News & Events
Visit our booth at this local fair
Visit our booth at this county fair and check out what you can do to save on energy costs. You can also obtain information about some of our new technologies like automated meters and demand response. Children may pick up a fun-filled activity booklet featuring information and tips about energy and electrical safety.
Juniata County Fair
September 4 – 11, 2010
Commercial Exhibits Hall, Juniata County Fairgrounds
302 Sixth Street, Port Royal, PA
www.juniatacountyfair.com
Valley REC announces recipients of Brighter Future scholarships
August 11, 2010
Valley Rural Electric Cooperative recently awarded 25 $1,000 scholarships for the 2010-11 academic year to high school seniors as well as students already enrolled in post-secondary institutions and returning adult students.
The money to finance this initiative comes from unclaimed capital credits refunds that previously had to be turned over to the state treasury. Thanks to the efforts of the cooperative’s political advocates, these resources now can be kept in co-op communities and used to assist consumers facing financial hardships and to fund educational scholarships.
The recipients of this year’s scholarships are listed below. Congratulations to all of them.
| Recipient | High School (grad. year if not 2010) | Post-secondary Institution |
|---|---|---|
| Jordan W. Baker | Williamsburg H.S. | Penn State Altoona |
| Chelsie J. Beck | Huntingdon Area H.S. | Penn State Altoona |
| Emily J. Burkhard | Hollidaysburg Area Senior H.S. | Penn State Altoona |
| Kleda M. Evans | Huntingdon Area H.S. (2007) | Shippensburg University |
| Jenna L. Farkus | Central H.S. (2009) | Shippensburg University |
| Michael W. Figart | Hollidaysburg Area Senior H.S. | Juniata College |
| Erin E. Harshbarger | Tussey Mountain H.S. | DuBois Business College |
| Kelsa R. Harten | Claysburg-Kimmel H.S. | La Roche College |
| James C. Hawn | Juniata Valley H.S. (2009) | Penn State |
| John R. Hawn II | Juniata Valley H.S. | Indiana University of Pennsylvania |
| Elaina C. Hummel | Southern Huntingdon County H.S. | Frostburg State University |
| Alyssa C. Kennedy | Central H.S. | Bloomsburg University |
| Courtney E. Kensinger | Williamsburg H.S. | Shippensburg University |
| Katrina Z. Kidd | Lewistown H.S. (2003) | Penn State |
| Kelley A. McCaa | Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School | Slippery Rock University |
| Daniel A. McKeehan | Mount Union Area H.S. | Penn State |
| Lucas M. Mellott | Southern Fulton H.S. | Juniata College |
| Jenna C. Morgan | Juniata Valley H.S. | Lycoming College |
| Catherine J. Myers | Mount Union Area H.S. | Juniata College |
| Courtney L. Oswald | Southern Huntingdon County H.S. | Westmoreland County Community College |
| Tiffany A. Putt | Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf | Gallaudet University |
| Daniele N. Riley | Huntingdon Area H.S. | Wilson College |
| Jacob M. Smith | Bishop Guilfoyle H.S. (2009) | Saint Francis University |
| Jordan D. Smith | Claysburg-Kimmel H.S. | Penn State Altoona |
| Ryan L. Strait | McConnellsburg H.S. | Millersville University |
Status of system inventory and mapping project
Updated August 3, 2010
Technicians from Davey Resource Group (DRG) have completed recording the location of every piece of equipment (such as poles, meters, and transformers) that belongs to Valley Rural Electric Cooperative. The information gathered will be used to develop a digital mapping system which will help our crews locate equipment problems during an outage before arriving on site. Power can then be restored more quickly.
DRG’s crews are no longer in the field. They have completed both the inventory pass and the mapping pass for all of our substation areas.
Thank you for your cooperation and understanding during this process. For more information about the project, call toll-free 800/432-0680 – Ext. 156.
Co-op offers CFL disposal at all office locations
April 1, 2010
Co-op consumers as well as members of the general public may now bring their spent compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs) to any Valley REC office, and co-op personnel will ensure that they are properly disposed of (compact spirals only, please).
CFLs contain a very small amount of mercury sealed within the glass tubing – an average of 5 milligrams (roughly equivalent to the tip of a ballpoint pen). Like paint, batteries, thermostats, and other hazardous household items, CFLs should be disposed of properly. Do not throw CFLs away in your household garbage if better disposal options exist.
Energy Star-qualified CFLs have a two-year warranty. If the bulb fails within that period, return it to your retailer.
Co-op begins AMI meter installation
October 20, 2009
The cooperative is currently replacing all of its meters with new automated versions as part of an advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) project. The AMI project will proceed on a substation-by-substation basis. Work has begun in the Center Union Substation area of Huntingdon County, which includes locations in or around Alexandria, Center Union, Donation, Huntingdon, and Petersburg. From there, crews will primarily finish work in the Huntingdon district. They will then move to the Martinsburg district and, finally, to the Shade Gap district. The project is expected to take up to three years to complete.
Consumers will be informed when their meters have been replaced and again when the automated features are activated. Members are urged to continue reading their meters unless notified otherwise.
For more information, please read these answers to commonly asked questions about Advanced Metering Infrastructure (PDF, 83 KB).
Fraud Alert!
September 22, 2009
Watch out for people posing as co-op personnel on the telephone.
The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association recently reported that co-op consumers in various states have been receiving phone calls from fraudsters posing as co-op personnel and asking consumers to provide credit card or other financial account information and personally identifiable information over the phone. (Cooperatives have not been the only target; this is hitting utilities of all types.) There are at least two variations of this scam.
- The fraudster states that the consumer owes money on an account and will have service disconnected unless payment information is provided immediately.
- The caller claims the consumer can receive federal stimulus dollars to pay utility bills but must first provide personal information such as a Social Security Number and utility account number. (This scam appears aimed more specifically at seniors.)
All Valley Rural Electric Cooperative personnel remain vigilant in protecting member and consumer information and will follow current identity theft procedures.
If you receive a call from a person claiming to be a cooperative employee and asking for credit card, financial, account, or social security information, and you suspect fraud, do not give that information to the caller. Instead, ask for the caller’s name and then call our office at one of the numbers listed on this site or on your bill. You can then verify whether the call was from one of our employees before supplying any information.
