Lake Region Electric Cooperative
We are continually looking for ways to better connect with our members. We are excited to bring a new element to our newsletters —Virtual Chats! We believe that offering more methods of communication will be a positive experience that assists with learning more about your co-op. Click to see a video from LREC CEO Tim Thompson.
New Vegetation Management Technology Approved by LREC Board of Directors—AiDash
I am pleased to announce that LREC is purchasing new satellite imagery software, AiDash, to continue its prioritization of reliability. This satellite imagery will allow LREC to quickly and efficiently put into action a vegetation management program that we have never seen before. The satellite technology will allow LREC to focus on vegetation management from our office and decrease the amount of time in the field conducting costly and less certain physical inspections. This new technology will be a game changer for us because it will provide an extremely clear and accurate picture of risks created by the huge amount of vegetation throughout our service territory. Imagery captured from this technology will detect current vegetation growth, accurately predict the growth of the vegetation in the future, measure clearance between vegetation and our infrastructure—both horizontally and vertically, and greatly reduce the number of outages associated with trees and other vegetation. I am excited to see how this technology will continue to improve reliability for our members.
New Programs Being Considered
LREC is in the process of learning more about new demand response programs to benefit our members, including a Peak Time Rebate (PTR) program, Time of Use (TOU) Rate, and Residential Demand Rate (RDR) program.
The Peak Time Rebate program would reward members who conserve energy during certain hours when a “peak event” is called. A peak event is a block of time (usually a few hours) when we expect the system’s electric load to be at a very high level and very expensive. This can occur on very hot days when air conditioners are on full blast or on very cold days when heating systems are running full throttle. On such days with high electric usage, more power is needed to support our system. This additional power usually comes from resources that are inefficient and have higher costs. The PTR program would help avoid buying electricity from higher cost resources by having members voluntarily reduce usage during peak events. The rebate would be a payment that rewards members for reducing electric use during peak events.
The Time of Use Rate would allow you to have control over the price that you pay for electricity. During off-peak hours, the TOU Rate would be less than the cost of the regular residential rate. During on-peak hours, the TOU Rate would be higher than the regular residential rate. By choosing to operate your appliances off-peak, when rates are cheaper, you may see significant savings on your electric bill.
The Residential Demand Rate would allow for a reduced energy rate with a demand component on the bill to encourage you to use off-peak energy. We would help our members reduce their demand by providing them with peak day notifications, enrollment in demand response programs, and automatic startup of standby generators. When demand is carefully monitored, members utilizing this program should expect to save money on their electric bills.
We want to continue to fill your toolbox with programs and incentives to use electricity in the most efficient and cost-effective ways possible.
LREC Receives National Award from National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA)
At LREC’s July strategic planning session, NRECA CEO Jim Matheson joined LREC virtually to announce to the employees and board of directors that LREC was the recipient of the 2023 Electric Cooperative Purpose Award. This award recognizes one cooperative per year that works with its membership to make outstanding contributions resulting in visible, lasting improvements to the quality of life and purpose of the cooperative in the community. It was an honor for LREC to win this award. It is very rewarding for me to witness everything that our employees, board of directors, and members have done throughout the years to earn such recognition.
