Cooperative CARES Through Actions

Wiregrass Electric Cooperative (WEC) conducted its annual meeting in late October, and CEO Les Moreland outlined how the cooperative CARES for its membership during the keynote speech.

  • Clean: As renewable sources of energy become more affordable, they are included in the power WEC provides through PowerSouth Energy Cooperative. PowerSouth closed a coal-burning plant in 2020 and will bring a natural gas plant online in 2022.
  • Affordable: By working efficiently, WEC employees allow the cooperative to return money to its members. In 2021, WEC returned about $750,000 in power cost adjustments plus another $1.7 million in capital credits to its membership.
  • Reliable: Thanks to the dedication of its employees and investment in the power grid, WEC maintains a 99.9% system reliability score. This means the average WEC member is without power fewer than 100 minutes a year.
  • Efficient: An investment in technology allows WEC employees to be more productive, which means the cooperative can keep staffing levels the same despite growth in the system.
  • Safe: As of late October, WEC employees have not suffered a significant injury since 2003.

In election results, WEC members approved a list of proposed bylaw changes by a vote of 778-200. Randy Odom defeated Glenn Maloy 1,183-785 in the race for the District 2 trustee spot.