Wednesday, February 19, 2014
2014 Will Include Many Cable Programming Issues and Decisions
10:55 AM | 
Posted by
Billy Ray |
There is a new link on our website that we hope you have
noticed and clicked, www.tvonmyside.com The Glasgow EPB, along with every other
cable company in the country, will be dealing with many issues this year
related to cable programming and the outlandish rates many of the programmers
will be requesting. Just in case you may
have forgotten, or were unaware, over 90% of the channels on the EPB cable
service require that we pay a monthly fee for the right to carry their
programming. Some programming already carries a rate of more than $5.00 per
subscriber/per month, for one channel! Preliminary estimates have suggested that programmers
will request increases this year of 100%, or more, for some channels. We
purchase the majority of our programming through a cooperative called NCTC. The new link is provided by NCTC to help
educate and inform all cable customers of the ongoing negotiations with these
various programmers.
Added to this already confusing mix is the fact that we must
negotiate with the broadcast channels (ABC, CBS, NBC, etc.), to carry them on
our cable service. These are the same
channels that just a few short years ago we received via antenna directly into
our homes and who negotiated a wonderful deal so that they use our public
airwaves for free. Every three
years each cable service across the country must renegotiate with these programmers,
and unfortunately 2014 finds all of us in that process again. We currently pay well over $10,000 per month
just for these channels. One more thing to remember, all of the money for
programming is removed from the Glasgow economy and sent to a corporation whose
CEO typically receives multi-million dollar pay packages.
We’re going to be talking to you a lot in the coming months,
and we want your input as we try to make these difficult and costly
decisions. You can always reach us at epb@glasgow-ky.com or on our FB page at
Glasgow Electric Plant Board. Or you may contact any of the following local
citizens serving on our Programming Committee and who make final
recommendations to our Board of Directors relative to all programming matters:
Petie McLean, Joe Trigg, Mary Burchett-Bower, Beverly Vance, Karl Napier and
Jodi Crane.
Thursday, February 13, 2014
It was Twenty Years Ago
In light of the date and the present news about the storm affecting so many of our neighbors, we thought you might like to relive (in memory only) our big ice storm.
The ice storm of 1994 struck on the evening of Thursday,
February 10. The entire area awoke to heavy ice, the sounds of falling
branches and uprooting trees, and the inevitable result of electrical outages
as the trees and ice destroyed a large part of the Glasgow EPB electric
system. At that time the EPB had a total of 33 employees, all who reported
to work as quickly as they could navigate the obstacle course of downed lines
and trees, only to find that the majority of the city was without power. It
seemed that everyone was calling our office in hopes that we could perform
quick fixes. Unfortunately, that wasn’t possible as the damage was severe.
For the next five days our employees worked around the clock, rotating
shifts for a few quick hours of sleep in a few rooms obtained at a local hotel,
on the sofa in our lobby, or in a vacant office. We resorted to calling
Bowling Green, Frankfort and Louisville, who gratefully answered our pleas and
sent in additional crews and equipment. By noon on Saturday approximately
one-half of our customers had their power restored, with approximately 90% back
in service by midday on Monday.
While those of us who were employees at the time never want
to relive those days, we did witness some amazing things about our
community. Did we receive angry, even threatening, phone calls. Were
our crews in the field accosted and even harassed if they stopped for a brief
moment to eat a quick meal? Unfortunately, that happened too. People
were without a fundamental need, and we were the logical ones to lash out at in
the situation. But they were the minority. There were far more
individuals who found a way to pull together to work through the situation, and
even help us in the process. Neighbors reached out to each other and had
neighborhood “dinners” prepared on grills as their refrigerators and freezers
failed. Restaurant and grocery store owners came to our offices carrying
food that they could no longer use in order to feed our crews and staff.
Both funeral homes opened their doors to act as shelters and provide comfort
for those in need. And people even showed up at our door from nearby
cities with chainsaws and gasoline in hand, saying they had heard about our
problems and offered to clear ways for our crews to get to some areas.
During the past 20 years we have made a lot of improvements
to our service. We now have two TVA delivery point substations with
alternate feeds that can provide power to our city, and although it upsets
some people, immediately after the storm we instituted a tree trimming
policy that helps prevent a repeat of that event. Our EPB team members
are your neighbors, friends and families, and we are proud to have served you
for the past 51 years. While we certainly hope that we never experience
another event of that magnitude, please know that we are always here to serve
our community – no matter the weather or circumstances.
Thursday, January 23, 2014
Friday, January 24, Another Peak Electric Demand Day
Our plans are evolving along with the weather
forecast and TVA's system status. We are calling
Friday a Blue Level Load Management day here in Glasgow. Just like TVA, but on a n a much smaller scale, we operate Glasgow's System
Control center right here in the EPB building, and our folks now
predict that we may set a new maximum peak for January on Friday
morning, January 24, somewhere between 6:00 and 11:00 am.
We are making our customary appeal. We need for you to pre-warm your home during the night and lower your thermostat a few degrees when you get up Friday morning. We need for you to avoid the use of electric ranges, dishwashers, and clothes dryers through the morning. If you could de-energize your electric water heater through the morning, that would help a lot as well. After the morning passes, you may resume all normal activities and thermostat settings.
This appeal is to help both TVA and Glasgow EPB maintain the stability and economic efficiency of our electric power grid. Thanks for the great response that you always give us during these times!
We are making our customary appeal. We need for you to pre-warm your home during the night and lower your thermostat a few degrees when you get up Friday morning. We need for you to avoid the use of electric ranges, dishwashers, and clothes dryers through the morning. If you could de-energize your electric water heater through the morning, that would help a lot as well. After the morning passes, you may resume all normal activities and thermostat settings.
This appeal is to help both TVA and Glasgow EPB maintain the stability and economic efficiency of our electric power grid. Thanks for the great response that you always give us during these times!
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
TVA ELECTRIC SYSTEM CRITICAL
VERY IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT
While we have been appealing to our customers for reductions to electric power usage during the morning hours for the last couple of days, this morning that appeal has become critical. TVA, the electric power provider for Glasgow, this morning instituted their Emergency Load Curtailment Plan due to extreme conditions regarding their generating capacity.
For the stability of the electric power grid across the multi-state region, it is essential that all Glasgow EPB customers redouble their efforts to reduce demand through 11:00 am today, January 7. Lower thermostats, switch off electric water heaters, refrain from using major appliances.
This crisis should end with the warmer air coming later in the day. Until then, please heed this warning!
While we have been appealing to our customers for reductions to electric power usage during the morning hours for the last couple of days, this morning that appeal has become critical. TVA, the electric power provider for Glasgow, this morning instituted their Emergency Load Curtailment Plan due to extreme conditions regarding their generating capacity.
For the stability of the electric power grid across the multi-state region, it is essential that all Glasgow EPB customers redouble their efforts to reduce demand through 11:00 am today, January 7. Lower thermostats, switch off electric water heaters, refrain from using major appliances.
This crisis should end with the warmer air coming later in the day. Until then, please heed this warning!
Saturday, January 4, 2014
Glasgow Energy Peak Alert - Your Help is Needed!
With the
coldest temperatures predicted in 20 years for Monday and Tuesday, January 6th
and 7th, TVA has already notified our office that they will be
operating in their Conservative Operations mode. Everything is secure on
their system, but they are making plans to ensure that it remains that way, and
the Glasgow EPB is also working to protect our system. However, we can
only do so much. We need the help of all of our customers,
both at your homes and your businesses, during this exceptionally cold period.
Please be
assured, we would never ask you to endanger your health or the well-being of
your property. What we are asking is that you curtail as much electric usage as
possible on Monday morning, and particularly on Tuesday morning, when we expect
to possibly set a record peak demand for electric power. We need your help
between 6:00 am and 11:00 am on both Monday and Tuesday. Below are just a
few suggestions, but we know that each homeowner and business owner can find
other creative ways to cut even more usage:
1.
Pre-warm
your home or business on Sunday night, and again Monday night.
2.
At
about 6:00 am, set your thermostat to 69, or lower if possible.
3.
Do
not use electric space heaters during the critical hours.
4.
Limit
your use of electric appliances such as ranges, washers, dryers and
dishwashers. If it is necessary to use these items, please do so after
11:00 am.
5.
Use
hot water sparingly if you have an electric hot water heater.
6.
Close
off areas not being used.
7.
For
our business customers, please delay any electric intensive operations until
after 11:00 am on Monday and Tuesday; turn off lights and lower thermostats in
unused areas.
These are
just a few suggestions; let us hear from you how you are finding ways to save
electric usage on our Facebook page (Glasgow Electric Plant Board). Remember,
you can always monitor real time usage of the entire city at http://portal.glasgow-ky.com/glasgow/ or by going to www.glasgow-ky.com and looking for the graph on the
right hand side.
We have asked
in the past for your help, and our customers have always responded. We
are sincerely requesting your assistance again to ensure that our system
remains at its optimum operational capacity and that rates remain low for the
entire community.
Monday, December 23, 2013
A Christmas Wish from Glasgow EPB
Our
office will be closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, in the hope
that our team will get some well deserved time with their families. It
is our sincere hope that you get to do that as well.
If you have an emergency or suffer an interruption to one of the essential services you buy from us, please give us a call at 651-8341 and we will respond, no matter the date.
We have done a lot of that over the last 48 hours. Many of our folks worked continuously from Saturday evening through late Sunday night, repairing damage done to our networks by ferocious winds and some lightning. While all of the repairs are not complete, we have been able to accomplish many repairs and have implemented temporary fixes to other damage -- things that we hope can wait for permanent repair until after Christmas.
We give thanks during this season for another year in which we have been able to be your "Cavalry" and come to the rescue of many folks who needed help to return their lives to normal. We are thankful to have the opportunity to be of service, and we are thankful that our team has been able to do this work without being seriously injured. It is that for which we are the most thankful.
We do not say that lightly, because it is practically a miracle that we can say that. Conditions like what we had Saturday and Sunday often put our folks in back yards where they encounter a confusing array of downed trees, mud, energized conductors wrapped around an array of communications cables and other devices that present many dangers. This is normally done in total darkness during a driving wind and rain storm. Successfully returning your homes and businesses to the comfort and convenience that we need to make our lives happy, is fraught with many complications and dangers, and we count our blessings that we have a team capable of handling these challenges.
Thank you for choosing Glasgow EPB to perform these tasks for you. We hope that our work brings you the foundation of a wonderfully happy holiday season and that you build pleasant memories that will endure upon that foundation. Merry Christmas to you from all of us at Glasgow EPB!
If you have an emergency or suffer an interruption to one of the essential services you buy from us, please give us a call at 651-8341 and we will respond, no matter the date.
We have done a lot of that over the last 48 hours. Many of our folks worked continuously from Saturday evening through late Sunday night, repairing damage done to our networks by ferocious winds and some lightning. While all of the repairs are not complete, we have been able to accomplish many repairs and have implemented temporary fixes to other damage -- things that we hope can wait for permanent repair until after Christmas.
We give thanks during this season for another year in which we have been able to be your "Cavalry" and come to the rescue of many folks who needed help to return their lives to normal. We are thankful to have the opportunity to be of service, and we are thankful that our team has been able to do this work without being seriously injured. It is that for which we are the most thankful.
We do not say that lightly, because it is practically a miracle that we can say that. Conditions like what we had Saturday and Sunday often put our folks in back yards where they encounter a confusing array of downed trees, mud, energized conductors wrapped around an array of communications cables and other devices that present many dangers. This is normally done in total darkness during a driving wind and rain storm. Successfully returning your homes and businesses to the comfort and convenience that we need to make our lives happy, is fraught with many complications and dangers, and we count our blessings that we have a team capable of handling these challenges.
Thank you for choosing Glasgow EPB to perform these tasks for you. We hope that our work brings you the foundation of a wonderfully happy holiday season and that you build pleasant memories that will endure upon that foundation. Merry Christmas to you from all of us at Glasgow EPB!
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Preparing For Record Setting Lows
The cold weather simply
isn't letting up and once again the EPB needs your help. It
appears that Thursday morning is likely to set a new peak energy
demand for December with temperatures predicted to fall to new lows.
That is why we are declaring Thursday morning a Blue Level load alert
for Glasgow between 7:00 am and 10:00 am, and are again asking for
your help at both residences and businesses.
As we've mentioned before, if you are an EPB power customer you can help the community lower its energy bill from TVA. We have found that raising your thermostat a bit higher than normal before you go to bed allows you to store some heat before the coldest temperatures arrive at day break. Then, when you get up, lower your thermostat a few degrees (68 is a good temperature) and leave it that way until 10:00 a.m. or after. The pre-heating should help hold your temperature until the end of the peak.
As we've mentioned before, if you are an EPB power customer you can help the community lower its energy bill from TVA. We have found that raising your thermostat a bit higher than normal before you go to bed allows you to store some heat before the coldest temperatures arrive at day break. Then, when you get up, lower your thermostat a few degrees (68 is a good temperature) and leave it that way until 10:00 a.m. or after. The pre-heating should help hold your temperature until the end of the peak.
It is the large
appliances in a home that contribute the most to our peak demand in
the winter. Please delay turning on the clothes dryer, dishwasher, or
your electric oven between 7:00 am – 10:00 am on Thursday and limit
your use of hot water if you have an electric water heater. If you
are really feeling like helping, trip off your electric water heater
when you get up. You will still have hot water for your morning
routines, but the water heater will not immediately recover and drive
up our demand (just don’t forget to turn it back on later in the
day so it can recover).
Businesses can help by
lowering their thermostat temperature a couple of degrees during that
time frame and postponing any electric intensive projects until after
10:00 am or completing before 7:00 am.
We are busy working on research projects that will allow these processes to be automated so we do not have to ask you repeatedly for your help in minimizing our peak demands. While we have some very interesting projects, right now our only hope is for you to help us – and the entire community. Thank you again for your assistance!
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