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Ice deals devastating blow for S.C. co-ops

S.C. co-op crews faced hazardous conditions

Thousands in rural South Carolina are still without electricity, despite round-the-clock restoration efforts. Last week's winter storm dealt a crippling blow to six of the state's electric cooperatives, with outages affecting more than 50 percent of their members. By Tuesday evening, 10,500 S.C. co-op consumers still did not have electricity. At the peak of the storm, all utilities reported about 350,000 had lost power across the state.

"Some of our co-ops have never seen damage on this

A contract crew from Santee Electric Cooperative had to cross this swamp to restore power to members in Florence County

scale," said Todd Carter, vice president of loss control and training for The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina. Carter and a team of operations professionals have been coordinating out-of-state crews and crews from other S.C. co-ops.

Some co-ops saw more than 80 percent of their system lose power during the storm. "Coastal Electric has 50 broken utility poles," said Statewide CEO Mike Couick. "The worst storm they endured before now was a hurricane that broke 21 of their poles. That gives you an idea of the magnitude of the repair job they have ahead."

Find updates and photos from around the state on South Carolina Living's Facebook page.

Hardworking linemen 'have angel wings'

Gov. Haley praising linemen's work as Edisto CEO David Felkel (l.) and Coastal CEO Lawrence J. Hinz (r.) look on

Hundreds of linemen from South Carolina were joined by several hundred more from out of state, working through the weekend and beyond to restore power after last week's devastating ice storm. Their work was recognized by S.C. Governor Nikki Haley when she went to Walterboro last week to view damage and meet with local leaders.

"Our linemen have angel wings on their backs, because they're doing it with a smile. They've been working many, many hours.

Matt Hickey (in bucket) and Bruce Sapp of Clay Electric Cooperative rebuild a line in Colleton County

They desperately want to get everybody's power back on,"said Haley.

Electric cooperatives pitched in to help their communities in other ways while crews worked to get power back on. Coastal Electric offered water to local farmers for their livestock. Edisto Electric CEO David Felkel joined crews, using a chainsaw to clear co-op right of ways.

Line workers from Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Florida, North Carolina and Virginia have been working alongside crews from South Carolina co-ops. Hundreds of people echoed Gov. Haley's thanks, posting their appreciation for the crews' efforts on South Carolina Living's Facebook page.

Power crews work throughout the weekend

Black River Electric to join ECSC

Black River Electric Cooperative will rejoin the statewide association on March 1. The co-op's board Monday voted to return to association membership and nominated George Gibson and Odell Williams to serve as its delegates on the Association's board.

The decision means all 20 South Carolina electric distribution cooperatives will again be association members. The association membership also includes a power supply co-op and a materials supply co-op.

Co-ops present funds for Philippines recovery

Filipino co-op crews have pitched in to rebuild

South Carolina's electric cooperatives joined others around the country in donating to NRECA's relief fund for victims of Typhoon Haiyan. This week, NRECA presented that money--totaling more than $120,000--to 11 of the hardest hit electric co-ops in coastal communities. The funds will be used to help members pay for the cost of reconnection during the restoration process.

NRECA says it also continues to support the Philippines National Electrification Administration and the electric cooperative community by sponsoring Filipino crews that are helping with power restoration and recovery. Much as U.S. co-ops pitch in to help each other, 400 linemen from 38 co-ops around the Philippines have worked to restore power in Leyte, Cebu and Iloilo.

Continued support is critical for recovery, and this week--100 days after the typhoon hit the islands--the International Red Cross met in Manila to discuss how to transition from emergency to long-term projects. Leaders at that conference expressed concern that the world will forget about the Philippines during the long journey to rebuild the country.

Philippines: ICRC agree on recovery plan for survivors

Former CEO: Radical changes for utilities

Former Duke Energy CEO
Jim Rogers

"Run to the challenge and embrace the change." That was the advice offered by former Duke Energy CEO Jim Rogers to electric utilities hoping to thrive in the 21st century. In an interview with the Charlotte Business Journal, Rogers predicted big changes and challenges for the utility industry.

Among his concerns is demand for electricity, which he expects to decline, leading to an even greater emphasis on controlling costs. He suggests looking at security companies and the ways they use technology as an indicator of how electric utilities might work with customers. He also discusses Duke Energy's determination to enter the solar market, despite regulatory obstacles.

Former Duke Energy CEO: Utility industry will be 'very different' in 15 years

Solar to solve water shortage for farms?

Farmers faced with drought in California are looking to the sun for relief. If a new solar project succeeds as a cost-effective way to desalinize water, it may hold the key to keeping food costs in check for the country by helping farmers secure cheaper irrigation.

San Francisco start-up Water FX has installed a solar receiver in California's Central Valley. They're using it to convert contaminated groundwater into steam. The process condenses fresh water and permits salts and heavy metals to be removed. Water FX not only uses solar power for energy but has retooled off-the-shelf equipment to cut the amount of equipment required by half. According to a report in The New York Times, the pilot project produced 14,000 gallons of purified water a day. The next phase--a commercial version of the plant set to build on 31 acres of land this year--will produce 771 million gallons a year.