Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Power Board Hosts First of Three Community Forums



Johnson City Power Board (JCPB) recently hosted the first of a series of community forums at the Jonesborough Visitor Center. Named The Smart Grid Road Show, the program consisted of a comprehensive presentation detailing the utility’s adoption and deployment of smart grid technology followed by an open question and answer forum. JCPB President & CEO, Homer G’Fellers, facilitated the presentation while JCPB Chief Officers addressed details specific to their individual responsibilities. Their presentation offered past, present, and future perspectives on utility operations and offered a glimpse into the technology and rationales driving changes within JCPB and the electrical industry.

JCPB Chief Public Relations Officer, Robert White, offered,” These events give us a chance to speak face-to-face with our customers to help them understand all the changes happening within our company and in the Tennessee Valley. It’s also a great opportunity for folks to come out and meet with our staff to get answers to any questions they might have about our company, their accounts, or anything else related to our products and services.”

Accompanying the presenters were representatives from JCPB’s Customer Service, Tree-Trimming, and Marketing and Energy Services departments. A remote online connection to customer account information was available to accommodate on-sight review of individual account information. The next event will be held in Johnson City at the Carver Recreation Center on Thursday, May 12 between 7 and 8:30 PM. The final event will follow on the next Thursday, May 19 between 7 and 8:30 PM at the Fordtown Ruritan in Sullivan County. Please bring your family, tell your friends, and come spend an evening learning about what’s in store for our company and community.

Friday, April 15, 2011

Arbor Day Celebration & Smart Grid Road Show


Spring is a great time to get together with our neighbors to celebrate nature and find out what’s new in our community. To help us do a little of both, the Johnson City Power Board (JCPB) is sponsoring two upcoming local events: From the Roots Up Arbor Day Celebration and The Smart Grid Road Show. Each of these events is free and all are invited to attend.

Because there were no existing local events celebrating Arbor Day, JCPB, the Appalachian Fair, and the Northeast Tennessee Master Gardeners Association (NETMGA) partnered to create From the Roots Up, an event supporting the Arbor Day Foundation’s mission to, “…inspire people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees.” The celebration will take place on April 22 and 23 with a wide variety of activities held daily between 9am and 4pm at the Appalachian Fairgrounds in Gray. This Inaugural celebration features a 5K Run/Walk, the first annual Miss Arbor Day Natural Beauty Pageant, an Easter Egg Hunt, inflatable attractions, numerous seminars, demonstrations, and much more. Attendees will have an opportunity to purchase trees and plants while getting advice on placement, care, and cultivation in a relaxed and fun-filled environment. Seminars will be offered by knowledgeable representatives from both NETMGA and JCPB.

Bill Hunt, Certified Arborist/Utility Specialist and JCPB Tree-Trimming Supervisor, offered, “Whether people want to come and buy trees, learn about how to plant and care for them, find someone qualified to do the work, or just to have some good clean family fun, From the Roots Up will have something for everyone. Pike Electric is coming to show their Live-Line Demonstration on Saturday at 9 and 10:30am. This demonstration is amazing! It shows what happens when tree limbs and other everyday items come into contact with an energized power-line. This is a great opportunity for our local first responders and customers to see first-hand what they should and shouldn’t do around live and downed power lines.”

The second series of upcoming events is the JCPB Smart Grid Road Show which will allow JCPB executive staff to brief customers on current projects and how they will impact utility services and operations. During the event, JCPB President and CEO, Homer G’Fellers, will facilitate a presentation followed by an open question and answer forum. JCPB Customer Service representatives will also be present with a live remote connection to customer account information while Marketing/Energy Services representatives and Tree-Trimming Supervisors will be available to answer any questions. The available resources and expertise will afford JCPB customers an opportunity to address questions ranging from account/billing information, energy efficiency/audits, TVA programs, tree trimming practices/policies, or just about anything else.

The Smart Grid Road Show schedule is as follows:

• 4/21/2011: Jonesborough Visitor Center 7:00-8:00 PM
• 5/12/2011: Carver Recreation Center 7:00-8:00 PM
• 5/19/2011: Fordtown Ruritan 7:00-8:00 PM

Come on out and take advantage of these great opportunities to learn and have fun with your families and neighbors. Additional information on the events can be found at www.fromtherootsuptn.org and Power Plugs.