Press Releases
Touchstone Energy© Achievement
Scholarship Winners Announced
April 27, 2011
COLUMBUS – Judging for the 2011 Ohio Rural Electric Cooperatives Touchstone Energy® Achievement Scholarship was held on Tuesday, April 26. Four winners of $1,675 scholarships include Aleeha Dudley of New Paris. She is the daughter of Tony and Alycia Dudley. They are members of Darke Rural Electric Cooperative. Aleeha attends National Trail High School and plans to attend Miami University where she will major in Pre-Vet Science.
Alysha Valdez is the daughter of Ruben Valdez of Paulding. They are members of Paulding-Putnam Electric Cooperative. Alysha attends Paulding Exempted Village. She will attend Defiance College where she will major in criminal justice.
Keilah Ketron represented Licking Rural Electrification, The Energy Cooperative. She is the daughter of Nancy Ketron of Johnstown. Keilah attends Northridge High School. She plans to attend Cedarville College where she will major in Biology.
Allison Wentling is the daughter of Todd and Dawn Wentling of Carey. She attends Carey High School. Allison plans to attend Bowling Green State University and major in special needs education/intervention specialist. The Wentlings are members of North Central Electric Cooperative.
The Touchstone Energy Cooperative brand represents a nationwide alliance made up of more than 700 local, consumer-owned electric cooperatives in 46 states.
The Ohio Rural Electric Cooperatives, Inc., headquartered in Columbus, is the statewide trade association for Ohio's 25 electric cooperatives. Collectively, Ohio's electric cooperatives serve nearly 400,000 members in 77 of Ohio's 88 counties.
Paulding-Putnam Electric Cooperative
Celebrates 75th Anniversary
March 19, 2011
PPEC’s Ohio members, talked to the members about how meeting government regulations will have an effect on wholesale rates. “We project our wholesale rates will continue to move up modestly over the next couple years, due primarily to environmental investments necessary for the long-term operation of our coal-fired generating plants, coupled with increases in costs for basic commodities such as coal, copper, steel and other necessities for operating our plants,” he said. O’Loughlin also noted how regulations being considered by the Environmental Protection Agency would have adverse affects on the final cost to members. He said the proposed rules “either ignore or distort the cost of meeting these new regulations and underestimate both the limits of current technology and the time required to make required improvements, “Those in the power generation business term this the ‘EPA compliance train wreck,” O’Loughlin said. He encouraged the members to stay informed on these issues by reading their monthly Country Living magazine and contacting their cooperative for ways they can be involved in helping the people in Washington, D.C., make the right decisions.
O’Loughlin concluded by encouraging the PPEC members to continue supporting their cooperative. “We have a commanding lead in the industry for customer satisfaction because all our efforts are directed toward getting you the best price at the highest quality. We are all in this together,” he said. Seats on the PPEC Board of Trustees in districts 1, 6 and 9 were up for election this year. Only current trustees Gerald Sorg (Dis. 1), Saxton (Dis. 6) and Hayden (Dis. 9) submitted nomination petitions and, following procedures in the co-op’s code of regulations, were announced as being re-elected by affirmation.
Paulding-Putnam also recognized a number of the younger people served by the cooperative with the announcement of scholarship and Youth Tour to Washington, D.C., winners. Winner for the boys’ scholarships were Andrew Huntsman (first place, Fort Jennings), Jared Ross (second place, Paulding) and Austin Germann (third place, Concordia Lutheran). Girls’ scholarship winners included Alaine Wetli (first place, Antwerp), Ashley Schmenk (second place, Miller City) and Katelyn Utendorf (third place, Ottawa-Glandorf). Emily Osting (Lincolnview) was the winner of the at-large scholarship. Alysha Valdez (Paulding) was recognized as the winner of the Touchstone Energy Achievement Scholarship. Winners of the Youth Tour to Washington, D.C., were April Horstman, a student at Ottoville High School, and Kelsey Hoehn, a student at Ottawa-Glandorf High School.
Photo caption: Beginning new three-year terms on the Paulding-Putnam Electric Cooperative Board of Trustees are (from left) Dr. John Saxton, Gerald Sorg and Gary Hayden.
Operation Round Up Program
July 28,2010
The foundation will manage the new Operation Round Up program to begin July 2010. The program allows Paulding-Putnam Electric Cooperative members the opportunity to round their monthly bill to the next highest dollar. This money will be placed in the foundation program and used for charitable organizations within the community that need assistance;never to pay for electric service.
General Manager/CEO,George Carter said, "Operation Round Up is an exciting program that we are proud to implement at Paulding-Putnam Electric and join over 17 of the 25 cooperatives in Ohio and over 400 other rural cooperatives across the nation, who are actively involved in their individual communities through Operation Round Up. Funds will help organizations provide much needed benefit to their community. The average contribution by a Paulding-Putnam Electric member will be $.50 per month or $6 per year. The beauty of this program is it limits the burden of individual donations to a small amount, but as a team thousands of dollars can be generated that can make a large impact in the counties of Paulding, Putnam, Defiance, Van Wert and Allen in Ohio and Allen and Adams counties in Indiana and their surrounding communities."
Applications will be available in August at the Cooperative office in Paul ding or on their website at www.ppec.coop.
Paulding-Putnam Electric Cooperative is a Touchstone Energy Cooperative. Paulding-Putnam Electric Cooperative serves nearly 13,000 members/consumers in Northwest Ohio and Northeastern Indiana.
Paulding Putnam Electric Cooperative lineman completes training
March 2010
Ryan Flint has successfully completed one of the most comprehensive training programs in the world for power line personnel.
The Merchant Job Training and Safety Programs (MJTS) is administered to line personnel in 38 states of the United States. The academic program is administered through computer and fax machine for immediate response, including assistance through a website.
Flint and the support staff with Paulding Putnam Electric Cooperative can be proud of this accomplishment. Each utility has an acting training coordinator assisting their trainees by administering "closed book" testing. The coordinators manage their own people throughout the training process from rules set by the MJTS and the statewide association people.
Congratulations to Ryan who can look forward to a very rewarding life-long occupation.
Paulding Putnam Electric Cooperative is a Touchstone Energy Cooperative. Paulding Putnam Electric Cooperative serves nearly 13,000 member/consumers in Northwest Ohio and part of Indiana.
Paulding Putnam to Emphasize Tree Trimming in Putnam County
January 2010
PPEC recognizes that trees and utility lines are vital parts of our community that must coexist together. Each is essential to our high standard of living. It is our ultimate goal to keep trees alive and healthy while ensuring that they do not interfere with electric lines. To meet our member's expectations for reliable power, Paulding Putnam Electric Cooperative will be increasing efforts to trim trees around the power lines in Putnam County this year.
Since the ice storm, before Christmas in 2008, affected nearly 80% of our memberships, the staff at Paulding Putnam EC has been reviewing past practices in anticipation of other uncontrollable weather related conditions. One of the past practices that may have had an impact on the severity of the 2008 ice storm was the method used to trim trees. In the past PPEC felt it was important to trim the trees so that it provided clearance and was aesthetically pleasing to the membership. This practice encouraged rapid growth of small limbs which would come in contact with the power lines. This contact often results in blinking lights; however, when they are loaded down with the ice as experienced in 2008, they often break. This is not healthy for the tree, nor does it provide for the reliable power that our members have come to expect.
Beginning in 2009, Paulding Putnam EC adopted the lateral pruning method developed by the International Society of Arboriculture. This method of trimming encourages future growth of the tree away from the power lines while maintaining the natural shape of the tree. While not as aesthetically pleasing, it leaves the tree healthier and the time between trimmings can be reduced to a more manageable cycle. While one trimming will not "train" a tree to grow away from the power lines, experience has shown that less of the tree will need to be removed during each subsequent trimming cycle.
Paulding Putnam EC employees have already begun and will continue to contact land owners in the Putnam County area to discuss specific needs at each location. If unable to reach the land owner, a door hanger will be left at the residence. Trees to be trimmed will be marked with a blue dot and trees to be removed will be marked with a red X. No trees on a residential property will be marked for removal without prior permission from the member.
While no one likes removing a healthy tree, Paulding Putnam EC recognizes that sometimes a tree cannot coexist with power lines. In this case, Paulding Putnam EC will remove the tree for no charge at the sole discretion of the member. Paulding Putnam EC would encourage members to plant a new tree in a location more suited for the species.
For more information on Paulding Putnam EC's Tree Trimming Program, please visit www.ppec.coop. The International Society of Arboriculture website is located at
www.isa-arbor.com.
Paulding Putnam Electric Financial Director Prepares for the future
Paulding Putnam Electric Cooperative Inc., (PPEC) is proud to announce that Jim Brown has completed an intensive program in electric utility management with the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
The Robert I. Kabat Management Internship Program (MIP) is a series of workshops offered by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association in conjunction with the University of Wisconsin. The program guides participants through all facets of the electric utility industry, including the many changes occurring around the nation.
Jim Brown is one of only a few electric utility financial directors that will graduate from the MIP this year and in fact this was the 40th anniversary for this program.
MIP participants go through three 2 week sessions designed to challenge and educate participants in new, innovative management techniques. Participants leave with a better understanding of what consumers want and how to ensure they get it. Course work encompassed electric distribution engineering & operations, financial analysis, human resource issues and labor practices, legal matters and much more.
By covering the unique principles that govern the operations of electric cooperatives, the program helps PPEC analyze methods of enhancing the core organization.
Only rural electric cooperative CEO’s and top level management participate in the program. This allows greater emphasis of study, on management challenges and the aspects of consumer-ownership that cooperatives enjoy. Participants learn to be much more consumer focused in their daily management decisions and by completing one of the most exclusive educational programs in the nation for electric cooperative management, Mr. Brown has demonstrated the commitment for ongoing continuous improvement in the electric cooperative environment.
Mr. Brown has worked for PPEC for over 4 years and lives in Edgerton with wife, son and 4 dogs.