Whenever the 50-year-old steam coil air pre-heater — also known as the wall heater — at

Wisdom Unit 1 acted up, it required a virtual aerial act by employees to reach it and make repairs. First, an employee had to climb ladders high above the sixth-floor area, suspended 75 feet in the air. Next, he would traverse a narrow catwalk elevated over an opening that plunged down all the way to the plant’s first floor. From the catwalk, he would make repairs, which often required soldering to keep the tubes from leaking. The wall heater was original equipment. It leaked often and required frequent repair, usually during overtime hours. Also, the old heater had a small surface area to draw air through, resulting in a powerful vacuum throughout the plant when the unit operated. Oftentimes, the vacuum was so strong that employees had difficulty opening outside doors. With the recent installation of a new wall heater at the plant, those safety and reliability concerns have been eliminated. “In the winter, we need to heat the air we draw into the plant to fire the boiler. We’ve had a lot of issues with the old wall heater leaking and it’s located in the top corner of the plant, making it hard to repair,” explains Patrick Connor, plant manager. “We’ve installed the new wall heater on the fan deck on the fourth floor,

where the fans don’t have to draw the heated air across any other area.” The new heater, designed by Jake Olberding, project engineer I, and installed by Tony Borkowski, machinist-welder certified, and Cody Montgomery, tractor operator, offers numerous advantages over the old one. Located on the fourth floor where employees can easily reach it to make repairs, the new wall heater is made up of four individual cells. With this design, one section at a time can be isolated should maintenance be needed, enabling the other sections to remain in service so a plant outage is not required. The new equipment also has 127 square feet of surface area, 41 percent more than the old heater’s 90 square feet. The increased surface area reduces the

airflow rate through the coils, resulting in better heat transfer, reduced vacuum in the plant and greater energy efficiency. Installed where windows used to be, the unit will operate whenever the outside temperature is less than 40 degrees Fahrenheit. The old heater has been covered and remains in place. The wall heater project began last summer and was finished and tested in early February. The new unit functioned for the first time when Wisdom Unit 1 operated mid-month. Total budget for the project was $76,000. Olberding explains, “The project increased the reliability of the plant and especially the safety of its operations. Plant workers can now operate the wall heater while standing on solid ground.” ■

The new wall heater installed in Wisdom Unit 1 is energy efficient and has increased surface area, which reduces the air flow rate through the coils, resulting in greater heat transfer. The new unit is located where employees can reach it more easily.

Corn Belt Power Cooperative

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"We've had a lot of issues with the old wall heater leaking and it's located in the top corner of the plant, making it hard to repair."

Patrick Connor, plant manager

Representatives from Calhoun County REC, Prairie Energy Cooperative, Raccoon Valley Electric Cooperative and Corn Belt Power Cooperative met with their state legislators Feb. 9 to give electric co-ops’ perspective on

pending bills. Co-ops are asking legislators to support a bill that streamlines the procedures for archeological studies required by the State Historical Preservation Office. When it comes to renewable energy sources, electric o-ops have always supported an incentive-based approach to adding wind energy. Senate File SSB 1078 would mandate utilities have a certain percentage of renewable energy and, therefore, co-ops oppose the bill. Co-op representatives pointed out to legislators that Iowa already ranks second nationally in wind generation output with 3,670 megawatts installed and leads the nation in wind generation as a percentage of total power output at 17 to 20 percent.

In 1967, a young man sat in a high school classroom in Emmetsburg, his thoughts drifting to his upcoming graduation and

the likelihood that Vietnam was in his future. Enter Wayne Rich, transmission superin-tendent at Corn Belt Power at that time. He motioned the young man out of class and told him that the cooperative was going to “give him a try” at being the newest groundman at the Emmetsburg Service Center. That was the day Don Routh first knew what direction his life would take. Forty-four years later, Routh will retire after his lifelong career as a cooperative lineman. Routh’s parents owned Mickey’s Café in

Emmetsburg and many of the Corn Belt Power linemen from Humboldt were frequent diners there. (Rumor has it that it was one of retired Transmission Superintendent Jerry McCurry’s favorite places.) Routh’s parents became friends with many of the Corn Belt Power employees and communicated their son’s interest in working for the cooperative. When it came time to fill an opening, Corn Belt Power personnel looked to the young man who had the character and interest they were looking for. Routh worked as a groundman in Emmets-burg for a little less than a year before his draft number was called. Opting to enlist instead,

Routh spent the next three years working in the U.S. Army’s Air Defense School in El Paso, Texas. When he returned from duty in 1971, the Emmetsburg transmission spots were full, so he was directed toward an opening at the Hampton Service Center. Linemen didn’t receive formal training in those days, but learned their skills on the job. “We learned from the people we worked with,” Routh explains. “The best teachers showed us how things should be done. Groundmen didn’t climb poles in their position, so we prac-ticed climbing at noon during break.” Routh has experienced both rewards and challenges during his long career. He points to the satisfaction of getting members back online after a storm outage. “It was reward-ing after a storm to at first see all of the poles down and then work to turn the lights back on,” he says. Challenges Routh remembers center on lots of mud and trying to get trucks unstuck in fields. “Every year we have that,” he com-ments. Throughout the years, Routh has witnessed many changes, including the construction of a new service center in Hampton, being promot-ed to line foreman when Myron Card retired and the dramatic influence new technology has had on the transmission crew’s work. With his last day of work scheduled for Feb. 28, Routh’s future will include spending time with his wife Julie at the couple’s cabin on the Mississippi River near Harpers Ferry. Shared with some of the couple’s in-laws, the cabin provides the setting for Routh to fish and watch boats go by. His new daily schedule will shift from patrolling line and surveying poles to observing wildlife. “I can’t wait to watch the eagles – I found a nest over there,” he comments. ■

Above | LaVerne Greving, center, president, and Jim Bagley, right, chief executive officer, both of Raccoon Valley Electric Cooperative, discuss issues with Rep. Gary Worthan, House District 52, at the Iowa State Capitol Feb. 9.

Don Routh, line foreman, Corn Belt Power, retired Feb. 28 after 44 years of helping to keep power flowing to co-op members.

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Hintz accepts new positionGarry L. “Garr” Hintz has been named general manager of Kingsbury Electric Cooperative, De Smet, S.D. Hintz previously was the general manager of Sac County REC, now part of Raccoon Valley Electric Cooperative. He begins employment with Kingsbury Electric on March 1.

Kingsbury Electric Cooperative serves approximately 935 consumers in Kingsbury County in east central South Dakota. A member of East River Electric Cooperative, Madison, S.D., Kingsbury Electric is a Touchstone Energy Cooperative.

Corn Belt Power Cooperative’s 2010 annual meeting will be held Wednesday, April 6, at the Best

Western Starlite Village Inn and Suites, Fort Dodge. Refreshments will be served starting at 9:30 a.m., followed by the business meeting at 10:30 a.m. Directors from Humboldt County REC and Prairie Energy Cooperative will be elected to the board. Keynote speaker will be professional racecar driver and television sports personality Derek Daly, whose racing career spanned 17 years. In 1984, he suffered one of the hardest crash impacts that a driver had ever survived when he hit the wall at Michigan International Speedway at 212 mph. After 14 surgeries and three years in therapy, he returned to full-time racing. In 1978, Daly competed in the highest class of auto racing at the Formula One World Championship, and two short years later he was ranked 10th in the world. In 1983, he made his first of six starts in the Indianapolis 500. In 1985, Daly started a 10-year association with ESPN as a motor sport color analyst. Since then, he’s become the face of motor sports, seen on NBC, CBS, Fox and Speed Channel. ■

Above | Professional racecar driver and television sports personality Derek Daly will be the keynote speaker at Corn Belt Power Cooperative's annual meeting April 6 in Fort Dodge. His topic will be "Complete Champion Leadership: How Fast Can You Get Fast?"

KPMG completes auditRepresentatives from KPMG, Omaha, Neb., performed Corn Belt Power Cooperative’s annual audit Feb. 7-18 in Humboldt. Anita Caradori, right, senior audit associate, and Lianna Young, audit associate, worked with Corn Belt Power accountants.

Racecar driver to highlight annual meeting

Aud

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Out with the old and in with the newNew organization and office remodeling aim to boost overall workflow and environment for the Corn Belt Power Metering Department. Steve Curry and Lance Tinken, meter technicians, began preparation for their remodeling project just after Christmas. Tinken constructed and installed a workbench with a countertop that wraps around the entire southwest side of the office. In addition to adding breathing room and more workable space, the office is now trimmed with antique meters, a fresh coat of paint and a new storage cabinet that houses 95 percent of the Metering Department’s inventory. “This project helped eliminate and retire old inventory that was just lying around the office,” says Curry. “Our space is now much more well utilized.”

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Published monthly for the employees and associates of Corn Belt Power Cooperative.

Watts Watt, the official publication of Corn Belt Power Cooperative, is published monthly by Corn Belt Power Cooperative, 1300 13th St. North, Humboldt, Iowa 50548-0508.

Copyright 2011Kenneth H. Kuyper, Executive Vice President and General ManagerKathy D. Taylor, Editor; Vice President, Corporate Relations; CCCMarena Fritzler, Graphic Designer

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Dan Huffman, member service director, and Becky Rathe, retail services manager, Grundy County REC, look over a geothermal heat pump system at the Momentum is Building conference Feb. 10 in West Des Moines. The conference is sponsored by Iowa's electric cooperatives and the Iowa Energy Center.

Corn BeltPower CooperativeA1300 13th Street North • PO Box 508Humboldt, IA 50548

Dennis Berry, shift operator, Corn Belt Power Cooperative, demonstrates the Touchstone Energy value of commitment to community by serving as the commander of American Legion Post 162 in Graettinger, Iowa. He calls

the Bingo game each Thursday night as the post raises money that it contributes to community projects. He says, “I enjoy it because I like to contribute to the community. We are trying to increase the amount we donate for college scholarships and we also want to make improvements on the Veterans Memorial in Graettinger. I think those are important things to do.”

Touchstone Energy Co-op Values | Integrity | Accountability | Innovation | Commitment to Community

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