News
SSVEC proposed power line discussion continues to draw ire
Thelma Grimes/San Pedro Valley News-Sun
A 69-Kilowatt transmission line planned near Sonoita was the topic of discussion by the Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Cooperative (SSVEC) in two separate meetings in Benson Wednesday and again on Monday.
The first meeting was the regular monthly SSVEC board meeting and the second was the annual Community Leaders Luncheon, where CEO Creden Huber gave a 30-minute presentation on the status of the cooperative.
During the board meeting, several coop customers/members spoke during the call to the public, raising issues with statements made by Jack Blair, the SSVEC chief of member services, to the Sierra Vista Herald on Oct. 20 after the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) voted to reconsider the case involving the construction of the new power line in Sonoita.
The ACC made the decision to reconsider in a 4-1 vote after hearing from area residents who opposed it.
In the article, Blair is quoted as saying that SSVEC never got a chance to refute what he referred to as "distorted facts, unfounded rumors, half truths, blasphemy, doctored information and outright lies."
On Thursday, Gail Getzweiler, a landowner in the area and former Benson resident, said as a coop member, she didn't appreciate Blair's comments.
"As a cooperator with SSVEC for over 30 years, I am very concerned with the recent actions and demeanor of this company," Getzweiler said. "There is an apparent total lack of respect toward the people who are supposedly the owners of the cooperative."
Susan Scott, who also opposes construction of the transmission line, said after having spent 25 years in human resources, if a subordinate made such "unsubstantiated" statements about its owners, he would have been removed from his position and terminated.
On Monday, Blair said he stands by his original statement to the Sierra Vista newspaper, noting that opponents of the project, known as the 69Kv power line, have manipulated facts to fit their cause.
Blair said among the misinformation the opponents gave to the ACC are statements that SSVEC never proved a need for the new power line, even though they have reports where qualified consultants and an engineer from the ACC said the new power line is needed to keep up with growth.
During his presentation on Monday, Huber said they are already experiencing power outages because of the need for more power, but with the ACC putting the issue on hold, nothing can be done.
Giving a brief history, Huber said in 1980, anticipating growth in Elgin, Sonoita and Patagonia, SSVEC purchased the easements necessary to build the new transmission line, but technological advances allowed SSVEC to postpone the project for about 25 years.
"Finally, in 2006, the combination of the growth in the area in terms of both population and business reached the capacity of the current line and substation to serve this growing area," Huber said. "In fact, this growth had actually caused several outages as the demand for electricity exceeded the capacity available causing many service interruptions. In fact, this area has averaged over 270 hours of outage time, or 45 minutes per day."
Since the ACC put the project on hold, SSVEC has been ordered to hire a third-party contractor to study the proposed power line. Huber said the study must by complete by Dec. 30, with six months of public hearings to follow. The study should cost around $450,000.
In the meantime, Huber said SSVEC has filed a motion with the ACC to reconsider their decision, and has also filed a motion with the ACC to implement a moratorium to halt all new hook ups until the new power line moves forward.
Dan Barrera, president of the SSVEC board, said they have a membership of 50,000 and the duty of each board member is to make decisions that will protect the cooperative while providing safe, reliable and economical power to each of the members.
"A fine line exists in portraying facts and findings and some of the facts and information that was presented to the ACC, the regulatory agency of our cooperative, were not substantiated by reliable methods of inquiry and professional standards by those who oppose the line," Barrera said. "The members of the ACC are to make decisions based on facts and are not to become politically or emotionally involved in their regulatory decisions. The Sonoita group utilized a fortified game plan that did not allow SSVEC to refute their comments. The recent ACC decision to reconsider our case will allow SSVEC to once again verify the need of the construction of the 69kv line."
Blair said the ACC has yet to set a date for a new hearing will the will reconsider the move to allow a rehearing and require SSVEC to conduct the feasibility study.
If the ACC had not intervened, the project to build the new transmission line would likely be going out to bid this month, Blair said.
A 69-Kilowatt transmission line planned near Sonoita was the topic of discussion by the Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Cooperative (SSVEC) in two separate meetings in Benson Wednesday and again on Monday.
The first meeting was the regular monthly SSVEC board meeting and the second was the annual Community Leaders Luncheon, where CEO Creden Huber gave a 30-minute presentation on the status of the cooperative.
During the board meeting, several coop customers/members spoke during the call to the public, raising issues with statements made by Jack Blair, the SSVEC chief of member services, to the Sierra Vista Herald on Oct. 20 after the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) voted to reconsider the case involving the construction of the new power line in Sonoita.
The ACC made the decision to reconsider in a 4-1 vote after hearing from area residents who opposed it.
In the article, Blair is quoted as saying that SSVEC never got a chance to refute what he referred to as "distorted facts, unfounded rumors, half truths, blasphemy, doctored information and outright lies."
On Thursday, Gail Getzweiler, a landowner in the area and former Benson resident, said as a coop member, she didn't appreciate Blair's comments.
"As a cooperator with SSVEC for over 30 years, I am very concerned with the recent actions and demeanor of this company," Getzweiler said. "There is an apparent total lack of respect toward the people who are supposedly the owners of the cooperative."
Susan Scott, who also opposes construction of the transmission line, said after having spent 25 years in human resources, if a subordinate made such "unsubstantiated" statements about its owners, he would have been removed from his position and terminated.
On Monday, Blair said he stands by his original statement to the Sierra Vista newspaper, noting that opponents of the project, known as the 69Kv power line, have manipulated facts to fit their cause.
Blair said among the misinformation the opponents gave to the ACC are statements that SSVEC never proved a need for the new power line, even though they have reports where qualified consultants and an engineer from the ACC said the new power line is needed to keep up with growth.
During his presentation on Monday, Huber said they are already experiencing power outages because of the need for more power, but with the ACC putting the issue on hold, nothing can be done.
Giving a brief history, Huber said in 1980, anticipating growth in Elgin, Sonoita and Patagonia, SSVEC purchased the easements necessary to build the new transmission line, but technological advances allowed SSVEC to postpone the project for about 25 years.
"Finally, in 2006, the combination of the growth in the area in terms of both population and business reached the capacity of the current line and substation to serve this growing area," Huber said. "In fact, this growth had actually caused several outages as the demand for electricity exceeded the capacity available causing many service interruptions. In fact, this area has averaged over 270 hours of outage time, or 45 minutes per day."
Since the ACC put the project on hold, SSVEC has been ordered to hire a third-party contractor to study the proposed power line. Huber said the study must by complete by Dec. 30, with six months of public hearings to follow. The study should cost around $450,000.
In the meantime, Huber said SSVEC has filed a motion with the ACC to reconsider their decision, and has also filed a motion with the ACC to implement a moratorium to halt all new hook ups until the new power line moves forward.
Dan Barrera, president of the SSVEC board, said they have a membership of 50,000 and the duty of each board member is to make decisions that will protect the cooperative while providing safe, reliable and economical power to each of the members.
"A fine line exists in portraying facts and findings and some of the facts and information that was presented to the ACC, the regulatory agency of our cooperative, were not substantiated by reliable methods of inquiry and professional standards by those who oppose the line," Barrera said. "The members of the ACC are to make decisions based on facts and are not to become politically or emotionally involved in their regulatory decisions. The Sonoita group utilized a fortified game plan that did not allow SSVEC to refute their comments. The recent ACC decision to reconsider our case will allow SSVEC to once again verify the need of the construction of the 69kv line."
Blair said the ACC has yet to set a date for a new hearing will the will reconsider the move to allow a rehearing and require SSVEC to conduct the feasibility study.
If the ACC had not intervened, the project to build the new transmission line would likely be going out to bid this month, Blair said.
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