York Electric Cooperative, Inc.

York Electric Cooperative combats rising costs

One of our most important jobs is to keep the price of electricity down. We haven’t had a base rate increase in more than 12 years because we’ve trimmed expenses wherever we could. But not everything is in our control. Here are just a few challenges we’re seeing:

Inflation

Inflation isn’t just driving up the price of groceries. Utility poles cost much more than they did a few years ago. The price of electric transformers has soared from $874 in 2019 to $1,360 today. We also carry some of the highest property tax burdens in the counties we serve.

Interest rates also have risen significantly in recent years. To deliver the reliable power you have come to expect, we borrow money to make upgrades to our electric system. Those higher rates have caused our interest expenses to increase.

V.C. Summer and the Cook case

A few years ago, two South Carolina utilities tried and failed to expand the V.C. Summer nuclear power plant. South Carolina’s electric co-ops buy the bulk of our power from one of those utilities, Santee Cooper, and must share in the costs of their capital projects, successful or not.

In the wake of that project’s cancellation, Santee Cooper settled a class-action lawsuit and agreed to a four-year rate freeze that kept our power costs stable. Since then, a series of unfortunate events—including major storms, a fire at a supplier’s coal mine and global events that drove up the price of fuel— have added about $680 million to Santee Cooper’s balance sheet.

Those new expenses will get passed down to their consumers—including our co-op—after the rate freeze ends on Dec. 31. We are negotiating to spread those payments over a longer time, which will soften their impact on power bills.

Energy policy

Recently, the federal government has pushed hard to reduce carbon emissions, requiring power providers to adopt unproven and expensive technologies.

They may have good intentions, but those regulations will make the cost of producing power—and buying it—go up. When it comes to energy policy, we work diligently with our state legislators and congressional representatives to make sure our voices are heard.

What we’re doing about it

York Electric has maintained the lowest controllable expenses in South Carolina, saving our members approximately $14 million in comparison to the median reported controllable expense amount in the state. This is something we track monthly to be sure we are doing all we can to help ease the burden of these new costs.

York Electric is working to determine if a rate change is necessary to provide safe and reliable power in the future. We’ll also continue to offer assistance and innovative programs to help our members save on their energy bills, as well as encouraging you to help hold down power costs through programs like Beat The Peak.

I think it’s important for members to be aware of these challenges. In upcoming columns, I’ll revisit these factors in more detail. There are many important questions still to be answered, but you have my promise that we will be transparent and proactive as we work to keep your power affordable.

YEC hosts annual Member Appreciation Shred Day

Your co-op is celebrating your membership in October by hosting our Annual Member Appreciation Shred Event. We are partnering with locally owned, veteran-operated Carolina Shred to safely and securely shred your sensitive documents.

Who is invited? All York Electric Cooperative members

When? Saturday, Oct. 5, 9 a.m. until noon

Where? Two locations will be available for members to attend during this date and time:

• YEC’s main office, 1385 E. Alexander Love Hwy
• Fort Mill: Carolina Shred Headquarters, 3356 SC Hwy. 51

What should you do? Gather any documents of which you need to safely dispose and bring them to one of our two locations. Documents will be securely shredded on site. Please remove any trash and debris, especially batteries and electronics, from your shredding material.

Why? So YEC can celebrate our members!

Save the date

Don't forget to save the date for our annual Veterans Day Celebration on Monday, November 11, 2024. Our team is ready to honor you.

Details about what to expect will be in October’s South Carolina Living and here on our website.

YEC sends local students on summer youth trips

By Josh P. Crotzer

The view from the bucket of a utility truck looking out over a rural horizon certainly looks different than the view from the steps of the U.S. Capitol. Both, though, are places where local high school students stood and gained new perspectives, along with peers from across the Palmetto State, on life-changing summer trips sponsored by York Electric and South Carolina’s electric cooperatives.

Char McDowell of Clover, Heather Greenwald of Indian Land and Lilly Burke of York were among 57 South Carolina teens who traveled to the nation’s capital in June through the co-ops’ Washington Youth Tour. Ellie Dismukes of York, Peyton Sellers of Tega Cay and Angel Weaver of Fort Mill also joined 42 other high school students for Cooperative Youth Summit in July in Columbia and Newberry.

The Washington Youth Tourists spent six days visiting monuments, museums and memorials. They also went to the U.S. Capitol, where they met with congressional staff. Afterward, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham and U.S. Sen. Tim Scott talked with the students and answered their questions on the Capitol steps.

For Greenwald, the day at the Capitol felt like a glimpse into her future.

“Our tour guide told us that out of all the statues of important people there, there was a space missing for the first female president,” says Greenwald. “When I heard that, I thought that could be me. I have a lot of things in mind that I’d like to do to improve our nation.”

Back in the state capital, Youth Summit students embarked on a four-day exploration of their state government, civic engagement and the cooperative business model. In addition to a visit to the S.C. Statehouse and Gov. Henry McMaster’s office, students had the opportunity to ask questions about current events, as well as state and national politics, with Senator Mike Fanning and Representative Micah Caskey. They toured Newberry Electric Cooperative’s headquarters, where buckets trucks lifted many of them more than 100 feet in the air.

They also participated in a public speaking competition, in which teams developed presentations arguing for and against current political and cultural issues, such as banning TikTok and subsidizing electric vehicles. Sellers’ team, which argued against EV subsidization, won the competition—and a $1,000 prize apiece.

“I really enjoyed all the activities, like riding in the bucket,” says Sellers. “I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in politics or anything else. It was just so fun and there’s so many people who want to go into different things here.”

Shining a light on September’s National Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month

By Porter W. Gable

Longtime York County resident, Cheslie Kryst, made our area famous after winning Miss USA in 2019 and becoming an Emmy-nominated correspondent for the entertainment news show Extra.

To onlookers, Kryst appeared to have it all—team captain for Fort Mill High School track and cheerleading, academic scholar, University of South Carolina Honors College graduate and collegiate track star and the only student in her class to simultaneously earn a Juris Doctor and Master of Business Administration at Wake Forest University. Following graduation, she became a civil litigation attorney, licensed to practice law in both North and South Carolina.

For everyone who knew her, Kryst was the light in the room. But few knew about her years of silently battling mental illness. In 2022, Kryst died by suicide.

After her death, Kryst’s mother, April Simpkins, completed her daughter’s memoir, By the Time You Read This, about her daughter’s struggle between her many accomplishments and the reality of how she saw herself. Simpkins, who has lived in York County with her husband, David, for more than 20 years, has worked closely with York Electric Cooperative’s leadership for several years and currently serves as the chairwoman for the York County Regional Chamber. She is an ambassador for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness, and a board member for NAMI Piedmont Tri-County.

Her book provides a glimpse at Kryst’s beautiful life coupled with her hidden mental illness and celebrates her bravery to fight her disease for as long as she did. Her family’s story illustrates the need for advocacy, education and normalcy surrounding mental wellness. We can’t assume that the most outwardly confident people don’t struggle with their mental health. Success, money, fame—looking like you have it together—doesn’t mean you do.

“What Cheslie experienced isn’t uncommon,” says Simpkins. People are expected to perform at a consistent level of mental toughness. But when and how do we unpack the proverbial boxes of stress, anxiety, pain or negative thoughts we inevitably have in our day-to-day lives? Many times, we put on a brave face and live in the moment to maintain our power, strength and persona for others by boxing up our feelings and storing them to deal with another time. Simpkins discusses the importance of “finding a safe space to unpack your boxes.”

“Cheslie was a person just like everyone else,” says Simpkins, who has earned a Mental Health First Aid Certification and is also trained in Emotional CPR. “Although she was a celebrity, her feelings and battle with mental illness were real. I want everyone to know there is hope, there is help and you’re never alone.”

For Simpkins, losing a child—and the paralyzing grief she describes—is something parents share as their greatest fear. Loss, no matter what kind, requires those grieving to learn a new normal, living without a key part of their lives. Simpkins shares the rawness of her personal experience after Kryst’s death with the goal of normalizing the discussion of feeling mentally unwell.

She uses the example of how people will openly discuss their back pain but will typically hide how they are feeling mentally. Her transparency about her grief journey is intentional. She hopes her openness empowers people to speak up about their own mental health struggles. But for people to do so, Simpkins stresses the need for trust and safe spaces, something her family did not experience from others in the aftermath of her daughter’s suicide.

Simpkins, who has addressed audiences internationally on the topics of leadership, culture, DEI and mental health in the workplace, also highlights the importance of mental wellness in her professional life. She is a champion for those in need through her nonprofit work.

“Statistically, more than 80% of employees want an employer who prioritizes their mental health,” she says. “In order to break the stigma, we have to be willing to talk about it.” Through advocacy and education, Simpkins prioritizes changing the narrative about mental illness. She stresses the distinction between mental health and mental illness.

Simpkins suggests learning to be accepting and how to meet people where they are in their mental health journey by creating a judgement-free, safe space for people to express how they feel. For those struggling with mental illness, Simpkins implores them to keep seeking a circle of support.

“The people within your support circle aren’t necessarily who you would think and aren’t always your family, but they become family,” she shares.

Mental illness doesn’t always appear boldly like many other diseases. It is our job to “check on our strong friends, our smart friends, our cool friends, our colleagues and our family” as National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) CEO Daniel H. Gillison, Jr. writes in the afterword of the book.

If you are struggling, take the first step to wellness and contact your local NAMI chapter or call the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. NAMI is an alliance of more than 600 local affiliates and 49 state organizations that works in local communities to raise awareness and provide support and education that was not previously available to those in need. Learn more at nami.org.

The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress and prevention and crisis resources for people and their loved ones. If you are in need or are helping someone in need, call 988 for support.

YEC knows supporting young artists’ creativity encourages critical thinking, problem-solving, and innovation, while also helping them learn resilience, adaptability, and the ability to approach challenges with optimism.

These skills and qualities are essential in all aspects of life, but most importantly, in ensuring we have a thriving and vibrant community for years to come. We’re more than just your power provider; we are local people looking out for you and building a better quality of life for everyone.

Below you will find the stories of two young students who are this year’s art competition winners and the future’s creative leaders.

Artistic goals

Gold Hill Middle School student artist Ishana Kunapureddy shows York Electric what the power of community means to her. In her work, she shows people connected by a string of lights, symbolizing the connection YEC brings to our neighbors.

Interested in all kinds of art, Kunapureddy plans to continue exploring her creativity. “I like art a lot and would like to study it later on. Fashion design is one of my favorite areas,” she shares.

As this year’s winner, Kunapureddy won $100 and the chance to have her artwork shown on all YEC vehicles until June 2024.

Want to participate next year? Visit our magnet contest page to learn more.

Coloring for safety

Young student artist Rileigh Hatzenbuehler of Rock Hill is the winner of the 2024 Linemen Gear Up for Safety Coloring Contest for students ages 6-7. Berger enjoys drawing in school and making art at home.

“I had so much fun coloring. I love art and trying new things,” Hatzenbuehler shares during her tour of our facilities. As the winner, Berger received $50 and a YEC hardhat, signed by all our dedicated linemen.

Want to learn more? Visit our coloring contest page.

We do our best to avoid power disruptions, but they are inevitable from time to time. Here are some key things to know about the work we do and what you can expect in an outage.

1. We need you. Ensuring you have the correct phone number on file is key so that our team can efficiently identify your account and communicate important outage updates.

2. We have high expectations. Our goal is to be onsite working to restore service within one hour, except in cases of large storms. Although every outage is different, our team is trained to work as quickly as possible to plan for restoration without compromising the integrity of service for other members.

3. Our employees might be affected, too. YEC is proud to have locals looking out for you, which means our employees share this same community. If your power is out, it is likely our power is out at home, too.

4. Our priority is safety. Our crews focus on responding first to public safety issues and critical services. Then, we complete work that impacts the largest number of members. Besides working around high voltage electricity, our crews are also often working in severe weather conditions.

5. We’re prepared for this. Aside from maintaining a five-year right-of- way trimming cycle, we invest in planning and building a resilient grid. Keeping rights-of-way trimmed allows us to safely and easily access our equipment and help prevent tree-related outages. Additionally, our smart devices allow us to isolate outages so that we can quickly restore service for members who are unaffected by the damages. Your reliability begins in the planning and construction of your service. When possible, we like to provide two different power sources, creating a loop, to serve members. This allows your co-op more flexibility in an outage situation, strengthens our grid, and creates less disruption for our members.

6. Flickering lights are sometimes a good thing. Flickering lights are not outages. These “blinks” indicate our equipment worked and prevented a possible outage.

7. You need a plan. If you depend on electricity for life support purposes, you should have a backup plan. It is also helpful to always have a supply kit to stay safe in a storm. You can learn more online in our storm center.

8. Sometimes, it’s a waiting game. Our portion of the power grid is connected to transmission lines from other utilities. If your outage is due to an issue from their equipment serving our system, we must let them do their repairs first.

9. It’s a team effort. When the power goes out, all hands are on deck to get the job done. We plan for this, and everyone goes to work to do their part to efficiently restore service, no matter the time of day or day of the year.

If you experience an outage, please let us know by calling PowerTouch, 1 (866) 374-1234, or you can text OUTAGE to 352667. As always it is our privilege to look out for you and provide you with service excellence.

Your board in action

Continued training and education for current and new board members is ongoing. To serve you with excellence, York Electric Trustees spend a great deal of time learning about industry challenges, the cooperative business model and new technologies that might benefit our members.

We are looking forward to hosting and celebrating our members again this year with three important events.

Sept 19—Hot Dogs for Heroes

If you are a first responder, we invite you to enjoy a hot dog lunch at YEC’s main office, 1385 E. Alexander Love Hwy. from 11:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. Our team will be here to serve you and thank you for keeping our community safe and healthy. We’re partnering with Hungry Heroes again! Learn more about how Hungry Heroes supports our community.

More details will be shared in the coming months for:

Member Appreciation Shred Day—Saturday, Oct. 5

Veterans Day Celebration—Monday, Nov. 11

Students hold the keys to success

We wish each of these students well and congratulate them on taking the next step towards a brighter future. Learn more about our scholarships and these students.

2024 $1,000 Touchstone Energy Scholarship Recipients

Alexandra Becze

Catawba Ridge High SchoolParents: Jacquelyn Parris and Brian Becze; Arts Management, College of Charleston

Timothy Simpson

Fort Mill High SchoolParents: Dalia and Mark Simpson; Computer Information Systems, University of South Carolina

Katie Buehler

Indian Land High SchoolParents: Pamela and Jonathan Buehler; Business Administration, University of South Carolina

Laura Skroban

Northwestern High SchoolParents: Leane and Karl Skroban; Dental Hygiene, East Tennessee State University

Garrett Brown

South Pointe High SchoolParents: Sarah and David Brown; Mechanical Engineering, Clemson University

Cameron Hefner

York Comprehensive High SchoolParents: Kelly and Robert Hefner; Animal and Veterinary Science, Clemson University

Brooke Taylor

Clover High SchoolParents: Melissa and Rodger Taylor; Business Administration, Clemson University

Colette Dismukes

Home SchoolParents: Kimberly and Thomas Dismukes; Business Administration, Erskine College

Carena Tollefson

Nation Ford High SchoolParents: Sarah and Chris Tollefson; Cybersecurity, Dakota State University

Ellison Briggs

Rock Hill High SchoolParents: Meredith and Joseph Briggs; Special Education, University of South Carolina

Chase Dillingham

Westminster Catawba Christian SchoolParents: Heather and Paul Dillingham; Electrical Lineworking, Horry Georgetown Technical College

Olivia Rogers

York Preparatory AcademyParents: Robin and Gary Rogers; Biology, Coastal Carolina University

2024 $1,000 Technical Advantage Scholarship

$500 Work-Based Learning Scholarship

Luis Govea

York Comprehensive High SchoolParents: Esperanza Hernandez and Roberto Govea; Construction Management, York Technical College

Jenna Harris

York Comprehensive High SchoolParents: Jennifer and Chris Harris; Lander University, Nursing

Unclaimed Capital Credits

Each year, York Electric attempts to contact members who have relocated and are no longer served by the Cooperative to return capital credits. Do you think you might be on the list? Even after you move, your membership carries value.

If you know any friends or family members who might be included on the list, or you think YEC might owe you money, please search for their names or your name in our database (may take a moment to load.)

After all, the money is yours and we want to get it to you! If you see your name, please contact our member services team at (803) 684-4248 so that we can process your account. Learn more about capital credits and the value of your membership.

Be sure to read on for an extensive Q&A with York Electric’s new CEO, Craig Spencer, in which he discusses his vision for York Electric, his leadership style, and his thoughts on best practices, all followed by a brief bio. 

Although it is my first time connecting with you in the CEO space, I feel privileged to have served you throughout my career, helping to design a robust and reliable electric distribution system. My focus on our members, just as it has been for the previous 32 years, will remain top priority as I grow and learn in my new role. During this transition, it is important that you know our commitment will not waver. Your co-op will remain your trusted source for safe and reliable power and information, a place where employees are our greatest asset and where we’re always looking out for you.

We’ve been hard at work with some exciting updates to increase the resilience of our system. Our new Allison Creek substation will be online by the end of summer, providing more capacity in the Lake Wylie area. This substation is served with a new transmission line, providing more reliable service and opportunities to isolate outages and restore services faster when outages occur. Grading bids for two additional substations in the Fort Mill area are also underway. The substations will add over 40 megawatts of capacity to better serve the growth we are experiencing in this area. Lastly, our road construction for the Spring Lake Business Park is in progress. YEC has partnered with the City of York to spur economic development for increased commercial use in this area as residential development continues to prosper.

We stay busy behind the scenes here at your co-op making continuous improvements to the electrical system, planning for the future and combatting rising prices to hold down the cost of power. However, we are never too busy to listen to you—our members. I want you to know that I’m willing and ready to learn from you as your co-op’s new leader. Gaining wisdom from you is the only way we will succeed in continuing to serve you with excellence. Similarly, to me, it always makes things easier when you get to know someone. I invite you to get to know more about me in the news extra section of this magazine edition.

I’m excited for this new chapter, honored to have been chosen to fill this role and pledge to always work for the good of our members.

Continuing our legacy of members first

YEC’S new President and CEO, Craig Spencer, shares his perspective on leadership, best practices and your co-op’s future. Spencer’s vision for success is not solely his own, but one of all employees, something the Board of Trustees saw as one of his many assets when they selected him to follow in Paul Basha’s footsteps upon his retirement in June.

Q: You’ve worked here 32 years. What makes York Electric special to you, and why have you stayed?

A: We embrace a culture of family at YEC where our employees not only depend on each other, but we learn from one another. Without a doubt, the people are what make this co-op special to me. I’ve dedicated my entire career to this group of people and this community because of the work we have and will continue to accomplish together to take care of our members.

Q: How are we set apart from other cooperatives?

A: While all electric cooperatives seek to minimize accidents, both in the field and in the office, YEC’s culture of safety has remained a significant distinction throughout my career. I feel blessed to work for a co-op with a staff and Board of Directors that will always put employee safety above all else. Prioritizing this, alongside the intense growth our service territory has experienced over the last few decades, allows us to safely provide reliable power at competitive rates.

Q: What do you see as York Electric’s biggest threats?

A: Before I address the challenges, I’d like to assure you that your co-op is in great shape. Working together as a team has allowed us to overcome many obstacles in the past, and this mindset will continue to help us navigate our future. The most significant threats I see that we will face together are the lack of dependable power generation, government regulations and rising power costs. South Carolina has been, and will continue to be, one of the fastest growing states in the country. To guarantee that companies and manufacturers continue to expand into South Carolina, which will keep the economy moving forward, we need to safeguard always available power generation. New government regulations, which involve technologies that are not yet proven to be sustainable, prevent us from expanding our energy generation assets. They also add tremendous additional costs to new generation projects. Lastly, inflation continues to challenge our ability to hold down power costs. Just as the cost of living for our members is on the rise, the cost of equipment continues to increase.

Q: What do you see as our biggest opportunities?

A: Despite our obstacles, YEC can still fulfill its goal of providing affordable, reliable and safe energy to our members. We can still offer competitive rates through excellent member service and new technologies that improve our electric grid. YEC is always researching new ways to improve reliability for our members, while maintaining the personal level of service that our members love.

Q: What is your vision for York Electric?

A: Whatever YEC’s short-term and long-term goals are, we must always prioritize our culture of safety. It helps us go home to our families each day and helps minimize the cost to provide electric service. No vision for this company can be achieved without healthy employees, a mission I’m proud to continue cultivating. Additionally, I hope to expand member education and transparency on individual energy usage. In the midst of the obstacles that I previously described, it is more important than ever to empower our members to not just understand how they use energy, but to manage their use. This empowerment begins with our employees, who will be finding new ways to make this information more user-friendly and readily available. The more information we have, the better we can manage YEC’s electric system and improve reliability.

Q: What is your leadership style?

A: In both my personal and professional life, I always seek to lead by example, with a servant mindset. When encountering a new project, I first ask myself “How can we get this done?” I aim to be a proactive leader that seeks to empower my team. I can’t replace a pole after a storm, splice a cable, or fix a computer issue, but I can work alongside our excellent employees and ensure that they are equipped to not just do the job, but do it well.

Q: Who has had the most influence on your life and why?

A: My parents. From an early age, they instilled in me a strong work ethic that I am proud of. While this meant I had to learn difficult lessons as a child and young adult, I am truly grateful for their sacrifices and teachings.

Q: From what/whom do you draw your inspiration?

A: My faith and family have been, and will always be, my inspiration in life. I realize that I have been blessed beyond measure. I am so fortunate to have a beautiful and loving wife, three wonderful children and a great son-in-law.

Q: In your opinion, what do we do best?

A: We have a members-first mindset here at YEC. We look out for our members by going the extra mile, improving the quality of life in the communities we serve and leaving things better than we found it.

Q: What will be your immediate focus that will impact members?

A: I will direct my immediate attention towards minimizing the potential adverse effects of rising power costs. Alongside this, we must continue to invest in and maintain our electrical grid. I will focus on these two areas so that YEC can continue to provide the reliability and competitive service that our members are used to.

Craig Spencer

Experience: Spencer has worked at York Electric Cooperative for the past 32 years, starting as the purchasing agent for the co-op. He most recently served as Chief Operating Officer after he was selected to become the next CEO. Prior to that he was the Vice President of Engineering for many years.

Education: Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of South Carolina.

Family: Spencer has been married to his wife, Susan, for 30 years and they have three children. Ben, their eldest, recently graduated from Duke Law School. Their twins, Sarah and Shelby, just graduated from Anderson University. Sarah, who was married last year to Mason Watts, majored in Christian Studies and will be attending graduate school for Christian counseling. Shelby graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and will be working at AnMed in Anderson.

One of the best things about summer is the abundance of fresh, homegrown food. It’s remarkable how just a few seeds and some water can turn into a bounty. Similarly, with just a few simple actions, you can save energy and reap the financial rewards. One particularly effective tool for energy-saving is a smart thermostat. With a smart thermostat, you can help your co-op fight rising expenses and do your part in keeping power costs low for everyone.

Summer months bring some of the highest energy bills of the year. Cooling your home accounts for a large portion of your monthly energy use. The hotter it gets, the harder your air conditioner works to maintain a comfortable temperature. A smart thermostat can make a significant difference by learning a household’s schedule and adjusting temperatures accordingly, ensuring that the cooling system doesn’t have to work as hard to combat outside temperatures. It can be programmed to raise the temperature when no one is home and cool down before anyone returns, maximizing savings without sacrificing comfort.

Plus, your co-op will reward you! As participants in York Electric’s Smart Thermostat Program, members are credited with $100 the 1st year and $50 the 2nd year, and each year going forward, when they allow YEC to adjust their thermostat during at least 60% of local control events at peak times in the year.

Those savings can add up fast! Members can sign up for this program by purchasing an ecobee smart thermostat at a discounted rate from York Electric, or by bringing their own qualifying smart thermostat and registering it with the co-op.

Join YEC in fighting the summer heat and keeping monthly bills down this season. Learn more about how you can control your power bill and sign up for our Smart Thermostat Program online.

Five Ways to Save this Summer

When summer temperatures rise, so do our energy bills. Here are a few ways you can reduce energy use and grow your summer savings.

1. Raise your thermostat. The smaller the difference between the indoor and outdoor temp, the more you’ll save.
2. Install window coverings like blinds or light-blocking curtains to prevent indoor heat gain during the day.
3. Seal leaks with caulk and weatherstripping around windows and exterior doors. Air leaks force your air conditioner to work harder and run longer than necessary.
4. Run ceiling fans for additional cooling but turn them off when you leave the room.
5. Lower your water heater thermostat to 120 degrees to reduce standby heat loss.

Giving money

Employees make donation for the Western York County Agriculture Arena

York Electric presented a $15,000 donation from co-op employees for the planned Western York County Agriculture Arena at a Modern-Day Barn Raising Fundraiser on May 17.

The new arena, which will be located on 97 acres across from Hickory Grove Sharon Elementary School, will provide students and teachers with opportunities for hands-on learning, leadership development and community-building, with the potential to impact 4,500 students throughout York County.

The project is the vision of the Agriculture Steering Committee, formed in September 2023, with members from York School District One, Clover School District and York County 4H. The arena will provide a central hub for agricultural education where 4H programs and the local Future Farmers of America (FAA) can have a permanent home. Currently, students interested in these programs face significant travel barriers because there is no local space to host livestock shows and related events.

The co-op’s employee donation fund is just one way York Electric impacts the community’s growth and success. As your co-op, providing affordable, safe and reliable energy is not our only goal. The same issues that affect York Electric members are the same ones that affect our employees and their families, which is why our employees are dedicated to helping York County and surrounding communities grow and prosper.

Getting money

Comporium disperses over $1,000,000 to York Electric from joint grant application

In May, York Electric received $1,099,012 through its internet service partner, Comporium, as a part of the S.C. Lookback Grant, a federal program distributed through the State to help stimulate broadband installation by covering a portion of the equipment, installation and labor costs the co-op took on during the rural internet project, which expanded broadband in underserved areas of YEC’s territory. This grant disbursement, for which YEC supplied Comporium with data to apply, marks the completion of the more than two-year project.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, co-op members needed access to reliable, high-speed internet more than ever. To meet this challenge, York Electric partnered with Comporium to increase internet availability for unserved members in western York County and parts of Cherokee County. Spanning over almost 600 miles of fiber-optic cable, the Rural Internet Project has transformed connectivity for previously unserved members.

This joint fiber expansion project began in December 2020. Since then, the project has progressed in three phases, concluding in June 2023. Over 26 months of construction, this $16 million community investment has brought broadband access to 5,000 co-op members. Families have greatly benefited from this effort, which has enhanced their ability to work remotely, learn online, and stream entertainment content.

Comporium’s excellent customer service, combined with York Electric’s skilled labor and state-of-the-art equipment, has ensured the project’s success. But, most importantly, the completion of the Rural Internet Project is yet another instance of York Electric making good on its promise to improve the quality of life for members.

As a not-for-profit utility, York Electric views this grant not as a payout, but as an opportunity to further enhance the services and support it provides to the community.

York Electric Cooperative and our Operation Round Up Trust Board work together to offer grants of up to $1,000 for local teachers to fund innovative programs to implement in their classrooms. We also work to fulfill wish lists for local teachers nominated by the community.

Eligible Teachers

K-12 Teachers at Public Schools in York, Clover, Lancaster, Rock Hill and Fort Mill School Districts

K-12 teachers at private or charter schools in YEC's Service Territory

Teams or individuals

Each public school district and one private school will be awarded one grant of up to $1,000

Wish list fulfillment based on nominations

Registration Information

Applications and nominations are currently being accepted, and the deadline to apply is Friday, September 13, 2024. Visit our Bright Ideas page for the application and more details.

For a guy, who grew up in Mt. Pleasant with a love of the water, and who put himself through school by working on a charter boat, you’d assume I’d be most excited about more time to fish in retirement. Really, I’m most excited to devote more time to helping others. This may include the homeless and widows, but really it may be anything my Lord has in mind and lays on my heart.

It’s hard to put a bow on a 35-year career, especially when I can genuinely say I’ve enjoyed coming to work each day. First, I want to express my heartfelt thanks to those who have helped me throughout my time here at York Electric—my Lord and Savior, Jesus, my loving and supportive family, YEC employees and the great community we all share.

I’m grateful to the Board for believing in a 37-year-old employee. I recently reread an article covered by The Herald when I was appointed to be CEO in 2003, when we had only 18,500 members and $25 million in revenue. God and family were my top priorities, along with investing in our local economy and community. We’ve since grown to be the 5th largest cooperative in South Carolina with nearly 70,000 members and $140 million in revenue. Through this growth, my priorities listed then, which align with those at your co-op, remain true. Simply put, service above self. This mantra has allowed us to serve you—our members—well.

Speaking of changes, we might face obstacles in our future as a cooperative. Power costs continue to rise and the need for more electric generation is a challenge. Those who remember when we first cut the lights on are no longer here to advocate for the cooperative way. Only by working together and protecting the cooperative business model and each other will we be able to continue to serve members with excellence, take care of our employees the way we have for 83 years and maintain our excellent cooperative reputation.

Our employees exemplify this teamwork every day. I am profoundly grateful for their grace, for the countless lessons I’ve gleaned from so many and for the privilege of serving alongside them throughout my career. It’s through their unwavering dedication and passion, both for our members and for one another, that we’ve earned the reputation of being the best co-op, not just in our state, but I would say in the entire country.

As Craig Spencer assumes the responsibility of President and CEO of YEC, I know your co-op is in good hands, where reliable and safe service, reasonable rates and a members-first mentality will be carried on.

It has been an absolute honor. It’s not goodbye. You’ll see me around.

Every year, EnlightenSC invites 4th and 5th grade students across South Carolina to participate in the annual Children’s Book Challenge, a competition that encourages children to learn about their electric cooperative. The competition challenges students to merge energy education with state learning objectives in art, science, technology, ELA and social studies. Participants use StoryJumper, a web-based platform, to craft a story that answers one central question: How is electricity delivered to our communities?

EnlightenSC requires contestants to connect with their electric cooperatives, which select local winners to be considered for the statewide prize. For Easton Hall, a local 4th grader, contacting his local co-op was as simple as talking to his father, Ben Hall. As an employee at York Electric, Ben used his knowledge about power delivery to help his son write his book, titled The Old Farmhouse.

Hall’s story, dedicated to his father, follows a young boy’s discovery of electricity’s impact on his community. The character, named Isacc, learns how York Electric first brought power to the home his ancestor built. Hall’s love for his family’s historic farmhouse inspired this creative story, which won the individual statewide award in this year’s Children’s Book Challenge.

His home has housed generations of Halls. In the 1880s, Hall’s great-great-great grandfather constructed the home from timber he harvested on the property. Over the last 150 years, the Hall family has witnessed the area’s transformation. The farmhouse originally stood next to a horse and cart path, which is now a bustling state highway. However, the family’s cherishment for their home and community remains a constant.

While living in the farmhouse, Hall’s grandfather, Bob Hall, converted his family’s 1930s peach packing shed to an open-air market. Since 1980, their family farm, the Bush-n-Vine, has provided fresh, local produce to the community. Today, just a few miles from the Bush-n-Vine, a new generation of Hall children continue to enjoy the farmhouse’s 20-acre property, continuing a 150-year-old family tradition.

For winning the statewide challenge, Hall received a $500 grand prize, and copies of The Old Farmhouse will be distributed to elementary schools across the state. In April, the South Carolina General Assembly recognized Hall’s accomplishment, with parents, three brothers, cousins, and grandparents in attendance.

Generations of the Hall family have called the 150-year-old farmhouse home.

Hall, here with his parents and three brothers, was recognized by the South Carolina General Assembly for his accomplishment.

Easton Hall’s book, The Old Farmhouse, won the individual statewide award in the Children’s Book Challenge.