Frequently Asked Questions
- What is a Cooperative?
- What is a Public Utility?
- Who is PNGC Power?
- Why does CPI charge a $1 membership fee?
- How many members sit on the board of directors?
- How often does the board of directors meet?
- How are the rates determined?
- What are Capital Credits?
- What percentage of my bill is responsible
for the different power requirements of my household?
- At what locations can I drop off my CPI
bill?
- What is Casco Communications?
- Who is the Bonneville Power Administration
(BPA)?
- What is "Green Power"?
- What causes voltage surges?
1. What is a cooperative?
Generally speaking, a cooperative is an organization that
is owned jointly and governed by the people who use its facilities
or services. Consumers Power is an electric cooperative that
is operated on a nonprofit basis for the benefit of its members.
You become a member of Consumers Power when you receive electric
service and pay a $1 membership fee. Each member is entitled
to cast one vote for business conducted by the general membership,
such as election of the board of directors.
2. What is a public
utility?
Public utilities operate solely for the benefit of their
customers. Although Consumers Power is a privately owned
corporation, it is considered a public utility by the preceding
definition. Other examples of public utilities are:
Municipals- governed by the cities they
serve
PUD's- governmental corporations formed
by the vote of the people they serve; they are called Public
Utility Districts in Washington state and People’s
Utility Districts in Oregon.
3.
Who is PNGC Power?
CPI and 14 other northwest cooperatives with service
territories in six western states own PNGC Power. In 1996,
PNGC became the nation's first electric cooperative to
receive a power marketing license from the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission. This gave PNGC the ability to purchase
wholesale power and resell it to its members and to clients,
other utilities and marketers. In 2001, PNGC Power entered
a ten-year contract with BPA to purchase a "slice" of
the total power capabilities of the Federal Base System
(FBS) resources. This includes hydroelectric, nuclear and
renewable resources.
The whole idea behind PNGC Power was to give smaller co-op
utilities more than any one of them could have alone — more
buying clout, more technical capabilities, more strength,
more control. By coming together, these cooperatives have
been able to share both costs and benefits. This strength
coupled with each co-op's local, personal service has been
a powerful combination.
4.
Why does CPI charge a $1 membership fee?
As a cooperative the State of Oregon requires CPI to charge
a membership fee. The board of directors has made this fee
a minimal $1.
5. How many members sit on the board
of directors?
CPI has 9 board of directors serving 9 Zones. These directors
serve a term of three years.
6. How often does the board of directors
meet?
The board of directors meets once a month at CPI headquarters.
They decide on such things as the rules and regulations of
the cooperative, set the rates charged by the cooperative,
set the date of the annual meeting, fill vacancies to the
board of directors, and elect and remove officers of the
cooperative.
7. How are
the rates determined?
The cooperative performs cost of service studies to determine
how much it costs to serve all members in its service area.
Rate studies are then done to design rates that closely represent
each members actual cost of service. All revenues in excess
of the cost of service are returned to the members in the
form of capital credits or patronage capital.
8. What are Capital Credits?
Excess income of electric cooperatives (income minus expenses)
is called Patronage Capital, where patronage is the trade
given to a business by its customers and capital is funds
that are contributed to a business by its owners. Capital
Credits are the amounts of Patronage Capital credited to
each member who received service during the year. Capital
Credits are distributed on the basis of kilowatt-hours used.
9. What percentage of my bill
is responsible for the different power requirements of my
household?
Click Here to Learn More
10. At what locations can I drop
off my CPI bill?
Click here for a complete list
of Payment locations
11.
What is Casco Communications?
Casco Communications is a subsidiary of CPI and two
other cooperatives. It operates PEAK Internet and CoEnergy.
12. Who is the Bonneville Power
Administration (BPA)?
The BPA is a federal power marketing agency under the Department
of Energy responsible for marketing wholesale electric power
from 30 federal dams throughout Washington, Oregon, Idaho
and western Montana and portions of California, Nevada, Utah,
and Wyoming. BPA also sells and exchanges power with utilities
in Canada and California.
13.
What is "Green
Power"?
Alternative, renewable power resources such as wind,
solar, or geothermal are often referred to as "Green
Power".
The Coffin Butte Resource Project north of Corvallis is
an example of the use of alternative resources to generate
electricity.
This project was developed to pull methane gas from the
Coffin Butte Landfill and use it to generate electricity.
By burning
the gas, the project uses a renewable resource that might
otherwise be wasted.
14. What causes voltage surges?
Only 35% of voltage surges are generated outside the home
or office by events such as lightning, utility grid switching,
line slapping, miss wiring, etc. 65% of all electrical surges
or transient voltage activity is generated within the home
or business. They are generally caused by motors and other
electrical appliances turning on and off.
As much as 80% of power problems can be tied to the local
environment. Surges are caused by elevators, air conditioners,
vending machines, copiers, large computers, and even lights
turning on and off will cause rushes of power and transient
voltages back up the line.
Any electrical device that contains a microprocessor is
susceptible to damage from transient voltages. This includes
computer equipment and peripherals, electronic equipment
such as stereos, TVs, and VCRs, fax machines, telephones,
answering machines, satellite dish receivers, household
appliances including washers, dryers, refrigerators, dishwashers,
microwave ovens, food processors, blenders and can openers.
Contact a CPI marketing representative at 929-8520 or (800)
872-9036 x8520 to find out about a whole house surge suppression
program that will protect everything from your oven to your
electric tooth brush.
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