Glance up to the sky and the answer likely lies above. Nine times out of 10 when those clear blue skies change, electric service is threatened. How can you outguess Mother Nature? You canât. But that doesnât sway the Hoosier Energy Power Delivery team. It challenges them. They are always monitoring the weather, and if a storm rolls in or lightning strikes, they are ready.
Hoosier Energy recently signed a long-term power purchase agreement with Capital Dynamics CEI to buy 150 megawatts of power generated by the Ratts 2 Solar Project in Knox County, Indiana. Construction is expected to begin in 2022 with commercial operation anticipated in 2023.
Every two years Hoosier Energyâs forecasting group takes a snapshot of energy trends to develop 20-year load forecasts across the power network. This business analysis is compiled into the Power Requirements Study (PRS) and it tackles three main business functions â system planning, budgeting and financial requirements. Tina Elliott and Justin Rice lead the forecasting work at Hoosier Energy and their process is research-focused and driven by data.
Member co-ops are working to electrify Indiana, but some consumers are hesitant to go all-in with electric cars and other big-ticket purchases.
When out-of-state electric cooperatives experienced outages caused by downed lines and broken poles from a February ice storm, Hoosier Energy member cooperatives eagerly answered the call to action.
When Trina Pardue joined Hoosier Energy 28 years ago, she couldnât foresee how drastically her job would change. Starting as a division secretary and transitioning to an associate in Financial and Corporate services, Pardue had become the go-to person for designing presentation materials.
Chris Goffinet started visiting Hoosier Energy with his two law partners in 1993. When one retired and the other left to become a judge, Goffinet took over as Hoosier Energyâs general counsel in 2003 and has continued in that capacity since. EnergyLines sat down with him to discuss his favorite activities and the advice he would give his younger self.
Marketing commercial and industrial sites for development in member communities consists of detailed data for use by site selectors. This information includes area utilities and regional workforce demographics. Also important are the visuals. Capturing each property visually involves getting in an aircraft to get a birdâs-eye-view. Rising up to 8,000 feet shows site topography and property lines. This can be an expensive and time-consuming process. It is also one that has been dramatically improved by drones.
Whether adjusting for the pandemic or planning for the future, Hoosier Energy is responsibly executing its capital plans to maintain, repair and upgrade assets to ensure the resiliency of Hoosier Energyâs transmission system. âWeâre targeting assets that are in the higher-risk category for failure because of their age and condition. That should translate to better asset performance, improved reliability and fewer outages,â said Matt Mabrey, Vice President of Operations. âThis should give our members a lot of confidence that weâre utilizing financial resources wisely.â
In 1967, Hoosier Energyâs Franklin Training Center site was just a simple concrete block building full of mice that couldnât be used for its intended purpose â a primary substation powered from Napoleon â because new regulations restricted power line construction in the area. Co-op leaders were dreaming of a training program to ensure line workers had the skills and knowledge they needed to keep themselves and others safe on the job.
Looking for an opportunity to build a career at an organization that values its employees? Help us create a brighter future for the communities we serve and build a career at Hoosier Energy.
