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Illinois
Co-ops form photovoltaic advisory committee Energy Co-Opportunity (ECO), an energy services cooperative, was formed to assist electric cooperatives enter new energy businesses. ECO believes it has the elements to break open a serious market for photo-voltaics as a utility service — a committed manufacturing partner (First Solar) with a product and process that can deliver quality solar panels at record low prices, and the aggregated volume potential of ECO's nationwide network of cooperatives. What ECO hopes its recently organized Photovoltaics Advisory Committee will add to this mix is identification of a product line to meet applications that make sense to co-ops. Steve Johnson, ECO's Director of Distributed Generation Implementation, says that one barrier that must be overcome is the less-than-satisfying experience that co-ops and other utilities had with the photovoltaic (PV) products introduced 10, 15 and 20 years ago. "It's going to be a matter of educating our members that photovoltaics have come a long way in the past decade," says Johnson, who worked for several years in the PV industry. "As a first step, our advisory committee is helping define needs that PV can meet, both in remote settings and for residential and commercial consumers in suburban and urban areas." Co-ops give consumers more power in a deregulated marketplace Average consumers face great risks in a deregulated electricity marketplace, but a mechanism exists to ensure that their interests are protected, according to Glenn English, chief executive officer of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA). Research shows that most consumers are amenable to the idea of choice in a competitive market. "But their experience with deregulation of other industries has made them skeptical that change in the electric industry will do them any good. Seventy-seven percent of consumers believe things will become more confusing and more complicated," says English. "Our research tells us that 90 percent of co-op consumers and 84 percent of non-co-op consumers prefer to work with companies based in their local community. Our history of service and commitment to community gives us credibility to protect consumers' interests in the marketplace," he says. NRECA is helping new co-ops form in deregulated markets. English ticked off a list of new co-op entrants, such as 1st Rochdale in New York City, the Chicago Energy Cooperative, the California Electric Users Cooperative (fruit growers and other agricultural processors) and the California Oil Producers Electrical Cooperative. NRECA represents the nation's more than 900 electric cooperative utilities, which serve 34 million people in 46 states. Visit NRECA's Web site at www.nreca.org for more information. Virtual high school will give access to high-powered classes The Illinois State Board of Education has pledged $250,000 to a virtual high school, a cyberschool that would give students across the state access to classes now only offered in affluent districts. It is hoped pilot classes will start soon. The virtual high school could be ready by the end of next year. The nation's first virtual high school went online in Florida in 1997. If state education officials approve, Illinois will become the sixth state to have a virtual high school. Bill Steichmann, president of the Association for Illinois Small and Rural Schools and a member of the Illinois Virtual High School task force, says not every student gets an equal shot at a quality education. A virtual high school could help level the playing field. The Internet-based school would have its own teachers and students could access the courses any time. Tests would be done online. $22 billion in tourism for Illinois Spending on travel and tourism in Illinois reached a record level of $22 billion in 1999, according to initial estimates by the Travel Industry Association of America. Travel-related expenditures in the state rose 5.5 percent from 1998. 6 ILLINOIS COUNTRY LIVING • SEPTEMBER 2000 Fish farmers breathe life into old strip mines Coal is no longer king in southern Illinois. "Mining has created lakes that are perfect for rearing fish," says Daniel A. Selock, an aquaculture expert hired in 1998 by Southern Illinois University Carbondale's Office of Economic and Regional Development. In Perry, Saline and Williamson counties alone, mining companies scraped out some 15,000 acres of pits, then restored them as lakes. "In the 125 or so acres in five lakes now in production, farmers will be raising about 120,000 pounds of fish this year and that's a conservative estimate," Selock says. Former coal miner Jerry C. Aken of Christopher hopes to be one of them. A seminar sparked what has grown into an informal partnership between the Aken and SlUC's Office of Economic and Regional Development in getting Clearwater Fish Farm off the ground and into the water. Water is usually what Selock calls "the limiting resource" for would-be fish farmers, but that wasn't a problem for Aken. 'Jerry had beautiful water and lots of it," Selock says. In fact, clean, clear water is a notable feature of strip mine lakes. "I have tested many of these lakes, and none of them showed concentrations of heavy metals, pesticides or fertilizers, except for a little atrazine (a common farm fertilizer), and even city water supplies have that," Selock says. SlUC's Small Business Development Center also helped Aken, supplying information about corporations, assembling a business plan and the like. "The University is really a clearinghouse for information," Selock says. What the University can't provide, the newly formed Illinois Fish Farmers Co-op usually can. For more information contact: Daniel Selock, Office of Economic and Regional Development, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL 62901-6519, (618) 536-4451, e-mail dselock@siu.edu. Shimkus receives electric co-op's Public Service Award U. S. Rep. John Shimkus (R-20, Collinsville) received the Illinois Electric Cooperatives' Public Service Award at the annual meeting of the Association of Illinois Electric Cooperatives Friday, Aug. 4, at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Springfield. Shimkus was honored for his consistent support of the electric cooperative program, and for his efforts leading to the passage of several bills supporting the interests of rural citizens. In the last legislative session, Shimkus spoke out in defense of consumer-owned electric co-ops during a debate over federal deregulation legislation. He has supported the co-ops on a number of other key issues, such as ensuring that rural satellite television owners gain access to their local network broadcasts. Shimkus represents the 20th congressional district, which includes areas served by Adams Electric Cooperative, Clay Electric Co-operative, Clinton County Electric Cooperative, Illinois Rural Electric Cooperative, McDonough Power Cooperative, M.J.M. Electric Cooperative, Rural Electric Convenience Cooperative Co., Shelby Electric Cooperative, Southwestern Electric Cooperative, Spoon River Electric Co-operative, Tri-County Electric Cooperative and Wayne-White Counties Electric Cooperative. Illinois state park magazine available The new edition of the Illinois State Parks Magazine is now available. It has information on hiking, biking, canoeing, boating, hunting and fishing as well as complete camping facilities. The publication is free and can be obtained at Department of Natural Resources offices or by calling (217) 782-7498. Ryan appoints co-op leader to water resources committee Association of Illinois Electric Cooperative's (AIEC's) President/CEO Earl Struck has been selected by Governor George Ryan to serve on the Governor's Water Resources Advisory Committee. Thomas Skinner, director of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, and Brent Manning, director of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, co-chair the committee. The new committee's task will be to focus on water resources and usage, including the effects of peaking power plants on groundwater and surface water supplies. The committee will also examine the various economic and social issues related to energy-producing facilities and water use in Illinois and present recommendations for action to the Governor by December 2000. "I want this new committee to take a close look at our water resources and specifically examine the impact of industry, agriculture and population on Illinois' groundwater and surface water supplies," Ryan says. "It's important for us to look into the effects of our energy-producing facilities and promote the responsible usage of our limited natural resources." Ryan also called on the Illinois Pollution Control Board (PCB) to conduct a series of public hearings to solicit information and public input regarding the environmental effects of the gas-fired peaking power plants. The PCB is expected to hold the hearings in different areas of the state. SEPTEMBER 2000 • ILLINOIS COUNTRY LIVING 7 Greenspan says information technology reshaping rural America At a recent national rural policy conference, Alan Greenspan, chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, spoke about technology and how it has changed and transformed agriculture. "A hundred years ago, no one could possibly have anticipated the implications for rural America of the innovations that were emerging. They surely could not have anticipated the diversity of modern rural America, tied to a broader economy through linkages provided by electricity, highways and modern communications." Today's information technologies are creating new opportunities for the businesses that are located in rural areas and incentives for those contemplating new rural business opportunities. "Business locations that might not have been feasible in the past because of their distance from central markets, are becoming increasingly attractive in light of the new technologies," says Greenspan. "Remote locations stand to benefit from innovations such as telemedicine, whereby expertise that is centrally located can be effectively transmitted to distant locations." Greenspan predicts that rural communities that invest in communication infrastructure will position themselves as viable competitors in the coming years. "Like all the previous episodes of technical advance, the revolution in information technology already has improved living conditions in numerous ways, and it will likely bring future benefits to rural communities that we now can only scarcely imagine." Editor's note: Several Illinois telephone and electric co-ops now have Internet services. Source: Stevin Dahl, Rural Development News, Iowa State University New Chicago electric co-op helps tackle ComEd outage problems An innovative non-profit organization has chosen the electric cooperative as the best model to tackle inner-city power outages. The Chicago-based Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT) established the Chicago Energy Cooperative in early July as part of a three-year pilot project designed to reduce electricity demand in targeted Chicago communities. Commonwealth Edison Co. (ComEd), the investor-owned utility that supplies electricity to the Chicago area, will provide $14.7 million in start-up funds to the Chicago Energy Co-op over three years in order to cut energy demands in neighborhoods that are susceptible to outages during peak electricity consumption. The Association of Illinois Electric Cooperatives (AIEC), with assistance from the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association and National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation, has taken a lead role in the development of the Chicago Energy Co-op. Michael Hastings, AIEC's general counsel, says, "We are helping CNT with forming contracts with co-op members, developing bylaws as well as advising them on their tax status." CNT Chief Executive Officer Robert Lieberman says a community effort is needed to reduce demand on the electricity supply for the benefit of the whole community. He added that the co-op model also makes the most sense for the future. The Energy Cooperative will work with residential and commercial consumers to help improve reliability by changing energy-use patterns, using both common sense and high-tech solutions. In the past, ComEd has made cash energy-reduction payments available only to commercial customers. Through the Chicago Energy Co-op, ComEd will be offering similar benefits to households for the first time. So why would a for-profit utility want to help the Chicago Energy Co-op curb consumption? ComEd Director of Strategic Initiatives Charles Budd says, "If we can reduce energy demand and energy cost in the targeted areas, we are willing to share those savings with the Chicago Energy Co-op and its members." Source: The Energy Cooperative; Center for Neighborhood Technology
Water resource conference Illinois Water Resources Center announces a conference for all citizens and groups interested in water resource issues in Illinois. Attention will be focused on science, technology and policy developments, while also bringing major water resource organizations and interests together under one roof to explore common ground. Specific issues to be addressed are water conservation and drought preparedness, non-point source pollution, water education, inland lakes, and urban storm water. The conference will be held November 13-14 at the Holiday Inn Conference Center in Urbana. For more information, contact Fannie Lambert of the Illinois Water Resources Center at 217-333-0536 or e-mail flambert@uiuc.edu. 8 ILLINOIS COUNTRY LIVING • SEPTEMBER 2000 Assistance available for wildlife habitat enhancement Technical and financial assistance is available to landowners who establish wildlife habitat development practices. Interested landowners should contact their local USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) office for priorities established in their area and further information. For more information on the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) county contacts are available at the Internet site http://www.il.nrcs.usda.gov/, or call the Natural Resources Conservation Service (217)353-6600. Illinois ranks as one of the top labor markets Illinois placed third in a recent poll of "the best overall labor markets" conducted by Site Selection Magazine. The publication telephone-surveyed over 100 executives of the International Development Research Council, described as the world's preeminent corporate real estate association. It asked for responses on worker availability, productivity, job skills, training and labor relations. The report noted that Illinois' diversified labor strengths reflect its economy, spanning agriculture, finance, manufacturing, mining services and transportation. • Illinois' high-tech employment continues to be the fourth largest in the nation, according to a recent report by the American Electronics Association. • Decatur earned the top spot in Forbes magazine's 2000 list of the best "smaller metropolitan" places for business. The city rated highly in job, high-tech and wage growth over the past five years. Kankakee was also included on this year's list. Source: Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs How to prevent ID theft How can someone steal your identity? By taking your name, Social Security number (SSN), credit card number or some other piece of your personal information for their own use. Before revealing any personal information, find out how it will be used and whether it will be shared with others. Pay attention to your billing cycles. Contact your creditors immediately if your bill doesn't show up on time. Minimize the number of credit cards you carry. Guard your mail from theft. Deposit outgoing mail in post office collection boxes or at your local post office. Keep items with personal information in a safe place. To thwart an identity thief who may pick through your trash to capture your personal information, you should tear or shred your charge receipts, copies of credit applications, insurance forms, bank checks and bank statements, expired charge cards and credit offers you get in the mail. Don't carry your SSN card; leave it in a secure place. Give out your SSN only when absolutely necessary. Ask to use other forms of identification when possible. Order a copy of your credit report from each of the three major credit reporting agencies-Equifax, Experian and Trans Union-every year. Make sure it is accurate and includes only those activities you've authorized. If you become a victim, it is extremely important that you act immediately to stop the thief's further use of your identity. Report the crime to the police. Call your bank and credit card issuers. Contact the fraud unit of the three credit reporting companies:
Request that a fraud alert be placed in your file, as well as a victim's statement asking that creditors call you before opening any new accounts or changing your existing accounts. Source: BBB and Federal Consumer Information Center SEPTEMBER 2000 • ILLINOIS COUNTRY LIVING 9 |
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