Manager’s Message – May 2022

Dear Members:

Although our lobby remains closed, if you have business to attend to at the Plumas-Sierra Rural Electric Cooperative (PSREC) Portola office, we now offer meetings by appointment. Please call (530) 832-4261 to schedule a time. We also have a form available online on our website.

Director Elections

In the cooperative world, we have a truism: “Good cooperatives have great boards.”

This year, districts 2 and 5 are up for election. District 2 (Graeagle-Mohawk area) is served by Dick Short and District 5 (Doyle-Lake Davis- Long Valley-Washoe County areas) is served by David Hansen.

If you would like to check which district you live in, the boundaries are on the PSREC website. See page 28 for board of director qualifications and nomination information.

Please call me for more information if you live in one of these districts and are interested in running for the board. The board meets once a month, usually on the fourth Wednesday. Directors must complete significant training to stay current on issues and become certificated as directors.

Rates

Given the ongoing drought, and high electricity and natural gas prices in California, the cooperative’s staff is proposing rate adjustments to the board of directors. The cooperative will hold meetings as part of that. Any rate increases approved by the board would be implemented in the later part of the year.

May is Electrical Safety Month

At Plumas-Sierra, we recognize Electrical Safety Month every May, but we also know the importance of practicing safety year-round. From our co-op crews to you, the members we serve, everyone has a part to play in prioritizing safety.

Electricity is a necessity, and it powers our daily lives. But we know firsthand how dangerous electricity can be because we work with it 365 days a year. Call (530) 832-4261 or visit our page on safety tips for additional electrical safety tips.

As we enter the heart of spring, we know many members are eager to begin yard projects. Be sure to call 811 before you dig to have utility lines marked.

Tell the operator where you plan to dig and what type of work you are doing. The affected local utilities will send locators to your property, free of charge. Then you will know what’s below and be able to dig safely without causing damage.

As irrigation season approaches, it is a great time to remind members to look up and live.

Whether cutting trees, working with irrigation pipe or other long objects, look up and be sure to avoid power lines.

Telecommunications

A reminder to members: If you are looking for service or wondering if you should make a long-term commitment with another provider, please check with us first. We hear time and again that if people knew our services were about to arrive, they wouldn’t have signed a different provider’s long-term contract.

Given our fast speeds, you can stream videos on multiple devices at the same time without slowing down. We have had many customers replace their TV provider with web streaming services, ultimately lowering their monthly bills. We continue to expand broadband coverage throughout the region.

We are actively converting most of our Graeagle coaxial customers to fiber optic and are about to convert the nonfunctioning coax system in Loyalton to fiber optic.

We are also waiting for the final route blessing from the California Public Utility Commission for our four grants. We hope construction will begin soon.

If you do not have fiber optic, the best way to accelerate fiber optic deployment is to download the CalSpeed.org app for your devices or computers. Running this app through your wired internet (not a cellular connection) will help us get additional grants to speed up fiber optic deployment.

If you haven’t already, get on our interest list or sign up for service by calling us at (530) 832-4261 or visiting Plumas Sierra Telecommunications.

If you have any questions, please contact me at (530) 832-4261 ext. 6076, or email me.

Sincerely,
Bob Marshall
General Manager