The Trico Charitable Trust has awarded a total of $35,000 to nine non-profit organizations providing critical services in southern Arizona. The grants are part of Trico’s POWER Grants program and are awarded twice a year to charities throughout southern Arizona.  

Nonprofits are selected through an application process and reviewed by a seven-person committee made up of Trico employees, employee-members, and Board Members.

The following organizations received a grant in June 2022:

• Angel Heart Pajama Project – Provides new pajamas to abused or neglected children ages infant to 18
• Arivaca Coordinating Council/Arivaca Human Resource Group – Provides daily meals, emergency food boxes and related activities to clients within the community
• Arivaca Fire District Auxiliary – Purchase fire-rescue saws/blades for use by Emergency personnel when forcible entry to structures or vehicles is needed to suppress fire or rescue persons
• Ayuda Smiles, Inc. dba Smiles for Veterans – Helps veterans in need with access and payment for critical dental care
• Friends in Deed – Provide transportation in personal vehicles and wheelchair vans for senior citizens going to medical appointments. They also have weekly blood pressure clinics
• Marana Unified School District Food & Clothing Bank – Provides students and their families in need with non-perishable food, clothing, toiletries, small household items and community resources
• Mt Lemmon Firefighters Foundation – Purchase two cutoff saws to be used to gain access to patients trapped in vehicles
• Sister Jose Women’s Center – Provide a cooling center for women experiencing homelessness during the extreme heat
• Youth on Their Own (YOTO) – Provide basic needs, financial assistance, guidance, and support services to Tucson/Pima County’s students experiencing homelessness with the goal of high school graduation

Since 2008, the POWER Grant program has awarded $735,000 in grants. The categories for spring were Food and Basic Needs, Housing, Health and Mental Care, and Fire and Emergency Response. In October, Trico will be accepting applications from organizations that provide the following services: Education, Substance Abuse Prevention and Support, Arts and Literacy, and Childcare and Development. 

The Charitable Trust is funded by Operation Round Up, which allows Trico Members to “round up” their monthly bill payment to the next dollar. The money contributed goes to a variety of worthy causes throughout our service area. Past donations include food banks, fire departments, schools, youth groups, veteran’s groups, and more. 

How Can You Contribute?

• Round up your bill to the nearest dollar
• Have a small amount added to your bill. It can even be just $1-2 dollars a month
• Make an annual one-time contribution of any amount. All gifts are welcome

No matter which option you choose, your gift is tax deductible. If you wish to participate, call (520) 744-2944 or go to the Operation Round Up page here.

Angel Heart Pajama Project family wearing new pajamas.

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Steps to take before, during and after an outage

Trico works year-round to provide dependable electric service. Summer monsoon storms often bring strong winds that cause unexpected damage. Trico is prepared to respond quickly when damage occurs, but outages are still possible.

Preparing ahead of time for these events will protect yourself and your loved ones. Here are some ideas to consider when making your plan:

• Have extra batteries and a car charger for your mobile devices.
• Keep a physical list of emergency, family and work contacts.
• Know the location of flashlights and a radio. Ensure they are easy to access and that you have extra batteries.
• Conserve your cell phone battery by reducing the screen brightness, placing it in airplane mode, and closing all unused apps.
• Switch off all unnecessary lights and appliances to prevent overloaded circuits when power is restored.
• Keep your car gas or electric tank half full. Gas and electric stations rely on electricity to power their pumps.
• Have a supply of water in the house. FEMA recommends a three-day supply.

Sign up for Outage Notifications

You don’t have to feel powerless during a power outage. Sign up for Trico’s Outage Notifications through our SmartHub app or visiting the Outage page here. SmartHub users can report an outage through the app or by texting “OUT” to 855-937-1858.

Know your medical needs

• Talk with your medical provider about a power outage plan for medical devices powered by electricity and refrigerated medicines.
• Know how long your medications can be stored at higher temperatures and get guidance for any medications or devices that are critical for life.
• Keep Trico informed if you have life sustaining equipment by submitting the Life Sustaining Equipment Form, which is available on our website or request the form by emailing memberservices@trico.coop.

Food storage

Have enough nonperishable food and water. Keep freezers and refrigerators closed. The refrigerator will keep food cold for about four hours. A full freezer will keep the temperature for about 48 hours. Use coolers with ice if necessary. Monitor temperatures with a thermometer. Throw out food if the temperature is 40 degrees or higher.

How to protect yourself during a power outage

Go to a community location with power if heat or cold is extreme.

Using appliances during power outages

Generators, camp stoves or charcoal grills should always be used outdoors and at least 20 feet away from windows. Turn off or disconnect appliances, equipment, or electronics. Power may return with momentary surges or spikes that can cause damage.

Returning after a power outage

When in doubt, throw it out! Throw away any food that has been exposed to temperatures 40 degrees or higher for two hours or more, or that has an unusual odor, color or texture.

If the power is out for more than a day, discard any medication that should be refrigerated, unless the drug’s label says otherwise. Consult your doctor or pharmacist immediately for a new supply.

Power outage tips

• Keep freezers and refrigerators closed.
• Use a generator, but ONLY outdoors and away from windows.
• Do not use a gas stove or oven to heat your home.
• Disconnect appliances and electronics to avoid damage from electrical surges.
• Have alternate plans for refrigerating medicines or using power-dependent medical devices.
• Check with local officials about heating and cooling locations open near you.

For more tips, visit: www.ready.gov.

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There was a time when the bill from Trico was simply called “the light bill”. This is because lighting was the primary thing for which people needed electricity. But this behind‑the-meter world underwent a technological revolution, and electricity became the lifeblood of homes, businesses, farms and ranches.

A similar shift is occurring today. A technological revolution is creating new forms of energy generation, storage and other grid-enabling services that are changing the operation of the grid from a simple “generate-transmit-distribute” model into something more complex that, if properly leveraged, can deliver huge amounts of value to Members.

In most respects, energy has always been sold as a service. Members don’t buy electrons as much as they buy lighting, heating, cooling and now charging services, that are provided by equipment that uses electricity. Electricity consumption in effect is the consumption of energy services.

The Trico electricity system on which our Members depend is changing, powered by technological innovations, increased use of distributed energy resources (DER) on what has traditionally been a centralized power system, and changing Member needs and preferences in an increasingly connected world.

The increasing demand for system reliability and carbon reduction, coupled with the increasing capabilities of DERs to contribute to these goals, means new price signals are necessary. Rate designs need to follow suit to encourage the beneficial adoption of new technologies, like electric vehicles and DER. In other words, rate design is a significant component of the changes needed to modernize our gird. Fred Butler, former National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) President, once said, “You can’t have a smart grid with dumb rates.”

Your cooperative has established a strategic initiative, along with corresponding strategic projects, to design prices to provide options that meet Member’s needs. Over the course of the next few years, Trico will be developing and seeking approval – from the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) – to introduce several pricing options that Members have indicated an interest in. Examples include more time-of-day pricing options, critical peak pricing options (with low off-peak rates), and electric vehicle rates. We are also developing optional programs and pricing for when Trico can benefit by buying energy and capacity from Members who have on-site generation or storage technologies.

Ultimately, we want to meet the individual and collective needs of the membership. Offering a portfolio of pricing options is just one way we intend to do that. Watch my column for more information as these are rolled out.

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For two weeks over the summer, Ron Roseman – who teaches computer programming at Canyon del Oro (CDO) High School and sponsors the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) Club – went to Trico for an externship.

He worked alongside IT, Technical Services, Design & Engineering, Human Resources and Accounting. He also met with CEO & General Manager Brian Heithoff.

The Teacher Externship program is sponsored by Pima JTED (Joint Technical Education District). The purpose of the program is to allow teachers to keep abreast of changes in the field and use that knowledge in the classroom.

“We’re in our bubble in the classroom,” Ron said. “We don’t have an outside perspective. It opens my world so I can open up my students’ world.”

Last year, Ron did a summer externship at the University of Arizona. He said he chose Trico this year because as a member of the cooperative, “I’ve been impressed with Trico.”

“I came from Texas where utilities are nice to you because they want your business,” he said. “You (Trico) are nice because you want to be, not because you have to.”

Ron said he is thankful to Trico’s employees for their hospitality.

“I appreciate learning what I have,” he said. “I hope to bring that knowledge to my students, so they have a better understanding of what jobs are available and what is expected of them.”

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