ISSUE 22014

STATE OF THE UTILITY

A L S O I N T H I S I S S U E : G R A D U A T E S • W E L L N E S S • C O M M U N I T Y E N G A G E M E N T • D E M A N D R E S P O N S E

/// NEW TO LINES: The new benefits wellness section is now featured in LINES magazine (See page 15). When looking for our company wellness initiatives and tips on healthy living, look no further than LINES.

benefits i t ’ s m o r e t h a n e x e r c i s e

EDITORMonika Maeckle

MANAGERChristine Patmon

ART DIRECTION & DESIGNBarbara Burris, Eduardo FloresMichael Freberg, Frank Jimenez

PHOTOGRAPHYVincent McDonald Pam MarisSam Taylor

AREA REPORTERS

Hermelinda AcevedoSandra AlfaroRodney AndersonDonna BaileyBecky BaringLeona BoswellGloria CalderonMadalena DeHoyosElizabeth EngelEmily FloresPaula FordErica GabrielAndy GarciaLinda GilLalie GomezYvonne GomezKatherine HackerPatricia HansenPatty HightKathy JarzombekEunice LopezVeronica MartinezRobin McFarlaneChristine MillerJoAnn MorenoDenae MyersTressie NeillCindy NietoSamantha PerezRonda ReisdorphMaria SandovalJuanita TorresJeannie TrevinoMichelle TrevinoRachel VanDerKnaapBonnie VinesPatty Ware

LINES is produced by the CPS Energy Corporate Communications Department. Mail all correspondence to Lines, Mail Drop 11 02 01, P.O. Box 1771, San Antonio, Texas, 78296, or call ext. 2546 or 4125.

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21 Scene25 Anniversaries31 Family Ties33 Fond Farewell

State of the Utilityby Leon Waddy and Albert Cantu

Read what President and CEO Doyle Beneby has to say about our utility and our industry.

Making the Gradeby Leon Waddy

See our tribute to 2014 graduates and learn how one employee is using his new degree to advance his career.

Community Engagementby Samuel Taylor

Learn how the new team will serve our community and take customer service to the next level.

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United Way Golf Tournament Raises $120,000What a way to kick off the company’s 2014 United Way season! The 16th annual CPS Energy IBEW Local 500 United Way Golf Tournament, which took place on May 1 raised more than $120,000 for City Year San Antonio!

City Year, an AmeriCorps program, is a national service organization which pairs young

adult volunteers, ages 17 to 24, from diverse racial and socioeconomic backgrounds with at risk students to help them stay in school and succeed.

The annual golf tournament, held at the J.W. Marriott resort, united CPS Energy employees, IBEW Local 500 members and volunteers for

a day of fun and fellowship. This year, 280 play-ers and more than 40 volunteers supported the tournament through corporate sponsor-ships, time and hard work.

CPS Energy is a United Way of Bexar County pacesetter company and will begin our 2014 employee campaign in September.

CPS Energy Earns #1 Safety RankingCPS Energy ranked number one for safety among the largest publicly owned utilities last year, according to the American Public Power Association, which awarded our utility its Safety Award of Excellence for safe operating practices on April 7.

CPS Energy was top among utilities with more than 4 million work hours annually, a small group that includes Salt River Project, which ranked number one the year before; the Omaha Public Power District and the Nebraska Public Power District. CPS Energy is the largest publicly owned electric and gas utility in the country.

“We can’t achieve goals like this without the cooperation of all our employees,” said

Lauro A. Garza, CPS Energy’s senior director of safety. “Our frontline workers walk into a dangerous environment day in and day out. Our employees have put safety at the forefront of everything they do and it shows with our record-breaking performance and now, outside recognition.”

This is the third consecutive year CPS Energy has seen a significant decrease in recordable injuries, improving the safety metric by 70 percent since 2010.

More than 285 utilities entered the APPA’s annual Safety Awards this year, the highest number of entrants in the history of the program. Of those, 115 earned excellence awards.

San Antonio Magazine Features Mi Casa MakeoverSan Antonio Magazine featured a story in their June issue about the Vasquez family who benefitted from the CPS Energy/KENS 5 Mi Casa Makeover. The makeover not only made the family’s home 47 percent more energy efficient, but it also provided Candy Vasquez with a healthy environment to recover from chemotherapy.

The program, with the help of a number of sponsors who do the work, has been making homes more energy efficient and improving the quality of life for families for the past nine years.

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Find contest details, including image resolution size and the entry form, on CPS Energy Connect (search: photo). All active employees may submit up to two images, along with completed entry form, via email to lines@cpsenergy.com. The deadline to submit is August 22.

your favorite summer images for LINES annual employee photo contest

Landscape ★ My San Antonio ★ Texas Places & Icons ★ Unique/Humorous

Get clicking SHUTTERBUGS, and you may see your photo in the fall issue of LINES.

ABC News Spotlights Our Cool Energy SmartAC Kits ProgramIn May, ABC News came to town to highlight the Cool Energy SmartAC Kit – one of our newest Demand Response tools being promoted to help customers lower the amount of energy they buy, especially during the hot summer months. The kit, made for window units, was already being used in some other cities. When ABC News heard it was being launched in San Antonio, they used the opportunity to include the story in their reoccurring segment called Real Money, Cool Cash in late June.

Reporter Linzie Janis interviewed two local families now using the SmartAC Kit. The fami-lies heartily endorsed the kit and the thought of saving energy and money.

Wellness Program earns silver level recognitionFor the third consecutive year, CPS Energy earned a Healthy Workplace Recognition Program Award – Silver Level, for providing

a wellness program that promotes, among other things, health education and physi-cal activity. An initiative of the San Antonio Business Group on Health and the Mayor’s Fitness Council, the program recognizes local employers for their worksite wellness efforts.

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Often, as employees, we are so focused on our individual tasks and projects that we lose sight of where we are going and what we have accomplished as a company. The State of the Utility edition of LINES is always a special one because it allows us a chance to celebrate our accomplishments but also gives us insight into the vision and strategic thoughts of our CEO. LINES staff sat down with Doyle Beneby as he spoke candidly about where he sees our company today, overall opportunities for growth, and where he wants us to go.

So what is the current state of the utility? Our leader says things are looking very good. Currently, CPS Energy is enjoying the highest credit rating in the industry. That means borrowing money at lower costs, which saves the company and our customers over the long haul. Thanks to a diversified fuel mix and

Since accepting the offer to become president and CEO nearly four years ago, Doyle Beneby has

focused on leading CPS Energy in new directions – or as he would say, navigating disruptive change -

while maintaining our history of community involvement, affordable rates, and reliable service.

As a company, we have continued to diversify our power plant fleet, adding low and no-carbon energy

resources to our generation mix. Beneby also fostered partnerships with clean technology companies,

and in doing so, helped create jobs in the San Antonio area. He’s also continued our commitment to

education and invested heavily in research and development. Equally important, Beneby has invested

in us - the employees - by creating opportunities for growth, with a focus on employee safety always

at the forefront.

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STATE OF THE UTILITY

by Leon Waddy and Albert Cantu

efficient workforce, CPS Energy continues to deliver energy at rates lower than any of the 20 largest cities in the country. We also are operating at the top tiers of reliability and safety, when compared to peer utilities.

It’s never been more apparent that the utility industry is changing. Thanks to planning and foresight, CPS Energy is well positioned to adapt to new EPA regulations, so the higher standards don’t prove to be a financial burden for our customers.

In 2012, we announced our oldest coal plant – JT Deely – would close in 2018 instead of undergoing a half-a-billion dollar upgrade for a scrubber. In the meantime, we’re using ultra low-sulfur coal in the units to keep mercury emissions low. We purchased Rio Nogales, a 10-year old natural gas plant in Seguin, to replace the megawatts Deely will stop gen-erating. And, we signed a 400-MW solar deal with OCI Solar Power. Natural gas produces about half the emissions of coal, and solar is a non-emitting, waterless generation source.

Committed to communities we serveThere’s no denying that our customers are the ones most affected by decisions, policies, and programs. So, our first priority as a utility is to respond to the needs of our Greater San Antonio community. Beneby pointed to the recent rate increase as an example.

“We received many accolades for the things we are doing in the community. However, some council members believe – and we take it to heart – that there are customers out there who need to hear more from us.”

The response will be an increased presence

with our customers through the newly developed Community Engagement area, a restructure that includes the Casa Verde weatherization team, Community Out-reach and a new team called the Customer Response Unit (CRU). The CRU will handle complex customer service issues that may need more of a case-management approach. Beneby says grassroots, face-to-face inter-action will “allow us to communicate better, rather than simply depending on radio and television.”

CPS Energy’s commitment to the community isn’t only about enhanced customer service. One of our cornerstones is the spirit of giving back. Beneby recognized our willingness to give as employees when he came on board.

“It’s something that pre-dates me. I’m awfully proud of our spirit of giving. I’m happy to support and enhance it.”

And the numbers speak for themselves.

Beneby stated, “Employees volunteered more than 15,000 hours last year – and that’s just what we counted, there are probably more we didn’t. And, our employees donated nearly one million dollars to local charities last year.”

The figures shore up our Corporate Respon-sibility initiatives and demonstrate that we are a community utility.

“It’s our responsibility to give more than just the 14 percent of our revenues every year (to the City of San Antonio). Whether it’s volunteer hours or our consistent donations to United Way, it’s a part of our charge to give back. And, I proudly share, outside of our company walls, that the people I have the honor to lead give graciously and without coercion.”

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“I proudly share, outside of our

company walls, that the people I have the honor to lead

give graciously and without coercion. ”

Leading the way through inno-vationJust as we welcome the opportunity to make San Antonio and the surrounding communities better through giving, we have to embrace innovation because the utility industry is changing. Rather than fight what is often called disruptive change, Beneby’s goal is to find a way to adapt and use it to benefit our company and our customers.

“We want to be leaders.”

In addition to traditional power plants, we are investing in distributed generation. Tradi-tional analog meters are being replaced by smart meters, and we are putting more into high-tech demand response efforts than we ever have before. According to Beneby, all of the industry advances are motivated by the regulatory need to minimize the impact of generation on the environment, or put simply, minimize the amount of pollutants put into the air.

The goal is one most people can agree on. How we get there is another matter. Our CEO says the industry is looking for certainty right now and where there’s no certainty, there’s risk.

We will manage industry change by embrac-ing it with innovation.

“It makes you look differently at the kind of power plants you invest in; it makes you look differently at the way you help your custom-ers use less energy-- and the other aspect is customer choice.”

As the technology and our customers evolve, they have more mobile and powerful ways to manage the energy they buy. Offering these new technologies, like the Cool Energy

SmartAC Kit – recently featured on ABC News – and Nest Rush Hour Rewards, gives customers the power to choose how and when they buy energy. They can even choose to employ a technology, like rooftop solar, where they sell energy back to us.

Empowering employees in a changing industryEmbracing innovation creates a demand for an educated workforce with a variety of skill sets. Beneby is committed to creating an environment where the leaders of tomorrow are being developed today. That’s why CPS Energy is investing in Empower U and other developmental initiatives.

“Empower U was envisioned to reach a lot of employees. We wanted employees across the workforce to have access to thoughts about leadership, change, and some of the softer skills. It was not designed to replace proce-dural or policy training but to touch some other points of our lives.”

The hope is that employees will take charge of their own careers, adapt to a changing industry, and build skill sets that make them marketable; even if it creates opportunities outside of the company.

“People come to work, especially for a com-pany like ours, to provide something to the community. But they should also think, what’s in it for me – how can I grow? I want all of our employees to feel that when they come to work, that it’s enriching. It’s a career, not a job. Position themselves to compete and grow, or whatever that means to them.”

Beneby says Empower U is not just a flash in the pan, or one-time experiment. The ses-sions – two have been held so far, attracting

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“If played right, a person can develop and the person behind him or her can play up and develop. ”

happening below the water line. So, although the new talent development initiatives are important, the foundation is a leadership team that understands that 40 percent of their jobs should be talent development. Succession planning, talent management and develop-ment – aside from protecting our employees, community and environment—are the most important part of leadership.”

Preparing for the inevitable – the departure of talentWhile some employees are taking advan-tage of new ways to advance their careers, other members of our aging workforce are looking at the perfect timing to ride off into the sunset. Our leadership responded to the potential for unexpected waves of retire-ments by creating the Volunteer Retirement Incentive Program.

“We are unique in that we have an unusually high number of employees who are eligible for retirement. As the economy continues to improve, employees are in a better place financially to start the next chapter of their lives in a way that makes the most sense for themselves and their families.”

So, a volunteer retirement program bene-fits those employees but also CPS Energy because it creates opportunities for others in the company.

“It also allows us to bring in new talent with skill sets that are more in line with the chang-ing utility industry.”

But how do we ensure that retiring talent leaves the company intact?

“We have embarked on a knowledge transfer process, so between now and when an employee raises his or her hand and says

‘I want to leave’ we will then put in place a very aggressive and specific knowledge transfer regime so that we can pick up the slack. Additionally we have a lot of talent here that’s waiting to emerge. So, I think we have a pretty good bench waiting for the oppor-tunities.”

And, as employees look to a future without a CPS Energy badge, they can rest assured that they will still be top of mind for our CEO.

“We can never lose sight of our retirees. They are a big part of the family. If we run the company well, they can continue to enjoy retirement.”

Working to achieve trustThe same holds true for our employees. He stressed that we need to continue to make CPS Energy a place where people want to work, grow - and one day - retire.

He works to maintain that environment by engaging with every internal stakeholder group, demonstrating the importance of working together most recently during negotiations with the union. He tasked union leadership with creating an environment of trust, inclusion, and respect. His thought process was simple.

“Let’s stop for a second, put the pencils down and talk about having trust, inclusion, and respect. And if we have a basis for that, then we can deal with the issues. But if that doesn’t exist you never get to the issues. It becomes, heated, emotional and you can’t resolve the issues because they’re clouded by a lack of trust.”

Beneby put the onus on management to extend as far as they could to resolve issues. The result was a three-year labor agreement.

national speakers, including former AT&T and GM CEO Ed Whitacre – will continue and are designed to perpetuate development for years to come.

Employees also are taking advantage of talent development teams at CPS Energy. Since we are committed to innovation, it’s important to allow employees from all areas of the com-pany to be part of that process. Whether the focus is working on innovative demand response or energy efficiency projects with major customers like Rackspace, HEB or Joint Base San Antonio; solar power; or the consideration of relocating our corporate headquarters, each new developmental team member will walk away with new skill sets, new insight into the technology that’s driving our industry, and an opportunity to have engaged in key decision making.

Beneby believes we need to create avenues for employees who are willing to “raise their hand and say, ‘I want to be a part of that.’” It can result in opportunities for leaders to be developed from within. That’s why we are seeing new initiatives like rotational develop-ment.

“In the past, our leadership might have been resistant to let people rotate for fear of losing manpower and expertise.”

But the foundation has been laid to re-orient leadership to look at rotational opportunities differently.

“If played right, a person can develop and the person behind him or her can play up and develop,” says Beneby. “This means rotational development provides growth for more than just the person rotating to a new position.”

Beneby looks at talent development like an iceberg – “what’s truly important is what’s

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Previously, the agreements normally spanned just two years.

Keeping safety the main thingTwo years ago for the state of the utility article, we asked Doyle Beneby what keeps him up at night and his answer was “the safety and welfare of our employees.” That hasn’t changed, but according to Beneby things are getting better.

“I see improvement and I think we have much more robust safety processes in place. We have almost everyone in the organization thinking about safety, and we have much more accountability. So, we are improving. The fact that our safety statistics are getting better is testament to that; however, safety is not about the numbers.”

Even though our numbers are good, heart wrenching events can and do happen. Beneby pointed out that the company still grieves for lineman Hector Castro and his family.

So, even though we have seen improve-ments, safety can never be placed on a back burner or in a coasting pattern. One gets the impression that in Beneby’s mind, true com-mitment to safety is more of a journey than a destination. To him, it’s about constantly striving every day, with every employee, to increase awareness, attention, and account-ability. So, no matter what we score, returning

every employee home in the same condition they left their families will always be the top priority.

Wrapping it all upSo, what is Doyle Beneby most proud of after fiscal year 2013? He mentioned that as a company we rallied to forgo a rate increase for two years by tightening our budgets and working more efficiently. Even without the increase, all of our financial indicators like our debt service coverage ratio and credit ratings still remained pristine. Across many depart-ments of the company, as people retired and moved on, others stepped up to fill those voids, and we were able to accomplish more work with fewer resources.

Affordable. Reliable. Innovative. Three key words define the work we do as an efficient and forward-thinking organization that places high value on its history.

“We are delivering on our commitment to the community.”

The state of this utility is strong and getting stronger, and that strength comes from our employees.

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“We are delivering on our commitment to the community.”

ployees. It’s a huge statement. They’re investing in employees and developing the future lead-ers of the company.” Cordova is hoping that his degree will help him further his career and sees his concentra-tion in environmental science playing a key role. “CPS Energy is committed to renewable fuel sources and generating energy with less impact to the environ-ment,” said Cordova. With plans to work his way to supervisor in the future, Cordova advises employees to be proactive in taking their career to the next level. “Don’t stay in your own little world,” he said. “Get out and network and get involved. You may find areas that interest you that you never knew about before.” Cordova is focusing on opportunities to learn and grow. He’s volunteered to be a safety ambassador, joining a

team of employees tasked with creating a culture of safety in their respective work areas. They deliver trainings, raise safety awareness, create SOPs (standard operating proce-dures), and find solutions for potentially dangerous situa-tions. He also is planning on applying for the New Energy Economy development team to learn even more to advance in his career. A relative newbie, Cordova has been at the company for five years and plans to retire here. As he works to advance his career, he plans to contin-ue taking advantage of tuition reimbursement and pursue a master’s in business.

by Leon WaddyEach year, employees celebrate loved ones who are graduating from high school or college by sending in pictures and information for publication in a special graduation section of LINES. It’s obvious that our employees and their families understand the importance of education when it comes to starting a career path. But ed-ucation isn’t just a springboard for starting a career. It also can serve as a powerful tool for taking your career to the next level. Joe Cordova, a control room operator at Calaveras Power Station, hopes to use his new bachelor’s degree in Biolo-gy to advance his career. Cordova just completed online courses through the University of Phoenix to earn his bachelor’s degree. He has been working fulltime and going to school for the last three years, taking advantage of one of the benefits we enjoy as employees – the tuition reimbursement program. The majority of his college educa-tion was paid for through this program. “The tuition reimburse-ment program shows that CPS Energy cares about its em-

Cordova Achieves Degree to Pursue Dream of Advancing Career

Joe CordovaCalaveras Power StationUniversity of PhoenixBachelor of Biology

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The large number of graduate announcements in this edition of LINES shows how much CPS Energy employees and their families value education. Some are pursuing higher education while others are entering the workforce or enhancing an already established career. LINES staff congratulates our recent graduates on their achievements and wishes them success in the next chapter of their lives.

Graduates Take

Next Step Toward Success

High School

Patrick A. AnguianoJubilee AcademyRobert Anguiano, Jr.Joining the military and attending Palo Alto College

Marcus A. BazanBrennan High SchoolCindy NietoAttending Northwest Vista College then Texas A&M to major in criminal justice

Ashley Nicole BenavidesRonald Reagan High SchoolMaricela BenavidesAttending Baylor University

Danielle CervantesBrackenridge High SchoolLiza Cervantes

Makalie DehoyosSouthwest High SchoolBrian Gutierrez Attending the University of Texas at Austin to study medicine

Desiree EscalanteThomas Jefferson High SchoolDebra GonzalesAttending the University of Texas at San Antonio to major in business administration

Erica Michelle FelixHighlands High SchoolAlbert FelixAttending the University of Texas at Austin

Brittany Flores Byron P. Steele II High SchoolBill Flores Attending the University of Texas at Tyler to major in nursing

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Bianka Kathryn GarciaWilliam J. Brennan High SchoolCathy and Max Garcia IIIAttending St. Philip’s College to major in culinary arts

Kiana M. GarnerDouglas MacArthur High SchoolSabrina HearnAttending University of the Incarnate Word to major in accounting

Olivia GarzaMedina Valley High SchoolFrank GarzaAttending Northwest Vista College

Grant GriffinClark High SchoolLois EmersonAttending Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi to major in business/marketingHired as a field design engineer with GW Communications

Danielle GutierrezHealth Careers High SchoolDaniel GutierrezAttending the University of the Incarnate Word to major inbiochemistry

Epiphany Amber HamanSt. Anthony Catholic High SchoolFloyd Haman Attending the University of Texas at Austin to major in kinesiology

Rolando M. HinojosaJudson High SchoolLeticia and Rolando HinojosaAttending the University of Texas at San Antonio to major in kinesiology

Rebecca HuizarPleasanton High SchoolPatricia HuizarAttending Texas A&M University to major in electrical engineering

Amanda Lynn KirkLa Vernia High SchoolBrenda and Alex KirkAttending Palo Alto then Texas A&M University to major in horticulture

Wyatt KoeppMarion High SchoolGary KoeppAttending Alamo Community College then Texas State University to major in sports medicine

Sara LangeLa Vernia High SchoolPhyllis LangeAttending the University of North Texas to major in film

Michael Francesco LamourtHondo High SchoolFrancesco LamourtAttending a technical school to be a mechanic or electrician

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Austin LawrenceWilliam Howard Taft High School Mark LawrenceAttending Texas A&M Kingsville to major in bio-engineering

Devon Anthony LyssyFalls City High SchoolSheldon & Cheryl LyssyAttending Blinn College to major in fire science

Matthew MaronWinston Churchill High SchoolRick MaronAttending Trinity University to major in computer science

Ryan McGallicherByron P Steele II High SchoolKathryn McGallicherAttending Northeast Lakeview College then Texas State University

Eric MinorMacArthur High SchoolSharon Luther-MinorAttending Blinn College and then Texas A&M to major in industrial engineering

Gabriella MorenoEast Central High SchoolHerlinda MorenoAttending the University of North Dallas to major in pre-med

Shelby NeillWilliam Howard Taft High SchoolTressie NeillAttending Texas A&M in Corpus Christi to major in education

Marcus NiñoJohn Paul Stevens High SchoolLisa NiñoAttending Texas A&M University at Kingsville to major in civil engineering

Lauren PapePoth High SchoolRonnie PapeAttending the University of the Incarnate Word to major in rehabilitation science

Kasey ReinenLaVernia High SchoolRussell ReinenAttending Tarleton State University to major in biomedical science

Ezekiel Elijah ReynaJohn Jay Science and Engineering AcademyCynthia ReynaAttending Columbia University to major in electrical engineering

Lindsey ReynoldsClark High SchoolJerry ReynoldsAttending the University of Texas at Austin to major in art history

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College

Alexandria RiveraBrennan High SchoolHerlinda MorenoAttending the University of Texas at San Antonio to major in physical therapy

Sean Elijah SalazarSouthwest High SchoolCarleen Aleman-Salazar Attending Northwest Vista College then the University of Texas at Austin to major in mechanical engineering

Brian SchefflerSamuel Clemens High SchoolHarvey SchefflerTexas State University to major in architecture

Garrett SchneiderNavarro High SchoolWilliam SchneiderAttending Texas State Technical College to study diesel equipment technology

Joseph SlanskyMacArthur High SchoolTed SlanskyAttending the University of Houston to major in civil engineering

Daulton SodrokLa Vernia High SchoolEric SodrokAchieving his Journeyman Plumber’s license

Colton M. StokerChurchill High SchoolKim StokerAttending Sam Houston State University to major in business

Nicholas J. VidalJohnson High SchoolNick VidalEnlisting in the United States Air Force

Jacob Steven VieraHarlandale High SchoolLaura VieraAttending Stephen F. Austin University to major in business marketing

Ashleigh VillarrealRainbow Hills Baptist SchoolRoland VillarrealAttending LeTourneau University to major in aircraft engineering

Lauren AniolTexas A&M University Corpus ChristiDavid AniolBachelor of Science in interdisciplinary studies

Eric BirkelbachThe University of Texas San AntonioKaren BirkelbachBachelor of Science in electrical engineering

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Lyndsey Marie ClomanUniversity of OklahomaDerick ClomanMaster of Human Relations

Cody CreaTexas Tech UniversityElaine CreaBachelor of Science in mechanical engineering

John J. DelgadoUniversity of Texas at San AntonioCynthia Martin DelgadoBachelor of Science in construction and science management

Derek FaulTexas Tech UniversityCory FaulBachelor of Science in industrial engineering

Alexander GonzalezUniversity of UtahMelquiades GonzalezMaster of Science in Geology

Sarah HaroUniversity of Texas Southwestern Medical SchoolDavid M. HagenMD

Jordan JimenezSt. Edward’s University, Austin, TxFrank JimenezBachelor of Arts in Communications

Jordan David JungmanTexas A&M UniversityDavid JungmanBachelor of Business Administration in marketing

Lauren MinorUniversity of Texas at AustinSharon Luther-MinorBachelor of Science in public relations

Joshua OrtaOur Lady Of the Lake UniversityJesse B. OrtaBachelor of Business Administration

Desiree Marie RamosTexas A&M International UniversityBelinda M. RamosBachelor of Science in kinesiology with a minor in mathematics

Cole ReedTexas A&M UniversityDerrick ReedBachelor of Science in sports management

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Employees & Spouses

Kyle ReinenSchreiner UniversityRussell ReinenBachelor of Science in exercise science/pre-med

Taylor StoryGraduate of Aviation School, Mayport Naval Base in FloridaKaren GonzalesCurrent Rank: ASAA E-2 Airman Apprentice

Katelyn WernerAbilene Christian UniversityMark WernerBachelor of Arts in English andBachelor of Science in biochemistryAttending Texas A&M University for a Master in sciencejournalism

Samantha Jo WiatrekTexas A & M University –San Antonio Trisha WiatrekMaster of Business Administration

Ta’Mara D. WilliamsThe Univeristy of Texas atSan AntonioGarrick T. WilliamsBachelor of Science in electrical engineering

Eddie KirbyNavarro BuildingCapella UniversityPhD in organizational management

Paula LyssyUniversity of Texas at San AntonioWife of David LyssyBachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies

Juanita Ramos MartinezNorthside Customer ServiceCenterSan Antonio CollegeAssociate of Arts in liberal arts

Vera PhillipsPalo Alto CollegeWife of Jimmie PhillipsCISCO Networking AssociatesEmployment as a computer or network technician

Sandra L. Pruski-MunozMain OfficeSan Antonio CollegeAssociate of Arts with a concentration in business administration

Cynthia ReynaJones AvenueTexas A&M University atSan AntonioMaster of Business Administration

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NOT PICTUREDAspen RobinsonClark High SchoolMartin RobinsonAttending University of Texas at San Antonio to major in biology

S TAY I N G I N T H E G A M E : H O W TO K E E P YO U R B AC K H E A LT H Y

BACK PAIN IS ONE OF THE MOST COMMON CONDITIONS IN THE UNITED STATES. OVER THE COURSE OF A LIFETIME, EIGHT IN 10 AMERICANS WILL HAVE AT LEAST ONE EPISODE OF BACK PAIN. THE PROBLEM RESULTS IN MORE THAN 100 MILLION LOST WORK DAYS PER YEAR.

COMMON CAUSES OF BACK PAINMany back injuries are the result of cumulative damage, but certain motions and movements can contribute to back injuries more than others. These include heavy lifting, twisting or reaching while lifting, working in awkward positions, as well as poor posture, and sitting or standing too long in one position.

Practices to alleviate back problemsThere are three practices you can incorpo-rate into your daily routines to help avoid serious problems.

1. Lift safelyWhen possible, use lift-assist devices for heavier objects. If you can’t avoid lifting,

remember these tips:• Keep feet apart for better stability and lifting power.• Center your body over your feet for better balance and lift.• Keep your back straight so spine, back muscles and organs align right.• Tuck your chin to keep the neck, head and spine straight.• Grip an object with your whole hand for more lifting power.• Keep arms and elbows tucked in for more gripping power.• Bend your legs and then lift by straight- ening the legs. The leg muscles will carry the load instead of your back.

2. Sleep betterA poor sleeping position can create back stress. The best sleeping positions are on your side with knees slightly bent, or on your back with a pillow under your knees.

3. ConditioningRegular exercise can improve overall fitness and lower the likelihood of back problems and injury. Exercises for strength, flexibility and aerobics are best. Get into a daily flex-ibility routine and do strength training for your core muscles. Yoga and Pilates classes offer good core workouts. If you have trouble doing certain exercises, swimming, walking, or bicycling may be good options. Always check with your doctor before you increase your activity level.

Red flags to watch forWhile most of us will experience back pain in our lifetime, you should call your doctor if you have other symptoms such as tingling or numbness in either leg; pain down your leg; weakness; gait problems; loss of bladder or bowel control; or nausea, vomiting, fever or chills.

Source : Un i ted Hea l thcare

Benefits Wellness Newsletter: A New Look with the Same Goal!We are pleased to introduce the new Wellness section of LINES, which is replacing the Bfit wellness program newsletter that was once mailed out to LINES subscribers quarterly. We hope you will enjoy this new addition to LINES as a resource for staying

informed about company wellness initiatives and learning more about healthy living.

CPS Energy employees who complete the

telephonic Healthy Back Program by Oct. 31, 2014, will earn 100 points toward 2015 premium discounts.

Call (877) 440-9938to learn more about

this program.

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Love pizza, but not what it does to your waistline? Try this pizza, which is made with a whole-wheat crust and piles on the veggies for lots of flavor.Ingredients:

• 1 pound prepared whole-wheat pizza dough• 2 cups chopped broccoli florets• 1/2 cup onions, cut into strips• 1/4 cup water• 5 ounces arugula, chopped (about 6 cups)• 2 cloves of garlic• Pinch of salt, if desired• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste• 1/2 cup no-salt-added tomato sauce• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning• 1 teaspoon oregano• 1 medium tomato, thinly sliced• 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese• Other vegetables of your choice

Preparation:

Position oven rack in the lowest position and then preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.Roll out dough on a lightly-floured surface to about the size of the baking sheet. Trans-fer to the baking sheet. Bake until puffed and lightly crisped on the bottom, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook broccoli and onions in water in a large skillet over medium heat, covered, until the broccoli is crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in arugula and garlic and cook, stirring, until wilted, 1 to 2 minutes more. If desired, season with salt and pepper.

In a small bowl, mix the tomato sauce, Italian seasoning and oregano. Spread the

tomato sauce mixture evenly over the crust. Top with the broccoli mixture and to-matoes and then sprinkle with cheese. Bake until golden and cheese is melted, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Source : myOptumHeal th

Veggie Pizza

Nutrition FactsYields 6 Servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 250

Fat 6 g

Saturated fat 2 g

Cholesterol 12 mg

Protein 12 g

Carbohydrates 39 g

Fiber 5 g

Sodium 461 mg

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Art ZavalaMultimedia TechnicianWeight loss of 30 pounds

“The benefits wellness program at CPS Energy got me started and got me moti-vated. I joined the Lose to Win Weight Loss program for the cash prize. My goal was to lose 30 pounds and I accomplished my goal by losing 30.2 pounds. I didn’t win the Lose to Win contest, but I did win because I lost weight and my kids are now eating healthy and are more physically active!”

Scott AllenEmployee Development AnalystWeight loss of 103 pounds

“My weight loss was largely due to the benefits wellness program. The required physical was the wake-up call I needed to make my lifestyle changes. The Lose to Win CBT’s (computer-based training modules) helped me learn how to make small chang-es at a time to accomplish my weight-loss goals.”

Elaine CreaGeneral Business AnalystLowered cholesterol by 45 points

“I went to get my preventive wellness physical and my cholesterol came back at 205. So I started looking at labels to de-termine how much saturated fat was put into the items I was buying – something I learned at a Lunch ‘n’ Learn session. I elim-inated any purchase that contained high saturated fats, and I started incorporating lots of high-fiber foods, fruits, vegetables and fish into my diet. I never felt deprived and every once in a while I would eat a steak or a Whataburger and fries. Two months later, I went back for a cholester-ol check and found that my cholesterol dropped 45 points. It was down to 160!”

CPS Energy started the benefits wellness program in 2011. Since then, the program has provided resources to help employees reach their wellness goals. Here are some employees who have achieved great success!

Be Happy. Be Healthy. Be Fit.

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GET STARTED NOW FOR HEALTH PLAN PREMIUM DISCOUNTSFOR 2015

CPS Energy offers Wellness Incentive Rewards through 2015 medical premium discounts for active employees and their spouses or domestic partners who are covered by the CPS Energy Group Health Plan if they take the following steps toward improving or maintaining their health in 2014! Premium discount amounts for 2015 will be announced during Open Enrollment in October 2014, so start participating now to earn the required 1,200 points.

STEP 1: Complete a Physical withLab Work for 500 points fromJan. 1 – Sept. 30, 2014

STEP 2: Complete your online Health Assessment for 500 points, between Oct. 1 and Oct. 31, 2014, at www.myuhc.com. Note: Step 1 & 2 MUST be completed in order to qualify for 2015 premium discounts, regardless of other points earned.

STEP 3: Earn 200 points by participating in various wellness activities. See CPS Energy Connect or call Wellness at (210) 353-2900, option 4, for more information on how to earn 200 points through CPS Energy wellness activities. The deadlines for wellness activities vary, so start participating today!

Covered spouses and domestic partners only need to complete Steps 1 & 2 to qualify. To earn spouse or domestic partner premium discounts, the covered employee must also qualify for medical premium discounts.

CPS Energy retirees covered under the health plan will be entered into prize draw-ings for completed activities.

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by Samuel Taylor

Fueled by a passion to help customers, the recently formed Community Engage-ment team is working on new strategies to enhance the customer experience, build strong relationships in the community, and improve overall customer satisfaction.

The team comprised of Community Outreach, the Casa Verde weatherization program and a new, specialized group called the Customer Response Unit (CRU) will be out in the community and engaging our customers face-to-face to better educate them about rebates, assistance programs, public safety and more.

“We are very excited to take this new strategic approach to enhance the customer experience and support customers who need it most,” said Jelynne LeBlanc Burley, executive vice president and chief delivery officer. “The CRU, Casa Verde and the outreach group will work closely with each other to hone in on assisting customers who have limited funds or are on fixed incomes.”

The CRU will have the distinct task of staying connected with elected officials who receive customer calls. CRU members will be empowered to solve challenging situations, and help employees in the field resolve customer issues so crews can focus on the job at hand. And, they’ll need the support of other business areas to provide immediate responses for quick resolutions.

“Our field crews have been on the frontline of customer service issues for quite some time. They often are stopped by customers while doing their work. The CRU will be able to lighten the load for our reliability teams, meter readers, meter shop, and others so they won’t have to close that loop for the customer,” said LeBlanc Burley.

Jesse Hernandez is leading this holistic new effort as director of Community Programs and will report directly to VP of Community Engagement Maria Koudouris. Toni Harris Rowland, manager of the CRU, will head up a specialized unit of four employees. The unit works out of mobile offices in newly designed Chevy Volts that sport an eye-catching look.

“Our focus is to help customers who are trying to pay their bills and are having challenges, to make homes more energy efficient, and to educate customers on safety around electricity and natural gas,” said Koudouris. “We’re striving to be more visible to our customers and working hard to build good relationships and partnerships in the community.”

DEVELOPING THE TEAM

Creation of the Community Engagement team is in direct response to City Council requests from last year’s rate case discussion. Council members specifically asked that employees work more closely with custom-ers with limited funds or on fixed incomes to educate them about programs and services, and help them enroll in programs in which they qualify.

President and CEO Doyle Beneby and the Senior Leadership Team took action on

the Council’s request, gathering ideas from an internal focus group of employees with considerable knowledge and experience in customer service as a first step.

“We gained valuable insight from the focus group of employees with 200 years of com-bined experience,” said Koudouris. “They identified ways to remove barriers and make it easier for customers to benefit from our programs and services.”

Internal recommendations were then presented to several customer focus groups. Customers expressed a need for more flexibility on billing dates and late fees to align better with fixed income dates. Giving customers flexibility to select their own pay-ment due date has always been a challenge due to meter reading routes but that could change with the incoming smart grid.

ENHANCING THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

Along with direct customer engagement, program changes and IT modifications also are being rolled out to enhance the customer experience. Customer Accounts & Opera-

NEWTEAMNEWSTRATEGIESSAME HEART FOR ENHANCING CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

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tions staff changed the Budget Payment Plan to allow customers with a past due balance to participate. This revision opens up the plan to nearly 300,000 accounts that are past due by more than 30 days. One of the end results will be decreasing volume in the call center and walk-in locations.

By early fall, real-time transactions will acknowledge payments from customers as soon as they are made. Changes will be phased in across the various payment chan-nels, i.e. Manage My Account, debit/credit card, third party vendors like HEB, and are designed to significantly reduce customer calls and visits to confirm our receipt of last-minute payments.

Amidst the improvements, Koudouris says, is our consistent and unchanging heartfelt effort to provide customers with excellent service.

“We have a lot of employees with tremen-dous skills who are very passionate about helping our customers,” she said.

Stan Polk with Palm Market Research guides a small breakout team during an evening session

focus group with employees

District 5 Councilwoman Shirley Gonzales supports the new Community Engagement team and customer

service reps at a June 24 news conference

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Here

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Four Selected for Leadership Series Kim Stoker of Environmental Planning & Compliance, Dr. Gwen Young of Technology & Innovation, Janie Guzman of Claims and Gina Riak of Corporate Support Services were selected to participate in the San Antonio Women’s Chamber of Commerce Level 5 Leadership Program. The program is designed to help present and future leaders develop or refine their leadership skills. (1)

Employees Conduct Book Drive to Improve Literacy Members of the CPS Energy Reading Buddy Program gathered almost 1,000 books for San Antonio Youth Literacy’s Reading Buddy program. Employees conducted the book drive so that chil-dren in the associated tutoring program could continue practicing their reading and comprehension skills during the sum-mer. Children who don’t read during the summer can lose up to three months of reading progress — and that loss has a cumulative, long-term effect. Ann Martinez,

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administrative assistant at the CPS Energy Northwest Service Center, (center right) and a reading buddy herself, coordinated the three-week book drive. (2)

Mechanics Compete in Tech of the Year ContestIn May, 13 of our mechanics – accompa-nied by their supervisors – competed in the 2014 Technician of the Year regional

contest. Only the top three contestants with the best written test scores advanced to the state finals. Although none of our fleet personnel advanced, they came away with a great experience and are looking forward to new training opportunities to sharpen their skills and prepare for next year’s competition. Photo courtesy of Tommy Johns. (3)

Supply Chain ExceedsHalf-Million HoursSafety MilestoneCongratulations to the employees of Sup-ply Chain for working more than 600,000 hours, and more than 565 days as of May 6, without a recordable safety incident! This department includes staff from Fleet, Logistics, Enterprise Business Services and Sourcing. (4)

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Cyclists Take onWildflower Ride Fourteen employee cyclists pedaled various routes throughout Northeast San Antonio on April 27 to the finish line of the Fiesta Wildflower Ride. Seven of the riders com-pleted either the 15-, 25- or 40-mile ride, while seven others completed the longer 100K (62-mile) and 100-mile rides. (5)

Kiolbassa Helps Boy Scouts Earn Merit BadgesJeff Kiolbassa, Interim Maintenance Manager

at Rio Nogales, completed the Plumbing Merit Badge training requirements for Boy Scout Troop 114 in Floresville. Kiolbassa taught the Boy Scouts about plumbing sys-tem design, tools and repairs. He finished the class by having each scout cut and thread two pieces of steel pipe and solder three pieces of copper tubing.

Legal Team AssistsLow-income Customers In April, our legal team volunteered their time to assist low-income individuals in

creating a will, establishing powers of attorney and physician directives. St. Mary’s University School of Law hosted the event. It was a way for the attorneys to give back to the community and perform a much-needed service. Current law students were assigned to each attorney to assist in the process while earning practical hours toward their degrees. (6)

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FinanceDebra Ann Barry, financial services specialist; Cory Kuchinsky, director of ERMS

Corporate Support ServicesMichael Heath, foreman warehouse

Power GenerationEric Sodrock, coordinator boiler code compliance; Thomas Daniel Sanchez, senior manager asset management; David Martinez, foreman coal yard operator; Gerald Tyler, operator coal equipment; Blake Vaughn, operator control room coal yard ; Juan Cubillos III, operator auxiliary; Jacob Stewart Bissell, manager plant engineering

Energy Delivery Services Fabian Emmanuel Hijar-Lopez, utility worker; Cody Dustin Riddell, Chance Michael Markgraf and Lee Edward Schaefer, Allan Barcus Garner, Alberto Torres-Torres, trainee distribution; Allan Meineke, specialist SCADA 2

Corporate Support Services: Allen Myles Pena, lead security officer ; Christopher Arthur Fournier and Edwin Leon Lipinski Jr, security officer

Customer Accounts and OperationsSulma N. Ramirez, Rometres Lynch and Stephanie Denise Barajas, Rep Customer Svc 1; Pamela Jean Garcia-Adame, supervisor contact; Veronica Velasquez Pelletier, teller

Enterprise Information TechnologyPeter Anthony Kleffner, director IT governance & strategy; Samantha Isaacs, senior manager project management

Gas DeliveryCesar Sanchez and Richard Hugh Conner, utility worker; Michael John Guerra, engineer

Power GenerationPaulo Ibarra, Amal Rimon Thompson Jr., Casey Dale Ellerbe, Robert Allen Driskill, Dylan Jeffery Gisler, Cornelius Martin Boullard, Roberto Saenz Gutierrez and Jose Carmen Tinajero Jr., operator auxiliary

Gilbert Villafranco, Service Restoration, on the death of his son, Juan G. Villafranco

Charles M Ross, retired employee of Purchasing and Stores Department, on the death of his mother, Theresa Ross

Leon Waddy, Corporate Communications, on the death of his father, Lawrence Waddy, Jr.

Allen Mayer, retiree, on the death of his son, Shelby Mayer

Gene Dixon Jr., Weatherization Assistance, on the death of his father Gene Dixon, Sr.

LINES staff joins other CPS Energy employees in expressing deepest sympathy to:

The family and friends of Angel Gonzales, retired employee of Materials and Transportation

The family and friends of Jimmy Garcia, retired employee of Financial Services

The family and friends of Wayne Jaksik, retired employee of Energy Delivery Services

The family and friends of Paul F. Root, retired employee of Building Operations

The family and friends of Jess J. Witte Jr, retired employee of Gas Engineering and Fuels

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Con

grat

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35Paul OzunaMission Road Construction Center

30Abel MartinezNorthwest Center

Rick ValdezCalaveras Power Station

Yolanda MaldonadoMain Office

Antonio TorresNorthwest Center

Brenda KirkEnergy Management Center

Dennis HansMission Road Construction Center

Douglas Friesenhahn Meter Reading

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Alfred NietoMission Road Construction Center

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Edward Segura Malone Administration Building

Jesse B. Orta Northwest Center

Jose PuenteCalaveras Power Station

Kenny JohnsonJones Avenue

Leonard RuizSalado Street Center

Mary Helen Alvarez Mission Road Construction Center

Ronald Gray Northside Customer Service Center

Roosevelt Carter, Jr. Main Office

Danny Granato Calaveras Power Station

Ed PerezJones Avenue Center

George A. Sotello Northwest Center

Glenn Kosub Calaveras Power Station

Howard Berry Eastside Center

Daniel MartinezMain Office

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Arnold SandovalJones Avenue Center

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Jack SmithJones Avenue Center

Kevin PennyMain Office

Kim StokerMain Office

Lillian De Luna Navarro Building

Lisa Pennington Mission Road Construction Center

Mark DavisJones Avenue Center

Paul Lombrano Mission Road Construction Center

Joe Sepulveda Calaveras Power Station

Richard ZuleNorthwest Center

Robert DoegeTuttle Training Center

Robert Jendrusch Calaveras Power Station

Scott AllenTuttle Training Center

Steve Sanchez Northwest Center

Benito GarzaJones Avenue Center

Carlos GarciaMission Road Construction Center

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Emil BrowningMalone Administration Building

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Dean Heather Northside Customer Service Center

Eric MyersCalaveras Power Station

Jose Alvarado Calaveras Power Station

Keith BalcarNavarro Building

Larry Banda Southwest Center

Marisa Barrera Navarro Building

Paul Herrera III Eastside Center

Roberto Gonzales Malone Administration Building

Samuel Perez, Jr. Malone Administration Building

Todd PargmannEnergy Management Center

Erik EirichMalone Administration Building

Fernando LopezSouthwest Center

Floyd Schneider Braunig Power Station

Freddy Hernandez Southwest Center

Hassan Mkhantar Jones Avenue

Julissa FloresMain Office

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10Andrew Hernandez Eastside Center

Justin MooneyMission Road Construction Center

Larry Mann Northwest Center

Manuel Carranza Northwest Center

Moses PerezEastside Center Garage

Randall Davis Calaveras Power Station

Raymond Drzymala Mission Road Construction Center

Robert StullJones Avenue Center

Rudy Hernandez Northwest Center

Todd Rogers Calaveras Power Station

Vivian Sarabia Northside Customer Service Center

Michael MaloneMain Office

Vincent Travieso Northwest Center

Vo TrieuMain Office

Willie Davis Northside Customer Service Center

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Annie DiazMain Office

5Gabriel SantosJones Avenue

Leticia Gomez Northside Customer Service Center

Luke Foster Southwest Center

Monico Levrie Southwest Center

Xavier Caballero Substation Maintenance

Bradley AllenSubstation Maintenance

Cris EugsterMain Office

Derek SteffeCalaveras Power Station

Kip GilesNavarro Building

Gwen YoungNavarro Building

Joe Cordova Calaveras Power Station

Marlin KeithCalaveras PowerStation

Richard LuyetJones Avenue Center

Robert DieckowMain Office

Jason Heymans Security

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Here’s a look at some of the big events taking place in the lives of our CPS Energy family.

Jones Avenue CenterBenito Garza and his wife, Elisa, are pleased to announce the birth of their daughter, Lila Love Garza, born on March 27, 2014. (1)

Main Office, 10th FloorJelynne LeBlanc Burley is proud to report that her daughter, Juliet Daste Burley, is going to study abroad in Florianópolis, Brazil as a culinary student this summer as she prepares to complete her culinary degree at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) this fall. Jonathan Tijerina is proud to announce the birth of his son, Ian Tijerina, born April 22, 2014.Karen Gonzales is pleased to report the birth of her grandson, Ayden Story, born October 11, 2013. (2)

Northwest Service CenterLarry Mann and his wife, Melissa, are pleased to announce the birth of their twins, Hunter and Kristen, born Nov. 15, 2013. Their older son, Caden, is proud to be a big brother. (3)

Northside CustomerService CenterRobert Martinez was pleased to report

that his son, Jake, a sophomore at UTSA, competed with the UTSA Powerlifting team in April at the 2014 National Collegiate Championships in Orlando, Florida.Jake weighed in at 162.3 lbs. and placed 9th out of 39 lifters in his weight class with a combined weight of 1339 lbs., which consisted of squat, bench, and dead lift. The UTSA Men’s team placed 3rd overall.Jake is pursuing an Electrical Engineering Degree at UTSA. (4)

Energy Delivery ServicesFernando DeHoyos is pleased to report that his son, Mark DeHoyos, a junior at Edison High School, became the District 28-4A Boys Singles first place champion in March at a tournament held at the Northside Tennis Center in March. He also got second place in the SAISD UIL Dis-trict Team matches held in October 2013. (5)

News from RetireesRetiree Oscar Moore and his wife, Ruby, were very proud to keep a promise to their granddaughter to take her to Las Vegas and the Hoover Dam for keeping a 4.0 grade point average. She is a sophomore at Lamar High School in Arlington.

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Best wishes to these employees who have retired after many dedicated years to CPS Energy.

Andrew GarciaEnergy Delivery &Customer ServicesNavarro Building35 Years of Service

Present Position: General Designer 3Previous Positions: Draftsman, engineer specialist, engineer specialist 2, engineer specialist 3

Enemencio MaldonadoEnergy Delivery &Customer ServicesMalone Administration Building25 Years of Service

Present Position: Crew LeaderPrevious Positions: Utility worker, crewman 1, assistant crew leader, truck driver specialist

Victor OrozcoEnergy Delivery &Customer ServicesMalone Administration Building35 Years of Service

Present Position: Crew LeaderPrevious Positions: Utility worker 1, crewman 1, assistant crew leader

Robert BarbaEnergy Delivery &Customer ServicesSouthwest Center35 Years of Service

Present Position: UED InstallerPrevious Positions: Utility worker, crewman 1, assistant crew leader

Kelley FarrisCorporate Support ServicesNavarro Building11 Years of Service

Present Position: EAI & Middleware ManagerPrevious Position: EAI/Interface analyst 2, program/system analyst 3, EAI/Interface analyst 3

Johnny FranklinEnergy Delivery &Customer ServicesMission RoadConstruction Center35 Years of Service

Present Position: Distribution Regulator RepairmanPrevious Position: General helper, operations serviceman

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by Christine PatmonTroublesome fish, a skyrocketing career, and men and women who could operate or repair anything are just a few notable mem-ories that Richard Peña took with him as he wrapped up a 31-year career on June 1.

The vice president of generation asset management started as a junior engineer when Power Generation was known as the Production Department in July 1983. Peña headed up Energy Market Operations when he decided to retire late last year. Over the years, he led some of the company’s largest projects, including the startups of JK Spruce 1 and 2 and Arthur Von Rosenberg 1. Other memorable moments include the

preparation for Y2K, the NODAL project for ERCOT, SAP conversion, the Tuttle Training Center, and new offices for the Coal Yard and Environmental Lab.

Bricks and mortar aside, workforce develop-ment also marks Peña’s decades of leader-ship. He recalls the promotion plans for the Maintenance and Operations area, foreman qualifiers, and the rewards and recognition initiative. The promotion plans had tre-mendous support from both the union and management, and Peña said it highlighted the talents and capabilities of staff.

He says working with true professionals, “some of the best people anywhere,” was a

privilege. Former executive Rod Seidel was one of those special people, showing Peña to look at problems and opportunities from a 360 degree approach, and taking a 10, 20 and 30 year hindsight view of what we could gain or lose.

But what about those problem fish? Flash-back to December 1989 when an extreme cold front came in, stunning the tilapia in Braunig Lake - thousands headed for the condensers, plugging them and shutting down the units. That led to rotating black-outs across the city. To this day, Peña refuses to eat tilapia. If that’s the worst thing that could happen in three decades, most people will take it.

RICHARD PEÑAConcludes 31-Year Career

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by Scott Wudel

Surely, by now, you’ve heard the term “demand response.” No, it’s not psychobab-ble for how quickly you should reply to your better half. But it is a call to action, and it’s one we’re hoping our customers hear to help us reduce energy consumption during the hot, summer months.

If you’ve been around long enough, you’ve heard of Peak Saver, a programmable ther-mostat and our inaugural flight in to the land of energy conservation back in 2003. The thermostat proved worthy for its time and many customers still enjoy its benefits, albeit under a new name – Smart Thermostat.

Today, Demand Response (DR) is a full-scale, multi-faceted program. Homeowners can get a free or discounted device to help them reduce their energy use and earn account credits for helping us curtail consumption.

All they have to do is heed the call during a “conservation” event and allow their thermostat to be adjusted slightly. Such events reduce the number of ACs demand-ing power at the same time and preserve valuable resources. Last year, nearly 100,000 customers used Smart Thermostat and the Home Manager energy management system, preserving more than 60 MW of energy.

This year, a new central AC program – the sleek Nest Learning Thermostat – provides yet another energy-saving option. We also have programs for window units like the new Kuhl Window AC and the Cool Energy SmartAC Kit. All of these programs offer

customers better control of their home energy use through wireless technology and account credits for participating.

“Demand Response customers are helping us reduce load growth on the grid,” says Rick Luna, manager of demand management and analysis. “They help ease the demand for power and help us maintain low rates. At the same time, we reduce the need for additional power generation.”

Our commercial and industrial customers bring the largest share of load reduction. Today, more than 340 meters at schools, office buildings, hotels, and retail centers are connected to our commercial DR program. Like our residential side, when demand is expected to be high, an event is called. Facility managers at H-E-B, Microsoft, Trinity University and others have an hour or two to decide if they can afford to scale

back power consumption that day. In return for their commitment, they receive valu-able account credits or financial incentives. In 2013, participating companies reduced consumption by almost 67 MW. Now, the challenge is expanding the program.

“One of our biggest hurdles is that we’ve seen so much success in the large commer-cial market that the segment is becoming saturated,” says Justin Chamberlain, market-ing analyst in New Programs and Services. “The opportunity we see before us is to work with smaller accounts on finding ways to enable them for demand response.”

CPS Energy also is implementing load reduc-tion activities internally at locations such as Main Office and Navarro Buildings and NSCSC. During an event, thermostats are being adjusted, lights are being turned off in hallways, and electricity is conserved in other areas where possible.

Employees can do their part during these events. When notified, you can: turn off all lighting except for task light-ing; turn off computers, copiers or other equipment not in use; and delay print jobs until the next day. These events will typically be called between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.

RESPONDING TO THE CALLCPS Energy focused onDemand Response to reduceconsumption this summer

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LOOK TO CPSENERGYSAVERS.COM FOR MORE DETAILS ON WHICH

PROGRAM BEST FITS YOUR HOME. ALL PROGRAMS ARE FREE, BUT MAY

REQUIRE A PURCHASE (NEST THERMOSTAT, FRIEDRICH KUHL WINDOW AC).

Home Manager – Control your central AC, water heater and pool pump and monitor your energy use with a computer or smartphone.

Smart Thermostat – Program your free Honeywell thermostat from anywhere to reduce your central AC running time.

Nest Rush Hour Rewards – purchase a Nest Thermostat and enroll in Rush Hour Rewards. The Thermostat learns your daily routine and develops a schedule for your central AC. Look for $85 account credit to reduce price of thermostat.

Cool Energy SmartAC Kit – control and monitor temperature settings on your window AC with a computer or smartphone.

Friedrich Kuhl Window AC – purchase an efficient window AC at a local Conn’s and control it remotely. Look for additional account credit to reduce purchase price.

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PRSRT STD MAILU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDSAN ANTONIO, TXPERMIT NO. 251

Power Generation literally put a spotlight on energy efficiency and safety by improving lighting at Calaveras and Braunig Power stations. The new LED lights installed at various power plant facilities will bring an estimated annual savings of more than 1,000 megawatt-hours. Here (left to right) Mario Valadez, shift supervisor, Dustin Winkler, A03, and Alan Moore, control room operator, enjoy the new lighting at Braunig Power Station, which has created a safer work environment and boosted morale.