York Electric Cooperative, Inc.

tree trimming

It’s a hot job: Lineworkers’ PPE does not protect them from the heat

Most of us have the luxury of dressing for summer weather when we’re outside. Breathable fabrics and short-sleeved shirts are not always an option for lineworkers.

Justin Parham
A York Electric lineworker, Justin Parham, works at the top of a pole on a sweltering day. Our crews take extra precautions on hot days to protect themselves from dehydration and heat-related illnesses. Erin Powell

Regardless of the temperatures and humidity they endure, York Electric crews are required to wear special personal protective equipment (PPE) while working around energized lines. They wear fire-retardant long-sleeved shirts and pants, steel-toed boots, rubber gloves, rubber sleeves covering their arms to their shoulders, hard hats and safety glasses.

Although the PPE our lineworkers wear helps keep them safe from the hazards of electricity, it can also contribute to dehydration or heat exhaustion. Aside from stocking the trucks with plenty of water and electrolyte drinks each day, YEC makes every effort to allow crews to begin earlier and avoid the extreme heat of our summer afternoons. However, outages don’t always occur in favorable temperatures.

YEC linemen can’t choose what time of day they’ll be at the top of that pole. But don’t worry—their priority is always to look out for you and to keep your lights on. They’ll be sweating so you don’t have to.

Lineworkers
YEC lineworkers Derrick Barrentine (left) and John Elliott take a break from their extra layers, putting equipment together on the ground. Since they are away from high voltage, they are able to remove their heavy rubber gear.

Why do we trim?

Your co-op spends time and money where it matters to provide you with the service you expect. Here are the top three reasons why trimming trees is an important part of our maintenance program:

  • To maintain reliability. Cutting trees away from the line helps to prevent service interruptions.
  • To create easy access. In an outage situation, time is of the essence. Keeping trees and shrubs away from poles and lines makes it easier to locate and repair damages.
  • Safety. Keeping vegetation away from powerlines provides a safer working environment for linemen, minimizing contact risks and hazardous conditions.

To find out where we are trimming and to see a map »

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[PDF] How Lineworkers Stay Safe

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October is a big month!

October is earmarked to celebrate cooperatives. YEC feels the best way to do this is to show the impact of giving back as part of the cooperative principle, “concern for community.” With the help of our generous members, we have been able to help our community through three main channels this year:

  • Operation Round Up, funded by members—$200,000 in 2020 donations, with total giving equaling more than $3.1 million since 2000.
  • Give 5, funded by members and matched by YEC—$26,000.
  • The Burrell Foundation, funded by members, YEC employees and our community—$5,000.

Follow us on social media to learn more ways to be involved!

Do we owe you?

Operation Round UpYour membership with YEC carries value even after you move.

Check out our unclaimed capital credit listing to see if you or someone you know is on the list. The money is yours and we want to get it to you!

If you see your name, please contact our member services department at (803) 684-4248 so that we can process your account.

See where we are trimming

Maintaining rights of way around power lines is a year-round job. Keeping lines clear of vegetation helps prevent service interruptions. Then, when outages do occur, our crews have easier access to get your lights back on.

Right-of-way schedule for the remainder of 2020

We appreciate your patience and understanding as crews work.

Caution: Elves at work

They’re busy here in December–and year-round.

From the dawn of their existence, cooperatives have been characterized as “large enough to serve you; small enough to know you.” I believe that’s an apt description of YEC. The YEC employee team prides itself in delivering quality service. Our organization possesses the personnel, facilities, equipment and mission to ensure that our members are served well.

Trips to the pole(s)

Osmose crew inspects pole for decay and applies external and internal treatment as needed.
Osmose crew inspects pole for decay and applies external and internal treatment as needed.

One way we serve you well is by keeping our distribution system in good shape. Aging infrastructure, such as potentially decaying utility poles, is one of many areas YEC focuses on annually. Your cooperative is resolute in preserving system infrastructure, in each and every season.

In December, when thoughts turn to the North Pole and a certain jolly, old elf, we’ll have some busy elves completing our routine pole maintenance and inspections for 2014. They’ll be in and around the Ogden area along Dunlap Roddey and Long Meadow roads. Then they’ll head to the Harmony area and inspect poles around and along the major roads of Canal, Killian, Liberty Hill, Pitts, Rowells, and portions of Reservation as well as along Highways 21 and 5. The process should take two months to complete, depending on weather.

A rite of spring

Speaking of traditions, please highlight Saturday, May 9, on your 2015 calendar and plan to attend our 74th Annual Meeting. Other elves here are hard at work planning this fun-filled day. They’ve already reserved a $15 power bill credit for all members who register and are present.

The meeting gives us the opportunity to get to know you better. Your role in YEC is essential! Please review the Annual Meeting bylaw excerpts below pertaining to nominations of trustees and let us know if you have any questions.

Bylaw excerpts—Article IV Trustees, Section 4.06 Nominations:

Not less than ninety (90) days prior to the meeting, nominations may be made by twenty-five (25) or more members of the cooperative in writing over their signatures on an explicit petition document listing their nominee(s) in like manner. This document must be obtained from the cooperative no more than one hundred twenty (120) days prior to the Annual Meeting and must be specific to each district. In addition to the required petition, candidates must attend a Board-developed educational program on Cooperative history, operations and governance not less than sixty (60) days prior to the next Annual Meeting, or have a minimum of three (3) years of service as an electric cooperative Trustee. The educational requirement will be offered at the Cooperative on two (2) specified dates prior to the Annual Meeting.

The Secretary shall mail to the members with the notice of the meeting, or separately, but at least ten (10) days prior to the date of the meeting, a complete statement of the names and addresses of all nominees for each Trustee District from or with respect to which one or more Trustees must be elected, showing clearly those who have completed the educational requirement and those who have completed a minimum of three (3) years of service as an electric cooperative Trustee.

The Secretary shall post in like manner such nominations at the Cooperative offices sixty (60) days prior to the next Annual Meeting.

With 2014 rapidly coming to a close, I want to extend best wishes for the holidays. The YEC family of employees eagerly looks forward to serving you well in 2015. After all, it’s our tradition.

 

Paul Basha

Paul Basha
President and Chief Executive Officer

Annual Meeting FAQ

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Who are the candidates running for the YEC board of directors?

The candidates for the YEC board of directors election will be announced after February 13, 2022, the deadline for petitions.

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What bylaws amendments are on the ballot?

There will not be any bylaw amendments in 2022.

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Will parking be available at the annual meeting?

No parking will be available at the annual meeting because it is completely drive-thru.

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How will I be notified about the annual meeting?

Each member will receive an official announcement in the April South Carolina Living magazine, as well as a registration postcard. Please keep your registration postcard and bring it with you to the annual meeting.

Category: Annual Meeting FAQ
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What is the annual meeting and why should I attend?

The Annual Meeting is a meeting of YEC’s members and a special occasion for members to participate in cooperative business and meet their cooperative leaders and employees. As a democratically controlled, not-for-profit business, our bylaws indicate we host a meeting for members to gather and vote on important matters each year. We’ve adapted the meeting to be safe for all and convenient for you by hosting registration and voting as a 2-day drive-thru experience and virtual business meeting. Each member who is present and registers receives a registration gift and will be eligible to win door prizes. Most importantly, members can exercise their cooperative right to vote in the election for seats on the cooperative’s Board of Trustees. During the virtual business meeting that will be streamed on our website and our Facebook page, our President and CEO, attorney and Board Chairman will update you on important Cooperative business and share election results.

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What do I need to do if I am handicapped?

The annual meeting is drive-thru, so just stay in the comfort of your car. YEC employees will be there to help guide you through each step of the process to register and cast your vote.

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Will the annual meeting be held if it rains?

Yes – the annual meeting will be held, rain or shine.

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What is the 2022 registration gift?

Each member who attends the annual meeting and registers will receive a $20 power bill credit.

Category: Annual Meeting FAQ
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Can I receive the registration gift and vote if I can’t come to the meeting?

Only members who attend the annual meeting, provide proper identification and their registration card are eligible to receive a registration gift, vote and be entered into the door prize drawing. To extend a greater opportunity for our members and to encourage participation, our meeting days and times have been extended to two days.

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Will there be any food or entertainment at the meeting?

In an effort to keep everyone safe in the ongoing pandemic, YEC will not host any entertainment or food vendors during the annual meeting.

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What are the grand prizes this year?

YEC has three grand prizes available to win at this year’s annual meeting. They include a 2013 Chevrolet 1500 Silverado pickup and (2) $500 power bill credits. Winners will be contacted on Monday following the annual meeting.

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What are the other door prizes?

All other door prizes will be announced during the virtual business meeting. Winners will be contacted on Monday following the annual meeting.

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When and where will the annual meeting be held?

The YEC annual meeting will be held at our main office, 1385 E. Alexander Love Hwy. on Friday, May 13 from 7 am-7 pm and on Saturday, May 14 from 7 am-1 pm. The virtual business meeting will be live online Saturday evening.

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How do I register?

All members of the cooperative are eligible to register with a valid photo ID and their registration card. The registration card will be mailed to members the first full week in April.

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Where are the door prizes given away?

The door prize winners, including the grand prize winners, will be announced during the virtual business meeting. All door prizes that can be mailed will be sent directly to winners. If your name is chosen we will contact you to provide you details about your prize on Monday following the annual meeting.

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What is considered a valid photo ID to be eligible to register and vote?

We accept 12 different forms of identification for members.

Category: Annual Meeting FAQ

Between the lines

Spring cleaning delivers safe, reliable power.

Spring gives us a chance to thaw out after a chilly winter. At our house, we take advantage of longer daylight hours by doing a little spring cleaning and yard work. But the seasonal shift isn’t all good news. The rapid change from harsh, cold air to warmer temperatures can trigger severe weather. To protect our electric lines and keep power flowing safely to your home, York Electric performs maintenance on our rights of way. Think of it as spring cleaning for power lines.

Right-of-way (ROW) maintenance keeps tree limbs and other growth away from high-voltage power lines. It’s an important part of the service we provide to you, our members, for three reasons: safety, reliability and cost.

Our primary concern is the safety of our workers and members. Properly maintained ROW helps keep our crews safe when they are restoring service and maintaining our system. Keeping trees clear of power lines also keeps your family safe. From making sure a child’s tree house is not close to power lines to creating a safe environment for our members that may be doing yard work, a well-maintained ROW helps avoid tragedy.

Asplundh Tree Expert Co.
Asplundh Tree Expert Co.

Power lines are a constant part of our landscape; it’s easy to forget they are around. We work hard to keep the area around our lines clear, but we need your help. Be alert this spring and summer. Please don’t plant trees or tall vegetation under power lines, and keep an eye out for power lines when working in your yard or on your property.

If severe weather blows through, a well-maintained ROW leads to fewer outages and faster response and restoration times. Trees are less of a threat in well-maintained rights of way, but when trees do fall on lines, crews are able to restore service more quickly than they could with poorly maintained areas.

Vice President of Energy Delivery
Dennis Lynn, Jr.

As a not-for-profit cooperative, YEC strives to keep costs affordable for you, our members. Maintaining our ROW is an important part of controlling costs. Fewer and shorter outages save money for everyone. When crews work in well-maintained areas, we can reduce risks for employees and equipment too—another way to keep costs lower.

Safety, reliability, and cost: this is why we believe in ROW ‘spring cleaning.’ If we compromise on one of these areas, it impacts the others. At YEC, we aren’t willing to compromise. Maintaining our ROW is a priority for your safety, comfort and pocketbook.

Denny Lynn
Vice President of Energy Delivery

‘Cutting back’ on potential outages

Before a storm ever hits, York Electric Cooperative is working to prevent power outages. We take a proactive approach through an ongoing, year-round process of maintaining our electrical system rights of way.

We are constantly cleaning, clearing, and trimming trees, brush and debris away from our power lines. Why? When wind, rain, ice or snow weigh down or damage trees—these trees or their limbs can fall onto or come in contact with power lines and cause outages.

Our ongoing right-of-way maintenance program helps ensure safe, reliable electric service to our members. You have probably seen our maintenance contract crew’s vehicles and equipment trimming trees and clearing corridors beneath and along our power lines. Did you know that vegetation, trees, shrubs and brush growing too close to power lines and electric distribution equipment leads to approximately 15 percent of power interruptions? Maintaining clean and clear system rights of way also allows YEC to restore service to members quicker and more efficiently after storms that may have caused outages by affording us better access to damaged lines.

Since it is not feasible for us to clear rights of way on our entire electrical system every year, trees often grow a great deal by the time the crews return. It is an ongoing job that’s never done—when the crews finish trimming activities along our more than 3,500 miles of electric distribution lines, vegetation is growing back at the starting point.

Another key reason for keeping our rights of way clear and clean is safety. Accidents happen so quickly. Children climbing trees can be a tragedy if they touch a limb in contact with an energized line or touch the line itself. The result can be severe injury or even death. Adults also are at risk if working around lines in trees. York Electric distribution lines can carry up to 24,000 volts—even a touch can be deadly.

Trees beautify our property, help cool our homes, provide privacy screens, and even sometimes increase our property value if placed properly. Unfortunately, trees and power lines are not a good mix. Trees growing into lines can cause blinks and power outages.

Denny Lynn is Vice President of energy delivery.
Denny Lynn, Director of Engineering & Operations

Before planting trees in your yard, think about how tall they may grow and how wide their branches may spread. As a rule of thumb, 25 feet of ground-to-sky clearance should be available on each side of our utility poles and lines to give power lines plenty of space. Choose tree varieties with care and plant with power lines in mind.

Thanks for your cooperation—that’s what makes YEC work!