CEO’s Message – September 2024

Turning Wheels of History

85 years ago, families in this area came together to bring electricity to the Wiregrass by forming a cooperative, Wiregrass Electric. It was a history-making moment that made our way of life possible. This cooperative honors that history and the path it laid for us to continue growing and coming together as a community.

Electricity has made us more connected. Six years into our Broadband for the Wiregrass partnership with C Spire, formerly Troy Cable, we’ve made tremendous progress in bringing broadband internet to the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of those families. Because of this partnership, the vast majority of our member-owners today have access to reliable high-speed fiber internet. Much like electricity did for our community in the 1940s, this utility improves lives and builds a better future for this corner of rural America.

Electricity also transformed our local agriculture. When electricity first came to Wiregrass farms, something as seemingly simple as electric lighting improved agricultural productivity. Farmers could spend more time in their fields instead of rushing home to tend to household chores before sundown. Today’s modern equipment and technology allow them to manage irrigation systems, maintain optimal storage conditions for their produce, keep tabs on their inventory, and run their operations more smoothly.

While harvests can be unpredictable by nature, reliable power helps farmers and sellers meet the food demands of our community and beyond.

And we’re not stopping here. As far as we’ve come, there are always ways to improve that benefit our members. That’s why I was grateful to accept an invitation to Washington, D.C., to advocate for better processes that help electric co-ops get emergency aid when a disaster hits. This measure would improve cooperatives’ ability to borrow money to rebuild their systems quickly. At Wiregrass Electric Cooperative, we’re always focused on our members and keeping costs as low as possible for you.

From the Silent Heroes we honor in this magazine every month, to small family businesses providing valuable services to their community, to our members who donate to Operation Round Up Foundation every month, there are so many good people in our community who make me proud to live here and be a part of the Wiregrass. And I am proud to work for you.

At Wiregrass Electric, we take our role in supporting local businesses and helping to secure a bright future for all seriously, keeping in mind everyone who lives, works, and runs a business in our area. And as always, our primary mission is to keep serving you with affordable and reliable electricity. We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished together and excited for what’s to come.

Be sure to tune into our 85th Annual Meeting on October 18, which will be live-streamed at noon on the Wiregrass Electric Cooperative Facebook page to learn more about what’s going on at your cooperative.