The 75th Annual Meeting of the Members of Upshur Rural Electric Cooperative Corporation was held Thursday, April 5, 2012.  Three hundred and eight registered at the meeting.

The following statistics were reported for fiscal year 2011:

•    Constructed 51 miles of new line to serve 872 new consumers

•    At the end of 2011, there were 44,505 accounts billed for an annual billing of $80,070,272

•    There are 290 miles of transmission line, 5,873 miles of overhead distribution line and 264 miles of underground distribution line in place

•    Total plant investment was $163,761,733 and total kilowatt-hours sold in 2011 was 932,876,679

New business transacted at the meeting was the election of the following directors:

District #4 – Henry Jackson

District #5 – Charles H. Whiteside

District #6 – R. Cody Newman

May is Electrical Safety Month

ELECTRICAL SAFETY IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD

Electricity is an increasing presence in our modern lives. As our reliance on electricity grows, so does the potential for electrical safety hazards. Fortunately, most electrical fires and incidents can be prevented.

Electrical safety awareness and education among consumers, families, employees and communities will prevent electrical fires, injuries, fatalities and property loss.

Every May, we celebrate Electrical Safety Month. It’s a time when we place a spotlight on ways we keep you, our members, safe.

We’re committed to teaching you how to stay safe all year long. To honor Electrical Safety Month, we’re focusing on keeping you safe around the staple of our electric utility industry—power lines.

When thinking about your home or neighborhood, chances are you don’t picture power lines. They’re easy to overlook, stringing high above your roof, along property lines and roadways or near trees.

But the old adage, “Out of sight, out of mind,” may be dangerous—power lines pose serious electrical hazards if forgotten.

Trees can be a power line’s worst enemy. Strong winds, storms and heavy ice can topple trees or shatter branches that pull down power lines and cause outages.

Sometimes, even if heavily damaged, lines remain energized with the potential to electrify trees and nearby objects.

Arcing and flashovers between power lines and trees are also dangerous. In winter, extra weight from snow and ice can bend or break tree branches, bringing them close to power lines.

During warm weather or when power lines are carrying heavy electrical loads, they can heat up and sag lower than normal.

Electric current caused by arcing or flashovers between power lines and trees in either situation can easily injure or even kill an individual nearby.

Follow these safety tips and be sure to pay attention to power lines:

• Make sure to always look for nearby power lines before you cut down any tree or trim branches.

If a tree falls into a power line, contact Upshur Rural Electric Cooperative.

• Treat all power lines as energized. Never climb or attempt to handle a tree that has a limb caught in apower line.

You may not see any visible evidence that the tree is “electrified” or dangerous.

• Make sure to maintain required clearances between equipment and power lines.

• If a fire starts from a fallen power line, notify the fire department first and then call Upshur Rural EC.

Stay away from the site of the electrical hazard. Make sure others stay clear of the line and treat it as energized.

• Do not use water on or near a fallen power line.

Along with taking necessary steps to respond to an electrical emergency, you can help stop potential power line problems before they start by practicing these safety measures:

• If you notice anything such as trees or branches that might interfere with power lines or pose a serious threat, notify Upshur Rural EC.

• When planting trees or shrubs, keep in mind the shape and the size the species will reach at maturity.
Select sites that are far enough from right-of-ways to ensure future growth will not interfere with power lines.

• Shrubs, hedges and other plants should be kept clear of electric towers and poles.