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Consumer Update Newsletter - July 2012

 

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Beware of GEUS Impersonators

February 11, 2013 - Reports have been received of two men stating they are electric utility workers in order to gain access to the inside of people’s homes.

“Other than GEUS Cable TV & Internet Technicians with appointments, GEUS employees have no reason to enter someone’s home”, said GEUS Consumer Services Manager Jimmy Dickey. “Access should be denied to GEUS impersonators and the police called immediately”, Dickey added.

GEUS employees wear uniforms with logos and drive white vehicles clearly marked as GEUS.

The public’s assistance is needed in finding these individuals. Please contact GEUS at 903-457-2888 should you have any information pertaining to this or ever need to confirm a GEUS employee’s identification.

 

GEUS Seeks Applicants for GEUS Board of Trustees

January 18, 2013 - Of all the levels of government in our country, municipal government is the most accessible to citizens. As Greenville continues to see growth and progress, citizen involvement in running its electric utility is very important. It is beneficial to gain input from citizens as important decisions are made that affect the future of our community.

One way citizens can become more involved in local government is by serving on one of the City's Boards or Commissions. Greenville Electric Utility System (GEUS) is seeking applicants for persons interested in serving on the GEUS Board of Trustees. GEUS Board of Trustees expects to fill one Board position during its first meeting in May 2013.


According to the Greenville City Charter:


Sec. 135. Qualifications
No person shall be named a member of the Board who is (i) in default in the payment of any valid indebtedness or obligation to the city or (ii) not a qualified elector of the city and not a customer of the System for personal, residential, business or company use, or (iii) a member of the City Council, or (iv) any person related to a councilmember within the second degree of consanguinity or affinity.

Sec. 138. Compensation
The members of the Board shall receive no compensation for service on the Board, but shall be entitled to reimbursement for reasonable expenses incurred in the execution of their duties as members of the Board including, but not limited to, reimbursement for expenses of training at seminars, expenses of membership, or participation in industry associations, and expenses incurred by members of the Board for other types of professional development undertaken by members of the Board in connection with service on the Board.
Any citizen interested in serving on the GEUS Board of Trustees is encouraged to submit an application and Resume to the GEUS Board Secretary’s Office on or before February 1, 2013. Applications are available online or by contacting the Board Secretary’s Office at 903-457-2811 or by email .

 

GEUS Adds Wi Fi at No Additional Cost to Subscribers

June 26, 2012 - You may soon be seeing a new Internet source on your smart phone, tablet, lap top or even fixed base computer.

GEUS has recently installed relay equipment giving GEUSNet subscribers Internet access in certain “hot spots” around Greenville for no additional fee. Current areas of coverage include local parks, fairgrounds, the Courthouse and more.

GEUSNet subscribers may access Xcelerate in certain areas by using their User Id (example-janedoe@geusnet.com) and password.

Non-GEUSNet customers may use the system by purchasing time by way of credit card. The cost of this service is $3.95/hour, $9.95/day or only $34.95/month.

A free preview will be available at the Greenville Sports Complex on July 3, 4, and 5.

“We are very excited to be able to expand services to our existing customers while also meeting the needs of new ones,” says GEUS General Manager David McCalla.


GEUS’ Financial Rating Upgraded To New High

June 25, 2012 - The internationally-recognized Standard & Poor’s (S&P) Ratings Services has upgraded GEUS’ credit rating from “A” to “A+” with a stable outlook in a report released this month.


S&P cited several factors in support of the upgrade including Greenville’s increasing economy, GEUS’ solid coverage of fixed costs, escrow funding to offset rising costs, competitive rates and limited capital needs.
Also cited was the most recent report by the Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration showing GEUS’ electric rates to be about 15% below the state average.


“A+ Stable marks the highest rating GEUS has received since the GEUS Board was formed in 1988,” said GEUS General Manager David McCalla. “It is a delicate balance when meeting consumer’s needs with competitive rates and services while also satisfying the credit agencies”, added McCalla.


“The GEUS Board has adopted policies of having stable rates while maintaining strong financial performance,” said GEUS Board Chairman Dave Dreiling. “The Board deliberates funding requests and adopts budgets with these long-term objectives in mind. It is gratifying to have an independent firm confirm that we are meeting those objectives”, added Dreiling.

Lower Fuel Charge Means Savings for GEUS Customers

April 27, 2012 - Lower natural gas prices mean the average residential electric consumer in Greenville will pay approximately $5 less each month.

GEUS has a mixture of coal and natural gas-fired electrical generation resources to call upon to satisfy the demand for electricity in Greenville. In addition, GEUS’ Power Supply group actively seeks the best available market price for power in the wholesale market.

The recent mild winter across the nation coupled with the discovery and aggressive drilling for shale gas has caused an overabundant supply of natural gas to drive down its cost.

This lower cost is passed along to Greenville consumers thru a lowered Fuel Adjustment Charge (FAC) of $.028\kWh. GEUS’ FAC has been $.033\kWh since it was lowered in October 2010.

“GEUS is very fortunate to not be dependent upon one fuel source and to have the flexibility to purchase power in the wholesale market at competitive prices,” said GEUS General Manager David McCalla. “Additional flexibility comes from our ability to produce power locally when doing so is more beneficial to our consumers”, McCalla added.

New Fox Contract Not to Impact GEUS Cable Rates at This Time

January 23, 2012 - The GEUS Board recently approved a new 3 year contract with FOX Television Holdings, Inc. for retransmission of KDFW Channel 4 and KDFI Channel 27 after FOX made no concessions during negotiations. An industry consultant determined the contract was comparable to what other cable companies were paying and recommended approval. The GEUS Board was able to approve the contract without having to increase the cost to Greenville residents at this time.

“Like all cable and satellite TV providers, GEUS’ rates feel the pressure each time a programmer increases the monthly cost/subscriber,” said GEUS General Manager David McCalla. “As more programming contracts are renewed, it will be necessary to pass along these cost increases through higher rates,” McCalla added.

GEUS cable television rates have not gone up since October of 2009, although additional high definition (HD) channels have been added.

GEUS expects to expend more than $1,777,870 this year in total programming fees.

The Federal Communications Commission has a project underway to review the new trend of programmers charging for retransmission agreements, which have traditionally been at no charge to the consumer.

“Broadcasters have the upper hand under the current rules and cable operators have no options other than to discontinue carriage,” said McCalla. “It is unfortunate that Broadcasters are taking such an aggressive pricing approach, since the consumer ultimately bears the brunt of these increases,” McCalla added.

GEUS is currently upgrading the system to an all-digital format that will allow more HD channels to be added.

 

In Memory of William N. Thomas

January 19, 2012 - In recognition of Mr. Thomas’ recent passing, it is appropriate to take a moment to recognize Mr. Thomas’ contributions to the Greenville Electric Utility System, which became known as GEUS during Mr. Thomas’ tenure on the Board.


1989 – Mr. Thomas, while serving as State Representative during the 71st Legislature, authored and sponsored HB2610, an identical companion bill to SB 935 (Sen. Lyon) that when signed into law by Gov. Clements created “new law to authorize a board of trustees of a municipally owned utility to issue bonds, to exercise the power of eminent domain, and to issue obligations for acquisition or construction”. This law was codified in the Texas Statutes as Article 1115a. Mr. Thomas played an essential role in the process of establishing Greenville Electric Utility System.


1996 – When founding Board Member Don McBride stepped down in early 1996, Mr. Thomas was appointed to fill McBride’s unexpired term on Place 3. Mr. Thomas was first sworn in on 6th day of March, 1996. Later that year, Mayor Sue Ann Harting and GEUS Board Chairman Renee Shelton nominated Mr. Thomas and he was appointed by the City Council to serve his first full term.


1999 – In April of 1999, Mayor Sue Ann Harting and GEUS Board Chairman Robert Woodson nominated Mr. Thomas and he was reappointed to serve his second full term.
During Mr. Thomas’ tenure on the Board, he served as Secretary/Treasurer (1996-1999), Vice-Chairman (1999-2000), and Chairman (2000-2002).


Major Board actions that occurred during Mr. Thomas’ time on the Board included:


96-45 04/04/96 Initial authorization of fiber optics cable. The construction of fiber optics cable to connect buildings of GEUS and City of Greenville allowed for network and telephone communications between multiple facilities across Greenville.


96-80 07/25/96 Approved the second amendment to the TMPA Power Sales Contract that fixed each City’s percentage and allowed each City the ability to purchase or to generate Power and Energy from sources other than the Agency. Without this amendment, GEUS would have been prohibited from building the Engine Plant.
96-82 08/08/96 Authorized Public Utility Commission rate filings for transmission cost of service. Open access transmission (wholesale deregulation) was the precursor to retail deregulation. This was the first time that GEUS had to file rate cases at the PUC.


97-24 02/13/97 Established Denton-Garland-Greenville power pool as a subcontrol area to provide economic dispatch as a successor to the Texas Municipal Power Pool (“TMPP”). Open access transmission allowed previous partners to operate power supply systems independently from the pool and the long standing cooperation between entities within TMPP came to an end.


97-44 07/24/97 Authorized Interlocal Cooperation agreement with GISD for a fiber optics network that would link GISD schools with a wide area network that is still in use today.
98-04 10/28/97 Authorized issuance of Electric System Refunding Revenue Bonds, Series 1997. William N. Thomas, Board Secretary, signed the certificate certifying this first ever Bond Issue by an appointed Board of Trustees.


00-01 10/14/99 Decommissioned the Diesel Plant generating facility.


00-52 06/16/00 Resolution to Authorize Cable and Internet System. Multiple Resolutions were passed over the next year and a half authorizing programming, contracts for construction, and other matters. This historic action established the first municipally owned cable and Internet system in Texas.


01-31 01/25/01 Authorized business name “GEUS” and logo change to enhance marketing of the cable and Internet enterprise.


01-49 02/14/01 Authorized issuance of “CITY OF GREENVILLE, TEXAS, ELECTRIC SYSTEM REVENUE REFUNDING AND IMPROVEMENT BONDS, SERIES 2001”. Mr. Thomas was Chairman of the Board when the Series 2001 Bonds were issued.


Mr. Thomas’ was known for his wonderful sense of humor, always with a humorous story or one-liner to brighten everyone’s day. His important contributions to historic events related to the Greenville Electric Utility System will long be remembered and appreciated

 

Theft of Utility Services Not Acceptable in Greenville

January 3, 2012 - GEUS and the City of Greenville announced today that theft of electric & water service will not be tolerated. Greenville’s two municipally-owned utilities have seen an increased number of customers attempting to steal electricity and water in recent years.

"Tampering with, or damaging meters is essentially stealing. These offenses are investigated in the same manner as other stealing offenses. Once the police department obtains information and evidence of tampering with a meter, we take the steps necessary to see that those responsible are prosecuted", said Chief Dan Busken, Greenville Police Department.

New measures are continually being added to find people committing these crimes. Once tampering is found, the services are terminated until such time as the $125/meter tampering fee is paid by the customer and the meter base is inspected. The person will then be required to come before a Judge to face possible fines and jail time.

Assistant City Attorney Daniel Ray explains, "The evidence the Municipal Court receives from GEUS is so detailed and specific, we have had great success in negotiating guilty pleas from defendants. Most have chosen to pay the fine, and one chose a weekend in jail, but we have not seen any of them re-offend to date. We believe the City's active prosecution of all utility theft cases will help deter would-be violators and keep our utility costs low."

Theft of utility services by a few dishonest people causes all honest customers to have to pay more to make up for the losses. Consumers are encouraged to anonymously contact GEUS at 903-457-2800 anytime they suspect theft of utility services is occurring in the community.

 


GEUS Electric Rates Among the Lowest In State Again

December 2, 2011 - GEUS’ 2010 electric rates were among the lowest in the State according to data from the U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration. A recently released report by the American Public Power Association compared rates throughout the nation of municipally-owned utilities (MOU) to member-owned coops (COOPS) and to investor-owned utilities.

GEUS had the 27th lowest overall rates of utilities providing power to residential and commercial\industrial consumers in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT). ERCOT manages the flow of power to 85% of the State thru 206 electric providers consisting of 72 MOUs, 68 retail electric providers (REP) supplying power in deregulated territories and 66 COOPS.

The report compares the overall cost\kWh for each State-wide category. GEUS’ 8.7 cents\kWh matched the State’s MOU average and was substantially less than the COOP’s 10.2 cent & the REP’s 9.9 cent averages.

“We are very pleased to again rank as one of the lowest cost electric providers in Texas”, said David McCalla, GEUS General Manager. “GEUS’ ability to offer stable and competitive rates comes from the forethought of past community leaders providing us with a diversified resource mix of coal and natural gas-fired generation”, added McCalla.

A full copy of the report can be accessed at http://www.publicpower.org/files/Excel/RevenueperkWh2010.xls

 


GEUS sets new peak load


September 1, 2011- For many years one measure of how hot a Greenville summer has been is the maximum electrical demand placed on the community’s municipally-owned electric utility, GEUS.

Record temperatures this summer have caused GEUS to set a new system-wide peak of 121 Mega Watts (MW). This peak set on August 2, 2011 was a 2½% increase over the then maximum peak of 118MWs set last summer. Demand has certainly grown since GEUS’ maximum peak twenty years ago was at 90MW.

Over the past 20 years, GEUS’ annual peak has most often occurred during the 4 PM hour on a day during the last week of July or the first week of August.

“Weather is the most significant factor impacting consumer’s electric consumption”, said GEUS General Manager, David McCalla. “This year’s extreme winter & summer weather set new system-wide peaks for both seasons”, McCalla added.

An even higher peak was averted on August 3rd this year when a collaborative effort by some local industries, the business community and residents who voluntarily cut back on usage to assist the State’s electric grid avoid State-wide rolling outages.

GEUS’ generating plants, including the new 25MW fast-start, natural-gas fired unit, have been active this year providing power daily and throughout the recent crisis to help the State.

 

 

Power Warning - Conservation Critical
High risk of rotating outages; Consumers asked to conserve electricity until 7 pm

Austin, Aug.24, 2011 -- Consumers and businesses are asked to reduce their electricity use during peak electricity hours from 3 to 7 p.m. today to avert the need for rotating outages.

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, Inc. (ERCOT), system operator for the state’s bulk transmission grid, initiated Energy Emergency Alert Level 2 at 2:26 p.m. today due to responsive reserves below 1,750 megawatts (MW).

“Interruptible loads – large customers paid to be dropped in a level 2 emergency have been deployed,” said Kent Saathoff, vice president of system planning and operations.

“Capacity is expected to be very tight over the peak today – particularly between 4 and 5 p.m. We are asking consumers and businesses to reduce their electricity use as much as they are able during peak electricity hours from 3 to 7 p.m.,” Saathoff said.

Consumers can help by shutting off unnecessary lights and electrical appliances, minimizing the use of air conditioning and delaying laundry and other activities requiring electricity-consuming appliances until later in the evening.

Power Warnings are issued by the electric grid operator, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), when there is a high risk that rotating outages will be needed to reduce load.

The emergency procedures are a progressive series of steps that allow ERCOT to bring on uncommitted generation and power from other grids. If the situation does not improve, ERCOT will first drop load resources (a market-based demand response program) and other resources under contract to be interrupted during an emergency. Only as a last resort (Power Emergency) to avoid the risk of a complete blackout does ERCOT ask utilities to reduce demand by dropping load through rotating outages.

Rotating outages are controlled, temporary interruptions of electrical service initiated by each utility when supplies of reserve power are exhausted. Without this safety valve, generators would overload and begin shutting down to avoid damage, risking a domino effect of a region-wide outage.

The outages are typically limited to 15-45 minutes before being rotated to a different neighborhood. Some customers may experience longer outages if power surges cause equipment failure during the restoration process. Customers can minimize power surges by turning off appliances, lights and other equipment, except for one task light to determine when power has been restored.

Consumers should contact the utility company/ transmission provider listed on their electric bill for information about power outages at their homes or business, or about rotating outage procedures for their area.

Energy Emergency Alert Communications

Conservation Tips

Consumers can help by shutting off unnecessary lights and electrical appliances between 3 and 7 p.m., and delaying laundry and other activities requiring electricity-consuming appliances until later in the evening. Other conservation tips from the Public Utility Commission’s “Powerful Advice” include:

  • Turn off all unnecessary lights, appliances, and electronic equipment.
  • When at home, close blinds and drapes that get direct sun, set air conditioning thermostats to 78 degrees or higher, and use fans in occupied rooms to feel cooler.
  • When away from home, set air conditioning thermostats to 85 degrees and turn all fans off before you leave. Block the sun by closing blinds or drapes on windows that will get direct sun.
  • Do not use your dishwasher, laundry equipment, hair dryers, coffee makers, or other home appliances during the peak hours of 3 to 7 p.m.
  • Avoid opening refrigerators or freezers more than necessary.
  • Use microwaves for cooking instead of an electric range or oven.
  • Set your pool pump to run in the early morning or evening instead of the afternoon.

Businesses should minimize the use of electric lighting and electricity-consuming equipment as much as possible. Large consumers of electricity should consider shutting down or reducing non-essential production processes.

How to Track Electricity Demand

  • View daily peak demand forecast and current load at http://www.ercot.com/
  • View daily peak demands by the hour at this link
  • Get real-time notices of energy emergency alerts by following ERCOT on Twitter

Consumer Assistance

  • Public Utility Commission Consumer Hotline – 1-888-782-8777
  • Office of Public Utility Counsel Consumer Assistance – 1-877-839-0363


GEUS Welcomes New Board Members & Chairman

June 2, 2011 - Former Greenville Independent School District Superintendent William C. Smith became the newest member of the GEUS Board of Trustees recently along with the reappointment of local Attorney Holly Gotcher.

Gotcher will be serving her second three year term and was elected by the Board to serve as Secretary/Treasurer. Smith, who is a Field Services Representative for Texas Association of School Boards, is returning to the Board having served in this capacity from 1989 to 1993. Currently serving alongside them is Richard Bays, Howard Winans and David Dreiling.

David Dreiling was elected by the Board to serve as Chairman replacing Don Bolin whose second term recently ended. Howard Winans was elected to the office of Vice Chairman.

“Much of GEUS’ 23 years of success stems from the dedicated service of citizens appointed to this Board”, said new Chairman David Dreiling. “This Board pledges to maintain the same ideals set forth by the founding members of this organization”, Dreiling added.

GEUS Adds Channels & Internet Speed

May 16, 2011 - Based on customer feedback, GEUS has added additional cable channels and increased Internet speeds for both commercial and residential customers. Customers will incur no additional costs due to these improvements.

GEUS cable customers now have access to three new channels-Boomerang(124), FOX Business(128) & RFD TV(139). Boomerang features many of the older cartoons while RFD TV airs many events and shows involving rural communities. FOX Business is one of the more popular channels in the FOX network.

GEUS commercial & residential Internet customers will be surfing the web at a much faster speed now due to increased upload and download speed capabilities. Some download speeds are now twice as fast as before with some packages as much as 12mbps.

“We are pleased to be able to continue to meet our customer’s needs without having to increase the subscription fee with each improvement”, said Jim Tyler, GEUS Cable & Internet Manager.

 

GEUS Receives Sound Financial Rating


April 7, 2011 - Standard & Poor has affirmed GEUS’ `A` rating with a positive outlook.

The internationally-recognized rating agency noted GEUS’ cable & Internet systems lack of debt and good record of positive net margins as one of the contributing factors to the high rating.

Also contributing was GEUS’ overall limited capital needs in the future and GEUS officials’ desire to fund these projects through annual revenue instead of debt.

“GEUS has always attempted to be good stewards of rate payer’s money”, said GEUS Board of Trustee’s Chairman Don Bolin. “It’s good when a rating agency such as Standard & Poor recognizes GEUS’ efforts”, Bolin added.

Read the full report

Power Watch Continues – Grid Operator Anticipating Record Demand
Conservation Needed Tonight, Tomorrow Morning

February 9, 2011 – Consumers and businesses are encouraged to conserve electricity during peak demand hours from 4-8 p.m. tonight and 6-9 a.m. tomorrow to help reduce the risk of electricity emergencies or the need for rotating outages.

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), grid operator for the state-wide bulk transmission grid, is forecasting a peak demand of nearly 57,000 megawatts (MW), between 8 and 9 pm, Wednesday, and more than 58,000 MW between 7-8 a.m. on Thursday. Both would surpass the current winter record – 56,334 MW which occurred Feb. 2, between 7 and 8 p.m.

“The most critical times will be this evening and in the morning,” said CEO Trip Doggett. “While we project to have enough generation to meet demand, a significant number of generation outages, such as we experienced last week, could change that outlook, so we appreciate your continued support by reducing your energy consumption where possible.”

As an added precaution, ERCOT is purchasing additional generation capacity for real-time operations to help maintain reliable delivery of power during this extreme weather event.

All but 1,764 MW of the 7,000 MW of generation capacity unavailable last week during the Feb. 2 grid emergency has been restored.

More information about rotating outages Rotating Outages FAQ

Rotating outages are the last step in a progressive series of emergency procedures that ERCOT follows according to reliability rules. ERCOT only calls for rotating outages as a final fail-safe measure to avoid an uncontrolled blackout across the entire state.

Consumers who have questions about how rotating outages are implemented in their local area need to need to call the transmission / distribution service provider listed on their electric bill – not the retail electric provider. While each transmission/distribution service provider submits an emergency plan to ERCOT, ERCOT has no control over, or knowledge of, individual customer outages.

 

CONSERVATION TIPS

  • Keep your thermostat as low as is comfortable.
  • Turn off and un-plug non-essential lights and appliances.
  • Avoid running large appliances such as washers, dryers, and electric ovens during peak energy demand hours.
  • Close shades and blinds at night to reduce the amount of heat lost through windows.
  • Businesses should minimize the use of electric lighting and electricity-consuming equipment as much as possible.
  • Large consumers of electricity should consider shutting down or reducing non-essential production processes.

See more conservation tips at “Powerful Advice,” Public Utility Commission of Texas:

WHO TO CALL FOR OUTAGE INFORMATION?

For information about the how the utilities implement rotating outages and exemptions, call the transmission and distribution service provider on your electric bill.

Consumer Assistance Hotline
Public Utility Commission Hotline – 1-888-782-8777

 

ERCOT Region

The ERCOT Region includes Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio, Austin, Corpus Christi, Abilene and the Rio Grande Valley. It does not include the El Paso area, the Texas Panhandle, Northeast Texas (Longview, Marshall and Texarkana), and Southeast Texas (Beaumont, Port Arthur, and the Woodlands). Find region maps at this link.


ERCOT no longer in emergency situation
Electric demand lower than forecast this morning

(February 3, 2011) ERCOT operations has cancelled the emergency procedures that began early Wednesday morning. The peak demand this morning was 55,460 MW (for 9-10 am) which did not surpass the new winter record set Wednesday evening between 7 and 8 pm.

“We are very appreciative of the sacrifices of those who were without power during the rotating outages, and we also appreciate the conservation efforts by consumers during this emergency situation, as well as the load resources in our demand response programs,” said ERCOT CEO Trip Doggett. “We also want to thank the media for their assistance in getting information out to the public about the need to conserve.”

“I also am very proud of the great work by the ERCOT operators in handling what could have been a disastrous situation for the entire state if they had not taken the quick action necessary to preserve the security of the grid,” he said.

“I also want to note the support and assistance we received from the transmission providers and generation owners and the Public Utility Commission,” Doggett said.

“With continued cold temperatures and snow predicted across the state, we ask that everyone continue to conserve their electricity usage until temperatures moderate. “

PRESS BRIEFING THIS AFTERNOON, DETAILS TO FOLLOW
A press briefing is being planned in Austin for 1-2 pm today. Details about the location and dial-in number will follow in a forthcoming news release.

State-Wide Rolling Blackouts

(February 2, 2011) GEUS was notified at 5:55AM this morning that the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) was ordering emergency interruption of load throughout the State to prevent an uncontrolled black out of the ERCOT system.

ERCOT manages the flow of electric power to 22 million Texas customers - representing 85 percent of the state's electric load and 75 percent of the Texas land area.

This ERCOT-wide emergency occurred after more than 50 electric generating units throughout the State went offline due to the extremely cold weather during the night.

As required by ERCOT protocols, GEUS immediately began doing its part to shed load as more than 7,000 MW of generation was unavailable to serve load.

GEUS followed a pre-determined plan of systematically shedding load throughout Greenville for approximately 15 minute periods as did other utilities throughout Texas.

Seventeen sections of Greenville were cycled off and back on before GEUS was notified around 1:15PM that the ERCOT system was stable and that planned rolling outages could cease.

“ERCOT is urging all Texans to conserve electricity in the coming hours to help avoid the same situation from developing again as the temperatures begin to drop with nightfall”, said GEUS General Manager David McCalla. “With the forecast of very low temperatures, ERCOT could be forced to implement emergency procedures again in the coming hours”, McCalla added.

ERCOT issued a notice this afternoon announcing the halt to rolling blackouts, but warned there is a strong possibility that they may be required again tonight or in the morning.

More information on the State’s electric emergency

GEUS Warns of Scam

(February 1, 2011) GEUS has received reports that individuals have recently approached consumers at their homes attempting to sell them electricity. GEUS’ emPOWER pre pay customers may be targeted in this scam.

“GEUS employees do not carry, nor accept, any cash out in the field”, said GEUS Consumer Services Manager Jimmy Dickey. “The revaluing of emPOWER pre pay cards is never done in the field and only at the GEUS Consumer Services Center or at authorized convenience stores”, Dickey added.

Consumers should report any suspicious activity immediately to the local law enforcement authority.

GEUS Electric Rates Among Lowest in State

(January 5, 2011) GEUS’ 2009 electric rates were among the lowest in the State according to data from the U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration. A recently released report by the American Public Power Association compared rates throughout the nation of municipally-owned utilities (MOU) to member-owned coops (COOPS) and to investor-owned utilities.

GEUS had the 8th lowest overall rates of utilities providing power to residential and commercial\industrial consumers in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT). ERCOT manages the flow of power to 85% of the State thru 207 electric providers consisting of 72 MOUs, 68 retail electric providers (REP) supplying power in deregulated territories and 67 COOPS.

The report compared the overall cost\kWh for each State-wide category. GEUS’ 7.4 cents\kWh was substantially less than the 8.6 cents MOU, 10.1 cents COOP & 10.8 cents REP averages.

“We are very pleased to rank as one of the lowest cost electric providers in Texas”, said David McCalla, GEUS General Manager. “The electric generation resources that GEUS now has in place and our ability to purchase power from the wholesale market at times when market prices are below our production costs should allow GEUS consumers to have competitive electric rates for many years to come”, added McCalla.

View a summary of the report or a full copy of the report can be accessed at http://www.publicpower.org/files/Excel/RevenueperkWh2009.xls  (Choose texas from the bottom list)


 

 

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