Author: Horry Electric

Chance of a lifetime for high school juniors! 

If you are a high school junior living in Horry County, then you’re qualified to apply for a chance to take part in a five-day, expense-paid trip to the nation’s capital on the 2017 Washington Youth Tour!

APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE ONLINE! 

Winners of Horry Electric Cooperative’s local Youth Tour competition will join students from around the state and nation June 10-15. They’ll tour historic sites, learn about our nation’s government and have lots of fun shopping, dining out, seeing a play and cruising the Potomac at sunset.

Nearly 1,500 students take part each year and four of them are there representing Horry Electric Cooperative.  A quiz and personal interview are part of the selection process. Study materials are sent to nominated students in advance of the date scheduled for the selection process.

Grade point averages are not a consideration. Two alternates will be selected in the event any of the winners are unable to participate.  Applications, made available to guidance counselors earlier this year, are also available online at horryelectric.com.  You can also contact Horry Electric’s Youth Tour Coordinator, Toni Gore via email  (toni.gore@horryelectric.com) or by calling 369-6359.

To find out more about this exciting chance of a lifetime for high school juniors, visit horryelectric.com or youthtour.coop.

PLEASE NOTE: YOUTH TOUR 2017 is unfortunately scheduled for the same time as Palmetto Girls State and Palmetto Boys State, which are scheduled for June 11-17. 

The Washington Youth Tour…

• Rewards students for academic achievement and community leadership
• Educates students about the role of electric co-ops in the national economy
• Fosters students’ appreciation for the democratic form of government
• Exposes students to the sights and sounds of our nation’s heritage
• Builds students’ leadership skills so that they may make a difference in their communities

Students and chaperones…

• Meet South Carolina lawmakers
• Eat at cool restaurants
• Visit our capital’s monuments
• Tour Washington, D.C.
• Socialize with people from S.C. and around the country

For more information about the Washington Youth Tour program, visit youthtour.coop.

Youth tour applications for students – High School Juniors ONLY – MATERIALS WERE MADE AVAILABLE TO HIGH SCHOOL GUIDANCE COUNSELORS IN JANUARY. If your counselor no longer has the information, please call Toni Gore, youth tour coördinator for Horry Electric,  at (843) 369-2211.

Horry Electric Cooperative is calling for applications for Bright Ideas, a grant program that provides funding for innovative classroom-based education projects. The deadline for applications is June 2.

“Bright Ideas” grants are intended to fund projects outside normal public school funding parameters and can be made available to all disciplines in grades K-12 in Horry County. A school may submit an application and teachers are limited to one application per year.

Bright Ideas Application 2017

For more information and details, visit horryelectric.com or contact  Toni Gore  via email or by phone at 843. 369.2211.

Horry Electric’s chapter of W.I.R.E. (Women Involved in Rural Electrification) is offering a $1500 scholarship to an eligible high school senior who plans on attending either Coastal Carolina University or Horry Georgetown Technical College in the Fall of 2017.  The applicant must be the child or dependent of a member of Horry Electric Cooperative, Inc. in order to qualify.

The scholarship award is for one academic year for an entering freshman. $750 will be given for the fall semester. An additional $750 will be given for the spring semester, contingent upon meeting the 2.5 GPR requirement.

Scholarship Criteria includes:

1. Applicant must be the child or dependent of a member of Horry Electric Cooperative, Inc.
2. Awards are for one academic year for an entering freshman.  $750 will be given in the fall semester and an additional $750 will be given for the spring semester, contingent upon meeting the G.P.R. requirement.
3. Scholarship recipient must have at least a cumulative 2.5 G.P.R. at the end of the first semester of college to receive the second semester scholarship. Copies of grades should be submitted to Susan Brown at the end of the first semester, when registering for the second semester.
4. Loans and/or college work-study awards received in addition to this scholarship do not reduce its full value in any way.
5. In accepting the scholarship, the student gives consent to the release of grades and other relevant information to the scholarship sponsor at the end of each semester.
6. All applications must be received by Horry Electric’s WIRE Group by Tuesday, March 1, 2017.
7. Applicants must be attending either Coastal Carolina University or Horry-Georgetown Technical College. Disbursement of these funds will be handled by CCU or HGTC as per their procedures.
8. In the event there is no qualified recipient, the scholarship is suspended for that year.
9. In the event the scholarship recipient receives the first $750 for the fall semester and does not maintain G.P.R. and/or drops out of school, the balance of the scholarship is suspended for that applicant and for the remainder of the school year/spring semester.
10. Financial need will be an important consideration in determining the winner.
11. Students may be asked to participate in an interview as a final step in this process. Completion and submission of an application is not a guarantee that every applicant will be granted an interview. Those selected for an interview will be contacted individually.

Applications have been sent to all high schools in Horry County and are available for students through the guidance counselor. Students can also download and print the application from this news story. All applications should be mailed to Mrs. Susan Brown – WIRE SCHOLARSHIP; Horry Electric Cooperative, Inc.; Post Office Box 119; Conway, South Carolina; 29528-0119

Application deadline is Wednesday, March 1, 2017. Fax copies are not accepted. All instructions are specified on the application. 

Download and print the WIRE SCHOLARSHIP 2017 application

Questions?  Call 843.369.2211 or email Mrs. Susan Brown.

The January 2017 edition of South Carolina Living magazine will be delivered to mailboxes of subscribing members mid-month. Horry Electric’s local content, as well as the main part of the magazine, are available online.

Horry Electric highlights include:

• CEO Column – Community Solar; Coming soon, an affordable alternative to installing solar at home
• Horry Electric News – highlights include High School Juniors,  apply now for a free trip to the nation’s capital; WIRE scholarship opportunity**
• Weather, thermostat settings have greatest impact on your bill
• Early co-op days live on at the house that Olin and Nina built  – the last in a year-long series of Horry Electric Co-op 75th anniversary stories
• Memories of  clearing ‘right of way’ and the ROW schedule for first quarter 

**ONLINE APPLICATIONS WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR BOTH OPPORTUNITIES BY 5 P.M. ON JANUARY 9. 

Members of Horry Electric Cooperative can sign up to receive alerts asking them to reduce their energy use during times of peak demand for electricity. 

“The co-op has been managing peak demand on the system for many years,” says James P. “Pat” Howle, executive vice president and CEO for Horry Electric. “We regularly track energy use on the system and go into what we call ‘load control’ when the peak demand for electricity hits.”

“Think of it as rush hour for electricity,” says Penelope Hinson, spokesperson for Horry Electric. “There are times in the day when you know traffic is going to be bad as people rush to work or school in the mornings and then rush home at the end of the day,” she continues. “To save time, gasoline and sometimes aggravation, it’s best to avoid being on the road  during those times if you can arrange your schedule to travel during other times of the day.”

“It’s pretty much the same for energy use,” says Hinson.  “There are times of the day in summer and winter when people are going to be doing tasks that increase energy use on the system.”  The usual peak times for energy use are 6-9 a.m. in the winter and 3-8 p.m. in the summer.

Horry Electric has been managing peak demand for many years through voltage reduction. “On top of that, we have 5,501 members participating in our water heater load management programs,” says Howle. “Through those programs alone, we’re able to shave over 2,200 kilowatts of peak load per peak incident during summer months and over 3,800 kilowatts of load per peak incident during winter months.”

“With member participation in the Beat the Peak program, we can have an even bigger impact on controlling load and avoiding peak demand,” says Reed Cooper, manager of engineering. “When members receive the alerts, all we’re asking them to do is shift energy consumption from times when demand for electricity is highest.”

When demand for electricity rises, so do the costs. “When the cooperative purchases large amounts of energy during peak periods over the course of a year, it puts upward pressure on the electricity rates the co-op and our members pay,” says Howle. “By ‘beating the peak’, we can all save a significant amount of money by keeping wholesale power costs low and stable.”

How you can help

It’s easy.  Sign up to participate in the Beat the Peak program to receive alerts by text message, email or phone.  “When you get an alert, make a conscious effort to shift energy use to other times of the day,” says Cooper, adding that the purpose of the effort isn’t to stop using individual appliances altogether, just use them during times when the demand for electricity is not high.

“Shifting energy use to different hours of the day will help hold down everyone’s costs,” says Howle. “If we can work together, it’s a win-win for all members and the co-op.”

Ready to help?  Sign up here and don’t miss out on the video, which explains the program, at the top of the sign-up page.

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Beat the Peak is an initiative intended to introduce members to the concept of ‘peak demand’ periods and why those particular times are important to their electric cooperative.

 

The annual North vs. South ballgame, organized by the S.C. Athletic Coaches Association, returns to Doug Shaw Memorial Stadium on Saturday, December 10 with a 12:30 p.m. kickoff.

Outstanding players in their senior year of high school are selected for the game by coaches from across the state. The match-up, now in its 69th year, is the oldest continuous all-star football game in the South.

Two local players; Keyonte Sessions, defensive back for Myrtle Beach High School and Peyton Derrick, quarterback for Conway High School, will both be playing in the game this year.

“We’re proud to recognize Keyonte and Peyton, both of whom are outstanding student athletes,” says James P. “Pat” Howle, executive vice president and CEO of Horry Electric. “We wish both of them the best of luck as they prepare to participate in the 2016 Touchstone Energy Cooperatives Bowl!”

This marks the fourth year Touchstone Energy Cooperatives in South Carolina have sponsored the bowl game. The first 500 fans to enter the stadium on game day will get a free Touchstone Energy seat cushion.

“Horry Electric is proud to be associated with this event, which showcases talent from all across South Carolina,” says Howle. The match-up, which is now in is 69th year, is the oldest continuous all-star football game in the South.

Tickets are $20 at the gate. The game will be broadcast live on the South Carolina Radio Network. You can learn more about the event by following them on Twitter @NorthSouthFB.

 

 

 

The November/December 2016 edition of South Carolina Living magazine was delivered to mailboxes of subscribing members last week. Horry Electric’s local content, as well as the main part of the magazine, are available online.

This is the last edition of the magazine to be published in 2016.

Horry Electric highlights include:

• CEO Column -We made it through – Recovery from Hurricane Matthew took all hands on deck, including our members
• Horry Electric News – highlights include Happy 100th to Ms. Johnson; Do you have special medical needs and an ad featuring our new program – Beat the Peak!
• 75 Acts of Kindness – a wrap up of the community projects funded during the celebration of Horry Electric’s 75th anniversary
• How to become a trustee of Horry Electric and the 2017 Annual Meeting Time Schedule.

 

 

 

The October 2016 edition of South Carolina Living magazine was delivered to mailboxes of subscribing members when so many of us were busy with cleaning up from Hurricane Matthew. Horry Electric’s local content, as well as the main part of the magazine, are available online.

Horry Electric highlights include:

• CEO Column – Saving you money; New program lets members manage energy costs
• Operation RoundUp update and feature: Co-op charitable program ‘a very, very helpful thing,’ merchant says
• Commitment to Community – that’s the cooperative principle behind HEC’s 75 Acts of Kindness – a re-cap of 32 more of Horry Electric’s 75 Acts of Kindness
• Convenient payment options – Bank Draft remains the easiest, most convenient, but there are local pay stations and other options.