RELIABLE POWER FOR ALL

By Terry Moseley, Executive VP/General Manager

Delivering reliable electric service to members is Pioneer Electric’s core business and is prioritized second only to safety. Our most valuable assets are our 53 highly skilled employees who work in the field and offices to ensure the power keeps flowing, even after a storm.

Pioneer Electric delivers power to members through a complex electrical distribution grid made up of 2,700 miles of line, 40,000 poles, 10,540 transformers, 1,783 breakers and fuses, and scores of other components. The technology to monitor and operate these assets requires specialized equipment as well. Your total electric system is valued at $85 million.

Maintaining this resource for our members requires year-round maintenance. This year, we budgeted $1.5 million to maintain our rights of way. This includes trimming overhanging tree branches and mowing underneath the lines to remove vegetation that threatens the electrical system’s reliability. We also inspect power poles to identify those in need of replacement. This proactive maintenance minimizes the risk of outages all year long, especially during storm season. Operating the electrical system has changed drastically since the first poles were set in the ground in the 1930s. As our system has grown, so has our need for additional equipment and employees. To meet members’ expectations today requires a greater inventory of tools, supplies and equipment to accommodate system growth and restore power. Our team does an exceptional job of managing your resources to maintain a reliable system at an affordable cost.

While the tangible components of our system have a defined value, it’s difficult to put a price on the services it provides — like indoor plumbing, refrigeration, air conditioning and all the other conveniences we enjoy. Because of electricity, we have access to educational opportunities, health care and a clean living environment. I wonder if this is the future our forefathers envisioned when they energized the first lines, and I hope we are honoring that heritage as we build for the next generation. n