For general information

regarding cooperative:

For specific information

regarding power outages

Angela Bruce Griffin

Manager of Member Services

Telephone: 217-466-7603

Email: agriffin@enerstar.com

Mike Clark

Line Superintendent

Telephone: 217-466-7616

Email: mclark@enerstar.com

EnerStar Power Office 1-800-635-4145

Archive Press Releases

Winter Storm Update at 1:00 pm - 02/13/07

EnerStar Power crews are working to restore power to approximately 200 members. Most outages are confined between an area south of the Horace-Brocton road in Edgar County and north of Illinois Route 40 in Clark County.

As always, EnerStar Power reminds everyone to stay away from downed power lines. Please notify the cooperative immediately regarding downed power lines.

Mike Clark, EnerStar's Line Superintendent, warns that this could be an extended outage. Winter storm conditions are making it difficult for crews to make repairs.

In addition to staying away from any downed power lines, Clark urges co-op members to use caution when using emergency generators. If you do not have a transfer switch to isolate the generator from the co-op’s electric system, be sure and plug any appliance directly into the generator. This will avoid a backfeed onto the electric grid that could kill or injure linemen trying to repair damage. Clark also warns that generators should be used in an area with plenty of ventilation in order to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.

Clark added that when wide spread outages do occur the cooperative’s telephone lines may become overwhelmed. He says, “Rest assured our employees will answer the phones as fast as possible, but when hundreds of people are trying to call in at the same time there will be busy signals. Please be patient.”

To speed up the phone call Clark emphasized that members should use the automated outage reporting system. “This is the best way to get information to our employees,” says Clark. He added that if you have more information about power lines down or broken poles or any other emergency situation, to stay on the line and report it directly to an EnerStar employee.

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Winter Storm Warning Issued - 02/13/07

EnerStar Power is warning co-op members to be prepared for possible outages due to the current winter storm. Heavy snow and ice combined with wind is causing widespread and extended power outages throughout the EnerStar service territory.

"This is going to be an extended outage but our linemen and other employees are prepared to do everything they can to restore power as quickly as possible," says Mike Clark, EnerStar’s Line Superintendent. "Winter storm outages like this are very difficult to repair quickly. It is difficult just getting around since many rural roads are already ice covered. We have thousands of miles of lines and a wide area to cover."

Clark says the first priority is to make sure employees and members remember to always put safety first. "We want to emphasize how important it is to stay away from any downed power lines. And if you use a generator make sure you use it safely. Be sure it is not backfeed on to the co-op’s power lines as it could injure or kill a lineman trying to repair the line."

Clark added that when wide spread outages do occur the cooperative’s telephone lines could become overwhelmed. He says, "Rest assured our employees will answer the phones as fast as possible, but when hundreds of people are trying to call in at the same time there will be busy signals. Please be patient."

To speed up the phone call Clark emphasized that members should use the automated outage reporting system. "This is the best way to get information to our employees," said Clark. He added that if you have more information about power lines down or broken poles or any other emergency situation, to stay on the line and report it directly to an EnerStar employee.

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EnerStar Employees Attend FEMA Training - 02/01/07

A workshop was held by the Association of Illinois Electric Cooperatives (AIEC) January 31 to help electric co-op officials better understand how to work with FEMA to obtain federal disaster assistance.

"Many of our co-ops were severely stressed during this winter’s ice storms," said Duane Noland, President/CEO of the AIEC. "I was out of power myself for nearly five days. An ice storm like this is our version of a hurricane. But the electric co-op employees in Illinois and the co-op employees that came to help from other states did a heroic job of rebuilding miles and miles of line. Now our staff is working closely with the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, and together we hope this process for FEMA assistance continues to move forward."

Noland said the electric co-ops of Illinois maintain 34 percent of the state’s electric distribution lines, but only serve 5 percent of the state’s consumers. The financial burden of an ice storm can be devastating to member-owned electric co-ops, he said.

In January, Governor Rod Blagojevich asked President Bush for federal assistance for 26 counties hit hard by the December ice storm. The Federal disaster declaration will help state and local governments, municipal-owned utilities and member-owned electric co-ops with storm-related costs.

Eleven Illinois electric co-ops were hit by the winter ice storm and suffered an estimated total $8 million in damages. Overall the areas affected suffered an estimated $19.5 million in damages.

"We’re still dealing with the effects of the ice storm that knocked out power for up to a week in many areas," Gov. Blagojevich said. "In fact, in less than a year, communities across our state have dealt with tornadoes, thunderstorms, flooding and record snowfalls. I’m hoping the federal government takes all of this into account as they review our request."

WABASH VALLEY POWER ACQUIRES WABASH RIVER UNIT 1

FROM DUKE ENERGY - 02/01/2007

Wabash Valley Power Association (WVPA) has purchased one unit of the Wabash River Power Station in West Terre Haute, Indiana, from Duke Energy Indiana. The purchase of Wabash River Unit 1includes the 192-megawatt gas turbine and 100-megawatt steam turbine, along with the unit’s associated equipment and property. WVPA provides all wholesale power to EnerStar Power.

Unit 1 was one of the nation’s first demonstrations of using coal gasification to produce

electricity. The facility produces electricity using synthetic gas from an adjacent coal gasification plant that is owned by sgSolutions, a subsidiary of WVPA. When the synthetic gas is unavailable, the unit can also run on natural gas.

"Wabash Valley Power Association has enjoyed a long history of partnerships with Duke Energy Indiana, including the joint ownership of substantial assets," said Wabash Valley Chief Executive Officer Rick Coons. "We see the acquisition of Wabash River Unit 1 as a continued growth of that relationship, while also satisfying the growing energy needs of our membership."

The purchase is part of WVPA’s long-term strategy to own a larger percentage of its sources of electric generation. "By owning more of our generation, we can provide a more reliable source of electricity to our member cooperatives, and provide more stable pricing," Coons added.

Duke Energy Indiana employees will continue to operate and maintain Unit 1 under a contract with WVPA. Duke’s remaining Wabash River Station units, which have the capacity to generate 668 megawatts, are not being sold.
 

"Our unit and Wabash Valley Power Association’s coal gasification plant are fully linked operationally, so it makes sense that these facilities are owned by the same company," said Duke Energy Indiana President Jim Stanley. "WVPA has done an excellent job operating the coal gasification plant since it became the owner."

The sale must be approved by the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice. These approvals are anticipated by mid-2007.

Wabash Valley Power Association is a generation and transmission cooperative based in Indianapolis that provides wholesale electricity to 28 distribution systems and their more than 800,000 retail customers in Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Missouri. In achieving its corporate goal of low-cost wholesale supply for its members, Wabash Valley manages a diverse mix of power supply options, including both plant ownership and wholesale market purchases. Wabash Valley is a founding member of ACES Power Marketing, one of the nation’s largest physical traders of electricity, and Touchstone Energy, the nationwide alliance of over 600 customer-owned electric cooperatives.

Wabash River is a six-unit station that was completed between 1953 and 1968. It is also the site of the 260-megawatt Wabash River Coal Gasification Repowering Project, which was one of the first demonstrations of coal gasification to produce electricity. The U.S. Department of Energy contributed $219 million to the project to help develop the coal gasification technology, an environmentally beneficial way to burn coal to generate power.

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EnerStar Linemen Assists Cooperatives During Ice Storm - 12/05/2006

EnerStar Power in Paris sent two linemen to aid a sister co-op experiencing major outages due to the November 30 ice storm hitting much of central Illinois. Linemen Keith Borchers and Scott Newlin aided Shelby Electric Cooperative in Shelbyville over five days.

Cooperation among cooperatives is one of the core principles that EnerStar Power was founded on. “Our linemen are very dedicated to keeping the lights on for our members, and they understand how important it is to have extra help during this kind of storm. Borchers and Newlin were happy to help fellow cooperative linemen get power restored to their members. And we’re happy to know that if a similar disaster strikes our area, other cooperatives will send crews to help us as well. It’s just another benefit of being a cooperative,” said Superintendent Mike Clark.

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