June 2009
www.misec.org

Inside This Issue:

Greetings! This is the first edition of the:
MISEC Energy Update.

MISEC BOARD

President
Jim Hilgendorf, Superintendent, Johannesburg-Lewiston Schools

Past President
Michael Dewey, Superintendent, Bay-Arenac ISD

Vice President
Robert Brady, Associate Director Business Services, Waterford School District

Mitch Bart, Director of Facilities, Kent ISD

Ken Simon, Facilities Manager, Ingham ISD

Pam Smart, Business Office Supervisor, Van Buren Public Schools

John Stoner, Director of Facilities, Operations & Transportation, Rochester Community Schools

Secretary/Treasurer
Ray Telman, Executive Director,
MCEA

Ex-officio Member To The Executive Committee
David Martell, Executive Director,
MSBO

MISEC will help you assess where the best place for you to be when it comes to purchasing your energy.  You can trust them to help you make the right decision.

MISEC is a recognized entity that represents the energy interests of the K-12 districts in Michigan.

MISEC always acts in the best interest of its members - YOU!

MISEC is the largest school energy cooperative in the country and is operated by an independent board that includes superintendents and school business officials elected by its member districts.

Who We Are

  • MISEC is YOUR Organization
  • MISEC is not a supplier or vendor.
  • It is a co-operative governed by schools.
  • Formed in 1997 by MASA, MAISA, MASB, MSBO, and Middle Cities.
  • Designed to manage the natural gas and electric procurement of Michigan’s K-12 community.
  • The MISEC program is the largest program of its type in the United Statess.
  • Natural Gas Participants: 187 districts ~ 1330 meters
  • Electric Choice Participants: 160 districts ~ 967 meters.
  • Annual Energy Dollars Managed: $96,650,000
  • 2007 - 08 savings over $2 million
  • Savings to date: $36,345,000

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MISEC Unveils Diesel Fuel Purchasing Program to Save You Money

Since 1997, MISEC has been performing all of the energy management services (i.e. procurement, risk management, accounting, invoice reconciliation, contract negotiations, and data reporting) for more than 250 K-12 schools districts throughout Michigan.

Given the recent volatility in the energy market, MISEC has recently designed and is currently implementing a Diesel Fuel Program (DFP) for our members.  

The program’s objective is to introduce more predictability into a school district’s diesel fuel expenditures by implementing a process that will allow us to offer you a long-term, fixed price on a portion of your diesel fuel requirements. Utilizing this program, our members will be able to exercise better control over the price of its diesel fuel/gasoline thus allowing for better forecasting and planning. This program is the most effective step a district can take to control its diesel fuel costs.

Using various MISEC designed techniques; the program will allow you to manage the risk of volatile diesel fuel prices, which protects your budget against the unknown.

This program is also designed to be transparent to your current purchasing methods and acts as an insurance policy to ensure that you achieve price certainty and budget compliance.

In order to offer the DFP (and additional services) to its members, MISEC’s bylaws must be amended by the board of its member district.   All member districts will receive the Amendment in the mail the week of June 15th.  It is requested that your district’s board of education consider and act on the Amendment as soon as possible, so please be on the look out for this mailer!  If you have questions regarding this process, contact Doug McCall at 517-913-0268 or dmccall@middlecities.org.

Energy Optimization Programs

As mentioned in the January 16, 2009 MISEC memo to its members, Public Act 295, also known as the Clean, Renewable, and Efficient Energy Act was enacted in October 2008.  One section of this legislation ordered all Michigan utilities to implement a surcharge to the majority of their customers’ natural gas and electric usage. The funds associated with these surcharges would then create various Energy Optimization programs for the purpose of reducing energy consumption within the State.

As expected, the electric and natural gas utilities have started to include the Energy Optimization/Efficiency Surcharges in their latest invoices. These surcharges apply to all full service and deregulated rates. Plus, they vary greatly depending on an account's usage and type of service.   

It is our understating that information about the utilities energy efficiency rebates will be available in the very near future (July). Rebates will be available for lighting, high efficiency heating, ventilating and air conditioning, water heating, motors and other common energy efficiency measures. Custom rebates may also be available for high efficiency equipment and solutions.

MISEC will continue to watch for additional utility information and keep you as updated as possible.

Helpful links:
Consumers Energy www.consumerspower.org
Detroit Edison  www.dteenergy.com

Partners:

Questions? For more information, call Jan Rogers, Client Energy Manager, Summit Energy Services at 269.345.0440 Ext 26