Member par-ticipation at our

recent annual membership meeting wasoutstanding. ank you to all memberswho voted online, on the SmartHub app,by proxy, or in person at Singing RiverElectric’s annual meeting. Your participa-tion is vital to the success of the coopera-tive. One director in each of the threedistricts was elected to serve a three-yearterm. In addition to the director election,many topics were covered during the

meeting, including outage response dueto weather events from the previous year,our wholesale power provider’s plans andchallenges associated with solar powergeneration, various system upgrades, andbroadband. But the primary topic ofthis year’s annual meeting was emphasiz-ing how Singing River Electric has andwill continue to support the communi-ties we serve through programs thatprovide education, assistance and valueto members.

Last year, Singing River Electric andits employees engaged with the commu-nities we serve by awarding numerousNeighbors Helping Neighbors commu-nity grants, hosting energy fairs withinall three districts, participating in riverclean-up events, serving food at localcharities, and remaining involved withour local schools. Our youth and theireducation are vital to the economicgrowth and well-being of the communi-ties where we live and work.

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Contact Us

Brian Hughey, General Manager & CEOLorri Freeman, APR, Manager of Public RelationsAmanda Parker, Public Relations SpecialistFor more information, call 601-947-4211, 228-497-1313 or visit our websiteat singingriver.com. SRE is an equal opportunity employer and provider.

Thank you to all who participated in ourrecent annual membership meeting

Energy EEnEneEnerEnergEnergyEnergy TipsEnergy TEnergy TiEnergy TipEnergy TipsEnergy Tips

Josh HavardEnergy Services Representative

joshhavard@singingriver.com

Install a smart thermostat

Putting energywhere itmatters mostI get my power from my electric co-op, so I can put my energy into my family. Whether it’s paying the bill on the go, monitoring my monthly energy use or reporting a power outage using the app, my co-op gives me power to live my life.

It’s much more than a way to keep the lights on.

singingriver.com

CEO’s Message

August 2019 n Today in Mississippi n 10a10 n Today in Mississippi n August 2019

2019 AnnualMeeting held June 27

Top Left: Project engineer Clark Rounsaville hands anattendance prize to a member.

Top Right: Cooperative Energy corporate communicationsmanager Sara Peterson shows SRE members an all-electric car.

Left: Members cast their ballots for the board of directors atthe Annual Meeting.

2018 highlightsdiscussed at themembership meeting:F Retirement of over $2.3 million in capital creditsto members. This was a return of member invest-ments in the cooperative. The credits were for theyears 1987-88.F Retirement of an additional $857,000 of capitalcredits for the year 1987. These credits wererefunded to Singing River Electric members fromCooperative Energy, our power provider.F Increase in the amount of solar energy includedin Cooperative Energy’s generation resource mix.Specifically, the 100-megawatt solar facility to beconstructed and completed in 2022 near Green-wood, Mississippi.F Planning the conversion of Cooperative Energy’sR. D. Morrow coal-fired generating plant to becomea more efficient natural gas plant.F Sustained and record-setting cold was experi-enced with mixed precipitation in the winter.Singing River Electric also assisted Southern PineElectric restore power during this icy weather.F Electric power was restored to all Singing RiverElectric members who could receive power within24-hours of Tropical Storm Gordon’s landfall.F Assisted West Florida Electric Cooperative follow-ing Hurricane Michael. Nearly 30 SRE employeesassisted over a three-week period.F Brought energy fairs to four different localcommunities. The fairs were well attended andeducated members on how to use energy wisely.F Completed construction of the new HelenaIndustrial Park substation, and began planning asubstation along Frank Snell Road in the Hurleycommunity of Jackson County.F Sponsored four local high school juniors toparticipate in the Electric Cooperatives ofMississippi Youth Leadership Program and NRECAYouth Tour of Washington, D.C.F Awarded more than $18,000 in NeighborsHelping Neighbors Community Grants in 2018. Thegrants assisted in areas of education andcommunity development.

Singing River Electric held the 2019Annual Membership Meeting on Thursday,June 28. As part of the meeting, the electriccooperative also held a FREE Energy Fair forparticipants and displayed Cooperative En-ergy’s all-electric and hybrid electricvehicles.

During the meeting, General Manager andCEO Brian Hughey reviewed the highlightsfrom 2018 and shared some of thecooperative’s plan for 2019. Three SingingRiver Electric members were elected to serveon the cooperative’s board as Post 1 candidatesin all three geographic districts.• Ralph Hicks, District 1• Ron Wilson, District 2• Howard Davis, District 3

Singing River Electric members MiltonDriskell, Marvin Blankinchip, LindaEckford, Phillip Busby, Obie Wells andRichard Fleming served on the Credentials andElection Committee. This committee works toreview board applicants prior to the electionand monitors voting at theannual membership meeting. They see first-hand how Singing River Electric’s board elec-tion process is conducted and the efforts to betransparent when conducting thebusiness of our cooperative.

Singing River Electric consumer-membersparticipated in the board elections online, bySmartHub app, by mailed proxy or in-person at the annual meeting.

2019 Annual Meeting Proxy/Online Ballot Prizewinners included: Paul Havens of Moss Point, CindyHicks of Leakesville, James Dungan of Lucedale, JillAllen of Lucedale, Paige Henderson of Richton,Joseph Forehand of Vancleave and Justin Rude ofOcean Springs.

Smart thermostats help you controlyour energy use and manage your bill.ey use Wi-Fi service to allow you toadjust heating and cooling temperaturesin your home using your smart phone.Smart thermostats also learn yourtemperature preferences and establish aschedule that automatically adjusts to energy-saving temperatures when you are asleep or away.

Almost half of your energy use andcosts comes from heating and cooling.Little changes in daily temperatures canmake a big change in your electric bill.Tips to consider when purchasing asmart thermostat:• Make sure the thermostat is compatible

with your heating and cooling system.• If your smart thermostat uses Wi-Fi,

make sure it’s reasonably close to the router, or install a Wi-Fi range extender to prevent periodic disconnections.

• Each brand and model has slightlydifferent features to help you save.

Heat pump owners can take advan-tage of the thermostat’s smart balancefeature, which allows the thermostat toconsider weather forecasts, unit perform-ance and comfort when determining therun time for your unit.

Smart thermostats are available forpurchase at local hardware stores and online. For more information on smartthermostats, visit singingriver.com andenergystar.gov.

Brian Hughey General Manager & CEOSinging River Electric

10b n Today in Mississippi n August 2019 August 2019 n Today in Mississippi n 10c

Since the 1950s, high school students representing electric cooperatives from all across the United Stateshave participated in the annual Electric CooperativeYouth Tour event in Washington, D.C. This year morethan 1,800 of rural America’s best and brightest students,representing 42 states, participated. They visited the nation’s capital, taking in historic sites and educationalopportunities made available to them through this life-changing, all-expenses paid experience.

Singing River Electric sponsored four of the 81 students representing Mississippi electric cooperatives.While the tour is filled with fun activities, its primarymission is to educate students about our country’s legislative and political process as well as the significance of rural electrification.

Lake Little, Haley Fye and Clay Wal-ters enjoy a busy tour of memorials,monuments and museums surround-ing the National Mall in Washington,D.C. Below, they visit the Marine CorpsWar Memorial.

Left to right: Madisyn Peterson of St. Martin HighSchool, Sarah Hultsof ResurrectionCatholic School, Jeb Wells of Vancleave HighSchool and CarlyJones of East Central High School

YOUTH TOURSTUDENTS

The Youth Tour is sponsored locally by Singing RiverElectric, organized statewide by the Electric Cooperativesof Mississippi and nationally by the National Rural Elec-tric Cooperative Association (NRECA). This year, SarahHults, Carly Jones, Madisyn Peterson and Jeb Wells represented Singing River Electric. Sarah, the daughter of Amy Vuyovich and Chris Hults, will be a senior atResurrection Catholic School. Carly, the daughter ofShanda Jones, will be a senior at East Central HighSchool. Madisyn, the daughter of Melanie Tucker andWillie Peterson, will be a senior at St. Martin HighSchool. And Jeb, the son of Forest Wells, will be a senior at Vancleave High School.

“It is an honor for Singing River Electric to annu-ally participate in the Washington D.C. Youth Tourprogram,” said SRE General Manager and CEOBrian Hughey. “This educational program providesan opportunity for local students to learn about history and government while building their leadership skills. We are proud to make this investment in these young leaders.”

These students were chosen to participatethrough a one-day Cooperative University andinterview process in November 2018 duringtheir junior year in high school. In February2019, they attended the Youth LeadershipWorkshop in Jackson.

Though the workshop and the Washington D.C., tripare invaluable experiences for the students, the relation-ships they had the opportunity to make with like-mindedpeers from across the state and the country will be oneof the most long-term and rewarding measures of theYouth Tour.

During the seven-day Youth Tour, the students visitedhistorical and cultural sites, monuments

and memorials, such as the World War IIMemorial, Korean War, FDR, Lincoln, AirForce, Jefferson, The United States MarineCorps War Memorial and the memorial dedi-cated to the victims of the tragic 9/11 terroristattack at the Pentagon.

They also toured museums, including theNewseum, the Smithsonian Museums of Airand Space, American History, Natural Historyand the National Gallery of Art, the NationalPortrait Gallery and the National Museum ofAfrican American History and Culture. Manystudents elected to visit the Museum of theBible as well.

A visit to Nationals Park was another high-light for the participants, where they watched

an exciting Major League Baseball game between the Washington Nationals and the Arizona Diamondbacks. Following the game,they watched a beautiful sunset from the roofof the John F. Kennedy Center located on thePotomac River.

The students enjoyed a guided tour ofWashington National Cathedral, the secondlargest cathedral in the U.S.

A respectful visit to Arlington Cemeterygave the students the opportunity to rever-ently look on for the changing of the guard.Here, they also visited the gravesites ofseveral of our nation’s prominent figures, including John F. Kennedy and JacquelineKennedy Onassis.

The pinnacle ofeach Youth Tour isthe day spent on

Capitol Hill. Freshman Rep. Michael Guestof Mississippi’s 3rd Congressional Districtgraciously continued the tradition of guidingthe students on a VIP tour of the UnitedStates Capitol building that kicked-off with a tour of the U.S. House Floor.

After the tour, the day was filledwith special visits with our state’s leaders. Sarah, Carly, Madisyn and Jeb visited withRep. Steven Palazzo in his D.C. office. Thestudents also had the opportunity to meetSen. Roger Wicker and Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith.

FUN FACT:Over the seven days of the Youth Tour in

Washington, D.C., eachstudent and advisor tookmore than 100,000 steps, 65 flights of stairs and

walked a total of 50 miles!

Above: The Einstein Memorial is situated near the National Academy of Science. Thebronze figure was unveiled in 1979 to celebrate the 100th birthday of Albert Einstein.

Top: The Jefferson Memorial was just one of the many stops on Youth Tour. Above: The studentsstopped for a photo in front of the North Lawn of the White House.

Visit to nation’s capital inspires

Youth TourStudents

If you know a high school junior who receives electricity at home fromSinging River Electric and has strong grades and leadership skills, visitwww.singingriver.com/my-community to view criteria for the 2020 YouthLeadership Program.

Lincoln Memorial

Jefferson Memorial

Martin LutherKing. Jr.

Memorial

World War IIMemorial

Vietnam VeteransMemorial

U.S. Marine CorpsWar Memorial

Arlington NationalCemetery

Newseum

WashingtonNational

Cathedral

U.S. Capitol

SmithsonianMuseums

Nationals Park

H

H

H

H

H

H

H

H

H

H

H

YOUTH TOUR SITES

Youth Tour has inspired me and manyothers, to take an active role in my community,”said Sarah Hults. “The most special part of YouthTour is not the tour, but the youth. “

My experience visiting our nation’s capitalwas absolutely amazing,” said Madisyn Peterson. “I met some of the greatest friends that I hope tohave for a lifetime while making memories that I willforever cherish. I am so thankful to be able to partic-ipate in such an astounding organization. Thankyou so much Singing River Electric and ECM.

This has been the trip of a lifetime,” saidCarly Jones. “The people that I have met while onthis trip are truly Mississippi’s future leaders. Goingforth from this trip, I feel that I have a firmer graspon how our nation’s capital works. I am so gratefulto have been given this amazing opportunity.Mississippi’s cooperatives are awesome!

“

“ “

Youth Tour has been the most amazingexperience of my life,” said Jeb Wells. “It is a oncein a lifetime trip, and I am so honored to havebeen given this great opportunity. “ ““ “

GetPrepared.StayReady.

Staying Connected

www.singingriver.comMobile App: SmartHub

www.facebook.com/SingingRiverElectricwww.twitter.com/SRECooperative@singingriverelectric on Instagram

Download our newest storm preparednessdocument or pick up a copy at any Sre office,

and stay ready for severe weather.

singingriver.com

10d n Today in Mississippi n August 2019 August 2019 n Today in Mississippi n 11

By Abby Berry Weather can have a major impact on energy bills,

and when the outdoor temperatures become extreme,your heating and cooling equipment works harder tokeep your home comfortable.

Did you know the energy experts at Singing RiverElectric use degree days to anticipate heating and cool-ing needs for you, our consumer-members?

Never heard of a degree day. Don’t worry, you’re notalone. Let’s take a look at what degree days are andwhy they’re important for electric utilities.

Degree days measure how cold or warm a locationis by comparing the average of the high and low(mean) of the outdoor temperatures recorded in thatlocation to the standard U.S. temperature, which is 65F. e assumption is that we don’t need heating orcooling to be comfortable when this is the outdoortemperature.

So, the more extreme the outdoor temperatures, thehigher the number of degree days. And the higher thenumber of degree days, the higher the amount of en-ergy used for space heating and cooling. Summer is infull swing, so let’s look at cooling degree days.

Cooling degree days are a measurement of how hotthe temperature was on a given day or during a periodof days. With summer temperatures rising, you’ll likelyrequire more cooling for your home or business, whichresults in more cooling degree days. Variations in elec-tric bills often follow closely with degree days, which iswhy electric utilities use this data to anticipate futureenergy demand.

Degree days are tracked for a variety of reasons.Farmers can better plan the planting of crops andtiming for pest control, and weather experts can betterassess climate patterns.

To view degree days for our area, visit www.energys-tar.gov and search “degree days calculator.”

If charts and data aren’t your forte, no problem.Here are a few tips to help you save on energy bills thissummer:• Set your thermostat as high as comfortably possible.e smaller the difference between the indoor andoutdoor temperatures, the lower your cooling costswill be. e Department of Energy recommendssetting your thermostat to 78 F when you’re home anda higher setting for when you’re away.• Turn off ceiling fans when you leave a room.• Close window coverings, like curtains and blinds,during the day to block sunlight.• Use caulk and weather stripping to seal air leaksaround doors and windows.

If you have questions about your energy use or tolearn more ways to save, visit our website at singin-griver.com, give us a call or stop by our office. Ourenergy professionals are here to help.

Abby Berry writes on consumer and cooperative affairsfor the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association,the national trade association representing more than 900local electric cooperatives. From growing suburbs toremote farming communities, electric co-ops serve asengines of economic development for 42 millionAmericans across 56 percent of the nation’s landscape.

*CDD represents cooling degree daysSource: Energy Information Administration

U.S. COOLING DEGREE DAYS Cooling degree days measure how hot the outdoor temperature was on a given day or during a period of days. The map below shows measurements of U.S. cooling degree days in 2018 by census region. Extreme outdoor temperatures bring a higher number of degree days, which results in higher energy use.

s

ARIZ.N.M.

MONT.

WYO.IDAHO

UTAH

NEV.

COLO.

TEXAS

OKLA.ARK.

L.A.

TENN.

KY.

MISS. ALA.

WIS.

MICH

OHIOIND.ILL.

CALIF.

ORE.

WASH.

KAN.

NEB.

S.D

N.D.

MINN.

MO.

IOWA

CONN.R.I.

PA.N.J.

ME.

N.H.MASS.N.Y.

VT.

GA.

FLA.

VA.

N.C.

S.C.

DEL.MD.WV.

Paci!c: 1,004 CDD

South Atlantic: 2,411 CDD

Mountain: 1,584 CDD

West North Central: 1,132 CDD

East North Central: 974 CDD

Middle Atlantic: 885 CDD

New England: 651 CDD

West South Central: 2,859 CDD

East South Central: 1,932 CDD

Degree DaysDefining LUCEDALE

Lighting

Insulation

Heating/Cooling

Singing River Electric held its George CountyEnergy Fair on June 27 at the Lucedale office. e

event featured stations on lighting, insulation,heating and cooling, online tools, and efficientbuilding techniques. Members spoke to energy

consultants and received custom advice for theirefficiency questions.