On behalf of your electric cooperative, I’d like to wish you a very happy New Year. I’d also like to share some interesting information with you. As you know, 2024 has certainly gotten off to a wintry start. On January 9, the region experienced sustained winds approaching 30 mph with gusts approaching 45 to 50 mph. The unseasonably warm weather and moist ground conditions that preceded this storm made conditions ripe for large and long-lasting power outages. While our crews stood ready to address those that occurred, the storm passed with very few outages that were easy to manage. Following this, the Inland Northwest experienced an arctic cold front that set in on January 12 and lasted nearly five days. It brought with it sustained temperatures that were well below zero. At their worst, temperatures were nearly 40 degrees colder than those customarily experienced in January. 

When extremely cold weather such as this sets in, electrical consumption increases considerably. Simply put, the furnaces of our homes and businesses have to work harder, and longer, to overcome the difference in temperature between the inside where we live and work, and the frigid outdoors. Temperature extremes such as those just experienced can place great strain on the electrical grid and natural gas pipelines, which must be monitored closely. As with the wind storm the week prior, KEC was ready to respond to any overloading experienced. 

In the early hours of January 13, KEC’s system experienced a new peak in electrical consumption that was nearly nine percent higher than our previous record set in December 2022. Aside from a few very minor issues, our system handled it smoothly. This is the product of rigorous system planning and strategic system improvements (including a robust vegetation management program) that the cooperative invests in to ensure our system is capable of meeting our members’ needs, despite what Mother Nature throws our way. Accompanying this system peak will be what we forecast to be a corresponding record energy consumption by our members as they heated their homes and businesses over this sustained cold front. 

I offer this information for two reasons. First, I wanted to offer assurance that our electrical system is in good shape and ready to meet the abnormal demands that have been placed on it. The investments and maintenance we perform have resulted in the increasing reliability and resilience expected by our members. Secondly, at the risk of stating the obvious, we need to be prepared for some higher than normal bills. This will affect both KEC and its members. The cost of the power KEC purchases from the Bonneville Power Administration is forecasted to be the highest in our cooperative’s history. This is a direct result of the record consumption by most of our members during this abnormal weather event. As you receive your electrical bill for January’s use, please take this into consideration. It will be much higher than normal due to the cold weather.       
       
Doug Elliott
KEC General Manager & CEO