January 2007
Home Energy Saver Posts Big Numbers
Oklahoma, Texas Co-ops Battle in ‘Red River Challenge’
Touchstone Energy Welcomes Two New Members
More Than 300 Set to Attend NET2007
Registration Opens For Brand Leadership Summit, Connect '07
February Web Conference to Introduce New Best Practices Knowledgebase
Co-op Connections Print Deadline is February 9th
Energy Auditing Workshop Planned in Oklahoma
Share Your Brand-Building Success Stories
Home Energy Saver Posts Big Numbers
Eight months after it was introduced to Touchstone Energy co-ops and their members, the online Home Energy Saver has become a popular resource and valuable tool in helping homeowners manage their energy use. Since its launch in May, Touchstone Energy’s free online energy audit has racked up nearly 20,000 hits.
The Home Energy Saver is a comprehensive, user-friendly resource that helps consumers pinpoint ways to control their home energy use based on a detailed description of a home, its appliances and geographic location.
The online tool is offered in cooperation with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy as part of the national ENERGY STAR Program for improving energy efficiency in homes. As part of the collaboration, Touchstone Energy has customized a frame for the site to ensure that members know this resource is offered by a Touchstone Energy cooperative.
“Our new online audit is easy—and free—to access, and provides a very robust assessment of home energy consumption, so it’s easy to see why it’s become so popular,” said Jim Bausell, COO of Touchstone Energy Cooperatives.
Co-ops can present this resource to their members by linking from their own Web sites to the customized Home Energy Saver using the following link:
https://touchstoneenergy.cooperative.com/public/programs/energyefficiency/lblfiles/launch.htm
To create a graphic button link, co-ops can apply the logo included above.
Oklahoma, Texas Co-ops Battle in ‘Red River Challenge’
Playing off a friendly rivalry already enjoyed between Texas and Oklahoma, the two states’ Touchstone Energy
cooperatives recently took took on “The Red River Challenge.” Seeking to motivate co-ops to utilize SitesAcrossAmerica.com, the Touchstone Energy Regional Representatives from each state, Mark Faulkenberry of Western Farmers Electric Co-op (Oklahoma) and Lynn Simmons of South Plains Electric Cooperative (Texas), launched the competition.
The idea for the challenge originated in last year during a Touchstone Energy meeting in Texas, where it was noted that there was not widespread participation on SitesAcrossAmerica among Texas and Oklahoma co-ops. The competition was a “race” to see which could become the first state to have at least one property for each of its Touchstone Energy co-ops posted.
According to Faulkenberry, the Red River Challenge provided just the stimulus needed to boost participation. “We thought this would be a great way to motivate these co-ops to reach out to their communities and get their available properties up on SitesAcrossAmerica,” he said. “Once they began to see the value of it and realized how easy it was, the momentum really began to build,” he said.
Faulkenberry noted that one Oklahoma co-op went into the Red River Challenge with no properties listed. Stimulated by the competition, the co-op quickly added several properties to SitesAcrossAmerica, one of which received nearly 70 hits in short order.
“This resource is too valuable not to take full advantage of,” said Faulkenberry. “Posting properties on SitesAcrossAmerica.com really helps get them noticed,” he added.
The competition concluded at a joint Texas-Oklahoma Touchstone Energy workshop earlier this month. The winner? Oklahoma. Pictured above are Mark Faulkenberry, Lynn Simmons and Touchstone Energy staff members Nancy Runge and Jerry Bingold, dressed in Oklahoma gear to mark the state's victory.
Touchstone Energy Welcomes Two New Members
Touchstone Energy added two more co-ops to its network this month. The brand welcomed GreyStone Power (Douglasville, Ga.). GreyStone Power is among the five largest electric cooperatives in Georgia. And after a year absence, San Patricio Electric Cooperative (Sinton, Texas), renewed its status as a Touchstone Energy co-op.
Touchstone Energy membership now stands at 638 cooperatives in 46 states.
More Than 300 Set to Attend NET2007
There’s still time to join the more than 300 co-op officials, business customers and corporate energy
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managers at the eighth annual New & Emerging Technologies (NET) Conference, set for Feb. 7-8, 2007, at the Double Tree Hotel in Orlando, Florida. Pre-conference events take place Feb. 5-6. Online registration is still open.
The opening general session of NET2007 will by headlined by NRECA CEO Glenn English, followed by Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer. Schweitzer, an active proponent of synthetic fuels, will talk about Montana’s efforts to help break American dependence on foreign oil through the development of ultra-clean technology to convert coal into synthetic petroleum products and natural gas.
After NET2007 wraps up, conference attendees are encouraged to head to the Orlando Convention Center to take in the International Home Builders Expo, slated for Feb. 9-10. The event showcases the latest building products and services the industry has to offer. NET2007 attendees will receive discounted registration at the event.
To get more program details and to register online, visit the NET2007 Web site or contact Kathryn Momot at 703.907.5702 or kathryn.momot@nreca.coop.
Registration Opens For Brand Leadership Summit, Connect '07
Online registration is now available for the 2007 Touchstone Energy Brand Leadership Summit and Connect 2007, set for May 16-18, 2007 at the Miami Hyatt Regency in Miami, Fla. The Brand Leadership Summit will be held May 15 at the same location.
For more details on Connect 2007, visit the conference Web site.
Get Charged! Sale Extended
There is still plenty of time left to take advantage of discounted pricing on all Get Charged! kits and 10-pack
student activity book orders.
The comprehensive Discovery Channel School Get Charged! kits are filled with high-quality educational materials that help teachers educate students about electricity and fulfill a requirement of the National Science Education Standards. The kits also provide a great opportunity for Touchstone Energy cooperatives to boost their connection to schools and parents and highlight their commitment to community. To date, more than 6,000 kits have been distributed in classrooms (grades 5-9) nationwide.
- Get Charged! Kits are available at $10 apiece, shipping and customization fees included
- Additional 10-Pack Student Activity Books are available at $20 per pack, shipping and customization fees included
All orders can be placed online.
For more information, contact Scott Bialick at scott.bialick@nreca.coop or 703.907.5627.
February Web Conference to Introduce New Best Practices Knowledgebase
What does best-in-class performance by an electric cooperative look like? Do we know it when we see it? And if so, can the practices of co-ops with superior member satisfaction be demonstrated, measured, communicated, and ultimately duplicated by others?
A Touchstone Energy Web Conference on Tuesday, February 13 will seek to answer these questions and provide an introduction to a brand-new resource, the Touchstone Energy Best Practices Knowledgebase. During the hour-long Web conference, co-ops will learn how their national brand is identifying top performers in member satisfaction and sharing their secrets with others. Attendees will hear how their co-op peers have generated superior member satisfaction by:
- Implementing innovative capital credits policies
- Cutting operating costs while improving service
- Building superior systems to track and improve member service
Best of all, attendees will learn what Touchstone Energy is doing to capture these revealing findings and make them accessible to co-ops.
Date/Time: Tuesday, February 13, 1 p.m. EST
Speakers:
- Jim Bausell, Chief Operating Officer, Touchstone Energy Cooperatives
- Tom Laing, Director of Market Research, TSE Services (N.C.)
- Craig Conrad, CEO, Carteret-Craven Electric Co-op (N.C.)
- Mary Jane Clark, Communications Manager, Cuivre River Electric Co-op Inc. (Mo.)
- Tom Stackhouse, President/CEO, Central Alabama Electric Cooperative, (Ala.)
Cost: FREE for Touchstone Energy Members
Registration:
Please register by close of business on Monday, February 12, 2007. Call-in and Web access details for participants to follow.
Questions/Concerns?
Registration-related, please contact Nancy Runge at 703.907.5742 or at Nancy.Runge@nreca.coop.
Content-related, please contact Tim Sullivan at 651.686.7477 or at Tim.Sullivan@nreca.coop.
Co-op Connections Print Deadline is February 9th
A growing tally of national discount deals makes this a perfect time to join the 87 Touchstone Energy co-ops building member loyalty and demonstrating the cooperative difference with the Co-op Connections member benefit card. With more than five million cards and key fobs in circulation, Co-op Connections is delivering savings to co-ops and members nationwide.
To participate in the first print run of 2007, place your order directly with Cynthia Henthorn at Cynthia.henthorn@nreca.coop or call 703.907.5575 by February 9. Please do not attempt to place your order on www.advancingthebrand.coop due to an ongoing redesign of that Web site.
Energy Auditing Workshop Planned in Oklahoma
NRECA’s business development team will host a Small Commercial Energy Auditing Workshop in Oklahoma City, Okla. Feb. 20-22. Attendees will learn how to conduct a complete, professional energy audit for small to medium commercial members, and will earn 2.0 CEUs.
Register Online!
Class Location
Oklahoma Association of Electric co-ops
2325 East I-44 Service Road
Oklahoma City, OK 73111
Schedule
February 20-22, 2007
Day 1: 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Day 2: 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Day 3: 8 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Course outline
Cost
The cost for this 2.5 day workshop is $425 for Touchstone Energy cooperatives ($475 non-Touchstone Energy cooperatives) Price includes all meals during the workshop as well as all study materials. Space is limited.
Hotel
Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites
6200 N. Robinson
Oklahoma City, OK 73118
Phone: 405.843.5558
Rate: $84 per night (Ask for OAEC block)
Questions?
Contact
Scott Williams at s_williams@wfec.com or call 405.247.4563
Nancy Runge at nancy.runge@nreca.coop or call 703.907.5742
For more information about the curriculum please contact Jerry Bingold at jerry.bingold@nreca.coop or call 281.360.9116.
Coming soon...
Available soon for your co-op's Web site: A new flash application promoting energy efficiency using compact flourescent lightbulbs. Stay tuned to the Brand News for more details!
Editor, Erin Keogh
erin.keogh@nreca.coop
703.907.5572