at Straughn Middle School.
Congratulations to Caleb Whitehurst, son of Beth Whitehurst (Procurement). Caleb was on Straughn Middle School’s seventh grade math team and won third place team and second place in Individual Testing at the Covington County Math Tournament. He also won the school’s Math Team, Academic Achievement and Academic Excellence Awards.
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