RECC held its 85th Annual Meeting on Thursday, June 9, 2022 at Knight’s Action Park’s Route 66 Drive-In, located at 1700 Recreation Drive, Springfield, IL.  Registration began at 5:30 p.m. and the business meeting began at 7:00 p.m. Just like our other Annual Meetings, we elected directors and gave a report on the business standing of the cooperative.

In addition, RECC employees will be collected school supplies, which will be donated to area families in need for the next school year.  All registered members received a $20 bill credit, as well as, a free dinner and movie after the business meeting.

We hope you came to our Annual Meeting, and helped celebrate the past and plan the future of Rural Electric Convenience Cooperative!

The Board has selected Sean Middleton as the cooperative’s new President/CEO. Sean’s tenure will officially begin on January 19, 2023, following the retirement of David Stuva, who held the position for 23 years.

“On behalf of the RECC board, it is my privilege to announce the appointment of Sean Middleton as president/CEO,” said Melvin Repscher, chairman of the RECC board. “As a board, we feel we have found the right person to lead RECC and steward our cooperative into the future. Sean is a proven leader with a wealth of cooperative and industry experience, and we have total confidence in his leadership.

“This is a significant time in RECC’s history, and I look forward to working closely with Sean as he provides direction to RECC and our employees,” Repscher added.

Sean Middleton is a registered professional engineer who holds a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Bradley University and an MBA from the University of Illinois Springfield. He recently served as director of strategy and operations for Finley Engineering, where he championed cooperative and municipal client causes throughout the nation by solving smart grid and other technology challenges.

Sean has co-op experience too. He was the manager of engineering at Illinois Electric Cooperative in Winchester, IL.  For more than 23 years, he led all new technology and innovation pursuits for RECC’s neighboring cooperative.

“It is a tremendous honor to be appointed president/CEO of RECC,” said Sean Middleton. “RECC has been providing reliable electric service for cooperative members in central Illinois since 1937. The opportunity to lead an iconic company that plays such a vital role in central Illinois, where I grew up, is truly humbling. I am excited to step into this new role and build on our historic legacy while actioning our vision for the future.”

We are pleased to share with you that the 2022 Thomas H. Moore IEC Memorial Scholarship application is now available. AIEC will again be awarding 15 – $2,000 scholarships.

Of the 15 scholarships, nine will be awarded to the sons or daughters of electric co-op members attending a two-year or four-year accredited college or university, four will be reserved for sons or daughters attending an Illinois community college, one “Earl W. Stuck Memorial Scholarship” to the son or daughter of an electric co-op employee or director, and one “LaVern and Nola McEntire Lineworker’s Scholarship.”

All information is available online and applications are due by December 31, 2022.

To apply for the scholarship click here.

Two students from RECC’s service territory were selected to represent their cooperative and enjoy an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C. from June 17-24 as part of the annual Youth Tour.

The 2022 Youth Tour delegates from RECC were: Olivia Marchizza from Auburn and Grace Minder from Loami.

The students visited Capitol Hill and met with U.S. Senator Dick Durbin and U.S. Representatives Rodney Davis and Darin LaHood. They also visited historical and cultural sites including Arlington National Cemetery, the Supreme Court, the White House, a variety of memorials and the U.S. Capitol. Among fun activities the students enjoyed were an assembly of more than 1,000 Youth Tour participants from across the nation.

Since 1964, the nation’s cooperative electric utilities have sponsored more than 60,000 high school students to visit Washington, D.C., talk one-on-one with their U.S. congressional delegations and learn from energy and grassroots government education sessions. NRECA is the national service organization representing the nation’s more than 900 consumer-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperatives, which provide service to 42 million consumer-members in 47 states.

Rural Electric Convenience Cooperative is a member of Touchstone Energy — a national alliance of local, consumer-owned electric cooperatives providing high standards of service to members large and small. More than 730 Touchstone Energy cooperatives in 46 states are delivering energy and energy solutions to more than 32 million members every day. Touchstone Energy cooperatives serve their members with integrity, accountability, innovation and a longstanding commitment to communities.

RECC is committed to providing superior service based on four core principles: integrity, accountability, innovation and commitment to community. The co-op serves more than 5,800 meters over 1,374 miles of line in parts of Christian, Macoupin, Montgomery, Morgan and Sangamon counties. For more information visit www.recc.coop.

After years of consideration, the cooperative has purchased its first all-electric vehicle, and the timing couldn’t have been better. Battery technology has improved and driving ranges have increased substantially. The EV  infrastructure is taking shape and is expanding across the country. Charging times have decreased and will get faster in the future. EVs are getting larger and can now accommodate the needs of SUV drivers. Several new models are available, and prices are starting to align with gas-powered vehicles. The $7,500 Federal Tax Credit  is still available, and most EV models qualify. RECC chose the ID.4 Pro S, Volkswagen’s first all-electric SUV because of its size, range and style. It was a popular choice.

Click here to learn more about RECC’s new EV

Click here if you are interested in taking RECC’s new ID.4 out for a test drive.

If your electrical service requires a large amount of power, your bill will include a demand charge. Demand is determined by how much stress your system puts on the electrical grid at any given time. This charge is in addition to the electricity consumed each month and can account for a large portion of the total electric bill. In some cases, the demand charge could exceed the cost of the kilowatts consumed. To better understand your bill, you must know the difference between your electrical usage and your total demand. This will allow you to make smarter energy decisions.

For more information on Demand Charges read the September 2020 Rural Hilights – Page 3

Ask your neighbors if they have power? If so, check your electrical meter to see if numbers appear in the digital display. If this area is blank, call the cooperative to report an outage. These digital numbers are only displayed when the proper voltage is available at your service. If you have power at the meter but not in your home, check the breakers. A tripped breaker or blown fuse is often the cause of a full or partial loss of power.

Find your main breaker panel. It may be in the garage, basement, closet,  or even mounted on the exterior of your home. Check the breaker or fuses to see if they have blown or tripped. Resetting a breaker or replacing a fuse may restore your electricity.

If that does not work, check the breaker located under your electric meter. Do not touch the meter or use any tools; the breaker should be easily accessible by hand. Never go near a downed power line and don’t stand in water while touching electrical equipment!

Open the panel directly below the meter. Reset the main breaker by turning the switch off and on two times. Leave the switch in the on position. Return to the breaker panel inside your home and make sure all breakers are in the “on” position.

If power can not be restored, report your outage by calling (800) 245-7322. The line is staffed 24 hours a day by RECC employees or representatives of our answering service. A lineman will be dispatched to your location as quickly as possible.

Notice: A trip charge will apply if line crews are dispatched and find that a tripped main or meter pole breaker was the only cause of your outage. If the meter pole breaker is bad and needs to be replaced, the member will only be charged for the price of the breaker.

Congratulations to Garry Niemeyer on being elected as the new District 5 Director! The certified election results show 1,448 ballots were cast from 4,709 eligible members, yielding a participation rate of 30.75%. Nationally, the participation rate for cooperative elections is between 12-15%. The Board of Directors appreciate the desire exhibited by all 4-candidates to fill the open District 5 seat, which was held by retired Director John Beatty! Niemeyer, Auburn, will be seated at the July 28, 2020  regular board meeting.

Thom Hart, District 4 and Mel Repscher, District 6, who ran unopposed, were re-elected for another 3 year term.

Lucky drawing winners will appear in  RECC’s September newsletter.

Click here to see the complete details of the 2020 Director Election.

Not everyone can stay home during the COVID-19 outbreak. That includes our line workers. The CDC recommends a 6-foot distance from others, so when you see RECC crew members out and about, please just give them a wave to say hello!

Unfortunately, no Youth Day or Youth Tour was held in 2020 & 2021 due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

High School Juniors – win a trip to Washington!

RECC will sponsor two local students on the Youth To Washington Tour in June, and the application process is now open! Juniors at schools in our service area are invited to 

two winners will be chosen for the free trip to D.C.

Application are available by calling our office at (217) 438-6917, e-mailing us.  All applications are due by April 30, 2022.  The following forms can be downloaded below. To learn more about Youth Day, check out this short video. 

Youth Day Rules

Letter to Interested Students

Application/Parental Permission Form