B. Ownership & Responsibility

Cooperative Owned Facilities - The Cooperative will normally install, own, operate, and maintain all distribution facilities on the supply side of the point of attachment. All service entrance conductor wiring from a point of connection to the Cooperative's service line at a location satisfactory to the Cooperative shall be the responsibility of the member. If building modifications hinder access to metering facilities, create a hazardous condition, or cause violation of code, the member will be responsible to correct these conditions.
1. Access to Premises - The member shall provide at no expense to the Cooperative suitable space with provisions for installation and maintenance of the Cooperative's facilities on the member's premises. Authorized agents of the Cooperative shall have access to the premises at all times for construction, operation, maintenance, removal or inspection of the Cooperative's facilities or to inspect the member's facilities or measure the member's load.
2. Use of Facilities - The Cooperative will not allow use of its poles or other facilities by others for installations or attachments of any kind without written authorization from the Cooperative. This includes, but is not limited to, electrical, communication equipment, lights, signs and fences. The Cooperative assumes no liability for property owned by others attached to its facilities. The Cooperative will remove unauthorized attachments to Cooperative facilities.
3. Protection - The member shall use reasonable diligence to protect the Cooperative's facilities located on the member's premises, and to prevent tampering or interference with such facilities. When repair work is necessary due to member or non-member damage of Cooperative property, the party responsible for the damage will be charged for mileage, labor, material and overhead cost.
4. Easements -
  1. The member shall provide the necessary easement and right to access to serve and supply electric power to their facility.
  2. The member shall provide easement and right to access for the construction of overhead and/or underground electric distribution lines and facilities to provide a new or improved service to other members or perspective members. The Cooperative will select a location for the distribution lines and facilities that will cause the least amount of inconvenience to the landowner and/or member.
  3. The member shall provide easement and right to access to the Cooperative for the purposes of installation, retirement, upgrading of facilities, line and equipment maintenance, tree trimming, system engineering, inspection of cooperative facilities, meter reading and other legal activities of the Cooperative. The Cooperative must have safe and unobstructed access to its electrical equipment at all times.
  4. The Cooperative shall record all easements and rights-of-way with the appropriate governmental office.
Member Owned Facilities - The Cooperative reserves the right to deny or terminate service to any member whose wiring or equipment shall constitute a hazard to the Cooperative's equipment or its service to others. However, it disclaims any responsibility to inspect the member's wiring, equipment or any subsequent wiring changes or modifications and shall not be held liable for any injury or damage or billing errors resulting from the condition thereof.
1. The member shall be responsible for inadequate performance of such facilities. Before purchasing equipment or installing wiring, it shall be the member's responsibility to check with the Cooperative as to the characteristics of the service available. The member will be responsible for any changes required to bring member's service in compliance with code. The Cooperative reserves the right to assess service charges for work performed by Cooperative personnel resulting from malfunction of the member's facilities.
2. Prior to the beginning of construction, the member shall meet all contractual obligations.
3. Prior to the service being energized, the prospective member shall provide written proof to the Cooperative that applicable State Electrical Inspection requirements have been met.
4. The member shall be responsible for notifying the Cooperative of any additions to or changes in the member's equipment, which might exceed the capacity of the Cooperative's facilities, or otherwise affect the quality of service. The member will comply with safety requirements when generating equipment is used to supply power to a member's wiring system. It is mandatory that an approved electric power transfer device is installed that includes a lockable, visible disconnect device.
Notice of Intent:
1. Application - Prior to use of electric service, each perspective member shall make proper application to the Cooperative, and shall furnish all reasonable information required by the Cooperative. Failure to comply with this requirement may result in refusal by the Cooperative to provide service and disconnection of service.
Purchase of Electric Energy:
1. Each member shall, as soon as electric service becomes available, purchase from the Cooperative practically all electric energy used on the premise, and shall become liable for all charges incurred in the purchase of said electrical energy from the Cooperative. Standby and/or supplemental onsite generation may be utilized only as approved by the Cooperative and properly connected so as to prevent parallel operations with the Cooperative's system.
2. Any member using service without first notifying and enabling the Cooperative to establish a beginning meter reading may be held responsible for any amounts due for service supplied to the premises from time of last reading reported immediately preceding his/her occupancy.
3. Termination - Any member desiring termination of service shall so notify the Cooperative a minimum of five (5) working days in advance so the service may be discontinued on a mutually agreeable date. Members failing to give proper notice of intent to vacate the premises may be held responsible for use of service until a meter reading acceptable to the Cooperative is obtained.
4. Upon the withdrawal, death, cessation of existence, or expulsion of a member, the membership of such member shall, thereupon, terminate. Termination of membership in any manner shall not release a member or his/her estate from any debts due the Cooperative.
Conditions of Use:
1. The member shall not use the service in any way that causes a safety hazard, endangers the Cooperative's facilities, or disturbs service to other members. Failure to comply with this provision may result in discontinuance of the member's service.
2. Member shall install only such motors or other apparatus or appliances as are suitable for operation with the character of the service supplied by the Cooperative, and electric energy must not be used in such a manner as to cause detrimental voltage fluctuations or disturbances in the Cooperative's distribution system.
Nonstandard Service / Special Facilities:
1. Members shall be liable for the cost of any special installation necessary to meet particular requirements for service at other than standard voltages or for the supply of closer voltage regulation than required by standard practice.
2. The usual supply of electric service shall be subject to the provision of Mor-Gran-Sou rules, but where special service-supply conditions or problems arise for which provision is not otherwise made, the Cooperative may modify or adapt its supply terms to meet the peculiar requirements of such case.
3. Where a member requests service that will require the Cooperative to invest in plant that is considered by the Cooperative to be of a specialized nature and not a standard Cooperative construction design, the member must pay the total cost or a portion thereof of the plant investment determined by the Cooperative to be special in design. Special facilities also include transmission and/or distribution plant extensions for a single large commercial or industrial account. The Cooperative will require assurances of financial performance of the account to ensure that plant investment and wholesale power supply obligations for that account are met. The form of assurance may be unique for each such account and will be handeled on a case-by-case basis.
4. The Cooperative reserves the right to make special contractual arrangements as to the provision of necessary service facilities, duration of contract, minimum bills, or other service conditions with respect to members whose establishments are remote from the Cooperative's existing suitable facilities, or whose service requirements exceed the capabilities of the Cooperative system in the area, or otherwise necessitate unusual investments by the Cooperative in service facilities or where the permanence of the service is questionable.
Point of Attachment:
1. Where suitable service is available, the Cooperative will install service connections from its distribution lines to a suitable point of attachment on the member's premises designated by the Cooperative. Where the member requests a point of attachment other than that specified by the Cooperative, and such alternative point of attachment is approved by the Cooperative, the cost of installing additional intermediate supports, wires or fixtures necessary to reach, and/or accommodate the point of attachment requested by the member, shall be borne by the member.
2. Should it become necessary for any cause beyond the Cooperative's control to change the location of the point of attachment of service connections, the entire cost of any changes in the member's wiring made necessary thereby shall be borne by the member.
3. A service connection will not be made unless the member has installed his/her service entrance facilities in compliance with code requirements and specifications set forth by the Cooperative. A wiring certificate is required on all new service connects. These may be obtained from a licensed electrician or the State Electrical Board.
4. The member is required to provide at no expense to the Cooperative an acceptable location for Cooperative facilities on the member's premises.
5. For new overhead services, the location of the point of attachment must be such that the Cooperative's service conductors can be installed without attachment to the building in any other locations.
6. For underground service, the point of attachment shall be on the building, meter pedestal, or other agreed upon point.