2003 Year In Review

January/February

• The Stelly Plan, a tax swap plan approved by Louisiana voters, cuts sales tax for residential electricity use by two percent beginning January 1.
• California's disastrous experiment with deregulation ended January 16 when the California Public Utility Commission unanimously voted to cancel the 1994 order that initiated the process of opening the state's electricity market to competition

March/April

• Edwin Lee, Amanda Roddy, James Woltmann and Lindsey Wilkinson each win an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C. as the winners in DEMCO's 2003 Youth Tour Contest.
• · DEMCO is one of four electric utilities to receive top national honors in the prestigious Project Habitat annual awards competition.

May/June

• Clarence Brock, Leslie Falks, T.N. Samuel and Joe Self are elected to the DEMCO board of directors at the annual membership meeting held May 10th.
• Renee Dupuy, St. Amant, Katie Jennifer Dyer, Amite, and Nathan McLean, Greenwell Springs, receive DEMCO's 2003 academic scholarship award.
• The Louisiana Public Service Commission followed its staff recommendation and approved an $8.1 million rate increase for DEMCO. The new rate, representing a 7.46 percent increase, was the first general increase in DEMCO's rates since 1983.

July/August

• James D. Woltmann, a student at Parkview Baptist High School in Baton Rouge and a 2003 DEMCO Youth Tour participant, was selected to represent Louisiana on the Youth Leadership Council of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.
• Consumers have a new location to make their bill payments as a drop box payment location is placed at the Watson Supermarket, 33135 Highway 16 in Watson.

September/October

• One of the world's best known and recognized race car drivers, Firestone spokesman Mario Andretti, was welcomed to Central by Baton Rouge Mayor President Bobby Simpson.
• · Denham Springs Mayor Jimmy Durbin and Dixie Business Center executive director John Ware, welcomed local business, civic and political leaders to the 10th anniversary celebration of the DBC held in Denham Springs October 17th.

November/December

• The DEMCO Foundation awards scholarships to Jason Schwartz, Denham Springs, Rebecca Browning, Zachary, Nakita Robertson, Pine Grove, Chase Braswell, Greenwell Springs, Joseph Rotolo, Baton Rouge, Nicholas Smith, Greenwell Springs, Melissa Whiddon, Livingston, and Nicholas Robertson, Pine Grove. The DEMCO Foundation is funded by Operation Round-Up.