York Electric Cooperative, Inc.

May marked another year of serving you and a successful annual meeting for your cooperative. We had many exciting moments, including the highest record of members who registered and voted in our history, our first Fort Mill annual meeting location and free hot dogs served by the York Rotary Club.

Annual meeting season is a time I use to reflect on what we’ve accomplished, where we are and how we plan to continue serving you with excellence. I’m grateful our Lord blessed us with another year without a major injury or large-scale outage, employees who live and breathe service, a dedicated board of trustees and the privilege we have to serve you and the communities we share.

Last month, capital credits were returned to members, breaking our record yet again by giving back $2.6 million. Continuing to return more money to members each year not only shows the financial health of your cooperative, but it also exemplifies the cooperative difference, our unique business model and the value of your membership.

Looking ahead, we are excited to be in the final stretches of our Rural Internet Project. Now, more than 4,500 members have access to high-speed internet that didn’t before. We’ve also kept your rates stable for the past 12 years and plan to continue that trend through this year. We continue implementing new technologies to mitigate outages, making your service more reliable than it has ever been before. This includes upgrades to several substations, researching, developing and implementing programs to support and educate our members who choose to own electric vehicles and planning for growth to ensure a robust infrastructure for the communities, businesses and members we serve.

Additionally, we are focused on the research and development of smart devices that can help our members monitor their energy use and save money. Your co-op is proud to be your trusted energy advisor, supporting you with the facts and educational materials so that you can make the best choices on implementing the new tools and technologies available in the market.

This wouldn’t be possible without the ability to focus solely on our members by way of the cooperative business model. We exist for you, our business is democratically controlled by you and, at your co-op, you have a voice. Your support of the cooperative business model keeps your cooperative’s business in your hands, run by a locally elected board of trustees. The alternative, which includes multiple layers of regulation, wouldn’t allow us to do the right things for the right reasons, for the best interest of our members. Thank you for allowing us to continue to look out for you as your neighbor, as your friend, as your family—as your co-op.

Sincerely,

Paul Basha
President and Chief Executive Officer

YEC’S 2023 Annual Meeting was one for the record books. The co-op registered 4,882 members at its two-day drive-thru event, the highest number registering and voting in YEC’s history.

During the drive-thru event, members were presented a ballot to vote on three uncontested board seats. Tom Settlemyre, Scott Good and Jack Cornwell were reelected to serve 3-year terms.

Additionally, members voted on their preference for annual meeting logistics and their registration gift. The results were tallied as follows:

• 3,727 members voted for your co-op to continue drive-thru registration.
• 703 members voted for an in-person meeting.
• 4,370 members voted for a power bill credit.
• 71 members voted for a tangible gift.

We thank all our members who participated in the Annual Meeting.

YEC President and CEO Paul Basha recently conducted one-on-one interviews with all employees. He learned the thing employees like most about working at YEC is our family environment. Our team not only treats each other as family, but we are proud to extend the same level of service and care to our members. Employees Larry Self, LaToya Ellis, Monica Hambright and Shane Baker (from left), worked together to greet, register and present this year’s ballot to members in Fort Mill.

Grand Prize winners, Ellen and Angel Weatherly

Marion Comer, York Electric Cooperative, Inc. (YEC) member serving as a Trustee for District 2, submitted his resignation to the YEC Board of Trustees in April. The employees of YEC, fellow board members and the communities we serve appreciate his support and dedicated work during his 12 years of service.

Comer was always an advocate for reliable service for YEC members. He knew from his years of equipment sales that good materials, good tools and good people can get the job done. Speaking of those people, Comer was always supportive of taking care of our greatest asset— our employees—so that we can continue taking care of YEC members. The YEC team is grateful for his contribution to our cooperative.

Upon his resignation, the Board of Trustees voted to leave this seat vacant until the members of the cooperative can vote on qualified candidates at the 2024 annual meeting of members. Details on the qualifications for interested candidates will be published in the November/December 2023 local pages of South Carolina Living. Please note, the elected candidate to fill the vacant seat will be required to run again in 2025 for this seat’s normal three-year term.

May marks YEC’S 82nd year of serving our members. As we hold our annual meeting this month—giving you a place to exercise your voice, vote and membership—I thought I would share how your co-op champions the small-business-feel with the positive attributes of a corporate business.

We pride ourselves in knowing our members and providing that personal touch for your service transactions. We proudly have locals looking out for you, employing over 120 members of our community that you recognize from school, choir practice, the grocery store or ball practice. On the other hand, the services we can provide members through technology and business benefits remind you of a large corporation. Here’s how we do both.

Co-ops have a long history of being team players. We partner with organizations across the state so that we secure the best deals, best rates and most support for our members.

Let’s start with power supply. Central Electric Power Cooperative, Inc. is the generation and transmission power cooperative for YEC and the other 19 cooperatives in the state. Together with the other distribution cooperatives, we own and control Central so we can get the best wholesale power rate for our members. Additionally, since Central handles our pooled generation and transmission needs, your co-op has more time to focus on what matters most—our members. Not only does this help keep your electric rates low, but it also allows YEC to focus on our job of distributing power throughout our service territory.

YEC also purchases a large amount of materials and supplies since we own and operate nearly 4,200 miles of infrastructure, have more than $248 million in assets and serve approximately 68,000 members. We have the buying power to get a good deal, but being part of a larger team helps us get our members the best deal. Decades ago, South Carolina electric cooperatives formed a utility supply buying organization called CEEUS. This company helps YEC and the other co-ops get an excellent price on the poles, wire and equipment we buy each day.

We are also part of the statewide trade association called The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina (ECSC). They help us with political and legal issues, getting help when our area is hit by major storms and training our linemen and other employees. Without ECSC, your cooperative would need its own attorneys, instructors, political experts and communications teams. In fact, the magazine you have in your hands was produced by ECSC.

The cooperatives of this state even pool our resources when it comes to economic development. The SC Power Team helps South Carolina’s electric cooperatives attract industry, and its associated jobs and investment, to co-op territory. Improving the quality of life for our members is one of the main ways your co-op looks out for you. Not only are good jobs an asset to the communities we serve, but serving large accounts that buy power around the clock keeps your co-op’s costs down and your rates low.

Your co-op’s teamwork not only makes a direct impact to the investment and service we provide our members, but it also allows us to focus on being the place where everybody knows your name.

Sincerely,

Paul Basha
President and Chief Executive Officer

At York Electric, we recognize Electrical Safety Month every May, but we also know the importance of practicing safety year-round. From our co-op crews to you, our valuable members, we know everyone has a part to play in prioritizing safety.

We not only live and breathe safety here at YEC, but we also aim to educate our members and communities, doing our part to keep safety as a forethought instead of the “coulda, woulda, shoulda” after an accident. Our team hosts safety demonstrations at community events, discusses electrical safety at schools, posts about safety on social media and writes about it in our monthly communications. We encourage you to read our library of safety information and watch our videos.

Here are a few simple tips to encourage you stay safe in your home:

• Frayed wires pose a serious safety hazard. Power cords can become damaged or frayed from age, heavy use or excessive current flow through the wiring. If cords become frayed or cut, replace them as soon as possible.
• Avoid overloading circuits. Overload happens when you draw more electricity than a circuit can safely handle—by having too many devices running on one circuit.
• Label circuit breakers to understand the circuits in your home. Contact a qualified electrician if your home is more than 40 years old and you need to install multiple large appliances that use large amounts of electricity.
• Use extension cords properly. Never plug an extension cord into another extension cord. If you “daisy chain” them together, it could lead to overheating, creating a potential fire hazard. Don’t exceed the wattage of the cord. Doing so also creates a risk of overloading the cord and creating a fire hazard. Extension cords should not be used as permanent solutions. If you need additional outlets, contact a licensed electrician to help.

It’s been 82 great years of being your electric cooperative, where locals are looking out for you and the value of your membership has never been greater. I’d like to personally invite you and your family to our convenient drive-thru annual meeting to register and vote on Wednesday, May 3, 2023, 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., in Fort Mill (2000 Highway 21), or on Saturday, May 6, 7:30 a.m. until 2 p.m., in York at our main office (1385 E. Alexander Love Hwy). We’re bringing back a crowd favorite and adding a new location so that it’s even easier to exercise your voice as a member-owner of York Electric Cooperative. 

[PDF] 2023 Annual Meeting Drive-Thru Registration & Voting

2.4 MB

[PDF] 2022 Audited Financial Report

3.3 MB

New location

For the first time, we will host a new registration and voting area in Fort Mill on Wednesday, May 3, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at our operations center at 2000 Highway 21, right across from Captain Steve’s. To accommodate this new location for the annual meeting, our Fort Mill branch office will be closed on May 3.

You’ll find a map on the back of the April issue of South Carolina Living magazine and here on our website to help direct you to this location if this is the most convenient option for you to register and vote as a member of YEC. The same smiling faces will be there to help you through the line. Please remember to bring a valid photo ID to register for your $25 power bill credit and vote as a co-op member. Additionally, all persons who register in Fort Mill will be included in all prize drawings during the business meeting, as well as a special drawing for a $500 power bill credit for one lucky member who registers at our new location.

Oldie, but goodie

Hot dog, the hot dogs are back! This year, we will give away hot dogs to members in York on Saturday, May 6 beginning at 9 a.m., while supplies last. We once again appreciate the support of the York Rotary Club, who will help us prepare 8,000 dogs for our members. There will be a designated section for members to pull their cars around after voting and registration to receive their free bag of hot dogs.

Registration, voting and prizes

Each member who attends the annual meeting must bring a valid photo ID to register for their $25 power bill credit and vote at either our Fort Mill location on Wednesday, May 3, or in York at our main office on Saturday, May 6. Members are eligible to attend one of the two registration and voting opportunities. Each membership is eligible for only one vote and registration.

Our team is excited to see you and your family as we celebrate 82 years of service, community and improving quality of life in our area. We’re locals looking out for you!

PAUL BASHA
President and Chief Executive Officer

2023 Annual Meeting Trustee Elections

DISTRICT 1
Uncontested
Incumbent, nominated by petition
Max T. Settlemyre
269 Hemmingway Lane
Fort Mill, SC 29708

DISTRICT 2
Uncontested
Incumbent, nominated by petition
Scott Good
205 S. Shiloh Rd.
York, SC 29745

DISTRICT 3
Uncontested
Incumbent, nominated by petition
E. Jack Cornwell
2440 Neely Store Rd.
Rock Hill, SC 29730

If you were a member of York Electric Cooperative for any period between Jan. 1, 2007–Jan. 31, 2020, you may receive an unexpected bill credit or check this month.

These credits (for amounts of $50 or less) and checks (for amounts greater than $50) are the result of a class-action settlement involving the failed nuclear construction project at V.C. Summer Nuclear Generating Station. The funds are being paid by Santee Cooper, a state-owned utility that partially owned the project.

 YEC did not own the project. However, because we buy from Santee Cooper some of the power we deliver to our members, some members may be due bill credits or payments. Your cooperative did not calculate the payments. They resulted from a court-approved process after a settlement agreement was reached between the parties in the class-action lawsuit.

Cook v. Santee Cooper Class Action Lawsuit Website

Frequently Asked Questions

Santee Cooper Class Action Lawsuit Settlement Funds Distribution

1. I noticed a credit on my bill (or, I got a check in the mail) for something related to a class action settlement. What’s that about?
   A class-action lawsuit was filed in 2017 following the failure of the construction project for two nuclear units at the V.C. Summer Nuclear Generating Station in Fairfield County. Santee Cooper and SCE&G (now Dominion Energy) were the owners of the project. The lawsuit argued that consumers should not have to pay for the nearly $9 billion in costs that were sunk into the failed project and essentially lost with nothing to show for them. Your cooperative was not a party to the case, but your rights were affected. Before the lawsuit went to trial, the parties came to an agreement and settled the suit. The settlement agreement called for $520 million to be returned to customers of Santee Cooper and the members of electric cooperatives.
2. How were the credits issued?
   Cooperative members who were due more than $50 got a check in the mail. Cooperative members who were paid $50 or less got a credit on their electricity bill.
3. Did the cooperatives—and specifically my cooperative—own part of the failed nuclear units?
   No. But our power supplier, Central Electric Power Cooperative, buys a lot of the power we use from Santee Cooper. And Central was required to pay for part of the construction project while it was ongoing. So, Central and York Electric Cooperative’s members are due some of the settlement funds that are being returned. That’s why you’re getting a payment.
4. Is the bill credit I got this month all there is?
   Yes. The first bill credit or payment members received in 2020 represented about 70% of the amount coming to you. A second credit or payment for the remaining 30% is being applied in February or March. That’s the way the plan was set up by the court. We don’t have control over the timing.
5. My bill credit sure was small. Why so little?
   Payments were calculated based on how much electricity you purchased during a specific time period through January 31, 2020. So, if you were only a member for a short amount of time before then, you really didn’t pay much for the nuclear plant’s construction.
6. Why didn’t I get any money?
   The class in the class-action lawsuit included only those people who were members through January 31, 2020. So, if you came online with the cooperative afterward, you did not have charges on your electric bill inside the class period.
7. How was my amount calculated?
   Your share of the settlement was based on your power use, but York Electric Cooperative did not perform the final calculation. That was between the court and the firm hired to administer the settlement, a firm called Epiq (pronounced eh’-pic), a global firm in the legal services industry. If you have any questions regarding the administration of the Settlement, you may contact the Settlement Administrator. Please include your name and your return address on all correspondence.

• Cook v. SCPSA, Class Action Administrator, P.O. Box 3127, Portland, OR 97208-3127
• 1-833-947-0894 (Toll-Free)
• Email: info@SanteeCooperClassAction.com
• Frequently Asked Questions (external link)