RESOLVE AND DEDICATION

By Terry Moseley, Executive VP/General Manager

As I write this column, we are in the wake of one of the most significant outage events in recent history. Back-to-back severe storms in mid-June caused damage comparable to a hurricane — but without the catchy name. During the worst of it, 10,259 of our 12,800 members were without power. With the assistance of 70 additional crew members from sister cooperatives and contractors, power was restored to all members within six days. The fact that we can restore power to so many members in such a short time is a testament to the resolve and dedication of co-op employees.

“Thank you” doesn’t seem adequate to express our gratitude toward everyone who showed concern for our employees and assisting crews during the restoration process. Your outpouring of support, acts of kindness, notes of appreciation, words of encouragement and, most of all, prayers uplifted our team when they were exhausted.

We know power outages take a toll on members, and we do our best to keep the lights on even when Mother Nature strikes.

Speaking of weather, the dog days of summer are here — that time of year when the sweltering heat is unrelenting, and relief sometimes comes after the sun goes down. Afternoon thunderstorms tend to cool things off but also create the potential for power outages caused by lightning, trees and limbs.

Summer heat can also affect your power bill, but we don’t want you to use more electricity than you must. That’s why we empower our members to take charge of energy consumption and monthly demand through the tools available on SmartHub. Increased awareness of energy usage habits allows you to choose when and how to save energy, which, in turn, can lower your bill. Visit our website at pioneerelectric.com to find more energysaving tools.

We also offer services to assist members in making their homes more energy efficient, including loans and rebates for qualifying equipment. More information about these programs can be found on Page 8 of this issue of Alabama Living

Finally, we hope you make plans to join us at our annual meeting on Oct. 14 at the Butler County Fairgrounds. You can participate in our election process even if you can’t be there in person. Election packets will be mailed in September, allowing an opportunity for you to exercise your rights as a cooperative member.

It’s an honor for me to serve you, our members, alongside a team of professionals who always have your best interests at heart. 

In June, consecutive storms and intense rainfall resulted in numerous power outages across Pioneer Electric’s service area, spanning nine counties. As a result, crews were dispatched to repair damages and restore power to affected areas.