CEO’s Message – October 2025

A Winning Partnership

Wiregrass Electric Cooperative (WEC) has long supported local economic development. We believe the cooperative and our members benefit from such projects and the regional partnerships that make them happen.

Whether it’s a highway feasibility study or a speculative building in an industrial park, we know in today’s world we have to think and act regionally for a better Wiregrass.

The latest partnership we are proud to be a part of involves nearly $3.26 million in Growing Alabama tax credits. For those unfamiliar, Growing Alabama is a state program that allows eligible taxpayers — such as businesses and utilities — to donate to economic development projects and receive tax credits equal to their contribution.

We collect a mandated 2.2% utility tax from our members. Rather than sending those dollars elsewhere, the Growing Alabama tax credit allows us to leverage those dollars locally for economic development projects. Bringing tax dollars back to our area is a good thing.

It wasn’t that long ago that WEC used Growing Alabama tax credits on improvements for industrial parks in Geneva County and Houston County.

This time, the $3.26 million in Growing Alabama funding will go toward installing a sewer line to serve the Houston County Industrial Park, pumping wastewater to the Cypress Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant operated by Dothan Utilities.

A sewer line may not get a lot of people excited, but it can mean so much to getting new industry to locate in the area. New industry means local jobs and better lives for our members.

The Houston County Industrial Park sits off U.S. 231 near the Florida state line. The current treatment capacity available for the industrial park — 6,000 gallons per day — is inadequate to recruit new industry. A new sewer line opens up 240-plus acres for development within the industrial park.

It's so important that 9 different partners are donating to the cause in exchange for tax credits.

Wiregrass Electric Cooperative and our fellow cooperative, South Alabama Electric Cooperative in Troy, are committing $300,000 each.

Other donors include River Bank & Trust, $1 million; Regions Bank and Great Southern Wood, $500,000 each; Troy Bank & Trust, $250,000; Mid-South Bank, $207,500; Synovus Bank and Friend Bank, $100,000 each.

The project also involves multiple government agencies, like the Houston County Commission covering $385,000 in engineering fees, and the Houston County Water Authority and Dothan Utilities coming together to resolve a $190,000 water line extension.

Our local state legislative delegation has been a strong advocate for funding the Growing Alabama Tax Credit program. Without that support, we wouldn’t be able to pool our money with other entities to make these important contributions to local economic development.

At WEC, we operate under a set of 7 principles, which include open membership, democratic membership, concern for community, and cooperation among cooperatives. These principles shape how we operate and are the foundation we stand upon in the communities we serve.

All 7 are important, but this latest economic development project is a great example of cooperation among cooperatives. Just as Wiregrass Electric has partnered with other cooperatives on projects outside our service territory, South Alabama Electric Cooperative is stepping up to assist in a project that is located well outside its service area.

The SAEC leadership understands that one strong new industry — even if it is located in southern Houston County — can have a much wider impact on all of Southeast Alabama.

It took all of us to come together to make this project a reality. Just as our theme for our 2025 Annual Meeting, set for October 10, says: We are stronger together.