2017 ANNUAL REPORT
EMPOWERING & ENERGIZING OUR MEMBERS
79TH ANNUAL
MEMBERSHIP MEETING
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2018 Annual Meeting Agenda
Registration............................................................................................................................................................8:30 to 10:00 a.m. Meeting Begins................................................................................................................................................................... 10:00 a.m. Invocation....................................................................................................................................................... Jeremy Diller, Director Posting of the Colors...................................................... Fort Sam Houston Memorial Services Detachment Color Guard National Anthem.................................................................................................................................................... Rachel Guajardo Pledge of Allegiance.................................................................................................................................................... Bruce Forey Business Meeting—Call to Order........................................................................................... Don Richards, General Counsel Meeting Reports Introduction of the Board of Directors.....................................................................................Michael Edwards, Chairman Notice of Meeting and Proof of Mailing............................................................................. Kurt Solis, Secretary-Treasurer Approval of the 2017 Annual Meeting Minutes............................................................... Kurt Solis, Secretary-Treasurer CEO/GM’s Report...................................................................................................................... William Hetherington, CEO/GM Video Presentation Presentation of the 2017 Annual Report.................................................................................Michael Edwards, Chairman Report of Election Results........................................................................................................ Don Richards, General Counsel Unfinished Business.................................................................................................................. Don Richards, General Counsel Adjournment................................................................................................................................ Don Richards, General Counsel Retirement of the Colors............................................... Fort Sam Houston Memorial Services Detachment Color Guard Door Prizes..................................................................................................................................................................... Bruce Forey Question and Answer Session.............................................................................................................. BEC Staff and Directors
BEC Annual Report
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Empowering & Energizing Our Members
LETTER TO THE MEMBERSHIP FROM CEO BILL HETHERINGTON WELCOME TO YOUR 79TH BANDERA ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE ANNUAL Meeting. 2017 was a very special year for Bandera Electric Cooperative in many different ways. At BEC, our most important goals are to reduce the costs for our members, pay for electricity and improve the electric service reliability. We are very proud that over the last four years your cost of energy has declined almost 21 percent. During that same period the electrical assets have grown by 17 percent and our membership has grown by 6.5 percent. With this growth comes the increasing costs of operating and maintaining an electric system. I am very proud of the men and women of BEC, who over the same four year period kept our costs in line, with operations and maintenance expenses growing only 4.3 percent. We were able to grow while, at the same time, reducing costs for our members and 2017 stands as the most reliable year in the company’s history. The key factor to our success was the adoption and deployment of technologies. These technologies are having a significant impact on the electric utility industry. I believe the success of any electric utility organization will be its ability to adapt to changing technology while, at the same time, enhance and embrace the relationship it has with its customers and members. I feel BEC has been very successful in accomplishing both.
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BEC Annual Report
Letter to the Membership Let’s look at how BEC’s adoption of technology has helped reduce costs and improve service. Our renewable energy subsidiary, BEC Solar, completed its first year of operation and it was a profitable one posting over $1.5 million in revenues, and helping BEC reduce its energy costs by $128,000. In addition BEC was selected by our national association to develop and design a “micro-grid solution,” which is a unique application that combines both our solar and energy storage technologies with a generator to provide reliable energy in remote locations. The Association decided to install the micro-grid in a small town in Liberia which had no access to electricity. Today our micro-grid is owned, operated and maintained, by a newly formed electric coop bringing electricity to over 400 homes and businesses for the first time. This micro-grid project was profitable and contributed over $300,000 in revenues to BEC. The deployment of our new energy technologies has resulted in the generation of over $1.8 million in revenues and cost savings. With respect to electric service reliability, it is measured with industry acceptance indices relating to the frequency, duration and number of customers impacted by electric outages. Based on these measures, the BEC electric system reliability was exceptionally good. In fact, out of the 67 electric utilities in Texas that reported their reliability results, BEC ranked in the top 10.
throughout the area. The ability for our members to have realtime access to their data and tools to manage costs will become increasingly more important as the Internet of Things becomes more universal. In summary, 2017 was a year of many firsts for BEC, but all of those “firsts” were aligned activities designed specifically to meet our primary purpose — to reduce the cost and enhance the value of your electric service.
In 2017, BEC donated $73,271 to nonprofit organizations in the BEC service territory.
A critical aspect of having good electric system reliability is data communications, which is enabled by our BEC fiber network. We now have fiber optic network communications to all of our electric substations and are expanding this network out into the distribution system, providing real-time communications to switches and protective devices on our grid. In doing so, we are reducing the costs association with outage restoration. In addition to these electric system enhancements, BEC is also providing high-speed internet access to our members. 2017 saw the first full year of operation of BEC Fiber. To date we have installed more than 210 miles of fiber optic cables and now have over 1,000 internet customers with an additional 4,000 who have signed up for service. And finally, 2017 saw the deployment of our first version of Apolloware© our cloud-based energy management system. With more than 20 locations installed, we have collected more than 1.5 million data records from solar and energy storage installations
BanderaElectric.com BEC Annual Report
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Jerry Word
Jerry Pierce
Frances Laue
Kurt Solis
Michael Edwards
BEC Board of Directors
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Our Mission:
Our Vision:
To enhance the quality of life by providing highly reliable electric and other related services that are valued by our members at the lowest possible cost.
To transform BEC from one of the best electric cooperatives in Texas to the best electric utility in Texas by 2020 through an unwavering focus on operational excellence and outstanding customer service.
BEC Annual Report
Rob Sandidge
Dick Earnest
Jeremy Diller
Zeda Alvarado
District 1 Director | Jerry N. Word, Sr.
District 6 Director | Richard “Dick” Earnest
District 2 Director | Frances Laue
District 7 Director | Zeda Alvarado
District 3 Director | Douglas “Rob” Sandidge Vice Chairman
District 8 Director | Michael D.T. Edwards Chairman
Represents Pipe Creek and Medina Lake
Represents the Bandera Area
Represents the Bandera Area, South Tarpley and Center Point
District 4 Director | Jeremy Diller
Represents Boerne East, Walnut Grove and Cordillera
District 5 Director | Jerry Pierce
Represents Hunt, Leakey and Concan
Represents Lakehills, Medina Lake and Mico
Represents Boerne (west of IH10), Ranger Creek and Tapatio Springs
District 9 Director | Kurt Solis Secretary/Treasurer
Represents Comfort and Center Point
Represents Medina, Vanderpool, Utopia, North Tarpley and Turtle Creek BEC Annual Report
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Notice of Meeting
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BEC Annual Report
2017 Financial Report Assets Total Utility Plant Less: Accumulated Depreciation
2017
229,919,623 (70,378,062)
Net Value of Utility Plant Investments in Associated Organizations Deferred Charges & Other Assets Current Assets Cash in Bank Accounts Receivable Other Current Assets
159,541,561 4,843,981 1,293,942
Total Current Assets Total Assets
6,112,960 171,792,444
Equities and Liabilities Memberships Patronage Capital Other Equities Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income Total Equities
684,703 2,621,084 2,807,173
603,430 62,474,234 1,056,867 4,216,556 68,351,087
Long-Term Debt less Current Maturities Deferred Credits and Other Long-Term Liabilities
82,071,124 4,329,043
Current Liabilities Current Maturities of Long-Term Debt Short-Term Notes Payable Accounts Payable Other Current and Accrued Liabilities
5,303,473 1,000,000 9,702,945 1,034,772
Total Current Liabilities Total Equities and Liabilities
17,041,190 171,792,444
Operating Revenues Energy Revenue Revenue from Divisions Other Electric Revenue
58,533,323 1,814,730 7,178,392
Total Operating Revenues
67,526,445
Operating Expenses and Fixed Charges Cost of Power COGS - Divisions Operations and Maintenance Depreciation and Amortizations Interest Other Deductions (Additions) Total Operating Expenses and Fixed Charges
35,739,663 1,243,242 14,975,078 6,113,393 3,006,785 (60,782) 61,017,379
Operating Margins - After Fixed Charges
6,509,066
I, Kurt Solis, do hereby certify that I am the elected Secretary-Treasurer of Bandera Electric Cooperative, Inc., and that to the best of my knowledge, the financial and statistical information is true and correct as of December 31, 2017.
Kurt Solis Board Secretary-Treasurer
BEC Annual Report
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2017 Meeting Minutes Minutes of the Annual Meeting of the Membership of Bandera Electric Cooperative The Annual Meeting of the Membership of the Bandera Electric Cooperative, Inc. was held at the Bandera County Show Barn in Bandera, Texas, on the 20th day of May, 2017 in accordance with the Bylaws. Brian Brockel welcomed members to this years Annual Meeting and asked that District 4 Director Jeremy Diller give the invocation at 10:30 a.m. He asked that all remain standing for the posting of colors by the all-volunteer Fort Sam Houston Memorial Services Detachment. Our National Anthem was sung by Rachel Gaujardo followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Attorney Don Richards stated a quorum was present in person, by proxy, or having voted by mail, and called the meeting to order at 10:40 a.m. Attorney Richards announced that Chairman Michael Edwards was unable to join this year’s meeting and Vice-Chairman of the Board, Rob Sandidge, who represents District 3, would be performing his duties. Richards called upon District 3 Director and Vice-Chairman of the Board, Rob Sandidge, who welcomed the Members and visitors and introduced the Cooperative’s Board of Directors:
District 1
Jerry N. Word, Sr.
District 2
Frances (Fran) Laue
District 4
Jeremy Diller
District 5
Jerry Pierce
District 6
Richard (Dick) Earnest
District 7
Zeda Alvarado
District 8
Michael D. T. Edwards (absent)
District 9
Kurt Solis (Secretary/Treasurer)
Director Solis read the Notice of Meeting and Proof of Mailing at 10:43. He then stated that the next order of business was the reading of the minutes of the Annual Meeting of the Membership held on May 21, 2016. He indicated that copies of these minutes were distributed to each Member at the registration desk and entertained a motion to dispense with the reading of the minutes. A motion was made to dispense with the reading of and to approve the minutes of the Annual Meeting of the Membership held on May 21, 2016. The motion received a second and was approved by the membership at 10:44 a.m.
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BEC Annual Report
2017 Meeting Minutes Director Solis called on William Hethertington to present the CEO Report. At 10:45 a.m., William Hetherington welcomed members followed by a video, which recapped some of the highlights of 2016. At 10:58 a.m., William Hetherington presented the CEO Report. At 11:05 a.m., Director Sandidge informed the Members that the May edition of the Texas Co-op Power magazine, previously mailed to each Member, contained the Cooperative’s 2016 Annual Report, including statements from BEC management and other Cooperative statistics. He indicated that this information was also handed out during the meeting registration. Attorney Richards returned to speak at 11:08 a.m. and stated that in accordance with the provisions of the Bylaws, the following persons are placed in nomination as the official candidates:
District 1
Jerry Word
District 2
Frances Laue
District 3
Douglas R. (Rob) Sandidge
Attorney Richards stated that votes received by the 11:00 a.m. deadline the previous day have been tabulated by Survey and Ballot Systems. The final tabulation of votes includes all electronic, phone and mail-in ballots. Attorney Richards read the report regarding the final tally of votes for each candidate. A motion was made and seconded to approve the committee’s report. This motion was approved by the membership. At 11:02 a.m. the final election results were present by Attorney Richards. The the following nominees received these number of votes: Zeda Alvarado with 2174 votes.
Jerry N. Word, Sr. with 2,311 votes.
Frances (Fran) Laue with 2,291 votes.
Rob Sandidge with 2,273 votes.
With no unfinished business, Attorney Richards entertained a motion to adjourn. A motion was made, seconded, and approved by the membership to adjourn the meeting at 11:10 a.m.
Kurt Solis Board Secretary-Treasurer
Michael D.T. Edwards Board Chairman
BEC Annual Report
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2017 Facts & Figures Total kWh Sold
Total kWh Purchased
Total kWh 650,000,000
625,000,000
600,000,000
575,000,000
550,000,000
525,000,000
500,000,000
Year
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
630,828,251
581,898,713
624,592,965
578,324,283
633,763,348
581,502,701
627,421,463
577,303,499
611,256,010
563,487,309
591,779,880
543,530,981
637,997,563
583,886,200
599,207,892
550,742,027
574,381,580
532,521,305
583,786,448
450,000,000
536,665,494
475,000,000
2017
How can kilowatt-hours sold and kilowatt-hours purchased be different? Some of the kWh purchased are lost to line loss. Line loss occurs when electricity experiences resistance as it travels over transmission and distribution lines to get to our homes and businesses. BEC purchases the remaining kWh for use in its day-to-day operations.
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BEC Annual Report
Facts & Figures
kWh
Average Monthly Kilowatt-Hour Usage Per Member
1,400
1,350
1,300
1,250
1,200
1,266
1,315
1,366
1,247
1,283
1,243
1,252
1,216
1,195
Year
1,277
1,150
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
27,676 MEMBERS
MILES OF LINE ������������������������������������������� 4,669 METERS PER MILE ������������������������������������� 7.593 CONNECTED METERS �������������������������� 35,452
ASAI RELIABILITY ���������������������������������� 99.994% REVENUE PER MILE �������������������������$13,643.58 BEC EMPLOYEES............................................. 103 *As of December 31, 2017 BEC Annual Report
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2017 Facts & Figures
32 INSTALLATIONS RESIDENTIAL CONTRACTS �������������������������������������� 29 COMMERCIAL CONTRACTS ���������������������������������������� 3 ANNUAL REVENUE............................... $1,595,006.00 *As of December 31, 2017
524 CONNECTIONS RESIDENTIAL MEMBERS ���������������������������������������� 506 COMMERCIAL MEMBERS ������������������������������������������� 18 *As of December 31, 2017
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BEC Annual Report
2017 Member Dollar
How It Was Earned
How It Was Spent
oÉëáÇÉåí á~ä=SPKVOB Residential 70.01%
Large Commercial 2.35%
Purchased Power 54.20%
Depreciation 9.30%
pÉ~ëçå~ä=QKPOB Seasonal 3.79%
Lighting & Irrigation 0.16%
Operations, Maintenance, & Other 21.40%
Interest 4.60%
Other 0.08%
Small Commercial 23.61%
Margins 10.60%
pã~ää= `ç
ããÉ êÅá~ä=ONKSR= Small Commercial 23.61%
As a cooperative, Bandera Electric is different than many other businesses. We are owned by you, our members, and we use the money you pay each month to operate. We are a nonprofit and motivated to serve our members’ best interests and not those of outside investors. As a co-op, BEC has a set of values that drives our operation and participation within our communities. These Seven Cooperative Principles guide cooperatives worldwide.
BEC Annual Report
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BEC Annual Report
ARMED FORCES DAY | MAY 19
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE
Fort Sam Houston Memorial Services Detachment Color Guard Bandera Electric Cooperative would like to recognize all active duty, guard, reserve, retirees and veteran service members with us here today. Thank you for your selfless service and commitment to our country. The all-volunteer Fort Sam Houston Memorial Services Detachment (MSD) was established in the fall of 1991 to perform duty at the Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, assuring that our nation’s military veterans receive a fitting tribute they so richly deserve. Right Rifle Guard.......................................................................................................Mike Hoffman, Lieutenant Colonel, US Air Force Retired US Flag Bearer/Color Guard Commander.......................................................Gene Kuwik, Chief Master Sergeant, US Air Force Retired Texas Flag Bearer........................................................................................................ James Shappie, Sergeant First Class, US Army Retired MSD Flag Bearer.................................................................................................... Freddie Wilson, Technical Sergeant, US Air Force Retired POW Flag Bearer........................................................................................................................ Bill Neuiszer, Sergeant Major, US Army Retired Left Rifle Guard.....................................................................................................Frank Farris, Senior Master Sergeant, US Air Force Retired Alternate member....................................................................................................... Ed Farley, Chief Master Sergeant, US Air Force Retired BEC Annual Report
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Time-Based Usage With this voluntary program, energy rates vary based on the time of day and season in which energy is used, unlike flat electric rates through which members are charged the same amount for electricity no matter when it is used. The program gives members the power to reduce their energy bill by shifting energy usage to off-peak hours while helping the co-op reduce its overall demand.
Lighting Efficiency BEC offers members LED outdoor lighting as an alternative to halogen bulbs which have shorter life spans and less efficiency. LED lights require little maintenance, and the “down-light� they produce enhances nighttime star-gazing. BEC offers Dark-Sky compliant LED outdoor lighting.
PrePay Billing With PrePay, you pay for electricity before you use it, just like you put gas in your vehicle. The program allows you to pay ahead and monitor your consumption on a regular basis and take action to reduce energy usage and costs.
Lightbulb Recycling BEC wants to make recycling bulbs easy and convenient for our members. We offer recycling containers for CFLs and 4-foot fluorescent bulbs at all of our locations. At this time, we do not recycle 2-foot fluorescent bulbs, incandescent bulbs, or batteries.
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BEC Annual Report
BEC Community Solar
Community solar is a hassle-free, large-scale 1.9 megawatt shared solar system that BEC operates and maintains in Leakey, Texas. Members can subscribe to any number of 100 kWh blocks of energy at a competitive, low fixed rate. Subscriptions last for a period of five years, and the price is calculated into your monthly bill.
What are advantages of community solar? • Community solar promotes sustainability, essentially supporting long-term ecological balance. • Community solar helps offset peak load during the hot summer months, saving you and the cooperative money. • Community solar is economical and is not affected by the principles of supply and demand. You are not subject to upfront costs, maintenance, insurance or fluctuations in energy prices. To subscribe, call 866.226.3372 or email Mas@BanderaElectric.com.
Students visit BEC Community Solar Farm in Leakey, Texas
BEC Annual Report
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2018 Scholarship Recipients We are excited to announce the winners of the 2018 BEC scholarships. Each year, BEC awards ten $2,500 college scholarships to outstanding high school seniors and college students. The scholarship program was established in 1998 to encourage and assist in the educational pursuits of BEC members, their immediate family members or applicants who reside in the service area. Scholarship funds may be used for the payment of tuition, enrollment fees, books, supplies and/or equipment required for courses of instruction at any accredited four-year university or college, junior college or TEA-approved trade school. Winners were chosen by the New Braunfels Area Community Foundation (NBACF). The NBACF fields all applicants, filters those applicants based on criteria set up by BEC, and administers and monitors all scholarship grants through an anonymous process. Congratulations to all of the winners!
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Jolee Cave Leakey ISD
Bailey Coombes Medina ISD
Tanner Gibson Bandera ISD
Schyla Hernandez Comfort ISD
Abbey MacMillan Bandera ISD
Shelby McCoy Boerne Champion
Emily Mills Medina ISD
Rio Orion Bandera ISD
Cody Schihab Medina ISD
Morgan Stanton Comfort ISD
BEC Annual Report
2018 Youth Tour Winners This year, Bandera Electric Cooperative is sending four students to Washington, D.C., as our 2018 representatives at the Government-in-Action Youth Tour. Each year, BEC sponsors the Youth Tour in conjunction with Texas Electric Cooperatives and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. The four winners were selected by a committee of volunteers and will be recipients of an all-expenses-paid trip for an intensive weeklong tour and leadership program.
Delaney Boyd Utopia ISD
Serina Garcia Medina Valley High School
Erin Guajardo Leakey Area
Calsey Kay Utopia ISD
Operation Round Up You can opt-in to round up your monthly utility bill for a tax-deductible donation averaging just $6 per year. Donations fund programs and projects to make a difference in the community where you live. To opt-in, call 866.226.3372 or visit BanderaElectric.com/OperationRoundUp BEC Annual Report
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Your Cooperative
These Seven Cooperative Principles guide cooperatives worldwide. 1. Voluntary and Open Membership 2. Democratic Member Control 3. Members’ Economic Participation 4. Autonomy and Independence 5. Education, Training and Information 6. Cooperation Among Cooperatives 7. Concern for Community
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BEC Annual Report
SOLAR / ENERGY STORAGE / ANALYTICS
4 BanderaElectric.com/Solar
Power.
Solar.
Fiber.
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