February 2007
Touchstone Energy to Bring Star Power to Annual Meeting
Best Practices Knowledgebase Debuts with Web Conference
Illinois Co-ops Make the Grade With School Grant Program
North Dakota Residential Energy Auditing Workshop Set for March 20-22
News from the Touchstone Energy Balloon
National Staff Keeping “Energy” Alive
Share Your Brand-Building Success Stories
NET2007 “Marvels” Attendees
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380 energy managers, key account representatives, business customers, guest speakers, and staff took in the wide variety of resources and ideas offered at the eighth annual New & Emerging Technologies (NET) Conference, held Feb. 6-8 in Orlando. A mix of residential and commercial & industrial technologies made the eighth annual NET Conference one to remember. Keynote speaker and Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer told the general session crowd of his state’s advances in clean-coal technology and dedication to helping break the nation’s dependence on foreign oil. Schweitzer promoted a greater emphasis on converting coal to clean-burning synthetic fuels. “Coal is the energy of the future in a new way,” said Schweitzer.
Attendees also heard from exciting speakers such as Peter Diamandis, founder and chairman of the X Prize Foundation, which encourages innovation by offering cash prizes for the development of cutting-edge technologies. Successful case studies from leading companies such as Disney World and NASA highlighted quality commercial energy efficient programs.
The residential energy focus was a new element at this year’s event and earned high marks from
attendees. In addition to its traditional focus on renewable energy and topics important to co-op key accounts officials, NET2007 featured a full slate of sessions highlighting new technologies for energy-efficient homes and Touchstone Energy resources that can help build member loyalty by helping members manage their energy use. Many attendees extended their NET experience to the nearby International Home Builders Expo, which offered countless ideas and innovations in residential energy technology.
Attendees enjoyed an evening reception at the Marvel Super Hero Island Party at Universal Studios, where Spider-Man and other characters, a 3-D adventure, and a wild roller coaster entertained the group.
Ed Nakaya, key account manager at Kauai Island Utility Cooperative, felt NET2007 was time well-spent. “The presentations offered relevant information about innovative ideas and incentives to help our members use their electric service to everyone's best advantage. This will help us deal with some of the pressing issues we now face at KIUC. I was able to personally meet with some of our national account managers and discuss their local operations…it's wonderful that the NET conference brings everyone together so that these face-to-face discussions can take place,” said Nakaya.
An archive of presentations from NET2007 can be accessed online.
Touchstone Energy to Bring Star Power to Annual Meeting
Live Broadcast of Touchstone Energy Portion Available Online
Don’t miss Touchstone Energy Cooperatives’ Annual Meeting, which will be held in conjunction with the NRECA Annual Meeting in Las Vegas. Touchstone Energy’s portion of the action will be on Wednesday, March 21, during the morning general session (8:30-10:30 a.m.). The session will include the presentation of the 2007 Distinguished Service Award and a “star-studded” review of some of the brand’s premier member benefits by some very familiar faces. Those who can’t attend the meeting in person can access a live broadcast of the session on www.cooperative.com. Tune in at approximately 9 a.m. on Wednesday, March 21 to catch the Touchstone Energy portion.
Be sure to visit Touchstone Energy’s booth in the Tech Advantage expo hall to get some great giveaways and experience a brush with fame! Tina Turner, Rodney Dangerfield, Joan Rivers, Elvis and the Touchstone Energy national staff will be on hand to greet attendees and discuss new brand resources.
See you there!
Best Practices Knowledgebase Debuts with Web Conference
On Feb. 13, Touchstone Energy introduced the new Best Practices Knowledgebase—an online portal
to proven co-op best practices—to more than 80 Web conference participants. The live presentation detailed how Touchstone Energy has identified top performers in member satisfactions and is now sharing their secrets to success.
“The Best Practices Knowledgebase is targeted to those co-ops wondering what best-in-class players are doing, and how they can implement those tactics in their own systems,” said Jim Bausell, COO of Touchstone Energy Cooperatives.
Through this new resource, Touchstone Energy cooperatives can learn from each other. “Collectively we are stronger than individually,” says Kevin Sump, CEO of South Central Indiana REMC and chair of Touchstone Energy’s Standards and Best Practices committee, the group overseeing the development of the resource.
To develop the knowledgebase, Touchstone Energy analyzed research to identify benchmarks for member satisfaction. It then singled out the top-performing co-ops, and interviewed them to learn about their policies and programs.
Based on this information, Touchstone Energy has developed case studies in a number of categories, including distribution system operations, member communications, and member services and administration.
Attendees at the Feb. 13 Web conference seemed excited about the new resource. “I will visit the website often to get ideas from other co-ops that have been successful with issues that are common to all of us,” said Becky Engel, manager of marketing and member services at Logan County Electric Cooperative (Bellefontaine, Ohio).
The Best Practices Knowledgebase can be accessed through the members-only section of the Touchstone Energy Web site. For more information, contact Tim Sullivan at tim.sullivan@nreca.coop.
Illinois Co-ops Make the Grade With School Grant Program
Illinois Touchstone Energy cooperatives got an “A” for effort by offering Touchstone Energy Classroom
Empowerment Grants to schools in their service territories. The grant program was created to fund innovative but unfunded school projects or materials in public and private schools. The co-ops pooled resources to fund the grants, and ultimately distributed $10,000 total to 12 schools across Illinois. Programs that were awarded grants included a robotics program, a new sound system for a school auditorium and a basic electronics course.
“It’s amazing what even the smallest grant can mean to a school in one of our co-op’s territories,"said Nancy Nixon, marketing administrator at the Association of Illinois Electric Cooperatives. “We hope that this program will be a model for Touchstone Energy cooperatives across the country."
Pictured at right, Keith Hesselbacher, a science teacher at an Illinois high school, is honored for receiving two Touchstone Energy Classroom Empowerment Grants. The grants will fund a new electronics class and bread boarding class at the school.
North Dakota Residential Energy Auditing Workshop Set for March 20-22
As fuel costs rise and more attention is given to the environmental impact of energy consumption, your cooperative can expect more calls from members with questions about energy efficiency. The Touchstone Energy Residential Energy Auditing Class teaches co-op employees how to respond to inquiries from members and become an in-house specialist that can help residential members manage their energy use.
A 2.5-day workshop has been scheduled for March 20-22 in Grand Forks, N.D., at Minnkota Power Cooperative headquarters. Attendees will be trained in areas such as:
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Understanding and applying fundamental energy teams and formulas,
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Understanding how to dissect a residential member's bill into base and weather-related load,
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Applying the appropriate protocol in performing residential audits
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Completing energy savings calculations for HVAC, insulation and water heating, and
Schedule:
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.
Cost: $425 per student for Touchstone Energy cooperatives and $475 per student for non-Touchstone Energy members. This fee includes all meals during the workshop and a residential energy auditing handbook, a $60 value.
Instructor: Jim Herritage, CEM® ICC-Certified Mechanical Inspector
Please bring a calculator to the class.
Questions?
Contacts:
Lisa Pickard at lpickard@minnkota.com, 701.795.4218
Nancy Runge at nancy.runge@nreca.coop, 703.907.5742
For more information on the curriculum, contact Tim Sullivan at tim.sullivan@nreca.coop, 651.686.7477.
News from the Touchstone Energy Balloon
What do Arizona’s World Golf Championships, North Carolina’s Strawberry Festival, Indiana’s Wayne
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County Fair, and Ohio’s Coney Island Balloon Glow have in common? They’re all stops on the Touchstone Energy hot-air balloons’ busy schedule.
The professionally flown and managed hot-air balloons are sponsored by the Cooperative Balloon Associates, LLC, which is comprised of a group of Illinois Touchstone Energy cooperatives. The balloons travel throughout the United States, flying in events and promoting the Touchstone Energy brand. The balloons connect local and national media, the general public, and co-op members with Touchstone Energy. The CBA Web site has recently been updated with new pictures, new merchandise items, and new opportunities to promote your co-op.
Cold-Air Balloon Schedule Filling up Fast
CBA’s cold-air balloons are great for showcasing the brand at local events, too. A 20-foot model is perfect for outdoors, while a 10-foot balloon works well for indoor events. The rental time slots are filling up fast, so don’t delay! Orders can be placed directly with Kevin Bernson of CBA at kbernson@shelbyelectric.com or 800.677.2612. Please provide a shipping address, phone number, contact name and date/type of event. 20-foot balloons rent for $225 per day plus shipping costs, while 10-foot balloons rent for $150 per day plus shipping.
CBA will discontinue use of its 20-foot cold-air balloons at the end of 2007. 10-foot balloons will still be available.
National Staff Keeping “Energy” Alive
The Touchstone Energy national staff may soon be donating some dollars to a worthy cause. Ann Maggard, Touchstone Energy’s new director of communications and brand education, has started a campaign, much to the chagrin of her peers, to keep the “Energy” in “Touchstone Energy” when talking about the brand. “Using the complete brand name is critical to building brand awareness. We are in the energy business, and we lose quality recognition points when we shorten the brand’s name,” said Maggard. Members of the Touchstone Energy national staff are required to donate $1 to the “energy pot” every time they drop the “Energy” from Touchstone Energy.
Rumor has it that the penalty fee may increase from $1 to $5, and that the campaign may soon be expanded to the Touchstone Energy advisory committees. Stay tuned!
Editor, Erin Keogh
erin.keogh@nreca.coop
703.907.5572