Manager’s Message — July 2021

Dear Members,

The 2021 annual meeting is scheduled for Thursday, September 9. The August issue of Ruralite will have all the meeting details and your voting materials for the director election. Please be sure to look for that information.

Up for election are District 1 (Quincy– Sloat areas) served by Larry Price, District 3 (Blairsden–Clio–Portola areas) served by Fred Nelson, and District 4 (Calpine–Sierraville– Loyalton–Beckwourth areas) served by Dave Roberti.

If you are interested in running for the Plumas-Sierra Rural Electric Cooperative (PSREC) Board of Directors and live in one of those districts, please contact me as soon as possible. The deadline for nominations by petition is July 26.

If you are unsure of your district, please visit the PSREC website to view the map or call the office at (530) 832-4261.

A copy of the PSREC Director Qualifications and Nomination Procedures is available on our website.

Public Safety Power Shutoffs

Plumas-Sierra REC’s primary power connection is through Pacific Gas and Electric, and our backup is through NV Energy via our Marble Substation in Sierra Valley. Both PG&E and NV Energy have stated that Public Safety Power Shutoffs events are likely this summer due to the extreme drought and dry vegetation. If both of our power feeds are disconnected for PSPS events simultaneously, our entire system will be without power until one comes back online. Members need to be prepared for extended outages.

If someone in your home depends on electric-powered, life-sustaining equipment, make a plan for backup power and contact the PSREC office to ensure you are on our lifeline list. Members on the lifeline list will be contacted if any planned outages on the system might affect their service.

We highly recommend all members subscribe to outage notifications to get the latest information. To sign up for text message and email notifications, log in to the SmartHub app from your mobile device or from our website and set your notification preferences. If you need assistance, please contact us at (530) 832-4261.

If you install a backup generator, the law requires that generators not connect to another power source, such as PSREC’s power lines. If you own and operate a generator, you are responsible for ensuring that electricity from your unit cannot backfeed—or flow into PSREC’s power lines.

For safety’s sake, be sure to use your generator correctly. Hire a licensed electrician to install a transfer switch that distributes power from the generator to your home’s circuit box. A double-pole, double-throw transfer switch is recommended to keep your generator from backfeeding onto PSREC’s system. The switch also prevents PSREC’s power from re-energizing your house while your generator runs, protecting your equipment when power is restored.

If you do not install and operate your generator correctly you risk damaging your property and endangering your life and the lives of PSREC lineworkers who may be working on power lines. You are responsible for any injuries or damage to your property, your neighbors’ or PSREC’s, from an improperly installed or operated generator and could be disconnected from PSREC’s system if an incorrectly installed generator is discovered.

Educational Webinars

During May and June, PSREC and PST hosted several educational webinars. If you missed the live webinars, you can view them on our website, Plumas-Sierra Telecommunications, and on our YouTube channel. The topics included: How to Maximize Your Internet Connection; PSREC Wildfire Mitigation, Public Safety Power Shutoffs and Vegetation Management; Electric Vehicles; and PST Broadband Expansion Plans.

Telecommunications

Plumas-Sierra Telecommunications (PST) participates in the Federal Communications Commission’s Emergency Broadband Benefit Program, which offers a monthly service discount of up to $50 for qualified households. To find out if you are eligible, visit the Get Emergency Broadband website.

PST is working on expanding broadband coverage of fiber optic service with speeds of up to 1 gigabyte per second through grant applications to the California Advanced Services Fund and federal programs.

PST’s service offers unlimited data use so your family can stop fighting over bandwidth. If you haven’t already contacted us to sign up for service or get on our interest list, give us a call at 530-832-4261 or visit our website.

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

Sincerely,

Bob Marshall
General Manager