ProjectHELPG I F T O F W A R M T H

P e n i n s u l a L i g h t C o m p a n y N e w s l e t t e r

HOLIDAY CLOSURES:

Supervising Editor: Jonathan White 253.857.1514 newsletter@penlight.org | Produced by Peninsula Light Company

is published monthly by

www.penlight.org

253.857.5950

DON’T FORGET THOSE HIDDEN NUMBERS!

Every month, 5 randomly chosen account numbers are hidden in Lights. If

you spot yours, call Ruth at 253.857.1529 and receive a

$50 credit on your next bill.

UPCOMING COMMUNITY EVENTS

Community CALENDAR

I N S I D E :

E V E N T S

January 1 - New Year’s DayFebruary 17 - Presidents’ Day

Gear Up & Stay Safe For Winter Sports

Project Help

Don’t Wait, Activate!

Disaster Safety– Downed Power Lines

Unplug any battery chargers or power adapters

when not in use.

E n e r g y S a v i n g T i p

Jan Feb2 0 1 4

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IND OUT M

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www.penlight.org

We recently learned that we are the 6th oldest electric co-op in the nation. This year we will be 89 years old and I cannot say we are feeling our age, as I believe we are just achieving our stride.

For the most part we had an uneventful year except for the transmission outage that occurred on September 5th due to a lighting strike on Tacoma’s Transmission system. That event took out 7 of our 8 substations; Tacoma was able to restore power within in few hours. Financially, we are in good shape due the ongoing efforts by our co-op staff to continue improving the operational efficiencies of our business.

No R at e INcRe a se We informed our membership in October 2013 that we wouldn’t be passing on the 9.6% BPA rate increase that went into effect on Oct. 1st. It is our intention to hold off on any rate increases until January 2015. There are only a handful of NW utilities that aren’t raising rates as a result of the BPA rate increase and we’re pleased that we can pass this value onto our membership.

Rel IabIl I t y PRogR am We are continuing our efforts to underground the overhead circuits that historically are susceptible to storm damage. We have now under-grounded 70% of our distribution system and will continue this effort through 2017. Burying power lines is only one part of our reliability solution; the other parts include installing new technologies that can identify and report potential power issues and the continuation of our vegetation management program.

Reliability is measured by using industry standards that focus on the frequency and duration of outages. Based upon these measurements, utility reliability can fall into four quartiles. In 2005 we were at the 4th quartile, which is the lowest level, and by 2012 we moved into the upper level of the 2nd quartile. Our goal is to reach the 1st quartile, which is ambitious considering the rural nature of our utility. We firmly believe we can attain this goal over the next several years as we continue our reliability efforts. PENLIGHT OFFICE: 13315 GOOdNOuGH dr NW | GIG HarbOr, Wa 98332

COMMuNITY brEaKFaSTS - THru FEbJohn Paul Jones Masonic Lodge 271 holds open community breakfasts every Sunday morning on the corner of Crescent Valley Dr. and Vernhardson Rd. in Gig Harbor from 7:30 - 10:00am. First responders (Fire & Police) are encouraged to stop by. Info at www.jpj271.org.

FaMILY STOrY TIME - JaN 13, 27 & FEb 3, 10, 24Pierce Co. Library, Gig Harbor, 10:30am. Families with preschool age children. Read fun books, learn to listen, share beautiful art. Build a foundation for success in future reading. Surround your child with language, learning and love.

LOvING HEarTS: KNIT OF CrOCHET FOr CHarITY - JaN 14The Loving Hearts group knits and crochets for charities including veterans, babies, Backpacks 4 Kids and chemo patients. 1:00 - 3:00pm at WayPoint Church. All are welcome. Yarn donations are always needed. Contact lovingheartsonkp@gmail.com or (253) 884-9619.

babY PLaY aNd LEarN – JaN 14, 21, 28 & FEb 4, 11, 18, 25Pierce Co. Library, Key Center, 10:15am. For 0-24 month old children with parent/adult caregiver. Join your child and enjoy books, action rhymes, knee bounces, songs and more.

aarP SMarT drIvEr CLaSS - JaN 15Gig Harbor City Hall. Designed for the senior driver (50+), but any person can enroll. Earn certificate for insurance policy premium reduction. Call (253) 265-8508 or (253) 858-3393.

FrIdaY NIGHT SKaTES - JaN 17, 24, 31 & FEb 7, 14, 21, 28Key Peninsula Business Association. KP Civic Center, $5.00. Elementary–8th grade. DJ spins tunes in the gym where kids can skate and dance; games such as guitar hero, foosball, and air hockey. Pizza, hamburgers and more available.

CLub COSMIC - JaN 24–25KP Civic Center. DJ battles, dancing, games, dodge ball, four square, name that tune, and contests with cash prizes! Limited concessions menu with snacks, smoothies, and other beverages will be offered. Entrance is $5.

PIEr INTO THE NIGHT - JaN 25 Skansie Brothers Park, Jerisich Dock. Harbor Wild Watch naturalists investigate marine life in Puget Sound from a night-time perspective by placing underwater lights, drawing marine species that are seldom seen during the day. All ages. Contact info@harborwildwatch.org, (253) 514-0187.

ST. aNTHONY HOSPITaL’S auxILIarY WaTErSIdE bruNCH - FEb 1Anthony’s Restaurant, 9:30am to 12:30pm. Live and silent auctions to benefit Inpatient Surgical Unit & Therapy Services at St. Anthony Hospital. Enjoy the delicious buffet and support this worthy cause! $50/person. For more information or reservations, call (253) 858-3448.

HarbOr WINdS baNd CONCErT - FEb 12Narrows Music Society presents a free Harbor Winds Band Concert at Gig Harbor High School auditorium at 7:00pm. Donations gratefully accepted. Further information at www.narrowsmusicsociety.org.

10TH aNNuaL Crab FEEd - FEb 15KP Civic Center Gym, 3:00pm – 8:00pm. Annual fundraiser to support the center’s operations. For information, visit kpciviccenter.org or call (253) 884-3456.

SaFE SITTEr PrOGraM - FEb 18, 19, 20GH Fire District Headquarters, 9:00am – 1:00pm. Ages 11 to 13. Three-day class teaches safe and nurturing child care techniques, behavior management skills, and appropriate responses to medical emergencies. To sign up, bring $40.00 cash/check to Station 51.

• Immediately report a downed line to PenLight at 253.853.1388.

• Never touch, move, or go near any kind of downed or hanging line, even if it looks harmless. Getting near it could cause a severe injury or even death.

• Do not use objects to move power lines.

• Do not try to move tree limbs that are on or near power lines. Anything touching a downed line may be dangerous.

• Do not touch someone who has been shocked and is in direct or indirect contact with a downed power line. Efforts to move an electric shock victim could make you a second victim.

• If a power line falls on a car, you should stay inside the vehicle. This is the safest place to be under the circumstances.

• The only circumstance in which you should consider leaving a car that is in contact with a downed power line is if the vehicle catches on fire; open the door, but do not step out. Make sure that you jump completely free of the vehicle with both feet together to avoid contact with the live car (metal) and the ground at the same time. Hop as far away as possible keeping both feet together.

2013 - Year in review

Jafar TaghaviChief Executive Officer

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

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Disaster safety – DowneD Power Lines

Call or text to register today!

DON’T WAIT. ACTIVATE!

Looking for a new way to report your outage?

Introducing outage texting.

Winter storms are just around the corner. With a little help from our members, PenLight can restore your power more quickly. Activating by phone or text takes less than a minute – and it gives us the information we need to respond faster if there’s a power outage.

During an outage here’s how it works:• Your phone number is stored so we know who is calling or texting• It tells us the location of the outage, helping crews to respond faster

Using a new technology called “Outage Texting”, you can now report your outage using your cell phone. To opt-in, send a text to “857-00”. Type “penlight” in the message box, then hit SEND. To notify us of an outage, simply send a text to 857-00, and type “out” in the message box.

This new text option will ensure your outage is being reported without tying up the phone lines. If you need assistance call 253-857-5950.

P e n i n s u l a L i g h t C o m p a n y N e w s l e t t e r

DON’T WAIT.

ACTIVATE!

JAN / FEB 2014

KeeP INg membeR s INfoRmed When outages do occur, keeping members informed is critical. Members want to know if we are aware of the outage, if the crews have been dispatched, and when their power will be restored. We have been using Twitter, Facebook, and PenLight’s website to keep members informed of the outages. This has proven to be very popular and the feedback from our members has been very valuable. The staff is working on some additional enhancements, one of which includes posting an outage map on our website that will be updated every 15 to 30 minutes. We will continue to work on improving our outage updates because we know how helpful it is to know when your power will be restored. You can find links to our Facebook and Twitter pages at www.penlight.org.

secoNd PoINt of INt eRcoNNec t IoN Having a single point of connection with Tacoma’s transmission system has been our legacy since the inception of our co-op in 1925. Transmission outages are a low probability but the consequences are high, as we saw with the September 5th lighting outage. This has been a concern of mine since my arrival in 2007 and we have been researching the possibility of finding a second point of interconnection. The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) has a transmission line that serves the Olympic Peninsula that intersects Tacoma’s transmission system near Allyn in Mason County. Building a transmission substation at this location would cost millions of dollars; however, we were able to develop an affordable solution. It is not a fully automated solution, but it will allow us to transfer our system within in a few hours should we experience a catastrophic transmission failure. The project is expected to be completed by the 1st quarter of 2014.

We are very excited by the possibilities that 2014 will bring as we continue our efforts to provide reliable power and improve

the quality of life of our membership. We look forward to seeing you again at local community events this

spring and summer. Have a great year and thanks for your support.

0778461066133

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It’s that time of year when the weather starts getting colder as we head

into our winter heating season. It’s also the time that we begin to gear up for Project

Help, our energy assistance program for low income members who struggle to pay their electric bills. Since the 2008 recession, Project Help funds have kept up with demand despite the increase in requests for assistance.

Over the past four years your donations have helped support 2,340 families eligible to receive a one-time contribution of $200 each year. There are other local

organizations that also provide support, such as local churches, civic clubs, Pierce County, Children’s Home Society, and

the Fish Food Bank. We all work together to provide assistance.

Your contributions go entirely to the fund—no administrative costs are taken. Contributions are tax deductible and PenLight matches every donation, dollar for dollar, so your gift goes twice as far.

C A L L M E M B E R S E R V I C E S T O D A Y

A T 2 5 3 . 8 5 7. 5 9 5 0 T O D O N A T E .

Gear Up & Stay Safe for

Winter Sports

FOLLOW PENLIGHT FOR THE LATEST NEWS:

www.facebook.com/PenLightCowww.twitter.com/penlightco

More than a quarter-million children each year are injured while participating in winter sports in the United States. Your Gig Harbor Fire & Medic One Prevention Division offers a few simple precautions: kids need to be dressed appropriately, take lessons, be actively supervised and stick to safe terrain. For many winter activities, protective headgear is also recommended. 0767930830232

Kids should wear helmets when they ski or snowboard! Buy a ski helmet that’s certified by the Snell Memorial Foundation or ASTM International. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, ski helmets could prevent or reduce the effects of 53 percent of the head injuries suffered by children under 15 while skiing or snowboarding. There are many things you can do to help prevent injury during favorite winter activities.

• Neverparticipatealoneinawintersport.

• Wearappropriateprotectivegear,includinggoggles,helmets,glovesandpadding.

• Wearseverallayersoflight,looseandwater-andwind-resistantclothingforwarmthandprotection.Layeringallowsyoutoaccommodateyourbody’sconstantlychangingtemperature.Wearproperfootwearthatprovideswarmthanddryness,aswellasampleanklesupport.

• Takealesson(orseveral)fromaqualifiedinstructor,especiallyinsportslikeskiingandsnowboarding.Learninghowtofallcorrectlyandsafelycanreducetheriskofinjury.

• Drinkplentyofwaterbefore,during,and afteractivities.

HELPP r o j e c t

G I V E T H E G I F TO F W A R M T H

HELPP r o j e c t

G I V E T H E G I F TO F W A R M T H

G I V E T H E g I f t O F W A R M T H .

0924100848390

Have a safe and fun winter from Gig Harbor

Fire & Medic One!