-------------------------------
HOME > ABOUT SWRE > CURRENT NEWS
About SWRE
Welcome
Member Benefits
Office Locations
SWRE Newsletter
Member Meetings
Touchstone Energy
Co-op Information
History of SWRE
History of Con8 Community
Your Electric Service
Electrical Safety
Before You Dig...
Residential Service
Commercial Service
Service to Existing Meters
Expanding Your Service
Your Meter
Security Lighting
Energy Efficiency
Outage Information
Service Quality
Tree Trimming
Account Services
Your Bill
Bill Payment Options
Rate Information
Capital Credits
Updating Account Information
Products & Services
Surge Protection
Energy Audits
HVAC & Electrical Services
Grills
Water Heaters
Cookbooks
Community & Youth Programs
Youth Tour
Energy Camp
Elected Officials
ACRE & Grassroots Oklahoma
Community Links
Contact Us
Contact Information
   
   
Our Most Current News

November 29, 2011

  

SWRE to sponsor Essay Contests

In keeping with a longtime annual tradition, Southwest Rural Electric Cooperative will sponsor two student essay contests for 2012!

Eleventh grade students who attend school or live within SWRE's service area may enter the Youth Tour Essay Contest.

Eighth grade students who attend school or reside within the co-op's service territory may enter the Energy Camp Essay Contest.

Youth Tour Contest for 11th Graders

Southwest Rural Electric Cooperative will provide two area high school juniors with the trip of a lifetime next summer. Top prize in SWRE’s annual youth tour contest for one Oklahoma student and one Texas student will be an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C. for a close-up look at our nation’s government in action.

All contest finalists will receive a cash prize of $250.

The contest is open to all 11th grade students who attend a high school or reside in the SWRE service area. Eligibility is not limited to students whose families purchase electricity from SWRE. Any student may enter.

In Texas, SWRE area schools include Chillicothe, Crowell, Electra, Harrold, Northside, and Vernon.

Oklahoma schools in the SWRE service area are Altus, Blair, Davidson, Frederick, Navajo, Snyder, and Tipton.

To enter the contest, 11th grade students must write a 500-750 word essay on a specified topic that relates to the importance of electricity in rural America. Essays must be received at the SWRE office in Tipton, Oklahoma, by Wednesday, February 15.

Based on the essays, eight finalists will be selected. The eight students will be invited to SWRE’s Tipton headquarters in late March to meet with contest judges and present the information from their essays. At that time winners of the Washington, D.C. trips will be named and cash prizes will be awarded to the finalists.

The winning Texas student and Oklahoma student will travel to Washington, D.C. in mid-June 2012 with state delegations of youth tour winners. In the nation’s capital they will tour the U.S. Capitol, meet with elected officials, and visit important monuments and locations, including the White House and Mount Vernon.

Complete information resource packets for entering the contest have been provided to schools throughout the SWRE service area.

The contest entry packets may also be obtained by calling Southwest Rural Electric at 1-800-256-7973, or downloaded in PDF format from the SWRE web site (see below).

Energy Camp Contest for 8th Graders

One Oklahoma 8th grade student and one Texas 8th grade student will win trips to the 2012 Touchstone Energy Camp, to be held after Labor Day near Western Oklahoma's Red Rock Canyon.

Winning students from co-ops throughout Oklahoma gather at the camp every year to have fun while also learning about the cooperative way of doing business! Swimming, games, a trip to Celebration Station, and many other fun activities ensure that contest winners will have a great time.

To enter, 8th grade students who attend school or reside within SWRE's service territory must submit a 350-500 word essay on a specified topic. Essays are evaluated to determine eight finalists, including the two contest winners. Each finalist will receive a $50 cash prize.

Essays for the 2012 Energy Camp Essay Contest are due on February 29, 2012.

“Service to the youth of our area has been a Southwest Rural Electric tradition since the cooperative was established in 1937,” said Mike Hagy, SWRE CEO. “Since 1964 our cooperative has sponsored the annual youth tour contest and sent two students each year to our nation’s capital. For many of those young people, the trip has been an incredibly positive, life-changing experience. I encourage all 11th grade students in area schools to participate in the 2011 contest. Their reward may be great.”

In addition to the youth tour contest for 11th grade students, SWRE also sponsors an energy essay contest for 8th grade students. Information about the 8th grade contest has been sent to schools. It is also available by calling SWRE at 1-800-256-7973.

Eighth grade contest materials may also be downloaded in PDF format from the SWRE web site (see below).

          2012 Youth Tour Contest Materials

          2012 Eighth Grade Energy Camp Contest Materials

- - - - -

March 23, 2011

2011 Youth Tour Winners Named

Joe Hatfield of Electra High School and Ashton Davis of Navajo High School have been named winners of Southwest Rural Electric Association’s 2011 Youth Tour Contest.

As Youth Tour winners, Hatfield and Davis will receive all-expense-paid trips to Washington, D.C. this summer with delegations of other co-op students from their respective states.

Joe is the son of Trey Hatfield of Electra, Texas.

Ashton is the son of Gary and Darlene Davis of Altus, Oklahoma.

During their trip to Washington, D.C., the two Texoma youth will visit the U.S. Capitol, the White House, the capital city’s many memorials and museums, and Arlington National Cemetery. They will also have the opportunity to visit with numerous elected officials.

Runners-up in the contest are Ashtin Holmes, Tipton High School, and Alyssa Hickenbottom, Vernon High School. Ashtin is the daughter of Kimberly Holmes of Tipton, Oklahoma. Alyssa is the daughter of Kendel and Elizabeth Hickenbottom of Vernon, Texas.

As runners-up, Ashtin and Alyssa will have the opportunity to represent SWRE at the 2012 high school Touchstone Leadership Summit to be held next January in Oklahoma City.

Other 2011 contest finalists are Tanner Anderson, Vernon High School, son of Paul and Tandy Anderson; Mattie Martell, Frederick High School, daughter of Deedra and Brad Martell; Chris Milner, Northside High School, son of Chris and Carolyn Milner; and Scotty Scott, Blair High School, son of Roy Lee Scott and Beth Scott.

All finalists have received certificates and cash prizes.

The SWRE Youth Tour Contest is open each year to all 11th grade students who live or attend school in the SWRE service area.

Students were required to write a 500-750-word essay on the topic “Renewable Energy and Me.”

The annual SWRE Youth Tour Essay Contest for high school juniors is an annual tradition that began in 1964.

 More than 100 essays were received this year, exploring many conservation practices and technologies.

Essays were evaluated to determine eight finalists – four from Oklahoma and four from Texas schools. The eight finalists were invited to a March 22 event at SWRE headquarters in Tipton to present their essays as extemporaneous speeches for a panel of judges who determined the contest winners.

Southwest Rural Electric Cooperative is a non-profit member-owned electric utility that serves a 6,000 square mile area in 11 counties of north Texas and southwest Oklahoma. It was organized in 1937, and maintains its headquarters in Tipton, Oklahoma.

Return to Top


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
October 20, 2010

Rocky Ridge Wind Farm

will supply Energy to WFEC

 Western Farmers Electric Cooperative (WFEC)  and TradeWind Energy, LLC have entered into a long-term renewable energy purchase agreement that will bring economic development and new jobs to Kiowa and Washita counties in Oklahoma.  The Rocky Ridge Wind Project will deliver clean, low cost electricity to WFEC member customers in Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas and New Mexico.

 Southwest Rural Electric Cooperative is one of 23 WFEC member cooperatives. WFEC is SWRE’s electricity provider.

 TradeWind Energy is one of the largest independent wind project development companies in the U.S., while WFEC is a generation and transmission cooperative that provides electric service to 23 member cooperatives.

 The 125 megawatt Rocky Ridge Wind Project will consist of about 75 wind turbines to be constructed across 11,000 acres of leased land in the two counties.  Construction is expected to begin within six months, with commercial operation anticipated for January 2012. Approximately 150 workers will be hired during the construction phase.  Upon completion, nine to ten full-time workers will be employed to monitor and maintain the facility, which will produce enough electricity to power the equivalent of 40,000 homes.

The project is expected to contribute over $3 million annually in direct payments to the local community via property taxes and rent payments to approximately100 landowners whose properties will host the turbines or easements. 

 “Rocky Ridge allows TradeWind to meet the growing demand for affordable electricity produced from this inexhaustible Oklahoma resource,” said Frank Costanza, TradeWind’s executive vice president corporate development.  “Rocky Ridge is one of the most energetic sites in our portfolio and its location allows us to take advantage of existing transmission lines to deliver power to WFEC’s customers at a reduced cost.”

 “As a member-owned and operated rural cooperative, WFEC is committed to providing clean, efficient, reliable and reasonably priced power to our customers,” said Gary Roulet, WFEC chief executive officer..  “This purchase agreement with TradeWind provides the ability to lock-in a very favorable price for the electricity generated by the Rocky Ridge Wind Project for a long period of time,” Roulet explained.

 Roulet noted that this helps WFEC to hedge against volatile fossil fuel prices and to be a partner in the sustained economic development for rural Oklahoma for years to come.  “This power purchase agreement between TradeWind and WFEC is truly a win-win situation for all of us,” he added.

TWE and WFEC Oklahoma Wind Project

 
 “When the Rocky Ridge Wind Project is operational and added to WFEC’s three other wind energy purchase agreements, approximately 15 percent of WFEC’s total annual electricity production will come from power purchase agreements with wind farm generators in Oklahoma,” Roulet pointed out.

 “The Rocky Ridge Wind Project is a great example of economic and environmental policies working together with private industry to benefit the people of Oklahoma,” said Lt. Governor Jari Askins.  “Our state is blessed with an abundant wind resource.  The development of this sustainable resource continues and diversifies Oklahoma’s leadership position in energy production and positions our state for greater economic growth in the 21st century.  I commend TradeWind Energy and WFEC for their foresight and extraordinary investment in Oklahoma.” 

ABOUT TRADEWIND ENERGY: TradeWind Energy, LLC, is one of the largest independent wind project development companies in the U.S.  Founded in 2003, the Lenexa, Kan., based company partners with local utilities, cooperatives, environmental groups, municipalities and landowners to develop mutually beneficial wind energy projects. TradeWind Energy, the 2009 recipient of the Kansas Governor’s Energy Achievement Award, takes great pride in its ability to deliver low-cost wind energy while maintaining an uncompromising commitment to long-term project quality. The company is actively developing 8,000 MW of clean, renewable energy in 11 states throughout the central United States. TradeWind Energy developed the 250 megawatt Smoky Hills Wind Project located in central Kansas – the largest wind project in the state. For more information, visit www.tradewindenergy.com.

ABOUT WESTERN FARMERS ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE: WFEC is a generation and transmission cooperative headquartered in Anadarko, Okla. Additional plant facilities are located in Hugo, Okla. and Mooreland, Okla. Member-owners consist of 23 distribution cooperatives, located in Oklahoma and New Mexico, and the Altus Air Force Base, which, in turn, serve the total electric needs of more than half a million people. WFEC owns and operates generating plants at three locations and maintains more than 3,600 miles of transmission line. The cooperative has a combined capacity of over 1,700 megawatts, including hydropower allocation and, with the addition of the Rocky Ridge Wind Project, purchases all of the electricity produced from four wind generation projects in Oklahoma.

Return to Top

 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

October 18, 2010

Four New Mexico Cooperatives Join WFEC

 Four New Mexico Cooperatives have been added as members of Western Farmers Electric Cooperative. Addition of the four cooperatives expands WFEC membership from 19 to 23 member distribution cooperatives.

 The four cooperatives are Farmers Electric Cooperative, Clovis, NM; Lea County Electric Cooperative, Lovington, NM; Central Valley Electric Cooperative, Artesia, NM; and Roosevelt County Electric Cooperative, Portales, NM.

Southwest Rural Electric Association was an original member of WFEC when it was formed in 1941, and remains a WFEC member cooperative today. Western Farmers Electric is SWRE’s power provider.

The long-awaited regulatory approvals for addition of the four New Mexico cooperatives were received recently following several years of talks and negotiations. WFEC has only added new members one other time, nearly 40 years ago.

“We are very excited about this opportunity for new growth,” said WFEC Chief Executive Officer Gary Roulet.

“WFEC and its member cooperatives look forward to working with these new members in the future. We feel they are a good fit for our organization,”

The overall process involved with this beneficial relationship has been a challenge for both sides, with many regulatory hoops to go through for final approval. “The efforts put in by both WFEC staff and the New Mexico delegation was tremendous, leading to a favorable and timely conclusion,” said Bob Allen, president of the WFEC Board of Trustees.

The addition of these new members will not only increase diversity for WFEC, but will also allow for a fixed cost rate base to be divided among more members, with additional power supplied as WFEC becomes larger.

Another advantage for WFEC will be in terms of peak load as the New Mexico cooperatives are located in a different time zone, which will help shift peak hours. Diversification of renewable energy sources, including an increased availability of solar power, will also be an advantage, as there is a greater ability to locate those resources in New Mexico.

Benefits for the New Mexico cooperatives include an opportunity to be a part of decision-making, with each cooperative having a seat on the board of trustees as members of a generation and transmission cooperative. Previously, as a contract power purchaser of an investor-owned utility, they had no involvement with decisions and did not participate in the direction of their power supplier. It will also provide them a long-term, stable, cost-based power supply agreement.

The respective service territories of the four cooperatives are adjacent to one another in southeastern New Mexico. Together, these four cooperatives have a total of approximately 400 megawatts (MW) of load. They will continue to own and maintain their respective transmission and distribution systems, just as they do now. WFEC will continue to maintain its own system.

Several years ago, these four cooperatives were notified that their long-term power supplier, Southwestern Public Service Company (SPS), would not be renewing their purchase power agreement (PPA) past the 2015 expiration. WFEC was among the possibilities due to the fact that WFEC and the four cooperatives are each in the Southwest Power Pool (SPP), the Regional Transmission Organization footprint. This fact greatly facilitates obtaining transmission service which will be provided through the SPP Open Access Transmission Tariff.

Return to Top

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Online Bill Pay

is Available at SWRE

To set up online payments, SWRE members need to complete the following steps:

1.   Provide a current e-mail address and telephone number to SWRE for posting to the co-op’s records for your account(s).  This can be done by sending an e-mail with your name, account number(s), telephone and e-mail address to swre@swre.com, or by calling the co-op at 1-800-256-7973 to provide the info to Jonnie Partida or Chris Petty. This correct information must be entered into SWRE’s records before online registration can proceed.

2.   Go to SWRE’s website: www.swre.com. Click “On Line Bill Pay” at the lower center of the page. This will open a new screen. Choose “New User”

3.      Enter the following information:

·    Account Number

·    Last four digits of telephone number

·    User ID (you create)

·    Name

·    Password (you create)

·    Password confirmation

·    Password hint (which you create for your future use, if needed)

Hit “Submit”.

4.   When the information has been received, a computer confirmation e-mail will automatically be sent to the e-mail address that you have provided. In that e-mail there will be an “Activate Account” link. Click “Activate Account”.

5.   This will take you to the screen where you can pay on-line with a credit card or bank withdrawal. NOTE: If it does not take you to the bill pay screen, call the SWRE business office at 1-800-256-7973.

Once your online payment account is set up, you can go to www.swre.com to pay your SWRE bills with one easy click.

The process is easy and secure.

 Of course, for SWRE members who choose to pay their bills in the conventional way, the co-op will continue to accept payments through the mail, at the Tipton office, or at traditional bank locations throughout our service area.

-- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Co-op Connections offers
 Prescription Benefit 

   Co-op Connections cards can be used for discounts with participating area and national businesses. A new pharmacy discount makes Co-op Connections better than ever! The pharmacy benefit will allow co-op members to save as much as 10%-60% on many prescriptions at more than 48,000 independent and chain pharmacies.

   With soaring prescription prices, the new discount pharmacy program will work for your family and you.

   The pharmacy discount program IS NOT insurance and cannot be used in conjuction with insurance. For co-op members that do not have insurance that includes prescription benefits, though, it will offer significant savings.

   Once you have signed the back of the new card, it may be used at participating pharmacies locally and nationwide.  This is NOT a credit or debit card.

Search for Participating Pharmacies and Check Prices

   To find out which pharmacies are participating and to look up the discount prescription price, co-op members can visit www.rxpricequotes.com or call 800-800-7616 toll free.

   This is just one more way you win from being a cooperative member.  Simply present your Co-op Connections card at a participating pharmacy with your prescription and receive a discount at the time of purchase.  

   SWRE is proud to be a member of Touchstone Energy Cooperatives, which is a national alliance of local, consumer-owned electric cooperatives that provide high standards of service to customers large and small.  More than 640 Touchstone Energy Cooperatives in 46 states are delivering energy and energy solutions  to approximately 22 million customers every day.  Touchstone Energy Cooperatives serve their members with integrity, accountability, innovation and longstanding commitment to communities.  

   More than 9,500 discount deals available to co-op members just by using the Connections Card.  To check out the other great discounts you can receive with your Connections Card go to the SWRE home page at: www.swre.com. A link from the SWRE site will allow you to search for deals in your city or area.

   This is just one more way that Southwest Rural Electric and Touchstone Energy are looking out for you!  

Return to Top

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Copper Theft is Growing Problem

   The escalating value of copper is resulting in costly problems and potential outages for utility companies and can even lead to the death or injury of the thieves themselves. Western Farmers Electric Cooperative (WFEC), headquartered in Anadarko, Okla., like the state’s other electric utilities, is experiencing problems due to rising copper thefts.


   Since June 1 of this year, 30 of WFEC’s substation and switch station facilities have experienced vandalism and thefts. Of this number, 20 have been copper thefts, while 10 have been acts of related vandalism. The monetary figures to date for these crimes, including both losses of materials, as well as additional labor costs to make repairs, have reached between $30,000 and $40,000, according to Bobby Barrow, manager, transmission and distribution services.


   WFEC, along with other utilities, is apprehensive about these great monetary losses for supplies and labor, as the additional replacement costs are typically passed on to the company’s consumers. In the end, utility customers are paying for these needless criminal acts. Also, these same customers are the ones affected by the possible outages.

   Some thieves are so intent on getting copper they have risked injury and death when trying to strip the metal from live electrical components in substations or on transmission lines. Thieves and vandals are entering energized substations without the proper equipment and are taking their lives into their own hands by attempting to gather the copper from the facility and even from under ground. Any contact with equipment inside a substation or an electric power line is extremely dangerous given the very high voltages present in any such facilities.

   Nationwide, numerous deaths have occurred this year related to copper thefts from electric utility facilities. Other theft attempts across the nation have caused power interruptions and thousands of dollars of damage. Outages are certainly not a welcomed experience by those in the affected areas.

   Copper is used for the grounding of equipment within electrical substations and along electric power lines. It serves as a protection for the crews working on equipment within an energized substation. Without the copper, crews would not be able to work at a substation facility without halting the flow of power, which in turn would lead to maintenance outages.

   Even though WFECT has experienced great losses of both time and equipment, the primary concern is safety. “Our primary interest lies within our concern for the lives of these thieves,” explains Ron Cunningham, WFEC treasurer and financial risk officer and general manager, transmission and distribution services.
“These thefts are a nuisance to customers, are expensive for WFEC and can be deadly to the thieves,” comments Cunningham.

   The majority of WFEC’s incidents hav been fairly statewide in nature. The Norman and Moore areas, as well as areas in southeasten Oklahoma, have been among the hardest hit.

   Residents are encouraged to contact their local law enforcement officials if they see suspicious activity around WFEC’s transmission lines and substations. WFEC officials are working closely with area law enforcement agencies in an effort to stop these thefts and acts of vandalism.

Return to Top

-------------------------------

TRADING POST available on the Web

   The co-op's Trading Post in now available on the SWRE web site. The following link will take you directly to the Trading Post page.

Link to TRADING POST

Return to top

   

ABOUT SWRE  |  YOUR ELECTRIC SERVICE  |  ACCOUNT SERVICES  |  PRODUCTS & SERVICES  |  COMMUNITY & YOUTH PROGRAMS  |  CONTACT US

©2005 SWRE - Southwest Rural Electric Association - Your Touchstone Energy® Cooperative
P.O. Box 310  or  700 N. Broadway
Tipton, OK   73570
(580) 667-5281 or 1-800-256-7973