Manager’s Message – December 2022

Dear Members:

The holiday season is finally here. Some call it the most wonderful season of all. That’s because we associate it with family traditions and gathering with friends and loved ones. It’s a time of giving and spreading joy.

Giving back reminds us of the many good things we have in our community and why it’s so important to spread the good as far as we can—especially to the most vulnerable in our area. We are reminded of how wonderful our community is and the impact we have when we work together.

Through the years, the cooperative’s community-focused programs have provided donations to local schools, awarded scholarships to local youth, helped families in need keep the lights on and so much more.

Plumas-Sierra also participates in the Electric Cooperative Youth Tour. Our community’s brightest young people travel to Washington, D.C., for a week-long immersion to experience democracy in action. Our community benefits from these programs because of you and your neighbors. We hope our members have a joyous holiday season. May it be merry and bright!

Rates

At the December and January board meetings, Plumas-Sierra Rural Electric Cooperative will consider what type of Wholesale Power Cost Adjustment to implement. The board of directors and staff will analyze the projected snowpack and reservoir levels throughout winter and wholesale power costs through the year. Check the website for updates as the year progresses. If approved, a WPCA would start with the bill that goes out at the end of January 2023.

WPCA adjustments will occur relatively close to real time so we can adapt to fast-changing market circumstances. We plan to review and adjust the WPCA as necessary. To stay up to date on WPCA adjustments for the upcoming month, visit our website. You can find the information on the Rates page and on the banner at the top.

Telecommunications

Plumas-Sierra Telecommunications (PST) is applying for additional grants from the California Advanced Services Fund. PST has previously received 6 CASF grants totaling more than $13 million. PST is currently in various stages of design, construction and installations in grant areas. These areas include portions of Elysian Valley, Doyle, Herlong, Honey Lake Valley and part of the Susan River Valley, and parts of the Sierra Valley, Old Truckee Road and Loyalton.

PST is seeing progress with the approvals for the current set of grants and is working with cooperative vendors on getting access to hard-to-find equipment so we can expand our system as fast as possible.

Check availability for your location on the Plumas-Sierra Telecommunications website or by calling (530) 832-4261. PST’s internet services are unlimited; you don’t have to worry about data caps. PST offers speeds up to 1 gigabyte per second on fiber optic service. To learn more about services or get on the interest list, visit the Plumas-Sierra Telecommunications website or call (530) 832-4261.

Eyes & Ears

Plumas-Sierra spends a tremendous amount of time and money grooming our rights-of-way and maintaining our equipment. It is a never-ending job, and we can always use your help. Our members often let us know when there are problems with our system. We have a remote, rural power grid with only six customers per mile of power line. When you alert us of a possible equipment malfunction, you help prevent fires and outages. Thank you, and continue calling if you believe something is not right. Operators are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year at (530) 832-4261.

Capital Credits

Each year, the cooperative allocates the margins from the previous year back to members in proportion to the revenue from each member. These allocations are the basis of your capital credits. Over time, the board of directors votes to return the margins from past years to each member. In most years, the yearly allocation is a positive number.

However, we don’t always have a positive margin—due to tax requirements, 2021 was one of those years. PSREC will also have a negative margin in 2022, due to the reasons described in our need for a rate increase.

As a result, each member’s overall capital credits will be reduced based on the same allocation we use to increase it in years with a positive margin. This negative allocation is not billed to our members, and there is no impact beyond raising rates going forward to make sure we meet our required financial ratios from our lenders.

FEMA Grants

PSREC has been working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to recover costs from the Dixie Fire. Recent public announcements stated we received several million dollars in allocated funds related to the Dixie Fire. The funds allocated are for a substantial portion of the repair work that has yet to be completed. While significant, the funds do not change the need for a rate increase. PSREC appreciates Congressman Doug LaMalfa’s efforts in helping make sure the funds are allocated and approved by Congress.

Thank you for your support of PSREC and the common needs of our community.

If you have any questions, call (530) 832-6076 or email me.

Merry Christmas and happy holidays! We hope you have a safe holiday season.

Sincerely,

Bob Marshall
General Manager