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Page 6C Wed., Aug. 4, 1999, Houston Home Journal 1999 and Beyond Section S - ?e&m d9IH ' '-> 'm ■ ■ » ««■ s*** Hi 1 -* — Flint Energies much more than just electricity Special to the Home Journal Flint Energies' new ven tures have solidly posi tinned this electric cooper ative for future competi tion and gaining them national attention in the electric utility industry. The company recently signed a memorandum of understanding with GE Fuel Cell Systems to be exclusive distributor of residential and small com mercial sized fuel cell sys terns in central and south ern Georgia. This is the first contract between GE Fuel Cell Sys tems and an electric coop erative. GE Fuel Cell Systems and Flint Energies expect to begin selling residential sized systems in 2001. and small business-sized units by 2002. Fuel cells are designed to provide 100 percent of electricity requirements of a home or small business at the point of consumption. These units produce a fraction of the emissions of .. ..; • : ■. I Need a IVlore Efficient -‘ '” '•" .Sottiiions for Living *.?,;&%,.;•> .... l —: 1 Flint Electric Hint Connections A Touchstone 4< Cooperative *&* Flint foagy StOTC I - - u_ r~ y-~- '^.agegfca ■IB { |Ka L traditional power genera tors, are virtually noise less. and are expected to be about the size of a dish washer. They will provide an environmentally friend ly and cost-effective energy alternative for customers. Another first for Flint Energies was Fort Hen nings announcement that Flint would take over own ership, operation and maintenance of its electric utility distribution system June 1. 1999. This is the first military privatization project awarded to an electric cooperative. Flint began working on the project in 1997, after Fort Benning responded to Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen's initiative to priva tize a majority of military' utility systems by Year 2003, These "firsts'' are just a small part of the new inno vations, products, and ser vices which Flint Energies now offers. As a reflection of this, the company began MAJOR CHANGES Flint Electrical Member ship Corporation recently changed names to Flint Energies to better reflect new services such as this appliance store in Warner Robinsfleft). The company also authorized a new logo, shown on the service truck below. (Special Pho tos) . u . / i; B I SflHtfii. ■ I S doing business as Flint Energies in May. replacing Flint Electric Membership Corporation. “Flint Energies better reflects the non electric products and services we now offer. “ said Joe Cade. President/CEO. The company markets its products ajnd services under three brands. Flint Electric. Flint Connec tions. and Flint Energy Store. Flint Energies, incorpo rated in 1937. provides energy’ services to 60.000 residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural customers in 16 central Georgia counties. Flint Energies is also a Touchstone Energy’ Coop erative. the largest unified electric utility network in the United States, with more than 560 Partners which deliver energy solu tions to more than 15 mil lion customers everyday. Y2K progress Localfirms addressing potentialfor disaster at turn of century Bt To ret Jolley Home Joukjial State The attention focused on Y2K and the impact of the new millennium will have on computer and other sys tems have captured the imagination of the world. Some people believe that Y2K will force complete shutdowns of financial insti tutions. utilities, and busi nesses. However, in Perry things do not look so bleak. According to the various banks in town, it will be safer to have your money in your banking account than under your mattress. “The safest place for your money is where I keep mine here.” said CB&T presi dent Gary Bishop. “We are completely ready. We can open Jan. 2 without wor ries." Bishop said financial institutions are the safest place for people to keep their money. No one should with draw large sums of money in case of a failure. “The banking industry has the best record keeping system in the world. If you make a deposit on Dec. 31, you will have it on Jan. 2,” said Bishop. Bank of America (former ly Nationsßank) manager jay Jones, concurs, “My money will still be in Bank of America. We are 100 per cent compliant and it will be business as usual." According to Jones. Bank of America has been work ing on the Y2K problem since 1995 with a corporate wide effort to update com puter systems and other processes which would affect accounts. Bank of Perry president Kelly Hillis stated his bank is, also, 100 percent ready. “Our customers have nothing to fear. Their deposits will be safe with us," said Hillis. Security Bank employee Community leaders understand the value of good connections. That’s why contractors, real estate agents, manufacturers, industrial leaders, health professionals and others who work tirelessly to positively impact our local economy need every advantage they can get - like the Flint Advantage™ Flint Energies’ products and services offer great value and maximum efficiency - from dependable pager systems and Internet access...to energy efficient electric power and brand-name appliances. Commercial and industrial customers can facilitate their work lives with Flint’s consolidated billing service - offering monthly charges from multiple locations on one, easy-to-read bill. Plus contractors receive special volume pricing on home appliances and other added-value services, while real estate agents can facilitate relocation for their clients by applying for, transferring, or disconnecting electric service online at www.flintenergies.com. There are numerous ways Flint Energies can assist you in your business’s growth & development. Call our Express Information Line at 988.3500. Brenda Green said they, too, are 100 percent complaint and customers should be confident in keeping their money in the bank. Getting ready for Y2K included identifying, fixing, and testing programs and equipment to ensure Y2K compliance, ensuring ven dors and business partners are compliant, and keeping updated on all new develop ments while sharing ideas. Brenda King, finance offi cer for the City of Perry, is the designated Y2K coordinator for the city. According to King, “We are ready." “We had to make sure everything was in order. We are squared away,” said King. According to King, when the city moved its adminis tration building to the reno vated building next door, they realized their old computer system 36 was not Y2K com pliant. “We upgraded our system with IBM AS 4005," said King. The cost of the upgrade was approximately $60,000, she said. King said unless the elec tricity shuts down, the City of Perry will be up and running. And she said if they needed to bill and collect manually, “we could do it." Food rant, which offers both a buf fet and menu service, are southern vegetables, chicken and dumplings, chicken and rice, okra and tomatoes, pole beans and new potatoes. Desserts include cobblers and banana pudding. They also serve their broth er A.B.’s famous barbecue, a steady favorite. Breakfast is served at tables mostly, the sisters say. to working men and includes country ham, eggs, grits, smoked sausages, bis- As for the waste water plant and the natural gas department. King said, “Someone is in the waste water plant 24/7, and in the gas department, they are on call 24 hours a day. “However, we are quite confident our water supply will be sufficient for our citi zens,” said King. The City of Perry went through a series of Y2K checks. According to King, the time clocks, the comput ers, the elevators were checked out and approved. However, the city is not 100 percent sure about is its vehicles. “They have small imbed ded computer chips in the engines. You won’t know if they are complaint until 2000,” said King. As for natural gas in Perry, Utilities Superintendent Harold Deal said, “Our nat ural gas is completely manu ally operated. Only our meter reading equipment is com puterized. If it fails, we can still read it manually.” Deal said all of the city’s suppliers have assured the city that they are Y2K com plaint. “As it stands, we won’t have a problem," said Deal. Continued from page 5C cuits and more. My Sisters’ Cafe, which is located at 107 Perimeter Road. Just off Sam Nunn Boulevard in Perry, is open from 6 a.m. until 2:30 p.m., and again from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Monday. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. On Friday and Saturday, the restaurant is open from 6 a.m. straight through until 9 p.m., and on Sunday, a bountiful buffet is offered from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.