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Tennessee crews to assist with Matthew restoration

Volunteer lineworkers from eight electric cooperatives to participate in restoration effort following massive hurricane

NASHVILLE – More than 80 electric cooperative lineworkers from Tennessee are heading to South Carolina and Florida to restore power to those affected by Hurricane Matthew.

“Eight electric cooperatives in Tennessee are sending personnel and equipment to Florida and South Carolina to assist electric cooperatives impacted by this massive storm,” said David Callis, executive vice president and general manager of the Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association. “We are proud of these volunteers who are leaving their families to help others in need. This will be hard, dangerous work in difficult conditions.”

Electric cooperative organizations across the Southeast began developing response plans earlier this week, and details have been adjusted as the exact path of the storm and the extent of the damage became more certain. This cooperation is enabled through mutual-aid agreements among electric cooperatives.

Crews will be assisting Berkley Electric Cooperative near Charleston, South Carolina, and Clay Electric Cooperative in Keystone Heights, Florida.

“One day, we will need help,” says Callis, “and when that tornado or ice storm arrives, we know that this assistance will be repaid. Cooperation is one of the founding principles of electric cooperatives. It is what makes us different from other utilities.”

The Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association provides legislative and communication support for Tennessee’s 23 electric cooperatives and publishes The Tennessee Magazine, the state’s most widely circulated periodical. Visit tnelectric.org or tnmagazine.org to learn more.

 

Assisting Clay Electric Cooperative in Keystone Heights, Florida:

  • 11 lineworkers from Appalachian Electric Cooperative, New Market
  • 12 lineworkers from Cumberland Electric Membership Corporation, Clarksville
  • eight lineworkers from Duck River Electric Membership Corporation, Shelbyville
  • eight lineworkers from Fayetteville Public Utilities, Fayetteville
  • 12 lineworkers from Middle Tennessee Electric Membership Corporation, Murfreesboro
  • 15 lineworkers from Upper Cumberland Electric Membership Corporation, Carthage

 

Assisting Berkley Electric Cooperative near Charleston, South Carolina:

  • 10 lineworkers from Plateau Electric Cooperative, Onieda
  • 11 lineworkers from Sequachee Valley Electric Cooperative, South Pittsburg

 

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Tennessee’s electric cooperatives celebrate National Co-op Month

Being part of a cooperative means being part of something special. Tennessee’s electric cooperatives are celebrating National Cooperative Month in October, along with 40,000 other cooperative businesses serving more than 120 million people nationwide.

“Cooperatives Build” is the theme of this year’s National Cooperative Month. “There are so many ways that cooperatives help to build a stronger rural America,” says Trent Scott, vice president of corporate strategy for the Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association. “Tennessee’s electric co-ops have a significant impact on the communities we serve in ways that go far beyond the delivery of energy.”

Consider these ways that co-ops build:

Cooperatives Build Trust

Most co-ops strive to adhere to seven key cooperative principles, which combine to help build trust between the co-op, its members and the community. For example, the first principle is Voluntary and Open Membership, which means that we are a voluntary organization open to all people to use our services and willing to accept the responsibility of membership. The second principle, Democratic Member Control, gives members a voice in the cooperative’s policies and decisions. Through the fifth principle, Education, Training and Information, co-ops enable members to contribute to the development of our cooperative.

Cooperatives Build Community

The seventh cooperative principle is Concern for Community. Cooperatives work for the sustainable development of their communities through employee involvement in local organizations, through charitable contributions to community efforts and through support for schools.

Cooperatives Build Jobs

Cooperatives generate jobs in their communities, keep profits local and pay local taxes to help support community services. Cooperatives often take part in community improvement programs, ensuring that everyone has an opportunity to benefit from the cooperative experience. Tennessee co-ops employee more than 2,600 employees across the state, creating many technical and professional career opportunities otherwise unavailable in rural communities.

For more information, visit www.coopmonth.coop.

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Why we celebrate cooperatives

By Adam Schwartz

Every October, cooperatives from all sectors across the country celebrate National Cooperative Month. The purpose of this annual celebration is to recognize the cooperative difference and remind co-op members of the purpose and impact of the nation’s electric co-ops.

I must admit that occasionally, I too have been somewhat cynical of the many different “days” and “months” that are celebrated, but National Cooperative Month is truly an opportunity to celebrate.

Celebrating National Cooperative Month informs others about our unique business model, which is based on the Seven Cooperative Principles: Voluntary and Open Membership; Democratic Member Control; Members’ Economic Participation; Autonomy and Independence; Education, Training and Information; Cooperation Among Cooperatives; and Concern for Community.

For co-op employees and members that are familiar with the principles, the month of October is a great opportunity to renew our connection to each other and the purpose of our co-op. In the U.S., there are more than 29,000 co-ops serving in every single industry. Many co-ops from different sectors join together during the month of October to educate members in the community about cooperatives.

There are more co-ops in our local community than most people realize. Ace Hardware, True Value, Do It Best Hardware and credit unions are all co-ops. Co-ops are even represented on the shelves at our local grocery stores, such as Land O’Lakes, Welch’s, Organic Valley, Cabot Cheese, Sunkist, Ocean Spray and more.

According to the latest data, more than 130 million people belong to a co-op in the U.S. alone, and co-ops employ more than 2 million Americans.

This speaks to the heart of why we must take every opportunity to celebrate and teach others about the cooperative business model. So, plan your own co-op celebration by purchasing co-op products, look to do business with co-ops right here in our local community and be an active member of your local electric co-op.

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From the front lines to power lines

Electric co-ops care about veterans

By Anne Prince

Electric co-ops have long had a special affinity for veterans. Perhaps because they are both so closely aligned in outlook, focusing on service, mission and country. Maybe it’s because a disproportionate number of veterans come from rural communities and return to their hometowns following active duty. Or, maybe it’s due to the shared work ethic of teamwork, cooperation and a “get it done” attitude. Most likely, it is all of the above.

Network of caring

Tennessee’s 24 electric co-ops are among the more than 900 electric co-ops across the country to support and honor our nation’s veterans of all generations. We are grateful to have veterans within our ranks, and we are proud to serve veterans and their families within our local community. In addition to providing safe, reliable and affordable electricity, we care for the veteran community in a variety of ways.

We are not alone in our efforts to honor and serve veterans. As part of our national network of electric cooperatives, spanning 47 states and covering 75 percent of the nation’s landmass, there are countless programs that our family of co-ops has initiated. At the national level, we support the “Serve our Co-ops; Serve Our Country” program, a nationwide initiative aimed at employing and honoring veterans, military service members and their spouses. This program came with a great vision of forming a national coalition with the shared goal of hiring veterans into co-op jobs across rural and suburban America and setting them up for success in their local communities.

As part of a co-op veteran outreach effort, America’s electric cooperatives are working closely with federal partners, including the Department of Energy, Department of Labor, Department of Defense, Veterans Administration, labor unions and other trade associations on an industry-wide veteran hiring initiative, The Utility Workforce Initiative. Together, these groups are establishing a national employee resource group, Veterans in Energy, which will launch later this year to provide transition, retention and professional development support to military veterans working in the energy industry.

Many programs, one purpose

At the local level, electric co-ops across America have created their own programs tailored to the unique needs of their community. One of our neighbors to the north, Pennyrile Electric Cooperative in Kentucky printed more than 10,000 “thank you” cards that members signed and were later delivered to troops on active duty in nearby Ft. Campbell.

Many electric co-ops sponsor “Honor Flights,” enabling veterans from the Korean conflict and WWII to visit war memorials in Washington, D.C. at no charge. In the small town of Fort Dodge, Kansas, Victory Electric Cooperative partnered with the local VFW to create the “Vittles for Vets” program aimed at stocking the food pantry at the Fort Dodge Soldiers Home. Many of the veterans living there and in surrounding communities are on limited incomes, and the food pantry helps the veterans meet basic needs.

Other co-ops forge strong partnerships with the military bases in their service territories. In Wyoming and North Dakota, co-op leaders and staff serve on military-civilian boards and committees that support activities initiated by their respective bases.

While the activities may differ, a commitment to supporting and caring for veterans is apparent at every electric co-op across this great nation. Tennessee’s electric cooperatives are proud to be a part of the cooperative network that honors and supports veterans of all ages, ranks and branches of the military.

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October 2016 Tearsheets

[pdf-embedder url=”http://www.tnelectric.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/tearsheets-10-16.pdf”]

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