Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels and Miss America 2009 Katie Stam open the 75th Annual Meeting of the Indiana Statewide of Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives in Indianapolis in December. Daniels spoke about the state’s economy and energy policies. Stam, who grew up as a member of Jackson County REMC, sang “America the Beautiful.” She then came back later for a program that included her mother and shared her experiences as Miss America. She also presented the first Electric Consumer/Indiana cooperatives’ “Youth Power and Hope Awards” to the five community-minded students who won the awards and celebrated their achievement with them at a luncheon in their honor.Photos by Richard G. Biever
Indiana electric co-ops celebrate diamond anniversary at annual meeting
The 75th annual meeting of the Indiana Statewide Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives, themed “Powerful tradition, powerful future,” confronted the questions of how to keep electricity reliable and affordable in the future. Speakers and presentations touched on the political, economic and technological issues facing the electric utility industry. The meeting was held in Indianapolis, Dec. 17-18.
“We must assume a leadership role,” Glenn English, CEO of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, told the gathering of mostly Indiana co-op directors and managers. “Electric cooperatives are creative people, innovative people, and people who will give sincere counsel in doing what’s right for this nation.”
Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, the lead-off speaker, said to meet the state and nation’s growing energy needs the choice of sources must be “all of the above.”
Daniels said he’s enthusiastic about Indiana’s lead in developing new wind energy and clean coal technology, and, soon, manufacturing solar panels. “But we also passed math in the third grade,” he said. “Third grade arithmetic tells us unless we intend to simply default and accept Second World-status economically, we’re going to need to produce an awful lot of energy in this country from the resources we have, specifically coal and natural gas.”
Daniels minced no words talking about the climate change bill passed by the House of Representatives last June. He called it “the most anti-Indiana” vote he’d seen in his public life. He noted there are a number of technical issues about global warming and its cause that have not been answered.
“I don’t need to see these questions settled to know policies that would impoverish this country — and our state more than any other — need to carry a very high burden of proof,” Daniels said. “Before you impose massive new costs, massive new paralyzing controls on an economy which is in severe straits already, you better have an iron-clad case.”
Daniels said the burden of proof has not been met and that the proposed onerous policies, by all computer models, won’t even have an effect on easing climate change.
If Congress fails to pass a law on CO2 emissions, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said in December it will impose carbon controls on its own. Daniels told the meeting-goers it should bother people that when carbon controls were stymied through the democratic process, “the people’s branch of government,” as he put it, “the next resort is to say, ‘Then we’ll do it to you through the EPA. And by the way, it’ll be even worse than if you played ball.’
“That’s the way dictators talk. That’s the way autocrats talk. That has no place in the United States of America even if their policy was right, and I don’t think it is,” Daniels said to much applause.
Along with English and Daniels, other meeting highlights included: Purdue University professors Audeen Fentiman and Marty Irwin speaking on the future of coal and nuclear; noted economics professor Ed Seifried speaking on the future of the economy; Indiana’s 2009 Youth Leadership Council Representative Blake Kleaving; presentations on the smart grid and electrical generation and transmission; Utilities District of Western Indiana REMC board president James S. Weimer who spoke during a remembrance ceremony; presentation of the Youth Power and Hope Awards by Miss America 2009 Katie Stam; and an update on Indiana Statewide by Bruce Graham, CEO of Indiana Statewide, and Statewide’s out-going board president Bob Hippensteel.
New Statewide officers electedOrange County REMC Director Rodney Hager was elected president of the Indiana Statewide Association of Rural Electric Cooperatives, Inc., during the association’s annual meeting Dec. 17.
Hager previously served as Indiana Statewide’s vice president and secretary-treasurer.
Larry Fetters moved up to Indiana Statewide’s vice president after a term as its secretary-treasurer. He is also vice president of LaGrange County REMC.
Elected to fill Fetters’ spot as secretary-treasurer of the statewide association was Mark Evans, treasurer of Parke County REMC.
Elected to join the officers on the association’s executive committee were: David Cox, Newton County REMC; Karen Heltzel, Fulton County REMC; Donald Burnham, Central Indiana Power; and Ron Arnholt, Bartholomew County REMC.
Youth Power & Hope winners honored
Indiana’s first Youth Power & Hope Award winners gather for their special private luncheon with Miss America 2009 Katie Stam, seated in center, in Indianapolis, Dec. 17. From left are winners Jacoby Begley, Kori Brown, Katrina Messmer, Emily Davis and Elizabeth Webb. The contest, sponsored by Electric Consumer and Indiana’s electric co-ops, celebrated the community service of young people, grades 5-8. Profiles of the five winners were featured in the
December issue.
Fourth charity auction sets new markIndividuals attending the annual meeting participated in a silent auction of 48 gift baskets assembled by Indiana’s electric cooperatives.
When bidding closed, $9,072 was raised for the Ronald McDonald House of Indiana.
This was the fourth year for the basket auction which raised $8,535 in 2008, $6,710 in 2007 and $3,200 in 2006.