CONNECTIONS

Crisp County Power Commission's Quarterly Newsletter

Cooler Weather Arrives!

A break from the summertime heat and humidity has arrived in South Georgia! As the cooler temperatures set in for the Fall and Winter we would like to offer some energy-saving tips:

• Keep your heating thermostat at 68 degrees or lower
• Open curtains on south-facing windows to allow sunlight to naturally heat the space and close them at night to reduce chill
• Cover drafty windows
• Schedule routine maintenance of your heating system to insure it is working properly
• Planning to decorate for the holidays? Use LED lights.

Did you know you can monitor your usage throughout the month using our online portal or our free mobile app? Usage can be displayed in daily intervals or in 15-minute intervals. Weather conditions such as average temperature and high temperature can also be displayed allowing you to see how your usage pattern correlates to temperature conditions. This allows you to incorporate energy-saving measures such as adjusting the thermostat on your AC as needed.

Visit www.energy.gov/energysaver/energy-saver for more energy saving tips.

Biannual Drawdown of Lake Blackshear

The biannual drawdown of Lake Blackshear will begin on November 1, 2024. The drawdown is done in an effort to aid in the control of nuisance vegetation in the lake and to give homeowners an opportunity to work on piers and seawalls.

The lake will gradually be drawn down approximately 3 ½ to 4 feet below normal full pool and will remain down for approximately 6 weeks. We are scheduled to begin refilling the reservoir on December 15, 2024. The time required to reach normal pool is dependent upon flows in the Flint River.

Homeowners are reminded that any work on piers, boathouses, or existing seawalls requires approval and a permit from the Power Commission as a requirement of its Shoreline Management Policy. Anyone wishing to do such work is asked to contact the Commission’s Resource Manager, Troy Gilliam, at tgilliam@crispcountypower.com or 229-273-3811 ext. 206.



Homeowners wanting to perform maintenance on an existing seawall or construct a new seawall must contact the Resource Manager to obtain a permit. To build a new seawall the first step is to determine if there is wrested vegetation as defined by the State Environmental Protection Division. This is a state requirement. The Resource Manager will contact local County authorities or EPD as appropriate to achieve this determination. Homeowners should be aware the State EPD process may take several months.

US Postal Service Delays - Update

Beginning in February 2024 the USPS began routing mail originating from zip codes beginning with 310, which includes Crisp County, through a new Atlanta facility for processing. As a result, numerous delays and disruptions were reported with the mail service.

We have seen some improvement with the mail service but are still experiencing some delays.

Customers should be aware of these delays and take them into consideration as they effect both the customers receipt of their paper utility bill and our receipt of customer payments.

The Power Commission offers e-Billing which allows customers to receive an email when their new bill is available to view online in place of a paper bill. e-Billing customers typically receive the email the day after the bill is processed which allows them to see their bill sooner than traditional paper bills sent through the Post Office.

Customers that prefer traditional paper bills can log into our customer portal or our mobile app and see their bills whether or not they have received the paper copy.

We also offer a number of convenient payment methods including electronic payments entered through our online customer portal, free mobile app, and IVR systems as well as automated bank draft, CheckFree, and through your bank's bill pay feature. In addition, we have three kiosks located at our business office. CSRs are available during normal business hours to accept your payment if you prefer to pay in person.

Customers remain responsible to pay their electric bill in full prior to the cut off date to avoid disconnection of service.

Download Our Free Mobile App

Did you know that we have a free mobile app that gives our customers fast, secure access to their account 24/7? Using the app you can

• Check your account balance
• View and pay your bill
• Schedule alerts and reminders for things such as upcoming due dates and daily usage notifications
• Update your account settings such as phone number and mailing address
• View our outage map
• Display your usage in daily or 15-minute intervals along with weather conditions

The app is available for Apple and Android users through the App Store and Google Play - simply search for "CCPC" and install!

If you have any questions about the app please contact our Customer Service Representatives at 229-273-3811.

Reminder - Ag Customer Sales Tax Exemption Annual Renewal

In April 2012, Governor Nathan Deal signed House Bill (HB) 386 into law. Under this new law, customers that meet the definition of qualified agricultural producers are eligible for an exemption from sales and use tax on energy used in agriculture. The law became effective January 1, 2013.

To qualify for the tax exemption, you must first apply to the Department of Agriculture for a tax exemption certificate - GATE (Georgia Agricultural Tax Exemption). The Georgia Department of Agriculture can be reached at 1-855-FARM-TAX or at http://agr.georgia.gov.

The Crisp County Power Commission must receive a copy of the GATE certificate provided to you by the Department of Agriculture along with a signed listing of your Power Commission account numbers and service addresses for energy that qualifies for this exemption. Exemption documents may be submitted in the following manners:

• E-mail: Becky Morris, bmorris@crispcountypower.com
• Mail: Crisp County Power Commission, PO Box 1218, Cordele, GA 31010
• Fax: 229-273-3824

Or, you may bring them by our Business Office at 202 S 7^th Street in Cordele.

GATE certificates expire on December 31^st and must be renewed annually. Therefore, if you have previously received a GATE certificate then you must re-apply for the following calendar year.

The Power Commission can NOT exempt any account from sales tax without our having all required documents on file prior to generating an electric bill.

The Crisp County Power Commission does not provide tax or legal advice. You should contact the Georgia Department of Agriculture to determine whether you are eligible for this tax exemption. If you qualify, your exemption will begin on your next billing statement after we receive your certificate and your signed listing of eligible Power Commission account numbers and service addresses.

If you have questions or if we may be of any assistance please call one of our Customer Service Representatives at 229-273-3811.

Saving Energy During The Holiday Season

The holiday season is fast approaching! It is the time of year where we may entertain extended family, decorate our home, and bake sweet treats.

Here are some tips on how you can save energy during this festive season:

1. Limit the run time of your holiday lights. Use a timer so you won't forget to turn them off.
2. Use LED lights which consume less energy than traditional incandescent lights.
3. Turn off household lights while your tree is on. The tree alone may provide enough light for the room!
4. When baking those sweet treats turn the oven light on to peek inside instead of opening the oven door which lets some of the heat escape.
5. Bake several dishes at once.
6. Lower your thermostat for your heat before guests arrive. Holiday cooking and more people in your home can automatically raise the temperature.

CCR Rule Compliance

In response to US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) rules and regulations the Power Commission continues work to close its ash pond which had been used to dispose of coal ash from the coal-fired steam plant. The ash pond was historically used sporadically as the Plant Crisp boiler is a dual-fuel (coal and/or natural gas) boiler. For economic reasons, Plant Crisp was primarily operated using natural gas. The Power Commission ceased use of coal at Plant Crisp and has no remaining coal at the site. Plant Crisp repeatedly meets all air quality requirements dictated by federal and state regulations.

The project is nearing completion pending 70% grass growth at the site.

Costs to date of this project are approximately $14 million.

Tainter Gate Resurfacing Project

Plant maintenance staff are wrapping up a multi-year, FERC-mandated project to resurface the hydro dam tainter gates.

Resurfacing the gates involves replacing the original creosate wood which has deteriorated over the years with new plate metal coated with a two-part epoxy paint which will extend the life of the gates.

The project is complete with the exception of some painting to be done on gate #1.

Below is a before and after picture of one of the gates.

Pateville Substation Construction

Construction at our new Pateville Substation continues. Underground and copper work is complete as well as the grading work. Gravel is scheduled to be installed in the next few weeks.

This substation will help with load distribution and power quality in the Cedar Creek Industrial Park area.

Celebrating Public Power Week

We are proud to be a public power utility and recently celebrated Public Power Week with a number of activities.

Public Power Monster Coloring Contest

Crisp County's Pre-K and Crisp Academy's K4/K5 classes brought the Public Power Monster to life with their colorful drawings! The community was able to cast votes through our Facebook page and choose their favorite from each school - the student with the most votes received a $10 gift card.

We were excited to announce Avery Mozo from Crisp County Pre-K and Adalee Barfield from Crisp Academy as the winners!

Pictured below is General Manager Chris Hewitt presenting the winners with their certificate and gift card.

Congratulations!

Business Office Treats

Visitors to our business office had a variety of treats to choose from including snacks, note pads, pens, and other items. In addition, customers were entered into a drawing for a gift basket and a $100 credit to be applied to their electric account.

We were excited to announce Nathan Tyson as this year's winner of the drawing!

Congratulations!

Golf Tournament

We held our 2nd annual Public Power Week Golf Tournament on Friday, October 11th with net proceeds benefitted Crisp Regional Hospital's Oncology Center in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

The tournament was a big success with 19 teams participating.

Winners were as follows:

• 1st place: Woodford Plywood
• 2nd place: Hunt Brothers
• 3rd place: Consolidated Electric Distributors

Congratulations!

We would like to thank all of our staff who worked to organize the event and all of the teams who participated and supported this important cause.

CCPC Responds to Hurricane Helene

While Crisp County was spared extensive damage from Hurricane Helene other areas in South Georgia were not as fortunate.

Our crews assembled at 5:30 am on Friday, September 27, to assess and begin restoration efforts. Crews worked throughout the day and into the evening. All of our customers that had been without power were back on by 8:00 pm.

Through our Mutual Aid Agreement with Electric Cities of Georgia we then assisted the City of Douglas with their restoration efforts. We sent a crew to Douglas on Saturday, September 28, and they worked tirelessly over the next 11 days to help restore power to those areas affected by the hurricane.

Our thoughts and prayers remain with all of those affected by Hurricane Helene.

Pictured below are Hunter Swearingen, Jackson Faircloth, Daniel Kimbrel, Ray Hough, and Garrett Black. Not pictured is Jason Richardson.