Frequently Asked Questions
- What is a cooperative?
- What is a public utility?
- Who is the Pacific Northwest Generating Cooperative
(PNGC Power)?
- Where does the power distributed by Blachly-Lane
come from?
- Why does Blachly-Lane charge a membership fee?
- How many members sit on the board of directors?
- How often does the board of directors meet?
- How are the rates determined?
- What are Capital Credits?
- What is the Facilities Charge on my electric
bill?
- Who is the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA)?
- What is "Green Power"?
- What is carbon monoxide?
- What causes voltage surges?
- What is PNGC Power?
- What can I do to protect my computer from surges?
- What is a cooperative?
Generally speaking, a cooperative is an organization that
is owned jointly and governed by the people who use its facilities
or services. Blachly-Lane is an electric cooperative that is
operated on a non-profit basis for the benefit of its members.
You become a member of Blachly-Lane when you pay a $5 membership
fee and receive electric service. Each member is entitled to
cast one vote for business conducted by the general membership,
such as election of the board of directors.
- What is a public utility?
Public utilities operate solely for the benefit of their customers.
Although Blachly-Lane is a privately owned corporation, it
is considered a public utility by the preceding definition.
Other examples of public utilities are:
- Municipals- governed by the cities they
serve.
- PUD's- governmental corporations formed
by the vote of the people they serve; they are called Public
Utility Districts in Washington State and People's Utility
Districts in Oregon
 Who
is the Pacific Northwest Generating Cooperative (PNGC Power)?
Pacific Northwest Generating Cooperative (PNGC Power), located
in Portland, is a cooperative serving 15 member distribution
cooperatives including Blachly-Lane. By combining their total
customer power needs these cooperatives purchase wholesale power
from BPA and other power wholesalers. The benefits of these purchases
are passed on to the members.
- Where does the power distributed by Blachly-Lane
come from?
Blachly-Lane is a member of PNGC Power. PNGC Power has the ability
to buy and sell power on the open market. They supply the co-op's
power needs. The majority of the power is purchased from Bonneville
Power Administration.
- Why does Blachly-Lane charge a membership
fee?
As a cooperative, the State of Oregon requires Blachly-Lane
to charge a membership fee. The board of directors has made this
fee a minimal $5.
- How many members sit on the board of directors?
Blachly-Lane has five board of directors serving five districts.
These directors serve a term of three years.
- How often does the board of directors meet?
The board of directors meets once a month at Blachly-Lane
headquarters. They decide on such things as the rules and regulations
of the cooperative, set the rates charged by the cooperative,
set the date of the annual meeting, fill vacancies to the board
of directors, and elect and remove officers of the cooperative.
 How
are the rates determined?
The cooperative performs cost of service studies to determine
how much it costs to serve all members in its service area. Rate
studies are then completed to design rates that closely represent
each members actual cost of service. All revenues in excess of
the cost of service are returned to the members in the form of
capital credits or patronage capital.
- What are Capital Credits?
Excess income of electric cooperatives (income minus expenses)
is called Patronage Capital, where patronage is the trade given
to a business by its customers and capital is funds that are
contributed to a business by its owners. Capital Credits are
the amounts of Patronage Capital credited to each member who
received service during the year. Capital Credits are distributed
on the basis of patronage.
- What is the Facilities Charge on my electric
bill?
The Facilities Charge is a charge based on the costs, independent
of the kilowatt-hour usage, associated with providing electric
service.
Costs included in the Facilities Charge include a portion of
operations and maintenance expense for distribution lines and
equipment, customer accounts expense, administrative and general
expense, depreciation, and interest expense. The rest of the
expenses necessary to operate the cooperative and the energy
cost are included in the Distribution and Power Supply charges.
- Who is the Bonneville Power Administration
(BPA)?
The BPA is a federal power marketing agency under the Department
of Energy responsible for marketing wholesale electric power
from 30 federal dams throughout Washington, Oregon, Idaho and
western Montana and portions of California, Nevada, Utah, and
Wyoming. BPA also sells and exchanges power with utilities in
Canada and California.
- What is "Green Power"?
Alternative, renewable power resources such as wind, solar,
or geothermal are often referred to as "Green Power". The Coffin
Butte Resource Project, north of Corvallis, is an example of
the use of alternative resources to generate electricity. This
project was developed to pull methane gas from the Coffin Butte
Landfill and use it to generate electricity. By burning the gas,
the project uses a renewable resource that might otherwise be
wasted.
- What is carbon monoxide?
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless gas that is
a normal by-product of burning natural gas, wood, oil, coal,
kerosene and other fuels in your home. Carbon monoxide is highly
toxic. CO has been called the "silent killer" because even if
it starts to build up, you can't see it, smell it or taste it.
At low levels, CO causes flu-like symptoms-headaches, dizziness
and nausea. At higher levels, it can be fatal within 15 minutes.
While anyone is susceptible, experts agree that unborn babies,
small children, senior citizens, pets and people with heart or
respiratory problems are especially vulnerable to CO, and are
at the greatest risk for death or serious injury.
- What causes voltage surges?
About 35% of voltage surges are generated outside the home
or office by events such as lightning, utility grid switching,
power line accidents with trees and automobiles, etc. 65% of
all electrical surges or transient voltage activity is generated
within the home or business. These surges are usually caused
by motors and other electrical appliances turning on and off.
As much as 80% of power problems can be tied to the local environment.
Surges are caused by elevators, air conditioners, vending machines,
copiers, large computers, and even lights turning on and off
will cause rushes of power and transient voltages back up the
line. Any electrical device that contains a microprocessor is
susceptible to damage from transient voltages. This includes
computer equipment and peripherals, electronic equipment such
as stereos, TVs, and VCRs, fax machines, telephones, answering
machines and satellite dish receivers. Household appliances including
washers, dryers, refrigerators, dishwashers, microwave ovens,
food processors, blenders and can openers. Contact a Blachly-Lane
marketing representative at 541-688-8711 to find out about our
Protection Plus program that protects your home from power surges.
 What
is PNGC Power?
PNGC Power is the new name for the electricity, services and
benefits that Blachly-Lane members receive from PNGC -- the Pacific
Northwest Generating Cooperative. They buy electricity on the
power market for many Northwest consumer-owned utilities, including
Blachly-Lane. Because they buy in bulk -- and because they're
skilled at working the power market -- they are able to buy at
a discount, which keeps our rates competitive. Smart. Local.
Connected... These are the words to describe Blachly-Lane and
our relationship with PNGC Power.
- What can I do to protect my computer
from surges?
Here are some quidelines for selecting surge protection:
- Underwriters Laboratories Standard #1449 - Verify that the Surge Suppressor is Underwriter Laboratory (UL) listed for compliance with their standard #1449. This testing verifies compliance by including on the product; the product's identity (Transient Voltage Surge Suppressor), the UL symbol, and the word "listed," all in close proximity. Caution: UL listed means the device was tested and passed the testing. The words "UL Tested" mean only that the device was tested. The results of that test remain unknown. Additionally, UL Standard # 1449 only provides assurance that the device meets certain safety standards, it is not a guarantee of performance.
- Clamping Voltage - Various protection levels are covered under the UL 1449 listing, including 330, 400, 500, 600, 800 and six other levels up to 4,000 volts (only 330, 400, 500, and 600 apply to plug-in models). A lower clamping voltage is generally better. Where multi-stage surge suppression is being used, the TVSS at the service entrance usually has a higher clamping voltage (which in turn allows for a higher total energy dissipation) than the installed point-of-use devices. Have your electrician verify that the devices are "coordinated" so that they work together to provide the proper protection.
- Total Energy Dissipation - This is the maximum surge energy that the unit can handle without being damaged. A larger number is better.
- Maximum Continuous Operating Voltage (MCOV) - This is the maximum designated rms (root-mean-square) value of 60 Hz voltage that may be applied between the terminals of the arrester. Choose an MCOV rating capable of sustaining 125 percent of the nominal rms voltage without degradation. For example, if the nominal RMS voltage of the system is 120 volts, select a device with a MCOV of at least 150 volts.
- Maximum Continuous Operating Voltage = 120 volts x 1.25 = 150
- Common Mode and Normal Mode Disturbances - The TVSS devices should be designed to protect against transients in four electrical modes including common mode (line-to-ground V3, neutral-to-ground V2) and normal mode (line-to-neutral V1, line-to-line*) disturbances.
- Sine Wave Tracking - This technology tracks the AC sine wave, permitting instant response to minor spikes and transients that will pass through conventional protection. These devices cost significantly more than conventional TVSS technologies.
Quality Surge Protection Products may be purchased from:
Meter-Treater, Inc.
EFI Electronics
American Power Conversion
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