Harnessing the power of the sun at WING SOLAR

Pioneer Electric has expanded our energy sources to include solar harnessed from a new utility-scale solar site in Wing, Alabama. This new zero-emission renewable resource will generate 80 megawatts of power -enough to serve a portion of the needs of about 13,000 homes annually. This expansion helps us in our mission to keep your power as it should be: reliable and affordable.

The energy mix powering your home can come from many different resources like natural gas, hydroelectricity and landfill gas. As our region faces growing energy demands, we must look at all resources that can become part of our energy mix, including solar.

Solar is cost-effective because the fuel source (the sun) is free, and when the sun shines, it provides a great source of energy. Solar diversifies our fuel mix, making it easier to protect against the volatility in natural gas markets. However, it is intermittent, meaning it only generates energy when the sun shines.

Energy generated by solar cannot be cost-effectively stored for use during our peak hours, when the greatest number of people require the most electricity. Our cooperative experiences these peaks during early winter mornings and late summer days. The solar energy we can harness while the sun shines is reliable when balanced with our diverse energy mix. Mixed responsibly with 24/7 resources like natural gas, intermittent solar energy helps your power remain reliable around-the-clock.

You rely on us for power, and we take seriously our responsibility to offer a balanced energy mix that you can count on now and in the future. By expanding our energy sources to include solar, we’re upholding our responsibility and moving forward with you in mind.

My husband loved to build things out of wood. He built houses, churches and trains. I’m so proud. SUBMITTED by Nyoka Chandler, Guntersville.

I made this for my grandson. My first time building a rocking horse. SUBMITTED by Ray Bell, Newville.

I’ve been wood carving for about 30 years. SUBMITTED by Jerry Cochran, Summerdale.

Stephan H. Scott made this boat from a pine tree that fell on our property after a storm and named the boat after his grandmother. SUBMITTED by Marilyn Scott, Elberta.

One of my ancestors whittled this. All of it is one piece - no pieces of it are separate. SUBMITTED by Rhonda Mosley, Andalusia.

A friend of mine did this woodburning of my dog, Gypsy, from the included picture. SUBMITTED by Susie Burgess, Hartselle.

My Daddy made heart shaped jewelry boxes out of cedar for every female in his family. SUBMITTED by Joyce Pickett, Fitzpatrick.

| Deadline: February 28

Co-ops respond to devastating severe weather

Numerous strong to severe thunderstorms cut through central Alabama on Jan. 12, and several of those storms spawned significant tornadoes, according to the National Weather Service. An EF3 tornado that tracked from Autauga County into western Chambers County had a longtrack path of over 76 miles and was at least 1,500 yards wide; this tornado caused seven fatalities and 16 injuries.

This storm left more than 9,000 Central Alabama EC members without power, and the co-op needed to replace more than 300 poles. Several sister co-ops responded to help Central Alabama with the restoration of power: Dixie EC, Marshall-DeKalb EC, Tallapoosa River EC, Baldwin EMC, Clarke-Washington EMC, Cullman EC, Coosa Valley EC, Black Warrior EMC and Wiregrass EC sent a total of 85 men as well as trucks and materials to the affected areas in Central Alabama’s territory. They were in place by the morning of Jan. 13, and all were released by the evening of Jan. 15.

But several co-ops had their own damage to contend with. Black Warrior EMC, Pioneer EC, Southern Pine EC, Clarke-Washington EMC, Joe Wheeler EMC, South Alabama EC, Pea River EC and others saw large-scale outages from the band of storms that tore through Alabama.

Alabama’s co-ops always stand ready to help sister co-ops both in-state and across the Southeast after a devastating weather event.