By Will Holford
Recently, one of Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative’s tree-trimming contractors went to the home of a Bluebonnet member in Lee County to alert the family that some tree work was needed on their property and a crew would return in a few days to do the work.
1. Put together an emergency supply kit. FEMA offers a list here.
2. Discuss escape routes from each room of the house as well as from your neighborhood.
3. Make sure all family members know how to get in touch with one another even if phone service is disrupted, such as meeting at a designated place or reporting in with emergency responders.
Bluebonnet celebrated several milestones in 2019. In addition to its 80th anniversary and surpassing 100,000 meters and 10,000 followers on Facebook, the cooperative added its 1,000th renewable energy member in November.
Story by Alyssa Dussetschleger
If you think you're seeing more electric vehicles on the roads of Central Texas, your eyes aren’t lying. By mid-June this year, more than 52,000 electric vehicles — or EVs — were registered in Texas, and 63% of them are model years 2020 or newer, according to data from the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles.
Most motorists know to move over a lane or slow down to 20 mph below the posted speed limit if a law enforcement vehicle has stopped another motorist on the side of a road or highway. But did you know that Texas lawmakers passed a bill in 2019 requiring the same protection for utility workers?
The state's Move Over/Slow Down law was expanded from police, fire, medical emergency, Texas Department of Transportation vehicles and tow trucks to include utility vehicles that are stationary with flashing amber or blue lights.
Story by Clayton Stromberger
Photos by Sarah Beal
Travel to communities and picturesque parts of the Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative service area, and you will likely pass dozens of locations — a volunteer fire station, a community center, a small nonprofit — with equipment, a new or renovated building, a park or a program made possible with help from the Lower Colorado River Authority and Bluebonnet.