Keeping your power on

Here at Wiregrass Electric Cooperative, we are always mindful of how grateful we are to have reliable electricity, especially during the hot summer months. As I sit comfortably in my air-conditioned office, I can’t help but appreciate our team’s hard work and dedication that ensures our members have access to electricity when they need it most.

Our team understands well the importance of maintaining a reliable electric grid. Part of how we achieve this is through regular right-of-way maintenance and power pole inspections.

It’s not unlike trimming the hedges around your house or checking your roof for leaks — neglecting these tasks can lead to bigger problems down the line. That’s why we regularly maintain our infrastructure. By keeping our rights of way clear of trees and vegetation, we can prevent outages caused by fallen branches. Plus, we regularly inspect power poles and replace them when necessary.

WEC employees work tirelessly to make sure that more than 26,000 members always have access to reliable electricity, even in challenging circumstances. Technology plays a huge role in our work. We use cutting-edge tech, like our Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition system, also called SCADA, reclosers and smart meters to better manage outages.

SCADA helps us monitor and control the electrical grid remotely, allowing us to identify and dispatch crews to fix issues before members even have to call us. Reclosers are devices we put on power poles that can restore power automatically to an area experiencing a temporary outage, while smart meters provide real-time data on energy usage. These instruments are especially important during severe weather, like thunderstorms and hurricanes, that can sometimes cause widespread power outages.

When I joined Wiregrass Electric, our organization wasn’t as progressive with technology as it is today. But by putting our staff members in roles that make the most of their expertise and working together as a team, we’ve made significant strides. I’m proud to say that we’re now on the leading edge of technology, which has not only improved our operations, but also saved money for the co-op and our members.

As focused as we are on providing reliable electric service today, we’re also always thinking about the future. That’s why we are committed to developing leaders in the community to continue powering the next generation forward. Recently, we sent a group of high school juniors to Montgomery for the Youth Tour program, which helps students develop leadership skills and learn about the cooperative business model. Ultimately, our goal is always to provide reliable, affordable electricity to our members. We know how much power outages can impact daily life, and that’s why we’re always working hard to maintain and improve our infrastructure. By focusing on regular maintenance and technology and investing in education, we’re building strong communities and ensuring a bright future for our members. So stay cool and rest easy knowing that our dedicated team is hard at work to keep you safe this summer. 