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January 2020
Important Notice
If you experience an outage, please call 800-794-1989 or utilize the SmartHub mobile app.
Hello!
Here are a few helpful links
Looking Ahead To A New Year.

Good Riddance 2020!

I think it’s safe to say we were all ready to say goodbye to 2020. Other than the birth of my granddaughter, good riddance to 2020. What a year it was, but we’re ready to look ahead and take a leap toward some exciting new projects FreeState is going to be working on in 2021. 

The first project is solar power. This is a big project for not only us but cooperatives across the state. FreeState is joining 11 other cooperatives to bring our members clean energy that will not only reduce our carbon footprint but will help us reach our goal of rate stability by helping the co-op save on the wholesale power bill. 

This has been an incredible project to be a part of, and I’m excited for the future of this project and how it will impact not only us here at FreeState but our neighboring cooperatives as well. We heard you all loud and clear — solar is an interest of our members and we’ve figured out a way to bring you an option that is a low investment and at a low cost. 

We also cannot forget our regular business, and that includes the election of our trustees and the annual meeting. We’re going to try again, and hopefully we’ll be able to see you all in some way shape or form. Our staff is constantly monitoring county orders and although we have the date saved for April 27, 2021, just know we will communicate with our members if anything changes. Because as we know from 2020, it can, and may change quickly. 

That being said, it’s also time to start thinking about trustee elections. As a member-owned cooperative, you have a voice, and a vote, on how your cooperative is governed. We will be electing three trustees in 2021, and if you have any interest in serving your neighbors on the board I invite and encourage you to check out www.freestate.coop/annualmeeting where you’ll find information on how you can run for a trustee position. We want individuals who are committed to serving their neighbors and making decisions that guide our cooperative. 

All the application requirements are listed on our website, and we have added an electronic application for your convenience. The deadline to apply is Feb. 4, 2021. 
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Kansas electric cooperatives participating in the Kansas Cooperative Sun Power Program:
  • 4 Rivers Electric Cooperative
  • Ark Valley Electric Cooperative
  • Bluestem Electric Cooperative
  • Butler Electric Cooperative
  • CMS Electric Cooperative
  • DSO Electric Cooperative
  • FreeState Electric Cooperative
  • Heartland Electric Cooperative
  • Ninnescah Rural Electric Cooperative
  • Sedgwick County Electric Cooperative
  • Sumner-Cowley Electric Cooperative
  • Twin Valley Electric Cooperative
Cooperation Provides Rate Stability

Using the sixth cooperative principle of cooperation among cooperatives, FreeState Electric Cooperative is joining 11 other rural electric cooperatives in Kansas to invest in 20 megawatts (MW) of solar power to be installed across 800 miles of the state, making a small investment for the next 25 years or more in the harvesting of sunshine. Participating electric cooperatives will be able to procure low-up-front cost solar energy to serve their members through the Kansas Cooperative Sun Power Program and reduce their peak demand.

Under their unique cooperative programming, the Kansas Cooperative Sun Power Program is a series of solar farms developed by Today’s Power, Inc. (TPI) to harvest renewable energy in the state for participating electric cooperatives. This 25-year program has attracted the best possible long-term pricing and will result in the construction of more than 20 Megawatts (MW) of solar power spread out across more than 800 miles of the sunflower state.

This opportunity began when the wholesale power contract between all participating cooperatives and their G&T, Kansas Electric Power Cooperatives (KEPCo), was recently modified to provide their member electric cooperatives with the ability to self-procure up to 15% of peak demand, with 5% of that amount specifically earmarked for the addition of solar.

Proving that utility-scale solar provides more cost-effective ways to benefit all consumer-members of the cooperatives, TPI was chosen to be the developer and energy partner for this venture through extensive research undertaken by participating cooperatives and a comprehensive Request For Proposals (RFP) process administered by GDS & Associates. 

Owned by Electric Cooperatives, TPI was created to provide solar facilities to Arkansas’ electric cooperatives that could otherwise not utilize federal tax incentives. Fellow cooperatives in neighboring states quickly learned of TPI’s program and wanted a “known business partner” to provide their solar system.

TPI has constructed solar arrays for 15 of the 17 electric cooperatives of Arkansas as well as cooperatives and cooperative organizations in Oklahoma and Tennessee.

All systems under the Kansas program installed will be sized in the 1 MW range. Each system is contracted through a 25-year Power Purchase Agreement with additional 5-year options. Cooperatives will simply be responsible for the purchase of electricity generated from the solar farms and will have low-up front costs associated with the development of renewable solar energy.

This method of generation makes it possible for these cooperatives to increase the production of renewable energy year-round and to reduce peak demand. The reduction of peak demand will enable each cooperative to provide financial stability to its members while also reducing their carbon footprint. This is just another way electric cooperatives in Kansas are helping support local businesses, industries, and individuals with the resources they need to grow as efficient, responsible, and successful contributors to our communities.

FreeState’s portion of the project consists of two 1 MW solar farms. Preliminary work has already begun on the two farms for the project. Construction should be completed by June 2021. 

One FreeState 1-MW array, the Oskaloosa Sun Farm, will be located at the substation just south of Oskaloosa on 59 HWY. The second, Stranger Creek Solar Farm, will be located at the Substation Northeast of Tonganoxie near Tonganoxie and Mitchell Roads. Both solar farms will be located in the co-op’s east district due to the power supplier contracts.

Each solar farm will sit on 9 acres and will include approximately 4,000 solar panels. The farm will be customized in the design process to maximize output during the cooperative’s peak demand hours when power is most expensive. These factors will all help FreeState control power costs and keep rates stable for those served at the cooperative’s 20,550 metering points.

“The low-cost investment opportunity we were presented with was huge for FreeState,” said Steve Foss, CEO. “This goes hand in hand with the investment we made in 2018 to install industrial generators at the Lakewood Hills and Oskaloosa substations, bringing our total to four. The purpose of the large investment was to save money through peak demand management. This solar project is a much smaller investment.”

Foss said that the cooperative’s commitment to saving money by managing demand reduces the amount of energy purchased for members, and that means saving money on the wholesale cost of electricity. 

“FreeState has clear financial goals, and we look at everything very carefully to determine the feasibility of a project and investment and how it will impact our members in a positive way,” Foss added. 

“It’s about financial savings and rate stability, and these solar farms will help us achieve that,” added Foss. “This low-cost investment is a cost-effective way for us to not only save money but help reduce our carbon footprint.” 

National data shows that solar power is growing quickly across the country. FreeState currently has more than 1 MW of energy produced by member-owned solar panels. Investing in these two large arrays means that FreeState’s consumer-members will benefit from the clean, affordable power supplied, not just those that put panels on their own homes.

FreeState’s investment in solar is just one more way the cooperative works to lower power use during peak hours and control the cost of power. 
FreeState Electric Cooperative does not participate in the Cold Weather Rule established by the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC), a rule which restricts electric disconnects from Nov. 1 through March 31, when temperature forecasts are 35 degrees or below. 
FreeState Electric Cooperative is not mandated by this policy and has been responsible for establishing its own appropriate seasonal rules since 1996. 
All accounts are subject to disconnection for nonpayment and are not governed by temperature. 
If you have any questions about FreeState’s seasonal rules or billing options, please call our office at 800-794-1989. Assistance agencies are listed on the FEC website for your convenience.
2021 Virtual Youth Leadership Conference Applications 

FreeState invests in our youth with opportunities designed to reflect the realities of our society and its preference for dynamic, personal interactions. In today’s professional world, employers and thought leaders want to see presenters who make a connection with the audience, while communicating their message. 
FreeState offers high school students the opportunity for an engaging virtual youth leadership conference. This online leadership conference will take place this summer and will be a combination of top-notch speakers as well as fun activities. 
Any high school junior living in the FreeState territory with a parent or guardian who is a member of the cooperative is eligible.
Deadline for the 2021 program is Friday, Feb. 12, 2021. 
For more information or to apply online, visit www.freestate.coop/youth or call the office at 800-794-1989. 
FreeState Electric Cooperative, Inc., is not subject to the jurisdiction, regulation, supervision and control of the Kansas Corporation Commission, except as specified in K.S.A. 66-104d(f). 
Privacy Policy 
FreeState is a consumer-owned and consumer-controlled electric cooperative. FreeState operates on a not-for-profit basis for the benefit of its member-consumers. Accordingly, the Board has adopted this Policy on Privacy of Member-Consumer Information to establish fair information principles for FreeState in carrying out its responsibility to respect the privacy of personally identifiable information about member-consumers.

Notice: FreeState publicly discloses its policies and practices for the collection, maintenance, use, and disclosure of personally identifiable information about member-consumers.   
         
Statement of Non-Discrimination
In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident.
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