| Thoughts from the CEO |
May 2008 |
GROWTH
The GVEC service area, much like other parts of Texas, continues to
see tremendous growth across every sector of our business, including
residential, commercial and industrial accounts. While the growth
affects most of central Texas, the major activity affecting our electric
system is occurring on the western side of our area in Guadalupe County
where, today, over 65 percent of our members reside. In fact,
projections show that over the next 20 years, the GVEC electric system
could double in size, going from the current 63,000 electric meters to
nearly 120,000 meters. Growth of that magnitude and speed is remarkable,
considering that it took nearly 70 years for GVEC to grow from its
inception to 63,000 members strong. In short, we’re growing fast and we
must prepare now for that growth and the changes that it brings about.
There are a number of things we are doing right now that will help us
keep pace with our increasing membership. We’re investing millions of
dollars each year to upgrade our transmission and distribution system so
that we can continue to serve increasing numbers of members with
dependable, reliable electric service. We’re upgrading existing
substations and looking for potential sites for new substations as the
need arises. We’re updating facilities that we’ve outgrown (see cover
story), like the Seguin office building that we recently broke ground on
and the proposed operations center in Seguin.
The long range picture is clear. The growth that we will see over the
next 10 to 20 years tells us that a proactive, strategic plan is needed,
one that will carry us well into the future. The cost of building
materials and electrical equipment and supplies will continue to rise,
as will the cost of land for future offices and substations. We are
making these improvements today so we can stay ahead of the curve and
not fall behind it. We will keep pace with the growth and we will
prepare today for tomorrow. }
There are a number of ways we’ll pay for this growth and the needed
improvements and expansion that it creates. Increased membership means
increased sales from these new members. GVEC’s favorable bond rating has
helped us reduce our cost of borrowing and this, coupled with favorable
interest rate markets, creates savings that can go toward paying for
these projects. We aggressively manage our expenses and have brought
some projects in-house, such as transmission system design and
maintenance, that were once bid out to contractors. We’re making smart
investments today that will meet the long-term needs of our membership.
Our commitment of service to you remains as strong today as any time in
our history. We are growing, but no matter where you live, we are
committed to serving you and your community. And, we still answer to
you, our member- owners.
QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS
Please contact me anytime you have questions, comments or suggestions.
Email me at info@gvec.org,
call me at 1-800-223-GVEC (4832) or write to me at P. O. Box 118,
Gonzales, Texas, 78629. I look forward to hearing your thoughts.
View our archived "Thoughts from the
CEO"
The information provided on this website is for
informational purposes only,
and is subject to change. The official documentation can be obtained by
contacting the GVEC headquarters office at 800-223-4832.
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