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Chris Chastain RushShelby Energy President and CEO Cooperatives are a special, special place Chris Chastain’s first experience with an electric cooperative was as a “fuzzy” — a nickname the linemen and outdoor crews gave to college kids hired as summer interns. “I suppose that probably derived from the peach fuzz still on our faces,” Chastain says. But, what the Rose-Hulman electrical engineering student saw at his hometown electric cooperative during the summers from 1994-96 impressed him so much he knew he wanted to build a career somewhere like that. Now, almost 30 years later, the Rush County native not only works at his hometown electric cooperative, as of October 2021, he’s been its president and CEO. “Cooperatives are a special, special place,” he said. “Sometimes, people take their jobs or their careers for granted. But once you can get inside a cooperative, you sense the well-defined purpose. That’s to serve our membership and to serve each other.” After graduating with his engineering degree in 1997, Chastain found no immediate job openings at any of the state’s cooperatives. So, he considered two offers: one with an Indianapolis engineering consulting firm; the other with the electric utility serving Chicago. “As I looked at those two jobs, one of the biggest decision points was trying to get back into the cooperatives.” He chose the smaller Indianapolis consulting firm over the Chicago utility. “I never really knew if that would get me back home, but I thought it would keep me closer to the cooperative world, which I really enjoyed.” After a year at the consulting firm, he moved to the engineering staff of a municipal electric utility in central Indiana. A municipal utility is owned by the city it serves. “I quickly learned the municipal was not the same as a cooperative,” Chastain noted. “When Harrison REMC started looking for a system engineer, it was a no-brainer to look down there and get back into the REMC world.” Chastain spent seven years at the southern Indiana cooperative. When a new position, vice president of engineering, was created at his hometown RushShelby Energy, he applied. He and his wife wanted to move home to be closer to their children’s grandparents. “Knowing everyone here helped me a little bit,” he admits. What’s more, Chastain says several current cooperative employees all began as he did — as college fuzzies. “It's neat to look at our organization and see how many people started that way. That's where we all got our start within the organization and it says a lot about the cooperative.” CAREER SUMMARY Chris Chastain’s first experience with an electric cooperative came during his first college summer break, working trenching equipment, but it exposed him to the work environment he wanted to be a part of. Nearly 30 years later, after a career working for two REMCs, he was selected as the CEO of his hometown co-op where it all began. TIMELINE 1994 – Interned at RushShelby Energy 1999 – Hired at Harrison County REMC as system engineer. Planned and designed new construction and upgrades of electrical distribution system and problem-solved to meet the needs of residential, business, agricultural and industrial consumers. 2006 — Hired at RushShelby Energy as vice president of engineering. Oversaw engineering department; planned and designed upgrades, new construction and maintenance of the distribution system to ensure consumers received quality, reliable electric service. 2021 — Promoted to president and chief executive officer. Responsible for overseeing electric cooperative and its departments.

Utility poles remain the backbone of most electric distribution systems. After more than 80 years since electric cooperatives first set them throughout rural Indiana, they remain the most cost-effective way to safely support power lines, insulators, transformers and other electric hardware. Occasionally, either through a vehicle strike, lightning strike, ice storm, tornado, or simply age, a pole needs to be replaced. And while every electric cooperative has thousands of poles throughout its system, each pole replacement is different. It’s much more than just digging a hole and sliding a new pole in the ground. The work is done methodically and, even in the best scenarios and weather conditions, might take several hours. One of the most common reasons for a broken pole and an unexpected power outage is a vehicle strike. Here’s a step-by-step description of what typically goes into a pole replacement so that consumers on the “dark side” of the damaged pole can better understand why the power outage affecting them might be taking longer than they would think. Assess the situation. The cooperative is notified of a broken pole. This can come from the cooperative's own monitoring system, sheriff's department or consumers. Lineworkers will visit the pole and assess the damage. This may take 30 minutes to an hour depending on the location and if the notification comes outside of normal business hours. Secure the scene and call in a crew. If the pole needs to be replaced, the lineworkers on the scene will first make sure the scene is safe. They'll de-energize the line following established safety procedures. Next, they will call for a crew of three to four others to come with a bucket truck and a digger truck. In many cases, resetting or replacing a pole also requires calling into 811 – the Indiana “call before you dig” service – before crews can dig new holes. This is required to locate other buried utilities along the right-of-way and can add time to the restoration. Obtain supplies and tools. The original responding lineworkers will work on what can be done until the additional crews arrive with a new pole and replacement equipment. Depending on the weather and the proximity of the broken pole to the replacement pole and equipment, this may take 1-2 hours. Replace the damaged pole. When all crew members are present, they begin setting a new pole and will work to safely restore power to consumers as quickly as possible. This includes removing equipment from the broken pole and attaching the necessary equipment to the new pole. Depending on the location, the equipment needed on each pole will vary. Poles are generally buried around 6 feet in the ground. The buried part of the broken pole is usually pulled out with the hydraulic lift on a truck. Sometimes it’s necessary to dig a new hole. Dirt is backfilled and tamped down with hydraulic equipment. The power lines are then lifted back into place and mounted on the new insulators. Once all is back in place, the protective gear is removed and an all-clear is given, the power is turned back on. Sometimes it’s possible during the pole replacement process to redirect power to those affected by the outage. It is the goal of the electric cooperative to safely retore power to as many consumers as quickly as possible. The average pole replacement could take up to 3-4 hours under favorable conditions with no mitigating circumstances – or longer if unforeseen circumstances slow the crew down.

The 2022 session of the Indiana General Assembly concluded late in the evening on Tuesday, March 8th. Check out the final update:

On Friday, February 18, 2022, Southeastern Indiana REMC’s 1,000th SEI Fiber subscriber was connected. It was a close race, as CSR’s anxiously watched the completed connection information come in from the installation crews. Barbara A. Stein-Roche of Butlerville was connected at 9:51 a.m., closely followed by Steve Patrick of Holton who was connected at 10:06 a.m. Upon learning that she was the 1,000th connected subscriber, Stein-Roche expressed her gratitude for all that the REMC has done to bring fiber to her rural area. “Everyone I have worked with throughout the process has been wonderful,” said Stein-Roche. “The crews did a great job with the installation and I am very pleased with the service.” The fiber project is moving at a fast pace, with 27 crews working on main line and drop construction. Installation crews are connecting approximately 50 subscribers per week, with a goal of increasing that number to 100 subscribers connected per week in the near future. Many subscribers have expressed their pleasure at being able to work from home, complete e-learning for school, connect multiple devices simultaneously, stream movies, participate in online gaming, and upload and download information quickly. Stein-Roche was quick to point out that the equipment inside her home was unobtrusive and didn’t take away from her home decor. “Being able to stream my church services without the buffering is very nice, too” added Stein. For more information about SEI Fiber, visit https://www.seiremc.com/seifiber.

Have you ever noticed your lights blink during a thunderstorm? Or perhaps you’ve noticed a blinking microwave clock when you arrive home. When this happens, you’ve likely experienced a brief disruption to your electric service which could result from a power surge or blink. While the symptoms of surges and blinks can appear similar, what’s happening behind the scenes can be quite different. What is a power surge? Power surges are brief overvoltage spikes or disturbances of a power waveform that can damage, degrade or destroy electronic equipment within your home or business. Most electronics are designed to handle small variations in voltage; however, power surges can reach amplitudes of tens of thousands of volts — this can be extremely damaging to your electronic equipment. Surges can be caused by internal sources, like HVAC systems with variable frequency drives, or external sources, like lightning and damage to power lines and transformers. Southeastern Indiana REMC encourages all members to install surge protective devices (such as surge protector power strips) to safeguard your sensitive electronics. If you’re experiencing frequent surges in your home or business and you believe the cause is internal, contact a qualified electrician to inspect your electrical system. What’s a power blink? Power blinks are also brief service interruptions, but they’re typically caused by a fault (short circuit) on a power line or a protective device that’s working in reaction to the fault. Faults can occur through a variety of instances, like squirrels, birds or other small animals contacting an energized power line; tree branches touching a power line; or lightning and other similar events. In fact, when it comes to power disruptions caused by critters, squirrels reign supreme. In 2019 alone, squirrels were responsible for more than 1,200 outages. Any of the events noted above can cause your power to blink, but you may also experience a brief interruption when protective devices that act like circuit breakers are working to detect the fault. Believe it or not, these brief power blinks caused by protective devices are actually good because that means the equipment is working as it should to prevent a prolonged outage. Regardless of the cause, Southeastern Indiana REMC crews will be on their way to inspect the damage and make necessary repairs after a power outage. And you can help too! Any time you experience repeated disruptions to your electric service, please let us know by calling 800-737-4111 or through the SmartHub app.

T.J. Garner Fulton County REMC Chief Operating Officer/Energy Advisor It’s all for the members T.J. Garner has worked for an electric cooperative for about five years. While that may not seem like a long time, he’s gone from fixing water heaters and helping consumers with high bill complaints to being the right hand of the CEO as chief operating officer. Yet, he still visits face-to-face with consumers investigating high bill complaints at their homes, and that’s what he loves about working for Fulton County REMC in northern Indiana. “I’m still working as the energy advisor,” says Garner. “We’re a small cooperative; that’s the nice thing about this job. I love helping our members. If I can help them save $5 a month on their utility bill, that means a lot to me.” Before coming to Fulton County REMC, Garner was a plumber and then worked in a local school district and as the facility director. Though he was a member himself of the electric cooperative and had grown up receiving power from the cooperative, he wasn’t aware of the importance of the member-consumer — that cooperative difference — when he became the cooperative’s member services technician. His supervisor instilled in him the importance of the consumer. “I'm fortunate because he showed me what members were all about, and he really drove that home. That's stuck with me since.” When that supervisor retired in 2019, Garner moved up into his role as manager of member services. Along with taking on a supervisory role over two technicians, he was able to do what became a favorite part of his job: working with the community youth in the 4-H electric program. “Teaching those fourth-grade kids how to build a circuit board is probably my favorite thing, that interaction with kids.” Garner was elevated to the COO when the position was created in 2020 to assist a CEO nearing retirement. But while Garner was helping run the operations, he was also still working closely with the consumers. “I enjoy calls from consumers,” he said, “even if it’s a compliant. I like to try to resolve the problem. I don’t want an unhappy member.” Garner is kind of an “old soul” when it comes to electric cooperatives because cooperative values harken back to values many other businesses today seem to have lost sight of — that is caring for the consumer and the community they serve. Garner said it’s incredibly important that cooperatives, as they grow and evolve, don’t lose sight of those original core values. And, for a guy who’s been at a co-op for a relatively short time, he’s now sounding like most folks who’ve come to work for one. “Now that I’m in a co op, I don't ever see leaving a co op.” CAREER SUMMARY T.J. Garner started at an electric cooperative about five years ago fixing water heaters and helping consumers with high bill complaints. Today, he’s at the right hand of the CEO as chief operating officer, but he loves that he’s retained his role as an energy advisor and still meets face-to-face with consumers helping them reduce their energy use. TIMELINE May 2017 — Hired at Fulton County REMC as member services technician. Repaired water heaters, investigated and helped resolve high bill complaints. 2019 — Promoted to manager of member services. Continued in the same duties and supervised two other technicians while also becoming an energy advisor, 4-H electric program instructor and taking care of other needs that arose. October 2020 — Promoted to chief operating officer. Assisted the CEO in the daily operations of the cooperative and maintained his role as an energy advisor meeting with consumers.

Powering up: Electric service is restored methodically to maintain safety When we lose electric service, we have come to expect it will be restored in a short time. But when a devastating storm causes major damage over a widespread area, longer outages cannot be helped. It involves much more than flipping a switch at a substation or pulling a fallen tree off a downed power line. Your local line crews work around the clock resetting poles and rebuilding miles of line. Sometimes, it requires extra hands of highly trained workers from electric cooperatives in neighboring counties, other parts of Indiana, and even from neighboring states coordinated by specialists from Indiana Electric Cooperatives to come to the aid of your local crews who all work together. In many cases, resetting or replacing fallen and broken poles also requires calling into 811 — the Indiana “Call before you dig” service — before crews can dig new holes. This is required to locate other buried utilities along the right-of-way and can add time to the restoration. “Line crews work long, hard hours to rebuild poles and lines to restore service after major storms,” said Brandon Linville, Director of Operations at Southeastern Indiana REMC, “but it’s an arduous task that needs to be done methodically to be done safely.” Every electric cooperative follows a basic principle when it comes to restoring power: priority is given to the lines that get the most back in service the quickest. Here’s a basic order of repair: Transmission lines. These high voltage lines carry electricity from generating plants to substations (or between substations). Since tens of thousands of people could be served by one transmission line, damage here needs to be taken care of first. Substations. These electrical facilities contain equipment that switch or regulate the voltage of electricity. They lower the voltage from the transmission lines so the electricity can be transmitted through the distribution lines. Problems here can affect thousands of consumers. Main distribution lines. You see these along roadways. They carry electricity from the substations to groups of consumers, like towns or housing developments. Tap lines. These lines run from the main distribution lines to utility poles and underground transformers outside houses or buildings. Individual service. These lines run from the transformer on the pole along the road or street or underground box to the consumer’s electric meter on the side of the home or business. Even after a major storm, report an outage to your electric cooperative. This will help line crews assess the extent of the damage and isolate and repair problems as soon as possible. Let the crews work After a major storm with widespread damage and longer-than-usual power outages, it may be tempting to question your co-op’s line workers about the damage and check out what they are doing when you see them at work on the side of a road. “For safety’s sake, the best thing for you to do when you see crews working is to let them do their jobs, without distractions,” said Brandon Linville, Director of Operations, at Southeastern Indiana REMC. “Line personnel wear protective gear and are equipped and trained to be on site to restore power. It is dangerous for others to be milling around when we’re repairing lines.” That advice also pertains to owners of property on which cooperative employees may be restoring power. And while you may be curious or even want to be helpful and friendly, safe linework requires full focus and attention. “Safety is always first priority for us — your safety and our safety,” said Linville. “Power restoration is a serious and unforgiving process that is best handled without bystanders. That way, we can get the power back on as quickly — and safely — as possible.” Keep your co-op informed and stay informed during outages Power restoration can be a tricky business, so if you lose service in your home or neighborhood please remember the following: Report the outage to your electric cooperative as soon as possible. Make sure your cooperative knows if loss of power affects life support systems or could cause any additional threat to health and safety. While you should let your co-op know this during an outage, inform your co-op whenever life support equipment dependent on electricity is brought into your home so it can keep this information with your file. For updated information on outages, stay connected to Southeastern Indiana REMC on social media.

Be prepared for spring’s fickle foul weather Spring is a fickle season that brings nature’s renewal of buds and blooms to the trees and fields and also brings dark, powerful rolling storms that can wreak havoc. From 2016 through 2020, the National Weather Service recorded 28 deaths, 133 injuries and over $64 million in property and crop damage from weather events in Indiana alone. Weather disasters can occur year-round, but most of the worst storms Indiana receives come in the spring. “While not all damage can be prevented, being prepared can minimize damage and reduce injury or death,” said Brandon Linville, Director of Operations at Southeastern Indiana REMC. Here are some tips from your electric cooperative for staying safe before and after a storm hits. Before the storm Make sure your cell phone is charged. Consider purchasing an external battery charger for your phone to charge it without electricity. Have a battery-operated radio available so you can stay updated on the latest weather watches and warnings. Unplug appliances and other electrical items, such as computers. Damage can occur from power surges caused by nearby lightning strikes. Have an emergency kit ready and create a family communication plan. Following the storm If you are driving and come upon fallen power lines, turn around. Never drive over or around fallen lines. If a downed power line falls on your vehicle, stay in the vehicle. Call 911. Exit only if your life is in immediate danger from a fire or other reason. Then, jump clear of your vehicle being certain to never touch the vehicle and the ground at the same time; then shuffle away keeping your feet together at all times. While checking for damage outside your home, be aware of hazards from exposed nails, broken glass, and broken tree branches dangling on other limbs. To avoid the chance of a fire or explosion, use a flashlight, instead of a candle or torch, to inspect your home in the dark. Since downed power lines could still be energized, do not touch them or any objects in contact with them. Call 911 to report the downed lines. When the spring storms arrive, know how to keep yourself, your family and your property safe from harm during a severe storm. Tips for safely cleaning up after a storm Wear proper safety material. As you are cleaning up, wear proper protection to prevent injury. Work gloves, safety glasses, heavy-duty work shirt with long sleeves, work pants, and steel-toe work boots are a good idea if you are clearing large amounts of broken, splintered or sharp debris. Stay away from power lines. Always assume a downed power line is live. Downed power lines pose a particularly dangerous threat in areas where individuals are clearing fallen trees and branches from roads and lawns. Let the professionals handle this job. It's not worth the risk. If you see a downed power line that is sparking or on fire, call your electric utility immediately. Stay away from damaged buildings or structures. If a building has been subjected to flood waters or high winds, it may not be structurally safe. It's best to stay away from these types of structures until professionals can assess the extent of the damage. Never operate gasoline-powered equipment indoors. Gas engines emit carbon monoxide — an odorless, colorless, and poisonous gas you should never breathe. Be prepared for spring storms Are you prepared when a storm hits? Here are some helpful tips to keep you, your loved ones and your property safe. Have an emergency kit ready and create a family communication plan before a storm hits. Program the number of your electric utility into your cell phone. This will make it easier to report a power outage. Plumbing and bathroom fixtures can conduct electricity. Use with caution. If you notice frayed wiring or sparks, or smell a burning odor, shut off the electrical system at the main circuit breaker immediately. Know how to properly use portable generators if you lose power during the storm.

The 2022 session of the Indiana General Assembly wrapped up the second week of the second half. Check out this week's update. Each week, we'll give you an inside look at what happened at the Statehouse the previous week and how legislative actions can impact your local electric cooperative.

The 2022 session of the Indiana General Assembly is back in the first week of the second half. Check out this week's update. Each week, we'll give you an inside look at what happened at the Statehouse the previous week and how legislative actions can impact your local electric cooperative. To stay up to date on legislative matters that impact your cooperative, sign up to be an electric cooperative advocate today. https://action.indianaec.org/register-to-be-an-advocate/

The fourth week of the 2022 session of the Indiana General Assembly is now complete. Check out this week's update Each week, we’ll give you an inside look at what happened at the Statehouse the previous week and how legislative actions can impact your local electric cooperative. To stay up to date on legislative matters that impact your cooperative, sign up to be an electric cooperative advocate today. https://action.indianaec.org/register-to-be-an-advocate/

February may be the shortest month, but it’s packed with special observances like Presidents’ Day, Black History Month and Valentine’s Day, in addition to a host of unofficial “national” days you’ve probably never heard of like “National Tater Tot Day.” But they all have something in common. They were created to draw attention to a particular issue or theme. Valentine’s Day may seem like an observance originally created by a greeting card company, but over time, it’s become a widely celebrated day generating millions of dollars spent on flowers, candy and of course, greeting cards professing our love. But Valentine’s Day isn’t just for the lovebirds. It’s also the perfect time to let our friends, family, co-workers and other special people in our lives know we care about them––with or without a store-bought greeting card. So, in that vein, we’ve created our list of top five reasons why we love serving you, the members of Southeastern Indiana REMC. We love serving our members because without you, the co-op wouldn’t exist. Our purpose is to provide you with reliable, responsible and safe electricity. Simply put, SEIREMC exists to serve you. That’s why we were formed in 1939––to bring power to our local area when for-profit utilities would not. You enable us to complete our mission by supporting our efforts to give back. A major part of our mission is to serve our community and look after the greater good. With your assistance, we’re able to help the most vulnerable members of our community through programs like Operation RoundUp. Members of our co-op also serve on the board of directors. They provide guidance for setting co-op priorities and helping make big decisions. Because our board members live in the area, they’re able to serve as the pulse of the larger community and identify immediate and long-term needs. The broader co-op membership provides helpful input through their vote on director elections and by weighing in on co-op and community issues. You help us get it right. SEIREMC members are great about keeping us in the know. We do our best to avoid power outages, but Mother Nature can occasionally throw us a curveball; our members are quick to report any power disruptions and are patient as our crews work to safely restore power. We know outages are frustrating, and your support as we work through storms means so much to our employees. We also appreciate your feedback on co-op programs and services like our Generator Program, our Vegetation Management Program, and more. Your opinions are critical for the co-op’s success, and we thank you for that. You and other SEIREMC members make up the community we serve ––and for us, it’s all about community. Our employees live and work here too and care about our community the same way you do. We’re invested and work to help it thrive. That’s why SEIREMC donates to local non-profits and scholarship funds. It’s also why we invest in economic development, and why you’ll see our employees volunteering at local schools and other charitable and community endeavors. As a co-op, our mission is to enhance the quality of life in our community and look after its long-term interests. We love serving our members and our local community, and just like you, want to see it continue to thrive.