<br />u
<br />
<br />Track
<br />to the
<br />Future
<br />Irt the face of chlanging
<br />ma»~et CO)1Clltto7lS,
<br />Westem Fuels Associa-
<br />tion kEieps on ge7:errrt-
<br />l71g )1C'ltJ )i)tlt('S t0
<br />SUCCeSS.
<br />All ~fwerd: W I'? Yeats, Westem Fuels
<br />hn priwm iuW aNrdrnmghlg e~xgx•r
<br />wen's enWgmse invnlvM in all awl avL5
<br />ufnc~ Wd supply' his>inrsr. r Iwnrvl hy.
<br />nmil Kenrmtiuu :mJ mmsmisswu
<br />cu~ups wed eunsumcruwm.l uuuw i-
<br />• r i F'urly a w~mrr.
<br />~'I' •s WuI n
<br />Jul utih u 1
<br />el W mimes :rod rwlNays, pun'h:nro
<br />fuel ti v it., mend ~•n, w Iniinntvn furl
<br />roupply contmcls, cold pn n'ides a husi
<br />of rust-nntmg cunsullily; srMres.
<br />Ixrut four Utnes a wcc
<br />A k,
<br />throe diesel~rlectric kxomntives of the
<br />Ex Wwt W-WC•s Wm Railway set out
<br />form the Plahis EuaWnte l;enerating
<br />Swtinn on wl H2 nWe mwW tri .
<br />u
<br />R ~ 43 mr -dean ndula tan
<br />rlhrlg arY pM gu
<br />Ule Irwin kxads at the l.ee Ranch Mine
<br />W nonhem New Mexico, nn its way
<br />pa+sitlg Utrtwgll scmb brwh desert
<br />fiankM Icy lowering rtrl sandstone
<br />cliffs and the rcmahts of pn;-Lowrie
<br />Inl16M wcblos.
<br />I
<br />U nits retool to the 2lflm watt
<br />pis cga
<br />Ix M'Cr Idwll Ileac Pre WILL, the traw
<br />wilu:uls over 4,gX1 Was of cnW; over
<br />Ule course of a year delivering nearly a
<br />million rum. Flaws Genemuon and
<br />7Fansnlixsioii l;uipemtiveSfacility par
<br />vidcs elettncity for moil New Mexico
<br />consumers.
<br />The EscilarueWrslem Railway is
<br />but one Pn 9crt of Lhe N'esLem Fuels
<br />Assceiaunn, a wilyue tvxtpemtive en-
<br />terprise. l hvntvl by 35 consumer-uwnM
<br />uWmes, the Washhlglon, D.C: lased
<br />Westem Furls Assiria[iun is the
<br />mlhun i bugrst Wel supply cmptm-
<br />tivc. II wed Iwo whu11Y'uwnM subsidi~
<br />:ales upemte railways wed trail moves,
<br />ntguuaW :wJ adnwuster fuel supply
<br />ron[mrts, lobby We federal guvem-
<br />mm~t un uxal and vanspunatiun issues,
<br />arul pmt~de:1 vast array of hrtuliral
<br />and n insulting services geared w help
<br />members abwin Ule Inwr'1 ptssihle
<br />prices fur energy.
<br />In the du7t•n years iCs Irten in
<br />husim :vs, Wlslcm FuWs has areumu-
<br />IaIM a'ecLS now wunh m excea of
<br />S;iliu milfiun. Uuring 1!IHS, Ute Ias1 Year
<br />fur which figures are avW IaMe, Wrslem
<br />Fucb grnernM mMt1Y 5?59 nliUiun hl
<br />gnrss revenues, with a net m:ugw of
<br />SIA million. At the enA of 19H5,
<br />nwmlrereyldty eyuullM SI _' nWWm.
<br />N'esh;m Furls Acsrriatian L5 art NCH
<br />mendrer. Thr @mk issuM a Inter of
<br />Cnvlil w acrist m the tiiuwlcirtg of the
<br />6a'a:wte-Westem KW way.
<br />rho undrrlYing rum „pi al \Viwl-
<br />rm Furl. h~t.:JN:pax.~n Ih;n by
<br />Nw km'w~,•ihrr uur mendrrv r:m
<br />F ti
<br />trap .ub.uuui:d Ix vlrfils than Ih.9
<br />rook In1 gri Ly wrung uu Ihcv uwm,"
<br />>p'> Pnvl I';dmrr. Wrslem F'urli grn-
<br />rril mmuy;rr "11'r wen• (unntrl In fill n
<br />need, and we rarognize that uur
<br />mntinuM existence is prtxficllM nn
<br />ulvabUi Wkee un dri ~ust Utai'
<br />ry P ulg 1
<br />The initial nerd Inpgemlg fumwtiun
<br />of Wesem Fuels was the 1973-74
<br />"Energy Crisis:' Sudden price increases
<br />by the Organivatiun of Petroleum
<br />Expurthlg Cuwl[ries (OPEC) rlrtel
<br />yuadntPlM the Price of oil Ovemiglu,
<br />all kwds of fossil heels lx•eanle the
<br />wurld5 must valuable ^rmmndity.
<br />For come generation and uansnils-
<br />sion crxlllem[ives, Ule energy crisis
<br />was particularly acute.On Ule one
<br />hand, Uleir tradiUnnal fuel suppliers
<br />were Iwwillhlg W enter inW lung-[eon
<br />trmlrads Quart the ex ~mtiun Utat
<br />pet
<br />dCes WUWd Lbntillne r15111 1 In dle
<br />P g
<br />usher, the relatively small buying needs
<br />ufUle individual coral G&Ts Uut Them
<br />at a severe disadvarlLage N a sellers
<br />market.
<br />Hut one ofthe reasons cooperatives
<br />emerge W the tint place is txrau,'e
<br />lurlple realize a need ion 6e Letter
<br />filled by actiry{ ti igeUlc•r Uuwi hy' acting
<br />separately. The 197374 energy cnsis
<br />causcvi the nlral G&Ts W. rote agahl
<br />reslxmd hl dassu• tuuperaUve fashion.
<br />Westem Fuels was the result.
<br />Bul [roles c}lange, and su du needs.
<br />The energy crisis g~tvr way W Use
<br />domestic enemy boom. And member-
<br />uwnM W~sWm Fisch reslx mdarl by
<br />nlrellhtg up crxil nti»es, opernling ruU-
<br />ways Whelp deliver W e coal, cold
<br />helpittg members pearl the logistics of
<br />Wel supuly fur new, energy-efficient
<br />Fuels gainM a high degrte of industry
<br />ez tin; hl Ule ens market wtd the
<br />pe rgy
<br />owns nation bushless.
<br />W
<br />Singe the early 19tg1s however, [he
<br />energy boom has itselfgiven way w the
<br />eatery bust In mW duWrs, trxal pores
<br />are lower Ulan IhcyWe M;en shoe: 1975.
<br />1'et, Palmer observes, the "deliverM
<br />prire" of coal has not dnrpprrl siejlifi-
<br />dueluthesuswhlell cost of
<br />tanU
<br />Y hrgh
<br />reil II'wlxlx inafilell.
<br />Chi Wp of that, Americai coral
<br />en nanny luu been hl a defiatiunary
<br />spiral fur must of this detalle. Once
<br />a +f~'Iin, nmsumer-nwnM uhhUes are
<br />taught W a bend, urilY Mils Urne itS the
<br />reverse of Ule one the fucM W 1974.
<br />Y
<br />Nuw, declining demanA:md pL•utt
<br />over-capacity arc forcing Ihem W fold
<br />mum and mum ways to crononlizc.
<br />l hem agave, Westem Fuels u rasing W
<br />the ehalenge by finding new ways W
<br />reslnnd W iLS membei~ new needs.
<br />And once agahl, Westem Furls Ls
<br />drmnnstru[wg that market-mindcv I
<br />nx7x;mlivcs cart always fad a nmhc, a
<br />way W nerve, and a way lu prosper.
<br />In a market silua[iun Yuu h.rvc h.
<br />Real with what is, not N'Ilh whm ynull
<br />lilts it lu Ire," notes Pnbner, :w :tl Jamey'
<br />and native of Ariuma who has wurke[I
<br />wiUt Westem Fuels alnlusl sWCe its
<br />incepuun. He betmnegeneml marlagrr
<br />two years ago."The energy
<br />changed drumumalY sintt• nun•re-
<br />alinn Our hu[ial reason fur heW ' nu
<br />longer exists. HIIt jlBt Ixrvltx t'undi~
<br />times have changed dlxsnY mean uur
<br />members dunY have needs. They du.
<br />They're just different needs. And Thal
<br />meuu we must ux a different set of
<br />L'atics."
<br />This chwtgiitg marker provides new
<br />n muilties fur WesWm Fuels hr
<br />PPo
<br />nlarke[ its expertiw. C;apilalizing un Its
<br />broad knowledge of fuel supply wxl
<br />UartsportaUon, Ute m-up recently
<br />urgarliud a new subsitli:vY calkvl
<br />Westem Fuels Servdre Cbrpumtion.
<br />Its aim b w help memlxn and nun-
<br />ntemhersarhievecven ealeru mt-
<br />gr Pe
<br />it ef5ciencies. ht art em uf"nn new
<br />>R
<br />projects;' Westem Fuels concludes n
<br />can continue bigmw by + x•.+sively
<br />nlarkeW lg iLS scoff "T. hiliues i in a tvn-
<br />sultingbasis Iu help utilities wiUt fuel
<br />supply prohlerru arul npplrn amass.
<br />"Every dollar nvluctiun ht cost we
<br />:rrlueve for uw members is anulher
<br />dollar retumal W their ulemlrcr
<br />tonsumers;'says Palmer,"wW teal earl
<br />be wwUler step wwanls nrovery fur
<br />the nlml and rcsuurue etv mumit•s."
<br />Palmer explains We idet hchiwl
<br />Westem Fuels Service Cupxnatinn
<br />Ibis way."We have valuable, un {gong
<br />experience W We marketplace. Onr
<br />members realize uwfphle,
<br />monetary
<br />henefila from Ihe'v lrarticif~tiun. Wttit-
<br />i will
<br />em Fuels Service Curlxira
<br />• henefiLs
<br />i
<br />uur w:l u s trod Ihux
<br />Y P
<br />arnurlg ulhennnswncrnwrlM uWiUes.
<br />This will funller enhance uur staff's
<br />experience while, st [he same time,
<br />reducing the existing cost hunlen fur
<br />our ttxil-Llldrlg members`
<br />Westem Fuels o&•rs a variety of
<br />ces w Wal
<br />s ~Mutrl console' sem
<br />~ wK
<br />' n nllatlnn
<br />wed including advice w r •g
<br />streW~', proposal evalualiun, furl
<br />supUlY au111LS, ecunnnilc evaluation of
<br />reserves, and eylUpmcnt firlancu~y,
<br />Nnwbly, Wrslem Fucb chose its
<br />Washhlgum 4 xaUun su it t'ulild c:ury'
<br />out a 1 'slauvc and luhh 1 rro n
<br />yt tgl ~
<br />•i nc :old
<br />aimed at ktrl mg Ule a rgy
<br />uatlspnnaUun business roily cumpeu-
<br />tive. Westem Fuels Inbbyvlg effun
<br />focuats un the hexry fMerW gnvcm-
<br />ment urvnlvement ht the westem troll
<br />buswess, and N changhttt federal rail-
<br />nrad legislation W bring adwt a more
<br />open and tram{retiUVe envirunnsnt fur
<br />mpuve ruilruul crlsWmers.
<br />"In Ibis chmtging market, the fad
<br />thxl Westem Fuels rs stmclurtrl as a
<br />a r-op is perhaps our greatest stmngth;'
<br />concludes Pabner."It gives us Utc
<br />IlezihUity W quickly adapt to market
<br />cunthtiuns yr as W [xtu.•r u•rve our
<br />members. We don't have lu worry
<br />alxnv shun-Won ouLSide hn•cslnls.
<br />N'c rc N Ulis for the Irnlg haW,juA like
<br />uur members. Arld thatS
<br />why it works" R7
<br />- - - ~~•~
<br />_ i _-
<br />~~
<br />III '..
<br />~.-, ~.r-~.r :~--.
<br />1
<br />' ~~.~ .
<br />~~..'~-
<br />~'
<br />.~
<br />.t`
<br />;~.,• ~.-
<br />J "
<br />~ ~„' r.
<br />•
<br />w
<br />
|