Statement of Nondiscrimination
United States Department of Agriculture Rural Electrification Administration
Appendix A

Sawnee Electric Membership Corporation is the recipient of Federal financial assistance from the Rural Utilities Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and is subject to the provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended; the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, as amended; and the rules and regulations of the U.S. Department of Agriculture which provide that no person in the United States on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, disability, citizenship or veteran status shall be excluded from participation in, admission or access to, denied the benefits of, or otherwise be subject to discrimination under any of this organization’s programs or activities.

The person responsible for coordinating this organization’s nondiscrimination compliance efforts is Michael A. Goodroe, President and Chief Executive Officer.  Any individual, or specific class of individuals, who feels that this organization has subjected them to discrimination may file a written complaint with this   organization; or the Secretary, U. S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. 20250; or the Administrator, Rural Utilities Service, Washington, D.C.  20250.  Complaints must be filed within 180 days after the alleged discriminatory action, or by such date to which the Secretary of Agriculture or the Administrator of Rural Utilities Service extends the time for filing.  Identity of complaints will be kept confidential except to the extent necessary to carry out the purposes of the rules and regulations of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Mercury Vapor Security Light Change Out

With the adoption of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, consumers that have a mercury vapor light(s) in their neighborhood or yard will need to have it replaced.  As of January 1, 2008, due to the Energy Policy Act, it became illegal to manufacture and/or import mercury vapor (MV) lighting ballasts in the United States.

The goal of this action was to increase the overall energy efficiency of the lighting systems in the U.S. and, over time, to phase out this technology.  Sawnee EMC currently has over 5,000 mercury vapor street and roadway lights on its distribution system that will be impacted by this new policy.

What does this mean to Sawnee EMC members that currently have mercury vapor lights?  First, over time you will see these MV fixtures removed from your home or neighborhood and replaced with a more efficient “high pressure sodium” or “HPS” fixture.  The HPS fixture provides a similar level of light (luminary output) and is comparable in cost to the MV fixture.

The most noticeable change will be the “color” of the light.  Today, the mercury vapor light appears “white” in color, while the high pressure sodium light looks somewhat “yellow”.  Sawnee EMC does offer other lighting options (e.g. metal halide or MH) that have a similar light appearance as the mercury vapor.  However, keep in mind that these MH fixtures are much more costly per month.

The staff of Sawnee EMC plans to begin systematically changing out affected mercury vapor fixtures beginning February 5, 2008.  The spare parts derived from those removed light fixtures will be used to keep as many of the MV lights operable for as long as possible.  However, we want you to be aware that at some point in the future Sawnee EMC will not be able to keep your MV light operating and will have no choice but to replace it.

If you have questions about this article, contact our Customer Call Center at 770-887-2363 or visit us on the web at www.sawnee.com.

2008 Energy Grant Rebate Information

There is no time like the present to make energy efficient upgrades to your home or business!  Energy efficient projects will not only make your home or business  more comfortable, but it will also save you money on your electric bill.  Worried about how much it will cost to make some changes?  Don’t worry – Sawnee EMC will help you pay for certain upgrades through our 2008 Rebate and Incentive Program.  Listed below are the current rebates that Sawnee EMC will offer for this year:

RESIDENTIAL REBATES:

Our Mission

Sawnee Electric Membership Corporation exists to serve the changing needs of members by enhancing the quality of life by actively supporting community developments and identifying and serving the members' needs.

  

Quotable Quote "When they run you out of town, make it look like you're leading the parade."   Bill Battle

·         Insulation upgrades – Bring your attic insulation value up to R-38 and receive a rebate of ½ the cost, up to $200.00.

·         Ventilation upgrades – Add natural ventilation to your attic through turbines, ridge vents, turtle backs or power ventilators and receive a rebate of ½ the cost, up to $75.00.

·         Install a programmable thermostat – Replace your existing manual thermostat with a programmable one and receive a rebate of ½ the cost, up to $25.00.

·         Residential lighting – Replace a minimum of 10 incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent lighting and receive a rebate of ½ the cost, up to $20.00.

·         HVAC air filter replacement – Purchase a minimum of $10 worth of air filters and receive a rebate of $5.00. (Does not apply to fiberglass air filters.)

·         Heat pump – Add a 14 SEER heat pump to your home, either as a replacement or new addition, and receive $75.00 per ton, to a site maximum of $375.00.

COMMERCIAL REBATES (New for 2008!)

·         Purchase energy efficient office equipment – Purchase Energy Star qualified office equipment to replace existing equipment and receive a rebate of ½ of the cost, up to $100.00.

·         Programmable thermostats – Replace an existing manual thermostat with a programmable one and receive ½ of the cost, up to $25.00 per HVAC system.

·         Lighting upgrade – Upgrade your existing lighting system with a higher efficiency system and receive a rebate of ½ the cost, up to $400.00.

·         Solar film window tinting – Apply solar window film tint to existing windows and receive a rebate of ½ the cost, up to $150.00.

·         Upgrade equipment – Replace a capital-intensive piece of production equipment resulting in substantial kilowatt savings and receive a rebate of ½ the cost, up to $500.00.

·         Install energy management system – Install an energy management system that can be used to control lighting, HVAC settings and other office functions and receive a rebate of ½ of the cost, up to $100.00.

Once you have the work completed, simply mail, fax  or email us a copy of your receipt or invoice to Sawnee EMC, Attention Energy Services, 543 Atlanta Highway, Cumming, Georgia 30040 or fax it to 678-513-8106 or email it to “marketing @sawnee.com” .  Be sure to include your name, address and account number on all of your documents.  For additional information, please contact our Energy Services Department at (770) 887-2363, extension 7544.