Annual Report ACCOUNTABILITY

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1 Annual Report YEAR in REVIEW 2016 was a powerful year for Flint Energies. Our dedication to the cooperative s core values Accountability, Innovation, Commitment to Community and Integrity was on full display as we opened a new headquarters in Reynolds and began harnessing the sun s energy for renewable power. Plus, the generosity of our members allowed the Flint Energies Foundation to reach the $4 million mark in giving to improve our communities. We review these accomplishments and more in this year s annual report, which features a new format. Neal Talton Chairman, Board of Directors

2 Annual Report ACCOUNTABILITY We are here to serve our member-owners in a way that consistently demonstrates the cooperative principles and honors our core values. Almost two years after construction began, the new Reynolds Headquarters is fully open to members at 8 a.m. on May 2. The new headquarters allows the Cooperative to provide better service to members, greater system reliability and a world-class forum for community engagement. 2

3 Same-day service becomes Flint Energies standard for new electrical service orders on the first business day in As an added convenience for Cooperative members, service applications received before 3 p.m. on a regular business day are connected by 5 p.m. that day. A Flint Energies program aimed at providing assistance to elderly and low-income members receives national attention when it is featured in the January issue of Rural Electric Magazine. In 2016, the cooperative s Energy Assistance program helped 1,665 members who were struggling to pay their bills by connecting them with one of 52 community agencies and churches willing to provide financial assistance. The Co-op s first 24/7, drive-up payment kiosk opens in May, providing a convenient way for members to pay bills from the comfort of their vehicles. A free pizza is the reward for a Flint Energies member who shows his Co-op Connections Card at a member appreciation event in October. Members reap rewards and Co-op Connections partner businesses get a boost when Flint employees host 12 surprise member appreciation events throughout the year. Announcements posted on Facebook and Twitter alerted members about the popup events held at locations throughout the Co-op s service area. Nearly 400 members showed their Co-op Connections Card to receive free items, including 290 lunch combos, 30 dozen ears of corn, 20 family packs for pizza and mini golf, 67 pizzas and 11 dozen doughnuts. During an open house on May 22, nearly 300 Flint Energies members and guests tour the Cooperative s new headquarters and operations center in Reynolds. Flint Energies employees Cherish Reilmann and Belinda Russell receive a Life Saving Award from Georgia Electric Membership Corporation in November. They are honored for recognizing that a Flint member was in life-threatening distress and referring her to a suicide prevention hotline. The member received lifepreserving hospitalization. Flint Energies employees Cherish Reilmann, left, and Belinda Russell receive the Life Saving Award. Mirroring a global trend, Flint Energies members increasingly choose to pay their electric bill using a smartphone. In 2016, more payments are made by mobile app than the Co-op s website or PaySite kiosks. The mobile option is on pace to overtake phone payments by year s end. The habit shift benefits all Co-op members because it reduces administrative costs to process payments. 27+ Members served in 2016 Languages spoken by members and translated 68,683 by co-op service 88,590 Meters in 17 Middle Georgia counties 3

4 Annual Report INNOVATION We harness the power of innovation through advanced technology and teamwork to provide safe, reliable power at an affordable cost. Demonstrating exceptional skills essential for restoring power, Flint Energies linemen took top spots in the 2016 Georgia Lineman s Rodeo held in May. Apprentice Brian Waldrop topped a field of 46 competitors from around the state to win the written test section of the apprentice contest. Veteran linemen Greg Hill, Brad Knowles and John Mastin placed fifth overall among 24 journeyman teams. In October, the linemen represented the Cooperative in the International Lineman s Rodeo. 4

5 723 Miles of right-of-way trimmed Miles of power line maintained, equal to roundtrip distance from Warner Robins to Fairbanks, Alaska 6, % Reliability The co-op completes a four-year engineering study to ensure Flint s distribution system has electrical capacity to support new member growth for the next four years. Flint Energies employees conduct nearly 50 educational programs on energy-related topics in They speak to adult groups and children, addressing subjects such as electrical safety, renewable energy and energy efficiency. The Emergency Preparedness Team reviews the emergency restoration plan in preparation for a major storm. Flint s service area was hit by 20 significant storms in Members who signed up for the Smart Select load management program share in $344,425 in bill credits in October. Smart Select is a voluntary program designed to reduce peak electric demand. The Sandhills Solar Facility outside of Butler becomes operational in November, adding 15 megawatts of solar energy to Flint s diverse power generation resources. The array is one of the largest single-site solar projects east of the Mississippi River. Within the cooperative s service area, renewable power is drawn from methane gas generators at the Houston County, Taylor County and Wolf Creek (Twiggs County) landfills and a 150-kilowatt solar array at Clean Control Corporation in Warner Robins. Flint employees complete a SunPower for Schools solar panel installation at Marion County Middle High School in December. It is the third school in the cooperative s service area to receive the panels, which are used as a learning laboratory to teach students about solar energy and renewable resources. Thomson Middle School in Houston County also began the SunPower program in Teacher Phyllis Grane attends SunPower for Schools training to develop science curriculum related to a solar panel installed by Flint Energies at Thomson Middle School. Outdoor lighting upgrades continue at Fort Benning. So far, 5,000 energy efficient LED (light emitting diode) lights have replaced older highpressure sodium lights. The project is part of a five-year plan to replace nearly 31,000 street and security lights. With the opening of the Sandhills Solar Facility in November, Taylor County has more solar panels within its borders than are found in all but two U.S. states. The cooperative finalizes an upgrade of the fiber optic network in mid December. The new installation improves the system s reliability and operational efficiency. 5

6 Annual Report COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY Beyond distributing electricity, we energize communities by investing in activities that improve the quality of life for our members. Flint raises the POW-MIA flag at its Member Center office in Warner Robins for the first time on Aug. 11. Members of Rolling Thunder Georgia 3 were on hand to help with the ceremony held to honor prisoners of war and those missing in action. On the same day, the POW-MIA flag was raised at all of Flint s offices and is now displayed year round. 6

7 In September, the Flint Energies Foundation reaches a milestone in grants to charities and service organizations throughout Middle Georgia. Foundation donations top $4 million to help people across the region since Through participation in Operation Round Up, Cooperative members contribute nearly $200,000 annually to the Flint Energies Foundation. Co-op member and Flint Energies Foundation board member John Luppino is among those using the new Fab Lab. Public and community support increases for FireStarter, a Flint Energies-supported economic development program that encourages entrepreneurial and small business growth in Middle Georgia. In February, the Houston County Board of Education agrees to house the Fab Lab, providing a community workshop space where inventors and innovators learn fabrication techniques and have access to tools for making and testing new products. Representing Flint Energies and the Flint Energies Foundation, the Bright Ideas Prize Brigade makes surprise visits to classrooms across the co-op s service area during four days in October. They deliver Bright Ideas educational grants totaling $25,000 to teachers and their students. Grants were provided to 22 teachers in Houston, Crawford, Taylor, Marion, Muscogee and Bibb counties. Operation Round Up Plus debuts in October and members quickly respond by signing up to add a little extra to their giving. Community volunteer Jerome Stephens, an Operation Round Up contributor since 2001, helps the Co-op promote the new Operation Round Up Plus program. In November, Flint Energies employee Jesse Lockhart receives the Georgia EMC 2016 Community Service and Volunteerism Award for championing children s rights. Flint Energies employee Jesse Lockhart is named Volunteer Employee of the Year and receives the Georgia EMC 2016 Community Service and Volunteerism Award in November. He is honored for championing children s rights through his service to Rainbow House, a child advocacy center, and organizing a 5K race to build awareness during Child Abuse Prevention Month in April. He is also recognized for improving the quality of life in his community by volunteering for a variety of organizations. Jesse has been a Flint Energies employee for 13 years. $80,000 Awarded for GED, technical college and four-year college/ university scholarships Operation Round Up participants 33, ,000 Attendance at October s Thunder Over Georgia Air Show, sponsored in part by Flint Energies 7

8 Annual Report INTEGRITY Guided by committed leaders, our management and employees endeavor to ensure the Cooperative remains financially and ethically strong. Flint Energies is governed by a policy-making Board of Directors elected from among the co-op s members. The directors are elected for three-year terms. Serving as directors in 2016, are, from left, Jane Perfect, Pat Braski, Jeff Wainwright, David Cleveland, Donald Chase, Neal Talton, Paul Hibbitts, Sam Wellborn, Leighton Cooley, Jackie Robinson and Arthur Head. 8

9 Members average daily cost of electricity $ Percent of operating expenses used to purchase power Capital credit refunds to members since 1937 $42 Million The Flint Energies Board of Directors authorizes the distribution of $3.4 million in retained capital credits to those who were members in The refund, which distributes in September, is allocated back to the members in proportion to their purchases that year. In total, Flint Energies has refunded $42 million in retained capital credits from its beginning in 1937 through Flint Energies is named a 5-Star Cooperative for encouraging members to vote in The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association presents Flint Energies with its 5-Star Award in recognition of its exemplary work in the Co-ops Vote nationwide initiative. Throughout 2016, Flint promotes voter registration to encourage members participation in local, state and national elections. The initiative sends a message to candidates that members of electric cooperatives do vote, and their vote matters. In April, the Cooperative initiates the Management/ Leadership Development Program to build depth, continuity, management and leadership talent, which are considered critical needs for the future of Flint. Two employees participated in the program s first year and two more are in the 2017 class. The Flint Energies Annual Meeting held in Reynolds attracts more than 1,000 attendees in More than 1,000 members attend the Cooperative s annual meeting on Oct. 18 in Reynolds. A total of 2,359 members participate in the Board of Directors election by mail ballot. Governor Nathan Deal signs HB 767, the Move Over for Linemen Bill, into law on Linemen Appreciation Day in April. Flint Energies joined with other electric cooperatives in the state to advocate for the new measure. The new law takes effect on July 1, providing greater protection for Georgia s more than 4,000 linemen and women when working near roadways. Flint Energies joins with utilities nationwide to raise awareness about utilities scams during Utilities United Against Scams Day on Nov. 16. Board member Paul Hibbitts, who represents members in the city of Warner Robins, completes his final day on Dec. 31 after 19 years of service. Paul Hibbitts 9