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<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 />